Exploring The History Of Sharon Mills

Exploring The History Of Sharon Mills. . , Native Americans in Washtenaw. , Long before Europeans set foot in Michigan, Native Americans made their homes here. When the French arrived in the late 1600s a number of Native American tribes lived in lower Michigan, including the Miami, Potawatomi, Ottawa, Ojibway (or Chippewa), Sauk, and Wyandot (or Huron). The Potawatomi were the dominant tribe in Washtenaw County in the early 1800s when white settlers began to move into the state in great numbers. Native American encampments existed near present-day Saline, Dundee, Monroe, and other points along the River Raisin., The River Raisin was important to the Potawatomi for several reasons. Rivers and streams were major transportation routes for Native Americans in canoes. During time of high water they could journey from the River Raisin's mouth at Lake Erie to its headwaters, from which they could portage a short distance to the Grand and St. Joseph Rivers, which lead to Lake Michigan. The Potawatomi also relied heavily on fish caught in rivers and streams for food. Rivers and lakes supplied water for drinking, washing, and cooking., The Potawatomi population in Michigan reached its peak in the early 1800s, with around 9,000 individuals. The tribe had prospered during a century of fur trading with the French and British. However, the Removal Act of 1830 forced most of the Potawatomi in Michigan to relocate to Kansas and Oklahoma or flee to Canada., Today, descendants of the Potawatomi belong to one of 10 tribal bands in the United States and Canada that maintain native traditions and culture., Potawatomi Territory in 1813, Early Days of Sharon Hollow , White settlers from New York and New England began arriving if Sharon Township in 1831 This pioneering group included Ira Annabel, Amos Bullard, John Bessey, M. Burk, David Cook, Edward Campbell, James Fellows, R.L. Fellows, Joseph Gilbert, Francis Gillett, Henry and Gilbert Row and J.R. Sloat. The Village of Sharon was formally organized in 1834., Sharon Mills had its beginning with Amasa Gillett and Benjamin Burnett, who dammed the River Raisin and built a sawmill on its banks in 1834. The water power the Raisin provided was very attractive to the first settlers of this area because without electricity it was virtually the only way to generate the energy needed to power machinery. One of the first tasks the settlers had, besides growing food for the winter, was building shelter. The sawmill speeded up this job considerably. Operated by a single man, the saw could make one pass through a log in about fifteen minuets., A photo of Sharon Mills taken around 1910. Note the dam and bridge, the brick and stone foundation, and the 1834 sawmill in the background. How does this compare to what Sharon Mills looks like today? , Photo courtesy of Gerald Swartout., Sharon Mills circa the early 1900s, when it was operated by George Kirkwood. , Photo courtesy of Eigene Kaupy, The first waterwheel was six feet in diameter and made out of white oak wood. The sawmill operated for almost a century. but was dismantled during Henry Ford's renovations of Sharon Mills., In the 4850s. John W. Rice acquired the sawmill and pond adjacent property and built a grist mill. The millers who operated it ground corn, wheat, and buckwheat that nearby farmers brought in, turning it into feed and flour. Water spilling into the mill race turned a turbine that connected to numerous gears and belts, turning the grindstones and operating grain elevators and sifters., The grist mill was built-in Greek Revival style, a popular architectural style of the mid-1800s. The mill building has been modified over the years, but the exterior remains similar to the original , In 1890, Alexander Kirkwood bought both mills. His son, George Kirkwood (pictured below), operated the mills until their purchase by the Ann Arbor Land Company in 1928., George Kirkwood, mill operator from 1890 to 1928 , Photo courtesy of Eugene Kaupp, Henry Ford's Village Industry. , Between 1920 and 1944, Henry Ford experimented with a new form of industrial production he called "Village Industry." The concept was to decentralize some aspects of automobile production to the countryside, enabling workers to farm part time. Sharon Mills was the thirteenth of twenty Village Industry Plants Ford opened in southeast Michigan., "One foot in industry and one foot in the soil" was how Henry Ford described the Village Industry concept, reflecting his belief in the wholesomeness of country life, as well as his focus on production efficiency. Ford wanted to achieve a balance between the city and the country, with less pollution and congestion than the city but better wages than farming alone could provide. The Village Industries marked a dramatic shift in Ford's philosophy toward a decentralized system of production, in sharp contrast to the centralized assembly line with which he is usually associated., At the Sharon Mills plant, workers produced "cigar lighters" (Ford detested cigarette smoking but apparently found cigars less offensive) and light switches for Ford automobiles. Depending on production demands, the plant employed 16 to 54 workers for two to four days a week. Workers were expected to be working on the farm when they were not needed at the plant. The Sharon Mills Plant opened officially in 1939 and closed in 1946., Henry Ford with a Lincoln, 1935. This photo was taken during the same times period as Ford's