Piers of Jacksonport Multi-cache
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This multicache will take you to two locations around Jacksonport that are related to three historic piers that extended into Lake Michigan. The total distance from beginning to end is less than one mile. At the final waypoint is a micro. Remember to bring a pen!
**NOTE: This cache can be accessed WITHOUT cutting crossing private property. Although the final is now placed just barely onto private property (and we have permission to have placed the cache where it is) due to privacy concerns ONLY access this cache from the beach! The beach at Jacksonport is continually changing with water and wave action. Almost 100' of shoreline was lost over the winter of 2013-14. As of early July 2014 a tree eroded out of a dune along the beach, so you *might* have to wade in shallow water to work around the tree until it is removed or washes away. During periods of high winds and high water, it may be difficult to access the cache at all - in other words, you may wish to be selective with the day you hunt for this cache.**
In the mid- to late-1800s, Jacksonport was a bustling lumber port where community activity centered around three piers. The northernmost pier, Hibbard’s Pier, was the first pier built and was constructed just south of Hibbard’s Creek. Owned by Perry Hibbard, one of the area’s first Euro-American settlers, this pier supported Hibbard’s general store, shipping business, and early lumber interests.
The coordinates of the first waypoint are:
44° 58.685’
087° 11.009’
The first waypoint is the former location of Jackson-Harris-Reynolds Lumber Company. Timber was felled over the winter months, cut into dimensioned lumber, and stockpiled along the shore in an area that extended along the entire length of Lakeside Park. At the opening of the navigation season in the spring, lumber schooners would begin arriving at Reynolds’ Pier to load the stockpiled lumber. Reynolds’ Pier, built in 1861, was the second pier constructed at Jacksonport. In the lake in front of you, you can see the remains of Reynolds’ Pier pilings that still break the water’s surface. At this location you will also find a Maritime Trails Marker with information on two shipwrecks that lie on the bottom next to Reynolds’ Pier.
Use information from the Maritime Trails Marker to decipher coordinates to the final waypoint.
The date of the “Great Alpena Blow” = October _ _, _ _ _ _ (A B, C D E F)
44° 5D.7E4’
087° CF.97E’
The final waypoint is the former location of the LaMere Fishing Pier. This was the third and final pier built at Jacksonport, where barrels of salted fish were loaded onto vessels docked at the pier. From this beach, you can find remains of stone footings for the pier and occasionally pier pilings will become uncovered. In the spring of 2014, a historic fishing tug was uncovered by the shifting sand. A significant amount of the LaMere Pier’s structure remains underwater and makes an excellent snorkeling location or can be easily viewed from a kayak on calm, clear days. At the location of the final, you will find artifacts and interesting items that have washed ashore from the fishing pier.
This cache was placed as a partnership with Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Door County Maritime Museum, and the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute. We hope you enjoyed learning about the piers of Jacksonport. To learn more about Wisconsin’s maritime heritage please visit our other geocaches in Door County and throughout the state, or visit wisconsinshipwrecks.org!
Additional Hints
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