Back in early October, I second shot for Courtney May Photography at a gorgeous wedding at the Bean Dock in Port Huron, Michigan. I think if you’re local to the area, the Bean Dock is kind of just a “thing” that you pass on Military Street, and, if you’re anything like me, you don’t really know what it is (or was) until you step inside the converted warehouse turned wedding venue for the modern bride and groom. So, I took to my good pal google, to search for the history of the Bean Dock in Port Huron Michigan.
Basically, the super-abridged version is that Military Street is one of the first five roads ever built in Michigan, and the and the Port Huron Seaway Terminal site has been in existence on the St. Clair River for over 185 years. During the 19th century, Port Huron became a hub of development because of it’s ideal proximity at the mouth of Lake Huron and the Great Lakes. Originally called the Wolverine Dry Dock, it went through various manufacturing owners (including the Wolverine Ferry) until the late 1800’s when it became a coal dock. It continued being a large coal export/import station until the 1960’s when surrounding homeowners rallied to the city to move the coal distribution outside of a residential atmosphere, because it was extremely dirty for nearby homes, and they were worried for their children’s safety. Around that time, the St. Lawrence Seaway was dug, and Port Huron became a worldwide asset for distribution. In 1960, the first ship utilized the brand new dock, loaded down with 1,600 tons of navy beans from Germany, destined for London, England. While many other types of cargo were hauled through the docks, navy beans tended to be the largest, thus it was known as the “Bean Port” because of it’s excessive volume shipping navy beans. In 1999, there was a large fire, and local Port Huron millionaire, Jim Acheson, purchased the building and renovated it into the industrial warehouse that you see today, which is perfect for business meetings, weddings, large gatherings, etc.
I loved spending the day with Gerrid and Lauren. It seriously down-poured rained for most of the day, but that didn’t hold us back from exploring historic Downtown Port Huron, and capturing some amazing photos of their special day. With Courtney’s permission, I’ll share some of my favorite photos that I took of their beautiful wedding day. Enjoy!
Email me at: info@memoirs.photography
Historical Source: http://www.achesonventures.com/SeawayTerminal/History.aspx