Summary
In April 1973 the Coast Guard announced that it would not operate the Beaver Island sub-station during that summer. The planned seasonal cutback would divide its duties between the Charlevoix and St. Ignace stations, with aerial support from Traverse City; the Charlevoix station normally sent a 40-foot boat and about six men to Beaver Island from May 15 through September 15.
Evidence and limits
The Beaver Beacon headline calls the change “closing,” but the article itself describes a one-summer non-operation and says no firm decision had yet been made about how the station’s north-area coverage would be divided. It also describes continued Coast Guard and DNR work in the Beaver Island area and anticipated reliance on local sheriffs and other law-enforcement agencies. This record therefore represents a planned 1973 operational cutback, not a proven permanent discontinuation of the station or its site.
Open questions
- Did the Beaver Island sub-station reopen after the 1973 summer, and when was its final inactivation?
- What Coast Guard records document the staffing, coverage transfer, and use of the station site after the cutback?
- What was the later disposition of the station buildings and boathouse?
See also
Sources
- Beaver Beacon, April 1973, “Coast Guard Closing Beaver Isle Station.”Reports that the Coast Guard would not operate the Beaver Island sub-station in summer 1973; duties would be divided between Charlevoix and St. Ignace, with aerial help from Traverse City. Chief Robert J. Smith says Charlevoix normally sent a 40-footer and about six men from May 15 to September 15, but the article does not establish a permanent closure or a later reopening status.