Stacks of lumber, a few early vehicles, and a crowd on the planks — this photo captures St. James Harbor on Beaver Island when the waterfront was the island’s busiest workplace.
The image is labeled “Beaver Island — St. James, Mich.” The “c. 1900” date is a common estimate, but the automobiles suggest it may be a little later (possibly the 1910s or 1920s). What fits the setting is the era when the Beaver Island Lumber Company was operating in St. James: local histories say the company expanded docks and ran a large mill, shipping lumber products out by boat before it closed in the mid-1910s.
What do you know about these docks — fishing, lumber, or both?
#BeaverIsland #StJamesMichigan #CharlevoixCounty #LakeMichigan #MichiganHistory
