The Fading History of Port Huron's Pere Marquette Boat Yard

The photography here is mixed in its time. Some were from the Pere Marquette Railroad Boat Yard's last day in operation and others from points forwards and back in time from that day. Port Huron has been ever hostile to its rich railroad history. It has been erased in my lifetime one piece at a time. Myself and others were bloodied in the process of trying to save parts of it. We win some and we loose some. Here the PM Black River Bascule Bridge will be in many of my shots. It has been disassembled piece by piece in April of 2023. The Port Huron Yacht club purchased the property and have finally gotten approval to remove their "eyesore" while many of us tried to find a way to save it. 

The last morning of a railroad, June 26, 2005.

Pay attention to the buildings that are no longer there.

I wonder what it sounded like going up and down.

I wonder if the ferry boat used the bridge as a steering point to line up with the ferry dock because it sure looks like it was designed that way.

Early one morning after summer storms.

The last morning of a railroad, June 26, 2005. This relic of the Seabord System still wore the colors of the fallen railroad flag as did the old Chessie baywindow caboose.

The last morning of a railroad, June 26, 2005.

The last morning of a railroad, June 26, 2005.

The last morning of a railroad, June 26, 2005.

April 2023

2005

April 2023

April 2023 still has Court Street ever welcoming to the Maritime Capitol of the Great Lakes. The railroad kept the road up. Since 2005 it looks like this most of the time and one needs a 4x4 to navigate it.

The modernized depot with an obsolete wind turbine that was a "fad" to show green energy... since that wind turbine tower isn't railroad I'm sure it will last 100 years there.

Lots of things were planned with the old railyard by Acheson Ventures. Since 2005 it has looked pretty much the same. The ferry dock was made into a observation platform with a classic C&O railroad signal bridge over it. But for the most part, the railroad's past in downtown Port Huron has been sterilized. Pot holes here are deep and dangerous to vehicles, small children and pets.

June 26, 2005.