By Andy Jeffrey – as featured in the Port Huron Times Herald

A re-creation of the historic steam barge City of Port Huron has been selected as the next public art installation along the Blue Water River Walk.

The winning proposal comes from Fort Gratiot artist Scott Campbell, known professionally as Scott E. Skullz. His design is a 1/10 scale model of the 1869 vessel built in Port Huron by shipbuilder J.P. Arnold.

The steel-and-wood sculpture will measure roughly 16 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3 1/2 feet tall, symbolizing the cargo-laden barges that once carried lumber and other goods through the Great Lakes.

“We love that this piece will pay tribute to our community’s history,” said Natacha Hayden, program officer for community impact at the Community Foundation of St. Clair County.

“This was a highly competitive process with many creative and quality submissions,” said Bill Schwarz, vice chair of the foundation’s executive committee. “We wish we could showcase them all.”

Artist’s perspective

Campbell said his inspiration came from the ship’s name and the industry it represented.

“The name of the steam barge because it’s named after the city and the shipbuilding industry because not a lot of people know about it. And that’s basically what built the town in the beginning,” he said.

A charcoal artist and longtime metal fabricator, Campbell added, “I do metal fabrication and build custom crazy cars.”

He spent three decades running Creative Customs, a Port Huron business specializing in car detailing, car services and window tinting.

Campbell, who has also created murals and exhibited drawings at the former Studio 1219, said the little-known vessel reflects an important part of the city’s past.

“It serves as a great reminder of this city in its infancy and the commerce it thrived on,” he wrote in his proposal.

Other finalists

Campbell’s design was chosen from among five finalists. Submissions included David Fry’s “Teepee to Tensegrity,” inspired by transformation and structure, and Jordyn-Lynne Denomme’s “A Turtle on a Log,” which drew on local wildlife. Other finalists were Dairoll Medrano’s “Michigan Nature Totem Pole” and Ken Kiernicki’s “The Waltz Project.”

Although Campbell’s barge will be installed on the River Walk, all five finalists’ 3D models are on display in the Community Foundation’s downtown Port Huron lobby through Oct. 3, where residents can view them and consider commissioning the other works.

More: Five finalists selected for river walk sculpture project in Port Huron

A walk rooted in history

The Blue Water River Walk stretches along nearly a mile of St. Clair River shoreline south of downtown Port Huron. Once the site of a working industrial train yard, it has been transformed over the last decade into a mix of restored wetlands, wildlife habitat, public trails and gathering spaces.

Public art has been central to that vision, with sculptures like “Stella the Sturgeon” and “Sugar the Horse” connecting people to the region’s history and environment.

Campbell’s “City of Port Huron” will join that tradition when it is installed in spring 2026, funded by a $10,000 commission from the Community Foundation with support from the Port Huron Rotary Club.

What’s next?

With the selection made, Campbell will begin the fabrication phase for his steel-and-wood barge. The Community Foundation will coordinate with him on-site preparation to ensure the River Walk can support the 16-foot-long sculpture.

More information about the Blue Water River Walk is available at https://stclairfoundation.org/riverwalk/.