Escanaba Park

Escanaba Park is owned by the Army Corps of Engineers and is leased to the City of Grand Haven.

Revetment work in 1857 formed what became known as the “Government Pond” or “Government Basin”. These first revetment diggings were placed to narrow and improve the channel, as well as halt the erosion at the bend in the river, known as “The Lower Diggings”. The east basin was kept deep enough to moor ships, but waters in the west were shallow to the point of being unusable. Therefore it was used as a dumping ground for material dredged from the channel, and it filled up more and more as years went on.