‘Car Graveyard’ Helps Maintain Lake Michigan Erosion

When life hands you beaten down cars, why not roll them down a hill and create a sea wall.

There's a 'car graveyard' in Saint Joseph, Michigan, that's familiar to locals but may seem strange to newcomers who stumble across it.

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Saint Joseph's 'car graveyard'

In 1967, water levels were so high in the area, that homeowners used old cars to create a break wall and save Lake Michigan's shoreline. Till this day you can see the rusted remains of several cars on the beach.

ABC 13 reports that in the 1940s and 1950s, the city of Saint Joseph started building piers along the main channel because of the erosion created underneath homes.

Eventually, the 50-foot bluff eroded over time, which led to locals taking matters into their own hands. In attempt to save their homes, locals started rolling their old used cars down the hill to prevent the lakes erosion.

Is the 'car graveyard' helpful?

Nathan Voytovick told WZZM that the 'car graveyard' may have helped these locals avoid erosion, but it essentially pushed the problem next door. Voytovick says that cars aren't the only items that have made their way onto the beach.

The people began panicking. They began chucking debris, anything that they could find, over the bluff to stop the waves. Washing machines, dryers, beds and even cars were tossed over the edge.

Carl Kuyat was the first Saint Joseph resident to push a car over the edge. Some say around 150 cars are on the shore, while others think it's closer to 230.

You can read the full story at ABC 13's website.

Have you ever seen the 'car graveyard' in Saint Joseph?