[Ouderkirk]

Most of the ports on the Great Lakes look like Marquette MI does now.

You go there and look at the crumbling relics of a dead port.

The empty steel mills, or the brownfields that they once were. The empty grain and concrete elevators and all the ancillary businesses that they supported.

It’s actually depressing to see what once was, especially from Buffalo west.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Duluth-Superior is doing pretty well.

[LRM]

Most of the ports on the Great Lakes look like Marquette MI does now.

While shipping may not be as heavy as in the past, the two harbors in Marquette remain active. For example, here's "Boatnerd's" report for Marquette for December 2014:

"Dec 29th: I realize it has been some time since my last report but here is what is going on. The rush is on to get as many trips in and out of Marquette before the locks close. Last week, there were at least three ships in port three different days. On Christmas day, the James Kuber was at the ore dock. The Herbert Jackson arrived yesterday and as of this report was still at the dock."

"The Michipicoten and the Kaye Barker are heading for Marquette now and should arrive by mid afternoon."

You must be thinking of the old ore dock downtown, which hasn't been used in many years. Both the Lower and Upper Harbor docks remain in use and should see boat traffic once again after the SOO locks reopen.