Thomas & Milliken Millworks
Thomas & Milliken Millwork has been producing quality custom moulding, doors and stair parts since 1977.
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Fishtown’s Shanties
Fishtown is a unique historical attraction composed of weather-beaten fishing shanties and small shops lining the mouth of the Leland River. The site has endured and adapted over the last 150 years as an ever-evolving working waterfront that still operates as one of the only unmodernized commercial fishing villages in the state of Michigan.
Click to see the shanty photo gallery
One of the most important characteristics of Fishtown is its core of historic shanties. Though only a few are still used for commercial fishing operations, most of the structures in Fishtown had their origins as commercial fishing buildings. These buildings served many purposes, including net-mending sheds, ice houses, smoke houses, and storage. Though processes like ice-making are now mechanized in a commercial fishery, running a fishery still requires extensive space for equipment storage and net repairs.
Many buildings have come and gone from the Fishtown landscape with the changing fortunes of the industry, yet Fishtown survives as a rare working waterfront and an authentic and active commercial fishing village.
Don’t Change Anything
Don’t change anything. Many people—maybe most—thought that was our mission when the Fishtown Preservation Society (FPS) purchased the core historic part of Fishtown in February 2007.
Fishtown Festival Photos
The Fishtown Festival, part of the 2012 Leland Heritage Celebration, was a wonderful day! Thanks to all of this year’s visitors, supporters, partner organizations, volunteers and sponsors. We hope you had a great time (including enjoying a bowl of whitefish chowder!), while helping to preserve Fishtown. For photos and highlights, see below. Don’t forget to […]
A Snapshot of History: 1959
Painting Fishtown has long been a Leland tradition, thanks to the long history of the Old Art Building.