Sturgeon Bay, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sturgeon Bay, Michigan
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 Sturgeon Bay, Michigan
Location in Michigan
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Emmet |
| Township | Bliss |
| Settled | 1895 |
| Abandoned | 1913 |
| Elevation | 591 ft (180 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 2360181 |
Sturgeon Bay was a small town in Michigan, United States. It was a busy place where people worked with wood, called a lumbering community. The town was located in Bliss Township, in the northwest part of Emmet County. Today, almost nothing is left of Sturgeon Bay. It was built on the south shore of Sturgeon Bay, which is a part of Lake Michigan. This area is now near Wilderness State Park.
Contents
What Was Sturgeon Bay?
Sturgeon Bay was a town that grew up around a large wood mill. This mill was started by Albert B. Klise in 1895. The town was important for cutting down trees and turning them into wood for building.
The Sturgeon Bay Railroad
Because the wood business was so big, a special railroad was needed. This railroad was called the Sturgeon Bay Railway. It was built from the shore of Lake Michigan and went about 14 miles (22.5 km) east. It ended close to Levering.
The railroad used special trains called Shay locomotives. These trains were good at pulling heavy loads on hilly tracks. One Shay locomotive was built in 1907, the same year the railroad was made. Another was built in 1886. The person who invented the Shay locomotive, Ephraim Shay, lived nearby in Harbor Springs. The railroad also used a Heisler logging locomotive. You can still see parts of the old railroad path today. Power lines now follow some of the old tracks.
Town Services
Sturgeon Bay had a few important buildings and services for its people.
- It had a large saw mill for cutting wood.
- There was a blacksmith shop where metal items were made and repaired.
- A small general store sold everyday items.
- A boarding house provided a place for workers to live.
- A post office was opened on March 28, 1908. Edward Ringler was the first postmaster. This post office closed a few years later, on December 15, 1912.
Why Did Sturgeon Bay Disappear?
The exact time the wood mill closed is not known, but it happened around 1913. After the mill closed, the town slowly disappeared. It's not clear if the buildings were taken apart on purpose or if they just fell apart over time. The railroad tracks were likely removed before 1920.
Most of the town was covered by the sand dunes it was built on. Today, only a few old dock pilings can be seen from the air. There are only a few old photographs of the town left.
A Place for Shelter
In 1918, a big fire destroyed much of the nearby village of Cross Village. Albert Klise, who used to own the mill in Sturgeon Bay, was the mayor of Petoskey, Michigan at the time. He offered the abandoned village of Sturgeon Bay as a place for the 300 people who lost their homes in the fire to find shelter.
Sturgeon Bay Today
The beach where Sturgeon Bay once stood is now a protected area. It is home to the endangered piping plover, a small bird. Many parts of the shoreline are roped off to keep their nesting sites safe.
