Northport center of commerical fishing

They came in on the great sailing vessel in the mid-1800s and they got off on the islands — Beaver Island, the Foxes, the Manitous.

They were strong and husky Scandinavian fishermen who came, finally, to be the early commercial fishermen of Northport.

John Nelson, the Peterson brothers, the Wilson brothers and Louis Standvick were among them. At that time, these waters had not been charted; with no shipping regulations, these early adventurers were free to depart the boats there. Ships at the time would pass on the east side nearer the mainland, but today foreign vessels must pass west of the island where waters are safer.