Empire is set to celebrate Anchor Day this weekend.
Empire will commemorate the historic raising of an anchor from Lake Michigan with its annual Anchor Day celebration on Saturday, July 20. This tradition began in July 1977 when Doug Manning and Michelle Stryker discovered the anchor while canoeing off the shore of Empire Beach, submerged in 18 feet of water.
Upon finding the anchor, Manning approached the Empire Area Heritage Museum about preserving this freighter relic, which was still attached to a large wooden beam. Dave Taghon, then the president of Empire Village, consulted with the Dorsett Maritime Academy and Oberlin College, given that artifacts found in the Great Lakes legally belong to the State of Michigan. He was informed that as long as the anchor was displayed appropriately, Empire could keep it. With the help of numerous village volunteers, the anchor was retrieved and now proudly resides at Empire Beach.
