Sawmill

Sawmill. . , From 1880-1920 lumbering was the main economic activity of the Mackinaw area. At various times local mills made roof shingles, barrel staves, excelsior (packing material), railroad ties, hard-wood flooring and toothpicks., This sawmill was donated to the Historical Society by the Soo Locks. It is typical of a large sawmill of the 1880s. The blade is five feet in diameter. This particular mill was used from the late 1800s until 2008. It cut the timbers that line the locks, absorbing any bumps from passing freighters. Today the lock's timbers are purchased from the west coast and only trimmed locally., We are working to get the saw running. This 2-cylinder, 80 horsepower diesel engine from the 1880s was donated to become a power-plant for the mill. Restoring it is a work in progress. In the meantime, we can power the mill with a modern tractor engine., We hope the mill will be suitable for cutting the timbers we need in our restoration work, that is "full cut lumber." Around 1900 when they spoke of a 2x4 it actually measured 2 inches by 4 inches, a product hard to purchase today., A Venn-Severin engine from Chicago is 8 feet tall, has a 12-1/4 inch cylinder bore and chugs along at 275 rpm. It weighs five tons.