ALBERTA--Public Dedication and Grand Opening ceremonies for the Ford Historic Sawmill will be held in this picturesque Baraga County community Friday, August 7, starting at 11:30 a.m. Refreshments will be served and guided tours of the restored sawmill will be available throughout the afternoon. The ceremonies will be hosted by the Michigan Tech School of Forestry and Wood Products.
Interpretive displays and photos will document the sawmill's operation in its heyday when it provided wood for Ford Motor Company automobiles and will provide insights into the impact of Henry Ford's vision on community development and forest management in the Upper Peninsula. The sawmill will be open to visitors on a regular basis throughout the summer.
Located south of L'Anse on US 41, Alberta was named for Alberta Johnson, the daughter of Henry Ford's Upper Peninsula operations superintendent. The town site, which included 12 homes, two school houses, accessory buildings, and a steam-powered sawmill, was built in 1935 to provide lumber for use in the production of Ford autos. But its real purpose in Henry Ford's eyes was to serve as a model for self-sufficient village industries. According to his "one foot in industry, one in the land" vision, each worker's household could also farm a plot of land. Unfortunately, poor soils and crop destruction by deer quickly rendered on-site agriculture non-viable.
The wood provided by the mill was used primarily for the popular Ford station wagons, commonly known as "woodies." As the company's demand for wood decreased, it began to scale back its U.P. operations, including the sawmill at Alberta. In 1954 the Ford Motor Company Fund donated Alberta, its sawmill, and 1,700 acres to Michigan Tech. The University operated the mill for a time as part of its Ford Forestry Center, which continues to host education and research programs in forest ecology and management.
Once steam-powered, the sawmill has been converted to electric power and features a band saw, modified log carriage, edger, trimmer, and green chain. Much of the original technology is still in place. The restoration of the mill was made possible by a $100,000 grant from the Ford Motor Company Fund.
According to Michigan Tech officials, the sawmill offers an excellent opportunity to examine the physical processes of timber production as they occurred in the first half of the twentieth century. Visitors can enjoy a tour that follows the path of lumber through the mill, from rough logs to finished boards. Signs explaining how the machinery worked will help the visitor imagine the mill as a busy workplace. Interpretive panels discuss the history of Alberta and the role of Henry Ford in the economy of the Upper Peninsula.
Today the Ford Forestry Center serves as a research and education center for Michigan Tech's School of Forestry and Wood Products, with studies being conducted in the areas of forest management, silviculture, ecology, and the primary processing of forest products. The site also serves as a demonstration area for the effects of long-term forest management.
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07/23/98-MTN096