As dawn breaks across the eastern horizon of Lake Huron, the hush just before dawn speaks to the soul, bringing visions of the rich history of the region, back to a much simpler time when fishing and hunting were a way of life. Tawas City Michigan, whose name is derived from the local band of Native Americans from the Saginaw Michigan tribe of Chippewa (also known as Ojibwa) is the perfect marriage of days gone by and progress.

Their leader was Chief O-ta-was. Since he had his camp on the shores of the bay, it was known as O-ta-wa's Bay. The name of the point dividing the bay from Lake Huron was known as Ottawa Point. Fairly recent spelling and pronunciation for the name of this band of Chippewa gradually evolved to Tawas. Tawas City was founded in 1854, barely 17 years after Michigan became the 26th State, and was the first city to be located on the shores of Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron.

Because of the ever-changing climate of Michigan, from hot, humid summers to harsh, frigid winters, hot-dip galvanizing was the perfect choice due to its durability and corrosion resistance. This 450-foot-long pier that was constructed in multiple phases in the mid-1900's had seen better days, and had deteriorated to the point that the pier needed significant restoration so that countless generations to come could enjoy all of the benefits Saginaw Bay could provide.

Teams of engineers worked with the City in order to secure and stay within the $3.5 million dollar budget, and after exploring other coatings and designs, hot-dip galvanizing was a more cost-effective and durable choice compared to other alternative coatings that would require more aggressive maintenance. Incorporated in to the original design, boat docks were added as a way to improve upon the existing pier, and state-of-the-art ingenuity allowed this design to blend in to the landscape while providing functionality, ease of docking and fishing stations along the pier.