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Rockport Recreation Area full of activities, unique life forms

News Photo by Tyler Winowiecki Carol Dodge-Grochowski describes the rich history and unique opportunities Rockport Recreation Area has for visitors. She explained its quarry history, ties to the Mackinaw Bridge and designation as a Dark Sky Preserve in 2016.

ALPENA — The ties to the creation of Mackinac Bridge and its unique life forms found at Rockport Recreation Area were just some of the areas highlighted by Carol Dodge-Grochowski during her presentation to the Association of Lifelong Learners Thursday afternoon.

Dodge-Grochowski, who is president of the Friends of Rockport group, said the 4,237 acre parcel of land offers the potential to a wide range of recreation for visitors.

“Of all the parks in the state Rockport has the potential to have a lot recreation opportunities,” she said. “You can go biking, hiking, fossil hunting, check out the sinkholes, or go snorkeling over shipwrecks. That’s what you definitely call a recreation area.”

She said the Michigan Department of Natural Resources acquired the land following a legal settlement in 1997 where it was originally designated to the DNR’s Forestry Division. In 2011 after some discussion the land came under the management of the DNR’s Parks and Recreation division.

“Knowing the past of this property is just as interesting as what exists there now,” she said.

The human history began with the settlement of Native Americans but documenting the history proved difficult because the tribes did not have a written language to examine, the tribes were mostly nomadic and without being citizens until 1924 there was no US census data to examine, Dodge-Grochowski said.

The first permanent settlement was the Village of Bell formed in the 1880s as a lumber village. However by 1900 the village was abandoned and the next development came through the development of Great Lakes Lime & Stone Company, a limestone quarry started in 1914.

The quarry underwent a change of business management then assuming the name Kelly Island Lime and Transport Co. where it would remain until it stopped taking stone in 1932. Operations at the quarry had completely stopped by 1948 and was torn down and recycled.

During this time there was also a girl’s camp developed on the property during the time of the quarry’s development.

Kamp Kairphree, in operation from 1922 to 1927, saw the construction of a lodge which would later see the addition of a chimney– which is the piece of the building still standing. Dodge-Grochowski reasoned this could have been because the camp’s founder — from downstate — did not appreciate northern Michigan’s winters.

Rockport was also connected to the shipping industry and to Shipwreck Alley through Bell Bay which exported agricultural products as well as fish. The Portland, which sank in 1877, is located approximately 400 feet off the shore.

During the construction of the Mackinac Bridge, caissons were constructed at Rockport and then floated north on Lake Huron to finally be sunk in place once arriving in the Straits. Dodge-Grochowski said sometimes dynamite was used to change the topography because crews could not transport the constructed caissons to the bay.

The next major moment for the park was its dedication as a State Park on June 29, 2012 by Gov. Rick Snyder. Dodge-Grochowski said the effort would not have been possible without the efforts of the late Rep. Peter Pettalia.

She touched on the unique natural resources and life forms found in the park. This included 13 sinkholes, the rare Lake Iris flower, and fossils dating back hundreds of millions of years.

Dodge-Grochowski also highlighted the Rockport Bat Hibernacula Project which created a preserve for several rare bats. With the help of groups like Alpena Public Schools and many others, the project saw the bat population raise from 17 to 400 in just one season.

However, when a fungus known as white nose syndrome was introduced the bat population was hit hard. She said the fatality rate if contracted was 99 percent.

Dodge-Grochowski said the park’s history is still being wrote as the Friends of Rockport attempts to raise money through initiatives such as the XTERRA Race for improvement projects in the park. She said the group, with the backing of the City of Alpena, will ultimately get done.

The proposed future plans for Rockport included campsites, a visitors center, marked trails and interpretive signage.

“They (the state of Michigan) don’t understand Alpena,” she said. “They don’t understand how Alpena gets behind these big projects that will benefit the people here.”

Tyler Winowiecki can be reached via email at twinowiecki@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5688. Follow Tyler on Twitter tw_alpenanews.

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