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History of St. Clair Flats: A Voyage to Detroit’s Lost Island Playground
Season 7
Episode 18
Published 2 months, 1 week ago
Description
At the mouth of the St. Clair River, a maze of channels and islands became Detroit’s favorite summer escape. Steamers carried families to Harsens Island, Tashmoo Park, private clubs and waterfront hotels where the docks served as front doors.
This episode of The End of the Road in Michigan traces the history of the St. Clair Flats from its Anishinaabe roots and early navigation channels through the peak of its resort era. It follows the famous steamer Tashmoo, its close 1901 race against the City of Erie and the 1936 accident that ended its career.
The story also examines the area’s strangest legal question. Residents could own their cottages while leasing the lake bottom beneath them from the state of Michigan.
Through a narrative, History of St. Clair Flats: A Voyage to Detroit’s Lost Island Playground recounts how water shaped transportation, recreation, property ownership, and daily life in one of Michigan’s most unusual communities.
The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications
This episode of The End of the Road in Michigan traces the history of the St. Clair Flats from its Anishinaabe roots and early navigation channels through the peak of its resort era. It follows the famous steamer Tashmoo, its close 1901 race against the City of Erie and the 1936 accident that ended its career.
The story also examines the area’s strangest legal question. Residents could own their cottages while leasing the lake bottom beneath them from the state of Michigan.
Through a narrative, History of St. Clair Flats: A Voyage to Detroit’s Lost Island Playground recounts how water shaped transportation, recreation, property ownership, and daily life in one of Michigan’s most unusual communities.
The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications