The roar of an engine across the water is a familiar sound today — but more than a century ago, it was something entirely new, and it was built right here in southeast Michigan.
Watch Peter Maxwell’s video report:
How a Michigan town helped launch recreational power boating in America
The sights and sounds of summer on Lake St. Clair are unmistakable, but long before recreational boating became a favorite pastime, southeast Michigan was helping write the blueprint.
It began in 1874 with a young boat builder named Christopher Smith.
George Burgess, director of the Algonac-Clay Township Maritime Museum, said Smith’s impact on the sport cannot be overstated…