Bay Port Historic Commercial Fishing District
About this property
The Bay Port Historic Commercial Fishing District is a commercial fishing historic district located on Lakeside Drive and First Street adjacent to Saginaw Bay in Bay Port, Michigan. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Bay Port was settled in the early 1860s, but it was not until the arrival of the railroad in 1886 that commercial fishing became a viable industry in the area. At about that time, Charles Gillingham and his family moved their fishing operations from North Island, located northwest of Bay Port, to this location on a man-made peninsula. In 1895, other local investors established the Bay Port Fish Company nearby. Both companies quickly grew, shipping lake herring, walleye, and whitefish via ice-filled rail cars to customers throughout the eastern United States. By the 1920s and 1930s, Bay Port was known as the largest freshwater fishing port in the world, with over 30 fishing boats working from the port. Operations in what is now the historic district included ports for the boats, and also processing of the catch, repairs, and advertising and promotional offices. However, in 1945, a fire destroyed most of both Gillingham's operation and the Bay Port Fish Company's buildings. The Bay Port Fish Company closed, and Gillingham's president, Otto Schmidt, rebuilt some of the buildings. However, a general economic decline affected profits, and in 1949 Schmidt liquidated the previous company, reforming it as another entity to operate the remaining facilities. In 1965, Schmidt sold out to Henry Engelhard and Mel Dutcher, and by 1973 Engelhard was the sole owner of the business. In 1978, Engelhard died, and his heirs sold the operation to the Williams family, who continue to operate the Bay Port Fish Company as of 2017. Bay Port Fish Company Office Building: This building is located at the base of the peninsula. It is a two-story gable-roof wooden building on cement foundations. Built around 1920, the building houses the company offices and a storage area. Twine House: This building is located adjacent to the Office Building. It is a 1+1⁄2-story building sitting on a cement block foundation, with a sheet-metal gambrel roof accented by dormers. The building was constructed in 1945. Fish Processing Plant: This building is located at the end of the peninsula. It is a 1+1⁄2-story structure, with a cement block foundation and sheet-metal gambrel roof similar to the Twine House. Also constructed in 1945, the building is used to unload boats, process catch, and the public sale of fish.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Bay Port Historic Commercial Fishing District
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Questions about this property
When was Bay Port Historic Commercial Fishing District listed on the National Register?
Bay Port Historic Commercial Fishing District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 21, 1977.
What type of historic resource is Bay Port Historic Commercial Fishing District?
Bay Port Historic Commercial Fishing District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Bay Port Historic Commercial Fishing District?
The period of significance for Bay Port Historic Commercial Fishing District is recorded as the listed era.
Can I research the history near Bay Port Historic Commercial Fishing District?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Bay Port Historic Commercial Fishing District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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