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By Ron Beeber, Contributing Writer
PENTWATER — Pentwater’s water taxi is in the water and area residents and visitors can again board this 1960s era U.S. Navy whale boat for a casual, one-hour lap around historic Pentwater Lake and down the channel.
History cruises depart Thursday through Saturday at 3 p.m. from the Fourth Street dock. The cost is $15 per passenger age 13 and older. Children 12 and under are free, but must reserve a seat. The boat is not ADA accessible.
The captain and passengers will be joined by a Pentwater Historical Society volunteer docent who will tell stories about people and places from Pentwater’s past, going back some 400 years. While cruising past various locations, the docent will talk about early Pentwater landmarks that once stood there. These include the railroad depot, Eldred Shingle Mill, Hotel Valeria, “White Elephant,” Sears and Nichols Canning Company, Pentwater Furniture Company, Pentwater Bedstead Company, local newspaper office, U.S. Lifesaving and Coast Guard stations, ferry, swing bridge, Pentwater Brick, powder magazine site, “The Dock,” and the original community hall. Passengers also will learn why nearby Dumaw Creek, northeast of the Village, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
As passengers leave the boat, they can show their appreciation for the docent’s knowledge and time by making a small donation to help support the admission-free Pentwater Historical Museum at First and Rutledge streets.
“Our history cruise will whet one’s appetite to visit our museum,” said Pentwater Historical Society trustee Beth Russell. “We’ve numbered over 50 photographs and artifacts on display. Visitors can dial a local phone number on their cell phones and listen to a short, recorded narrative about any of them. It’s like having a docent whispering in your ear.”
For more information about the history cruise and other cruises available on the historic “water taxi” and to make paid reservations, visit www.ptwtaxi.com. For more information about the Pentwater Historical Society and museum hours, visit www.pentwater historical society.org.
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