DB Harrington
Posted on May 7, 2013
The legacy and impact of the railroad and industrial era will be one of the stories we try to tell along the River Walk. Up until recently, we figured that the old railroad ferry dock would be the focal point of that story. Well, the story might have an incredible new chapter: DB Harrington.
The Port Huron Museum owns a famous narrow gauge Porter, Bell and Company steam locomotive named the DB Harrington. Does the Harrington name sound familiar in Port Huron? It should. The DB Harrington was built in 1878 and was originally owned by the Port Huron & Northwestern Railroad. It was in service here in Port Huron, and on Desmond Landing for a few years before it began an incredible journey around Michigan, to Cedar Point, to the Henry Ford Museum, and then back to Port Huron.
We are in the process of forming a new DB Harrington joint task force with the Museum. This new task force will be charged with exploring the feasibility of putting the DB Harrington back into the public eye as a landmark and icon on our River Walk.
The DB Harrington is a local treasure, and this new task force faces a daunting task. Neither the Museum nor the Foundation are making any promises on the outcome. Issues like preservation versus restoration, costs, proper display and presentation, insurance and the timing of the installation all need to be resolved.
