John Adams was born in a seafaring Colony. Boston, Massachusetts and the surrounding area in 1735 were already full of thriving ports and makers of ships. Whaling, which had started near Cape Cod as early as the Pilgrims' arrival at Plymouth Rock, was by 1740 a powerful industry in the New World.
Adams' family was not in the shipping trade, but he had clients as a lawyer who undoubtedly were and his compatriot John Hancock had a fleet of ships that he used for his business.
Adams' family was not in the shipping trade, but he had clients as a lawyer who undoubtedly were and his compatriot John Hancock had a fleet of ships that he used for his business.
So, it is, perhaps, fitting that GEM Theatrics' version of John Adams will spend a part of this Summer in a Michigan city known, in its heyday, as a shipbuilding center. "My Dearest Friend" by Michigan playwright Mary G. Kron will play eight performances at The Snug Theatre in Marine City, Michigan. Shows run from June 12 - 22. Tickets are just $20 and are available online or by calling 810-278-1749.
Marine City, situated at the convergence of the St. Clair and Belle Rivers, was, in the years before
Marine City, situated at the convergence of the St. Clair and Belle Rivers, was, in the years before
freighters were made out of steel, the site of numerous shipbuilding firms. Lumber was plentiful in the forests north of Detroit and the ships could be built at facilities on the Belle and floated to the St. Clair and then on to their Great Lakes adventures. Shipbuilding no longer takes place in Marine City (the Belle can't accomodate the size of today's freighters) and the sheds and docks have been torn down, but Marine City hasn't lost its charm. As its website says: "Historically, in the days of the wooden freighters, Marine City was known as a shipbuilding center of the Great Lakes. Because of this status, many captains and sailors made their homes here, as evidenced by the grand residential architecture throughout the historic downtown area. Gracious Victorian “Painted Ladies” sit side-by-side with turn-of-the-century cottages. Today, waterfront parks are interspersed between unique shopping and dining venues along the historic waterfront. The Peche Island Lighthouse stands guard, keeping a watchful eye over the ever-changing waters of the St. Clair River and our neighbor, Canada. Although freighter building has long since outgrown our Belle River and the maritime building barns are long gone, on occasion, you can still see a sailor’s family standing by the shore, waiting to catch site of their seafaring loved one on a passing ship." Take it from me, it's exciting and relaxing at the same time to sit on a park bench and watch the freighters and other watercraft go up and down the St. Clair river loaded with goods for a busy industrial country. I think Adams would have liked it, too.
As far as I know, John Adams never visited Canada. And I know for a fact that he never went there on foot. But, during the run of "My Dearest Friend", our John Adams (me!) intends to walk to Canada. That ability comes courtesy of the Blue Water Ferry, which for $2 will take you and your bike (or for $7 your car if you simply MUST) from Marine City, Michigan to Sombra, Ontario, Canada. Sombra now has only about 250 residents, but it is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon, with cozy shops, a restaurant or two and a bike trail that I'm told is very nice. Sombra also has a museum that recounts some of the history, and some of the sordid past, of this area. According to Wikipedia: "During Prohibition in the United States, Al Capone transported liquor at Sombra. In fact, one of his cars went down off the ferry. This car, along with some crocks of whiskey still inside, may be viewed at the Sombra Museum. Between 1920 and 1933, many boats along the St. Clair River carried barrels of liquor that cleared RCMP customs legally for export to Cuba or Bermuda. However, the cargo was diverted to the Detroit area. Sombra also was a stop along the Underground Railroad en route to Owen Sound, Ontario. This was part of the alternate route around Detroit, Michigan." I'll report back after we return from our engagement, but better yet, get tickets to see "My Dearest Friend" and then walk to Canada yourselves and check it out!
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