The days and nights have been cold and it's paying off with some nice ice in the Port Sanilac harbor.  Today I walked out the South breakwall to see if I could talk to some ice fishermen and see how the season was developing.

After walking down the steep embankment from the breakwall to the water I ventured out on the ice to see who was fishing.  Two shanties were standing against the wind to the East of the docks.  As I approached the larger of the two shanties I passed many holes, now filled with slush, that showed it had been a busy weekend in the harbor.  I called out to the fisherman in the shanty, hoping not to wake him from a nap, but not to fear, he was awake and ready to talk.

Tony Earl, an avid local fisherman, invited me into his shanty to visit.  I sat in his extra chair and he gave me the low-down on the fishing.  "The season didn't really kick off until the beginning of January," Tony said, "but we've had some good luck since then."  It seems that the fish have been biting.  The sportsmen brave enough to get out on the ice are pulling in brown trout, perch, and steelheads.  They are even getting the occasional bass.

Tony Earl fishes with three rods out in Port Sanilac Harbor.  Tony can be found on the ice during his free time all winter.

The ice in the South end of the harbor is between three and ten inches thick, it's safe as long as you stay away from the edges and the bubblers around the docks.  So far the ice has not been thick enough to get out on by the North boat launch, so if you're going to try it be sure to spud your way out and be extra cautious.

The fishermen have been using tear drops with spike lures, combined with wax worms.  They are also having luck with minnows.  All the gear you need to get started on your own fishing trip can be had at our local bait shop, Port Sanilac Bait and Sporting Goods.  "If they don't have it, you don't need it," says Tony.  The Port Sanilac Bait and Sporting Goods store is open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, or call Randy at 810-837-1420 to see if he is available at other times.

100 Years Ago in Port Sanilac...                                     by: Cathi Bulone Campbell

It was January of 1911. Back in those days, Port Sanilac's local fishermen loaded up their boats and dropped their gill nets every chance they got, until the ice on the lake became impossible to navigate. Even then, they fished through the ice.

On Monday, January 16^th, the Walker boys-Will and Herb-had gone out to retrieve nets that they had previously set. They dragged a rowboat east on the lake across about a mile of ice before they were able to launch in open water. The air was cold, but not windy, and weather conditions seemed amenable when they left the Port Sanilac shore area. While they were out, the western wind picked up so much that it pushed the ice floes and the Walker boys' little boat three miles further out into the lake.

Circumstances became serious when the drifting ice blocked them off in the open water and they couldn't return to the harbor.  A party from Port Sanilac tried to reach them Monday evening, but had to turn back. There were very few telephones in the village in 1911, but telephone contact was made with the lifesaving unit stationed in Harbor Beach. The lifesaving crew left from Harbor Beach at 9:30 p.m. Monday night with two horse-drawn teams, which carried four federal lifesavers and their rescue vessel and equipment on a sleigh from the northern station in Huron County.

The Port Sanilac lighthouse keeper, William Henry Holmes, 48, made a special exception and lit the lighthouse tower light for the Walker boys Monday night. The lighthouse beacon had been discontinued for the season and had been dark since earlier in December when the large steamer lake traffic ceased.

The lifesaving crew arrived in Port Sanilac at 4 a.m. Tuesday morning. It had taken them six and a half hours to navigate the notoriously difficult thirty miles of shore road between the two towns. The crew, which included lifesavers Burton Hunter, 44, John Patterson, 34, George Laskey, 38, and Archer Smith, 25, launched their rescue vessel at 6 a.m. and started southeast on Lake Huron looking for the Walkers. Unbelievably, the rescue crew was visible from the Port Sanilac lighthouse until dark; valiantly battling the ice on the lake and continuing their search offshore for Will and Herb Walker and their rowboat.

Capt. Holmes lit the lighthouse beacon once again on Tuesday evening. Late on Tuesday night, the tug J.M. Diver headed north from Port Huron to help with the rescue effort. They picked up the Walker boys around midnight and attempted unsuccessfully to deliver them to Port Sanilac at about 2 a.m. The lifesaver crew landed at 8 a.m. in Lexington after being out on the ice for twenty-seven hours. The J.M. Diver returned at 9 a.m. in daylight; bringing the Walkers to the Port Sanilac harbor. The fishermen brothers had been picked up 6 miles south and 4 miles east of the Port Sanilac light on Lake Huron. The Harbor Beach lifesavers warmed up in Lexington and returned to Port Sanilac around 2 p.m. Tuesday. They spent the night in Port Sanilac and left the following morning for Harbor Beach with their teams and their boat on a sleigh.

Fisherman Will Walker, 34, and his youngest brother, Herb, 17, were two of the nine children of Port Sanilac's favorite old barber, Alfred Walker, 62. He and his wife, Mary-who had been married since 1874-lived on Ridge Street. Alf was the village's barber for many decades, beginning before 1880. Will Walker had been married to his wife, Mata, for seven years, and they lived with Mata's son, Larry, 9, on Main Street in Port Sanilac. Herb lived with his folks in town in 1911.

This story of winter rescue is an annotation and narrative excerpt from Dedicated Grace: The Journal of Grace Holmes 1893-1935. Annotation and narrative by Cathi Bulone Campbell. Grace Holmes journal and annotations will hopefully be completed during 2010 for local publication in 2011.

Sunday, January 9, 3:00 pm:  Mosaic concert at the Museum Church, featuring a 60s review - all the music you remember and your kids wish you would forget.  $10/person, call the Museum for information 810-622-9946.

Saturday, January 16, 1 pm to 4 pm:  Stone Lodge Annual Winter Wine Tasting and Food Pairing.  Call 810-622-6200 for information and reservations.

Sunday, January 23, 3:00 pm:  Classical concert at the Museum Church, featuring Christine Jiazhen Li on the piano.  $10/person, call the Museum for information  810-622-9946.

Saturday, February 5, 11 am to 3 pm:  Winter Family Fun Day at the Museum.  Call 810-622-9946 for more information.

Sunday, February 27, 3:00 pm:  Classical guitar concert featuring William Henry Russell at the Museum Church.  $10/person, call the Museum for information  810-622-9946