The following are excerpts from “Meet me at the Dock” in Greilickville, Grand Traverse Bay by Kathleen Firestone.
Remembering Franklin Sears
Franklin Sears contributed more to the West Grand Traverse Bay scene than, perhaps, anything else. There is no village or street named after him, no historic marker: but the history of this area would not be what it is without the contributions to marine engineers, Franklin Sears.
In 1937 Frank established Sears Marina Construction Company, based in Greilickville, Leelanau County. He soon added Sears Dock and Dredging Company.
During his lifetime he directed the building of many docks and marinas in northwest Michigan, including Greilickville, Boyne City, Harbor Springs, East Jordan, Suttons Bay, Leland, St. James, Beaver Island and across the lake to Wisconsin. He was also contracted to replace the old Hannah, Lay Dock in Traverse City in 1949.
West Grand Traverse Bay brought big coal carriers, petroleum tankers, and passenger boats to the docks built by Frank Sears — the Sears Dock which began the Burke Coal Company Dock; the Rennie Oil Company; and the Sinclair Company Dock. How many times have drivers stopped their cars along M-22, to get a closer look and photograph boats at the docks built by Frank Sears and his Marine Construction Company. How many have said “Look, kids! There’s a big boat!”
Frank ran his company until 1964 when he sold the dredging business to Walstrom Marine, Inc. The Sears /Burke Dock became property of Traverse City Light & Power, in 1969.
When the Great Lakes Maritime Academy (GLMA) was established that same year, as part of Northwestern Michigan College, supporter Frank Sears was 75. He passed away in 1971, but a memorial in his name awarded some $156,000 to GLMA students, between 1985 and 2017, and continues on.
The Sears Dock was renamed “Discovery Pier” in 2018; but let’s not forget the man who built it and the other main docks in Greilickville. His name was Franklin Sears.
••• Sinclair Refining Company
Sinclair Refining Company, a Maine corporation, also purchased land in Greilickville to put out a dock for receiving oil products. Only July 26, 1947 Frank and Lucy Strang sold the company a lot along the bay for a price of $300, with a down payment of $5. In 1948 Sinclair petitioned the federal government for the building of a new dock immediately north of Rennie Oil Company’s dock, with tank storage north of the Rennie Oil Company’s docks A cement “Dino the Dinosaur” soon greeted passing motorists.
Sinclair supplied fuel to area gas stations and businesses until Zephyr Petroleum became owner of the terminal. Oil was delivered to the Zephyr Dock as late at 1979.
••• Purvis Brothers
Richard Purvis and his brother, Frank did several fabricating and welding jobs for Sears Marine Construction Company, and when Chicago Bridge & Iron Company and looking for someone to make two 6-inch pipelines from the dock to the new Sinclair tanks, Frank Sears introduced Purvis to the project engineer. The pipeline included welded elbows and joints to fit the transport pipes perfectly from Sinclair dock, under State Highway M-22, and to the storage tanks. A loading station on the dock allowed for local gasoline distribution operated in a similar way.
The Purvis brothers and Jack Braden used their pay from the Sinclair project to establish Purvis & Braden Welding and Machine Shop in 1947. When Braden died from an accident, the business became Purvis Brothers.
