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Page last updated:
11/22/2012 03:42 PM

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SANDS CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION

Our Photo Album

 

Before The Sands... There Was The Iron Company Dock 
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 sands pilings 2.jpg (43836 bytes)

sands pilings 1.jpg (115469 bytes)

This picture was taken on July 4th, 1883 – that’s over 121 years ago! . Notice all the ships are flying the American flag for the holiday.
Railroad tracks were laid from the Iron Company plant out to and on the dock.   Trains (steam engines) pulling gondola or flat  cars would arrive on the dock, the ship’s cargo unloaded or loaded, and the train returned to the plant.   Eventually storms and ice “took out” the majority of the dock. Today, many locals think those pilings remain today as a “tribute to those engineers” who constructed it to hold all the weight.
Those old pilings remain “a blessing” to we Sands Condo co-owners. They keep the various water craft out beyond them - away from us!  We have an excellent safe bathing beach.
This picture was taken on September 22nd, 2004. Those pilings in the water are what remain of the old Iron Company dock.  Pig Iron was smelted here. The charcoal blast furnace turned out 24 tons of pig-iron per day until 1910. The Iron Company employees numbered 365 then; and, there were seven churches and seven saloons in the village! By 1910 the hardwoods had been logged off and the industry
died out. The Iron Company closed and the plant was dismantled. 
When the Iron Company was a viable industry, ships brought iron ore, limestone and supplies to the facility. Iron ingots were shipped from Elk Rapids  to customers all along the Great Lakes. Today, cormorants
and seagulls find these pilings a great place to perch.
dock4.jpg (40112 bytes) dock2.jpg (40333 bytes)
Wooden ships  moored at the Iron Company Dock. View of the railroad tracks on the Iron Company dock.
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Long ago kids enjoyed the beach in front of the Sands Ore boat unloading at the Iron Company dock.

 

Before The Sands... There Was Bay Beach Resort  c. 1938 - 1986
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sands1928-1986 composite.jpg (43066 bytes)

Composite photo above made by merging the six photographs below. (not edited for contrast and tonal properties)

sands 1963 1.jpg (163992 bytes) sands 1963 2.jpg (394935 bytes) sands 1963 3.jpg (314289 bytes) sands 1963 4.jpg (226850 bytes) sands 1963 5.jpg (407177 bytes) sands 1963 6.jpg (169491 bytes)

The Bay Beach Resort consisted of  9 cabins. (Photos  c. 1963 - Elk Rapids Area Historical Society Archives)

 

Sands In The Beginning... Spring/Summer/Fall 1988
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sands1988 1.jpg (16970 bytes)

sands1988 2.jpg (17683 bytes)

sands1988 3.jpg (76847 bytes)

sands1988 4.jpg (69233 bytes)

sands1988 5.jpg (60930 bytes)

Entrance

Building 1
(rear facade)

Foundation  (middle bldg. 2)
The trees  had to be cut down shortly after this picture was taken.  1988 was the last year of high water levels in the bay. 

Building 2
(rear facade)
First floor construction

    Building 2
  (rear & side facade)
First, Second, Third  floor construction. Picture taken from where the mail boxes are today (looking West).Note the height of the evergreen trees!
 

sands1988 6.jpg (58100 bytes) sands1988 7.jpg (79125 bytes) sands1988 8.jpg (83212 bytes) sands1988 9.jpg (46833 bytes) sands1988 10.jpg (58206 bytes)
Building 2
(front facade)
Building 2
(front facade)
Building 2
(south facade)
Building 2
(dry walling in progress)
Building  1 & 2
(rear facade)
Some landscaping,
no ashphalt drive,
no mailboxes
no garages for bldg. 2
sandsgrills.jpg (30331 bytes) northwestview.jpg (53166 bytes) northview.jpg (57690 bytes)    
Charcoal Grills
(next to decks)
Grills were removed because of smoke blowing into units by the prevailing westerly winds.
Note the size of the evergreens and the sparce vegitation on the dune in 1988!
Northwest View
(front of Bldg 2)
North View
(before the deck was built between bldgs 1 & 2)
   

 

Sands Views...
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Sands_Entrance.JPG (159872 bytes) Sands_Drive_Way.JPG (155303 bytes) sands_2.jpg (241508 bytes) sands 3.jpg (164722 bytes)
Sands Entrance
December 27th, 2004
Sands Driveway
December 27th, 2004
Sands Driveway
December 27th, 2004
Trees (between bldg. 1 & 2)
December 27th, 2004
sands_5.jpg (213818 bytes) sands1.jpg (78752 bytes) Sands January pic 2.jpg (706979 bytes)  
PTree (front of bldg. 2)
December 27th, 2004
Sands Aerial View The pilings covered in ice
January 18th, 2005
 
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Building 1, North side, residing project
December 22nd, 2005
Building 1, North side, residing project
December 22nd, 2005
Building 1, North side, residing project
December 22nd, 2005
 

 

Village of Elk Rapids Views
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Elk Rapids - Island House Bridge.jpg (992276 bytes)

Elk Rapids - Wildlife.jpg (425840 bytes)

December 27th, 2004:  -9 degrees farenheit - 7:50 a.m.

December 27th, 2004:  -9 degrees farenheit - 7:50 a.m.

islandhousebridge.jpg (461702 bytes) riverstwest.jpg (379833 bytes)
Original Island House Bridge.
It was wide enough for a carriage to cross.
River Street looking West.
Picture taken from top of Odd Fellows Building.