renovation of Sharon Mills. , From the Collections of Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, Workers at Sharon Mills , Ford News, 1939, Sharon Mills Village Industry Plant , From the Collections of Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, Ford, undertook extensive renovations at Sharon Mills. He personally supervised the restoration and insisted on installing hand-hewn support beams and joining members with wooden pegs rather than nails or bolts. A stone addition was built onto the back of the mill. The dam on the Raisin, which had washed out in 1926; was completely rebuilt, as were the mill race and a section of the river below the dam, which were faced with stone as well. Ford also installed a massive 40 horsepower generator and a new turbine for the mill. He was a strong proponent of hydroelectric power, nicknamed "white coal" in those days, and to that end sought out old water-powered mills for nearly all his Village Industries plants., Ultimately, the Village Industry plants did not prove financially feasible and were abandoned by Ford Motor Company after Henry Ford left the firm, shortly before his death in 1947., "One Foot in Industry and One Foot in the Soil"., New Life for the Mill , After Ford Motor Company left Sharon Hollow, Sharon Mills again became a place for local enterprise. During the 1950s Walter and Ruth Graves owned the mill, which then passed to Eric and Lillian Martin in 1962 The Martins repaired the generator, which had been damaged in a storm. Lillian Martin lived in the mill for many years and operated it as an antique store with her business partner, former Governor John Swainson, Swainson, a Washtenaw County resident for many years, later became the president of the Michigan Historical Commission., Sharon Mills was officially listed on the State Register of Historic Places on November 16, 1989., During the 1990s, Lillian Martin's son, Craig Hawker, took over the mill and operated it as a winery storing and selling chardonnay, reisling, sparkling wines and "Rose of Sharon Champagne,” made from grapes grown near Traverse City. The winery often hosted local events such as weddings and parties., In 1999, Craig and Diane Hawker sold, Sharon Mills to the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission for use as a public park. WCPARC restored the mill buildings to their Ford-era condition, and added facilities for picnicking, canoeing, events, and interpretive programs. Sharon Mills County Park serves as a community resource for enjoyment, learning, and preservation of local heritage., Enjoy your visit to Sharon Mills!, Sharon Mills as it looked in winery days. , Courtesy Mark Roos, 8,000BC Glaciers recede from Michigan. , AD 700 Native Americans in Michigan begin to practice agriculture , 1673 French build first European settlement in Michigan at Fort Miami (present-day St. Joseph) , 1701 French settlement established at Detroit , 1776 Declaration of Independence , 1785 U.S. Constitution ratified , 1800 Total Potawatomi population in Great Lakes region estimated at 9,000 individuals1813 "Battle of the River Raisin" fought near Monroe; Americans defeated by British and Indians, British driven out 9 months later , 1825 Opening of Erie Canal leads to an influx of settlers to Michigan , 1827 The Township which is to be named "Sharon" is officially platted , 1831 First white settlers arrive in present-day Sharon Hollow , 1833 Settlement named "Peppergrass" , 1834 Village of Sharon organized , 1836 Amase Gillett and Benjamin Barnett build a sawmill in the lowland known as Sharon Hollow , 1837 Michigan becomes the 26th U.S. State , 1837 Village of Sharon officially platted , 1841 Remaining Potawatomi removed from Michigan to Kansas , 1849 Gillett family sells sawmill property to John W. Rice , 1850s Rice builds grist mill next to the sawmill in Sharon Hollow , 1880 Sharon has a creamery, blacksmith, general store, sawmill, and grist mill , 1890 A.T. Kirkwood acquires mill property , 1896 Charles King and Henry Ford each test drive gas-powered automobiles in Detroit , 1903 Henry Ford begins mass production of automobiles , 1922 George Kirkwood corresponds with Henry Ford's secretary about the possibility of selling the mill to Ford Motor Company , 1928 George Kirkwood sells mill to Ann Arbor Land Company, who passes it to Ford Motor Company , 1933 EMC begins renovations with removal of the sawmill and addition of a new foundation , 1933 Sharon reported to have only 23 residents plat dissolved. , 1934 Renovations continue; generator added, new wing built, mill race reconstructed , 1839 Sharon Mills opens as the 13th Village Industry plant, producing cigar lighters and light switches , 1941 The U.S. enters World War II , 1945 World War II ends , 1946 Sharon Mills Village Industry Plant closes , 1947 Henry Ford dies , 1951 Walter and Ruth Graves acquire Sharon Mills and use it as a residence , 1957 Markinaw Bridge opens , 1960 John Swainson elected Governor of Michigan , 1962 Eric and Lillian Martin acquire Sharon Mills , 1970s Lillian Martin and former Gov. John Swainson operate an antique store in the mill building; Lillian Martin uses the second floor as her residence , 1973 Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission established , 1990 Lillian Martin's son, Craig Hawker, acquires mill and operates it as a winery, selling Michigan Wines , 1999 Diane and Craig Hawker sell Sharon Mills to WCPARC , 2002 Sharon Mills County Park opens to the public