The Upper Harbor ore dock is a landmark in Marquette, welcoming iron ore boats to the harbor and residents to the shoreline.
It turns a hundred years old this year, at least in its most recent incarnation as the LS&I Railroad ore dock. It's owned by
Cliffs Natural Resources now, which has made some improvements in the years since 1912.
To celebrate the anniversary, Cliffs, with the Marquette Maritime Museum, has invited the tall ship U.S. Brig Niagara to Marquette this summer. The replica ship itself will mark 200 years this year; it was the flagship in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812.
"This is a very unique opportunity to celebrate the centennial of the dock and also the bicentennial of the Flagship Niagara," says Jennifer Huetter, Cliffs' district manager of public affairs. "Cliffs is pleased to be able to acknowledge the ore dock's 100 years of operations milestone and include the public as part of the recognition. A schedule will be announced as the event approaches and there will be opportunities for both Cliffs' employees and the general public to tour the Niagara."
The LS&I dock isn't the first ore dock in that location in Marquette; a smaller wooden dock, about 1,200 feet long, was built there in 1896. It was cutting-edge at the time, but by 1910 it was obsolete, and the LS&I Railroad replaced it with the concrete-and-steel, 1,250-foot dock we still have today. It was completed in 1912, and improved several times with steel pilings, and a deeper approach, over the years.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Jennifer Huetter, Cliffs Natural Resources
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