Read The Plaque

THE HOUSE OF JOHN H. STEVENS

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THE HOUSE OF JOHN H. STEVENS

From the Flickr group Historical Markers, photo by Jason Riedy, full page.

License is Attribution License

The Ardis Furnace

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Inventor John T. Jones of Iron Mountain recognized the economic potential of the low-grade iron ore of the Upper Peninsula. He developed a method for processing the ore and built an experimental furnace in 1908, named for his daughter Ardis, to test his theory. The furnace, a huge metal tube lined with firebrick, was placed on an incline and charged with ore. The whole device was rotated by electric motor, with iron suitable for mill use discharged from the lower end of the tube. The experiment was plagued with financial and mechanical problems, and by the close of World War I the Ardis was dismantled, Jones moving to other mining endeavors. Elements of the Jones method were later incorporated into successful processing operations for low-grade iron ores.

Plaque via Michigan History Center

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Delhi Bridge / Delhi Bridge

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Delhi Bridge / Delhi Bridge

The Delhi Bridge was one of many Pratt through truss iron bridges built to order by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio, between 1876 and 1899 to span the Huron River. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Once common in Michigan, few bridges of this type survived into the twenty-first century. Built to serve the thriving agricultural village of Delhi Mills, it replaced earlier wooden foot and wagon bridges that crossed the river at a traditional ford. In the 1870s Delhi Mills was home to two flouring mills, a saw and woolen mill, a plaster mill, a train depot, a grocery store and a school. As electricity supplanted water power in the early twentieth century many mill towns fell into decline, including Delhi Mills.On June 6, 1917, a powerful tornado swept through Washtenaw County, severely damaging Delhi Mills and the Delhi Bridge. The Washtenaw County Red Cross was created that summer to aid the victims of the tornado. Torn from its abutments, the bridge was tossed into the river below. According to local tradition, Edward Outwater and Eli Gallup used a team of horses to salvage the bridge. The bridge reopened the following year. The bridge was closed between 2005 and 2009 and then rehabilitated in response to the efforts of the East Delhi Bridge Conservancy. The work maintained the bridge’s original one-lane design and retained its classic Pratt through truss plan, ensuring its continued viability and preserving its aesthetics.

Plaque via Michigan History Center

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