Boatnerd Discussion Forum

[quote="garbear"]I'll take your word on that one. It was so long ago and I just remember from 1st Street you could see the conveyor looming over and above the shiploader and that part of it was covered.

One question-Does anyone know if the shiploader tower is still in Ludington or was it removed once the sand operations ceased there?[/quote]

I don't think there's anything left except the footings.

I'll take your word on that one. It was so long ago and I just remember from 1st Street you could see the conveyor looming over and above the shiploader and that part of it was covered.

One question-Does anyone know if the shiploader tower is still in Ludington or was it removed once the sand operations ceased there?

Garbear, as I recall the conveyer west of 5th Avenue was covered, but on the east side, it was open. It was great, but dangerous sport to ride the conveyer, and I recall someone losing an arm when he got caught in the mechanism.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=110&dat=20000804&id=sjZQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3FUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3583,3634956&hl=en

per this link a lot of info re Manistee dunes 'Creeping Joe' and 'Maggie Thorpe'. This article from Ludington Daily News 8-4-2000.

Brian, if you are in Manistee and wish information on the Sand Dock you should visit the Manistee County Historical Museum for photos, maps, records and histories of the dock. I will be there Thursday to provide research assistance if you are interested.

There was an elevated, enclosed conveyor system.

I was wondering where that pond at the 5th street beach came from. How did they move the sand from the "mine" to the loading rig? Was there a elevated conveyor?

I find these places interesting, it's like North American Chemical in Bay City, Buick City in Flint (well most of GM in Flint), and the Rockport Stone Dock north of Alpena. It's funny that huge industrial complexes can disappear with little traces with in a decade.

[quote="Al"]I believe it was on the north side of the river past the Coast Guard station near the Lake Michigan entrance. I think there's a small concrete structure there where the load-out was located. (Not to be confused with the small concrete structure a little farther up river where the Century Boat Works once tested its boats.) We knew an older woman who had grown up in the area, moved away and then retired there to run a b-and-b. If I recall correctly the story she told, the company mined a big sand dune that the locals called "Wandering Bob." Today there's a pond on the site the dune once occupied. I think it was the same company that operated the sand dock.[/quote]

The Century Boat Co. was just west of the Maple Street Bridge. I think there is an apartment/condo complex now on the site. I remember when I was a kid there were occasions when the freighters sideswiped or swamped some of the boats at their dock on the channel. Century also had a facility on Manistee Lake. Knew a lot of guys from town that worked at Century. My sister worked at a marina in Onekama and caught a ride home from some of the guys that worked at Century. Also, the sand operation was owned by Sand Products Corp. Brings back memories from 50 years ago.

It was between the Coast Guard station and the Maple Street Bridge on the north side of the channel. The last time I was down there you could still see the piling or dolphin the loading rig was anchored to. The Manistee County visitors guide had a great aerial photo in it last year of the channel and the W.E. Fitzgerald was at the dock. Probably on a satellite photo you could see where the dock was

Naturally, I answered first and then checked the photos. If you look at the second photo (the stern view), in the background across the river you can see the twin-gabled building that was the old waterworks. That building still stands and is a museum today, so you can orient yourself from that. Forget my gibberish about the cg station. If you follow the current Riverwalk to its end near the southside beach and look across the river, you'll see the concrete pad that remains from the sand dock loadout.

I believe it was on the north side of the river past the Coast Guard station near the Lake Michigan entrance. I think there's a small concrete structure there where the load-out was located. (Not to be confused with the small concrete structure a little farther up river where the Century Boat Works once tested its boats.) We knew an older woman who had grown up in the area, moved away and then retired there to run a b-and-b. If I recall correctly the story she told, the company mined a big sand dune that the locals called "Wandering Bob." Today there's a pond on the site the dune once occupied. I think it was the same company that operated the sand dock.

Does anyone know where the Manistee Sand dock was? There's some pictures in the historical photo gallery under the Consumers Power.