Brighton in Livingston County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Orson Quackenbush
Brighton's Victorian Silhouettes
Photographed By Joel Seewald, September 23, 2017
1. Orson Quackenbush Marker
Orson Quakenbush played a key role in establishing Brighton as a viable rural community with the downtown construction of his dam and grist mill on Ore Creek in 1838. The flowing water of Ore Creek would turn a water wheel that rotated a grindstone against a fixed grindstone. The grain was ground into flour between the two grindstones. Without this mill a local farmer would have to travel in their wagon filled with sacks of grain to Ann Arbor or Farmington. This roundtrip would take about 5 days and the farmer's family would be left alone at the farm to fend for themselves. This public parking lot was the site of the mill that was razed in the late 1940s after its sale by Ford Motor Company.Original Art by: Diane Schenkel
Erected 2017 by Brighton Area Historical Society, Brighton Art Guild, Downtown Brighton. (Marker Number 10.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1838.
Location. 42° 31.741′ N, 83° 46.89′ W. Marker is
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Alice Jolly (within shouting distance of this marker); John McKinney (within shouting distance of this marker); Brighton Hook and Ladder Co. (within shouting distance of this marker); Old Town Hall (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Mill Pond Park (about 300 feet away); Daniel Marsh (about 300 feet away); Brighton Area Veterans Memorial (about 400 feet away); B.T.O. Clark (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brighton.
Also see . . . Who's that? Faces from Brighton's past pop up on city streets. According to this article from the Livingston Daily Press & Argus, Brighton's Victorian Silhouettes will be "left on display for three years, except for during the winter." (Submitted on September 28, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
Photographed By Joel Seewald, September 23, 2017
2. Orson Quackenbush Marker
Photographed By Joel Seewald, September 23, 2017
3. Orson Quackenbush Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 28, 2017. It was originally submitted on September 28, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 243 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 28, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
