Port of Green Bay

The Port of Green Bay was created by the Brown County Harbor Commission in 1956 in anticipation of the 1959 opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway system that made Green Bay an international port, providing mid-America with a direct water link to the Atlantic Ocean and the world.

History
The Port of Green Bay dates back to the early 1800’s when waterway commerce focused on fur trading and peltry. During the 1800’s British, French and American military forts were built on the lower Fox River. In 1816, the first U.S. flagged sailing vessel arrived with garrison troops and provisions for Fort Howard.

By 1867, the principal commodities exported from Green Bay by sailing vessels were lumber, barrels, shingles, railroad ties and other forest products for building cities like Chicago and New York. In 1871, the Peshtigo Fire destroyed Northeast Wisconsin’s forests and changed the Port of Green Bay.

In the late 1800’s, agricultural products were being exported and Green Bay was known as the largest flour exporting port on the Great Lakes. By the mid 1930’s the Port shifted from exporting to importing with the arrival of coal and petroleum coke. Today, the Port continues to predominately import dry and liquid bulk commodities for Northeastern Wisconsin’s manufacturing businesses.

Port of Green Bay and coal
Annually the Port of Green Bay transports more than 2 million metric tons of coal, limestone, cement, salt, pig iron, fuel oil, forest products, liquid asphalt and many other essential commodities valued at more than $300 million. The port transports 800,000 metric tons of coal per year.

In June 2011 it was reported that 166,735 tons of cargo passed through the Port of Green Bay, bringing the 2011 total at that point to 567,948 tons. The year-to-date figure was 601,126 tons at the same point in the 2010 season.

Coal shipments in June 2011 totaled 41,259 tons compared with 90,959 in June 2010.

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