Eagle Harbor Township and the Keweenaw County Historical Society Celebrate Improvements to the Marina and Museum

For many decades the marina in Eagle Harbor has offered safety for ships and slips to dock at. The area’s safety on Lake Superior was increased by the presence of the US Coast Guard Eagle Harbor Life-Saving Station which operated until 1950. The Coast Guard now operates from Dollar Bay at the Portage Station, securing the nation’s waters. Over the weekend the Keweenaw Historical Society, Eagle Harbor Township, and Coast Guard celebrated that history while at the station for an Open House.

So the lifesaving station is the roots and the heritage of the Coast Guard. For me, it’s great to be able to come up here and just incorporate our history into today, especially the crew behind me that brought our response boat medium up. I think for a few of them, it’s the first time to get to go through and see that early history, from the Lyle gun to the various surfboats that they have and the hardships that they had in the early days of the Coast Guard. – Maria Collett Officer in Charge & Chief Bosun’s Mate, U.S. Coast Guard Station Portage

The former first-class station had a boat house, bunk station, and watch tower, before eventually adding a radio beacon system in the 1920s. The Keweenaw County Historical Society came into agreement with the state to operate the former life-saving station as a museum in 2005, after years of conversations. Since then the society has gathered several lifeboats, and pieces of Coast Guard and maritime equipment.  In the last year, the museum was able to expand its viewing area for visitors with help from a grant from the Keweenaw National Historic Park Advisory Commission.

The opportunity also welcomed Eagle Harbor Township Supervisor Rich Probst to speak on recent updates to the marina’s infrastructure. Recently the township came into agreement with the state that invested over two million dollars into the marina, with the township taking on management duties starting in 2024.

It was over two and a half million dollars. They redid every bit of infrastructure here. So all new water lines, all new electrical, redid the interior of this comfort center, which has handicap-accessible bathrooms, shower rooms, work on the harbor masters office, and mechanical room. And then they included, along with the six traditional slips that we’ve had, they added twelve more slips off to the side that are for seasonal boats. – Rich Probst, Supervisor, Eagle Harbor Township

In 2018 the state and Eagle Harbor Township began working on developing the project’s needs to fully rework the marina’s infrastructure. The Township will now become responsible for managing the marina for the next 24 years. Before Eagle Harbor and the state entered a management agreement marina operations were managed out of Fort Wilkins State Park. Probst adds that a lot of people go to the marina for fishing, to spend time with family, or to head out to Isle Royale. Its place in the township remains an important aspect of life in Eagle Harbor. Those interested in learning more about the Eagle Harbor Life Saving Station Museum or the Keweenaw Historical Society can find more details here. Contact the Eagle Harbor Marina here.