Fishtown Preservation
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Fishtown’s Tugs

A (Very) Brief History

By the late 1800s Leland was home to a small fleet of fishing vessels. These early fishermen set their nets offshore in open wood mackinaw boats rigged with sails. By 1905 the fishermen began to replace the sails in their mackinaw boats with gas-powered engines. The new engines and the addition of protective cabins enabled the fishermen to fish farther from port, in more inclement weather, and for more of the year.

fish tug gallery

Click here to see our photo gallery

Diesel eventually replaced gas and new machinery was added to newly built tugs that made the fishermen increasingly efficient at catching fish, but wood tugs still reigned in Fishtown until the late 1950s. In 1958 the Steffens and Stallman families dedicated two new fish tugs in Leland. With these boats, the Janice Sue and the Mary Ann, commercial fishing in Leland left the world of wood boats and entered the world of steel, with hulls specially designed for the rigors of this part of the Great Lakes. Janice Sue has served in Leland ever since. Trap net fishing began in Leland in 1982, with the launch of the hand-crafted steel tug, the Joy.

 

Village Cheese Shanty

The never-trendy, tourist-friendly, palate teasing, village cheese shop located in the heart of Fishtown.

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HopkinsBurns Design Studio

Since 1984, the firm’s Historic Preservation Practice has participated in hundreds of preservation projects involving

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Peninsula Vacation Rentals

Peninsula Vacation Rentals is in the business of providing families with a place to begin their love affair with Leelanau County. This county has everything you need to create summer memories that will last forever. Whatever adventure you’re looking for, you’ll find it here. Go Explore! We can help. +1 231-633-9684 // P.O. Box 834 […]

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Bel Lago Winery

Established in 1992, Bel Lago began serving wine on the edge of Lake Leelanau in 1999. Today, our northern Michigan winery is known for crafting flavorful and complex red, white and sparkling wines. We take pride in growing over 100+ varieties of grapes at our vineyards in nearby Cedar and scenic Northport near the shores […]

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