Bouvier Bay Water Hazard for Summer

A Lake St. Clair potential boating water hazard has been discovered – with some new history uncovered for Fair Haven, Michigan’s Bouvier Bay.

With our normal couple of decade cyclical trend of water going up too high then going down really low, a new historic loading dock has been discovered on Bouvier Bay – in between the Fair Haven DNR Ramp and The Griffin & Batter Up Restaurants at the Cove Landing.  According to a diver’s report, there are approximately 100 dock poles just under the surface which appears likely to have been a large loading dock.

I found the two “noted below” blue historical docks shown on a Fair Haven map dated 1875 (where the Schnoor Property is also noted in yellow); then overlaid them on a 2025 Google map.  The foundation to this underwater loading dock is set in between the Fair Haven DNR launch and the Griffin Restaurant.

***As we may have lower water for 2026, as a courtesy as these are NOT on their property… The Griffin (thank you!) has added markers on top of this area to help guide you around this potential underwater obstacle.

Just below, you may recognize the New Baltimore beautiful home on Main Street with its Carriage House next door which was owned by Henry C. Schnoor, local merchant and manufacturer.
German born in 1835 and immigrating to Detroit in 1853, he worked there in the cooper’s trade for two years. He then moved to New Baltimore, & for two years was in business with his brother.

Investing in a mercantile business in Fair Haven on Bouvier Bay, Schnoor paid $1,000 for the property and $400 for the stock of goods, building a successful large trade business with a full line of products to sell.  In the 1860s, he bought the sawmill off William Jenny and converted it into a stave, heading and lumber mill and established a successful and extensive company, employing between 100-200! in his mills, boats, and businesses.

Eventually using mostly Canadian logs, Henry C. Schnoor also engaged in the stave, hoop, and heading business in Wallaceburg, Canada and Rogers City, MI.
He also operated steam vessels to transport his goods and also supplied lumber from his Fair Haven saw & planing mill.

In the 1800s, a “stave” was most commonly a narrow, shaped strip of wood used by a cooper securing them with iron hoops to create barrels, buckets,
and casks.

According to St. Clair County History, Henry Schnoor started life with nothing, and by hard work, became one of the most successful businessmen in the county.
Residing on Main Street in New Baltimore, Henry Schnoor died suddenly from heart failure at 68. We will remember
him now, 123 years later.