Yesterday Fishtown Preservation Society returned the historic Morris Shanty to its home, according to a press release from the nonprofit organization, which protects the collection of weathered fishing shanties, docks, commercial fishing tugs and charter boats along the Leland River near Lake Michigan.

Morris Shanty was lifted out of danger from the high water of Lake Michigan in late July, when the Great Lakes water levels were at record-breaking levels. 

When the Morris Shanty — which dates to the early 1900s and has been in continuous use for commercial fishing purposes since that time — was lifted out of the river, the water had been extremely high for long enough that the foundation was no longer salvageable. The shanty has been on dry land behind the other south side shanties awaiting the installation of new foundation piles and dock piles and then a new support structure.

The project is being overseen by Biggs Construction, Kasson Contracting and Team Elmer’s. 

Fishtown Preservation has spent the last five years developing plans to improve Fishtown’s infrastructure. In the past two years high Lake Michigan water levels and greater flow over the Leland Dam has exacerbated an already serious situation, causing additional structural problems to the shanties and docks. 

Phase 1 of the Campaign for Fishtown site projects started early this year, when the Village Cheese Shanty was lifted by crane from Fishtown on January 10 and returned four weeks later to its new higher foundation. After delays due to COVID and construction restrictions, The Village Cheese Shanty opened to the public in late May.

Costs have risen along with the water levels and have reached $3.5 million. The nonprofit has yet to raise $1,105,000 to complete the site projects. Next up are The Otherside shanty, Carlson’s Fishery, the Ice House, and the docks on the north and south sides of the Leland River.

“Half of these projects were not on our radar before early 2019,” says Amanda Holmes, Executive Director of Fishtown Preservation Society. “The new water issues have made us focus on not just the Fishtown of next summer and five years from now, but the Fishtown of fifty years from now. All of the piling and foundation work is just one part of the difficult but hard-to-see work of saving Fishtown. The work we are doing now will ensure that Fishtown will be here forever.”