1881 Indian Head, Oil Lamp Head, 4 Ax Heads, Mill Parts

**K Zack** · Mar 18, 2012, 10:32 AM

I spent Saturday afternoon at an old Steam Powered Saw Mill that was shut down in about 1900.

I dug up an Oil Lamp Head that is almost completely intact, Patent date of May 6 1873.
I also found an Indian Head Penny 1881 and a lot of Copper Harness Rivets.

I dug up 4 Ax Heads, 3 in good shape, 1 broken.
I also dug up an Arbor Shaft or Jack Shaft, about 4 foot long and a large Gear about 100 lbs and some flat chain links.

It was a long walk back to this old mill and even longer walk going back out carrying the stuff that I had found, 3 trips.
I will clean it up and tag it with the Mill Name and the date that it was run.

It was nice long walk into a small part of the history of West Michigan.
I have read in some History books that West Michigan Rebuilt Chicago after the Great Fire 1871. Just with in 5 miles of my house there were at least 16 mills recorded in the history of this area.
The lumber was sent by Train and ship to Chicago.
Chicago’s big Fire left much of West Michigan Baron Waste land by the turn of the Century.