St. Clair in St. Clair County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Diamond Crystal Salt Company
Photographed by Kathy Garman, September 26, 2020
1. Diamond Crystal Salt Company Marker
Inscription.
Diamond Crystal Salt Company. . Salt exploration and extraction began in St. Clair County as early as 1863. Several people tried unsuccessfully to make drilling cost-effective. Charles F. and Franklin Moore, Justin Whiting, and Mark Hopkins founded the St. Clair Rock Salt Company in 1886, and eventually turned a profit. When a unique production method (the Alberger process) resulted in exceptionally high purity levels, they changed the name to Diamond Crystal Salt Company. The company prospered under Charles Moores leadership. General Foods Corporation bought Diamond Crystal in 1929; however, the Moore family bought it back in 1953. Diamond remained independent until 1987 when Akzo Nobel purchased it. Ten years later Cargill acquired the company.
Salt exploration and extraction began in St. Clair County as early as 1863. Several people tried unsuccessfully to make drilling cost-effective. Charles F. and Franklin Moore, Justin Whiting, and Mark Hopkins founded the St. Clair Rock Salt Company in 1886, and eventually turned a profit. When a unique production method (the Alberger process) resulted in exceptionally high purity levels, they changed the name to Diamond Crystal Salt Company. The company prospered under Charles Moores leadership. General Foods Corporation bought Diamond Crystal in 1929; however, the Moore family bought it back in 1953. Diamond remained independent until 1987 when Akzo Nobel purchased it. Ten years later Cargill acquired the company.
Erected 2004 by Michigan Historical Commission - Michigan Historical Center. (Marker Number L2145.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1886.
Location. 42° 49.104′ N, 82° 29.219′ W. Marker is in St. Clair,
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Michigan, in St. Clair County. It is on South Riverside Avenue (Michigan Route 29) 0.2 miles south of Clinton Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Located in a small plaza across the street from the Cargill Salt Plant. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1001 S Riverside Ave, Saint Clair MI 48079, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Michigan and in one of the Lake Huron Shore counties. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.
Located in a small green-space plaza between a Cargill administrative building and the Visitors Parking Lot, directly across the street from the Cargill Salt Plant.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 28, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 28, 2021, by John Garman of Rochester Hills. This page has been viewed 1,783 times since then and 263 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on March 28, 2021, by John Garman of Rochester Hills. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
