Cribs

It's a bit distorted, but this is a great photograph.  I don't know the year depicted here, I suspect sometime in the early to mid 40's. Look at the trees, it is summertime...my favorite season.  I have been told the 'cribs' that framed the entrance to the channel only lasted a couple of years, but I think the construction of these piers represented a pinnacle in the Point's history. The property was developed with the lake in mind.  The homes, the barns, the carpenter shop, the blacksmith shop and other buildings were built and families were flourishing.  The docks, the boathouses and the boats were built and ready to go.  So what about access to the big lake.  Sometimes the channel was not ready and available for them...just as it is sometimes not available today.  Discussions about keeping the channel gravel free and open were probably not much different than the discussions we have today...what can be done, who's gonna do it?  The obvious decision for them was to build structures that prevented channel closure...thus the rock filled wooden piers or 'cribs'.  I am told the 'cribs' worked quite well until the lake eventually removed them.  I guess it took a couple of years. They were never rebuilt...maybe out of respect for the power of the lake?  

Jump ahead 20 years.  My first memory of my grandfather, Stanley Oman, was his advocacy for a harbor at the Point.  He talked all the time about a breakwater, wider channel, improved boat landing and more dock space.  I have no doubts why he was such a strong advocate.  It was because he made it happen at an earlier time and he knew that with better engineering it could be made permanent.  Sadly he never lived long enough to see his dream come true, but some of us still believe we will be running our boats through a channel protected by a breakwater.  Those 'cribs' are stuck in my mind too.