Why the dock mattered
Forestville grew around sawmilling in the 1850s. The shallow shore made an extended landing useful for vessels loading lumber and other freight. The dock linked local businesses with lake traffic and helped move goods between the Thumb and larger markets.
The structure also brought people to the waterfront. Passenger boats, arriving cargo and fishing gave residents reasons to walk out from shore. Storms and winter ice made maintaining the wooden landings a recurring expense for the businesses that depended on them.
A working shore after the lumber years
The related history includes a 1936 view of the Mastin Fishery. Commercial fishing gave Forestville another working connection with Lake Huron as the lumber economy faded. The dock photographs and fishery scene record different parts of the same village's maritime history.
