In DeTour Village, a fascinating piece of maritime history sits just off the shoreline of the St. Mary’s River. Between two private houses, a large, rusting paddle wheel rises out of the water, an intriguing relic whose origins are a mystery.
Next to the paddle wheel are the remains of the Sainte Marie, a wooden barge with a rich history. Originally built in 1893, the vessel was used as a ferry to carry people and railroad cars across the Straits of Mackinac before the Mackinac Bridge was constructed.
In 1913, the Sainte Marie was sold to T.L. Durocher of DeTour, who repurposed it for his salvage and dredge business. After its useful life as a barge ended around1927, Mr. Durocher abandoned the vessel alongside his property in DeTour Village, where it remains to this day. I could not find out where the paddle wheel came from, maybe a remnant of the salvage business. Whatever it’s history is, it is an interesting sight to see when driving through DeTour.
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