Pictures and historical documents here - www.restless-viking.com/2020/02/12/abandoned-powerhouse/

I am amazed how much you got right, considering the generation that worked there is long gone. I worked there part-time in high school 1977-78 and was on duty when the fire broke out. The 15 foot drop in the east water flue was where the waterwheel was loceted. It was about 3 feet in diameter with moveable paddles which could be withdrawn to reduce the amount of power when waterflow was fast. It was controlled by a mechanical governor to keep the speec constant. There was a system of drive shafts in the lower floor of the two main buildings powering smaller shafts in the next floor up. Power was transferred by flat leather belts, some more than a foot wide. The elevators were also powered the same way. Much of the machinery was powered that way with just a few more modern ones using only electricity. The top floor of the west building was used to store wood. The ground floor of that buiilding had the waterwheel on its east side and the overflow flue on its west side. There was a large colony of bats living in that ground floor. There were several cats for rodent control. There was a powerhouse net to the river. Sawdust was burned to make steam which was used in the two kilns to dry/season green wood. On the seond floor of the west building there were several pressure vessels. Wood parts to be impregnated with parrafin were placed inside. Steam from the boilers pressurized and pushed the parrafin into the parts. Some parts were tumbled in sawdust and oil. The tumblers were on the top floor of the east building. There were sized about like 50 gallon barrels. I counted many thousands of small parts ready for shipment. I was in high school when I worked there and not being 18 I was not allowed to work any machines but there were plenty of tasks I could do, like hiking up the stream to the second dam to clean its overflow shutes and close the gate for the night to build up water for the next day's use.

Just turned 56 Iv been going there since I was 15 I remember once when I was about 22 I was enjoying the ultimate outdoor experience with a young lady with a help of a tree and there's people jumping off that railroad bridge into the river behind me and I got a standing ovation and applauding. Another one of their videos I was at the same spot was her trip going down to Grand River with all that wonderful info that I've been studying myself for a long time The first of June 2024 I seen the Viking heading south out of Coopersville my hometown next time I'll have a fine bottle of wine for Poppins and some top dollar bourbon for the Viking then I'll chase them down next time. I seen the Jeep with the tanks on the side and it didn't know it was them until I seen it in a video two weeks later how cool is that. I think part of my bucket list will be go to as many of the places that they have and enjoy life it's short

Thank you for sharing this! At the 11 minute mark you asked about relatives that worked or related to Rowe. Not only was I born and raised in Newaygo, Henry Rowe's son Clair married my Grandma's sister. We were a very close family. I just barely remember Grandma Rowe as we called her, who was Henry Rowe's wife Della, but my Great Aunt and Uncle Rowe were instrumental in my upbringing. Uncle Clair shared many stories about his dad and the factory, how it all started. I was in my mid 20's when he passed, and learned so much from him. My daughter bears the name Natalie Claire in honor of my late uncle, H. Clair Rowe. And actually, this is the second factory along the river that they built. 😊

I’ve just recently stumbled on your channel. As a fellow Michigander I like seeing the local history. But this video really stood out to me because I was in this exact place a couple years ago when I was in newago for a wedding. I had some time to kill while the other half was getting her hair done and I went down there and did some photography. I wondered what the heck was on the other side of the river. Thanks to this video, now I know.

Fascinating. . Thank you for posting.

That's a neat picture of the cement plant back when it was still a cement plant. Online I found a scanned U of M dept of engineering municipal engineering book July-December 1901 that has a brief mention of plans being developed for the Newaygo Portland Cement Company. It's now an MAC grain facility. I found another June 1923 reference in the Michigan Manufacturer and Financial Record for a 15 year $1.5 million mortgage at 6-7/8% by the Newaygo Portland Cement Company to build Wisconsin's first cement plant in Manitowoc. I couldn't determine when the cement plant closed. One reference stated that in 1929 it merged with the Medusa Portland Cement Company.

Pretty cool archeology. :-) I used to pass a small dam and spillway near Lennon on the Shiawassee river. The building was gone, but the foundation and dam still kept the mill pond filled. Just downstream was an ancient single lane iron bridge, unfortunately replaced by a modern culvert. I always thought it was a grain mill, but turns out it was a hydroelectric plant. Ya always think of Michigan as too flat for hydro, but there is some still in use even today.

From the 12th to the 15th centuries, Cisterian Monks were known for their "water management" in England and France. They would divert streams to run throught their abbey compounds. First flowing through the kitchens, then the wash rooms and finally through what was called the guard rooms (toilets). The Roman's perfected the art of water management and had aqueducts that ran for miles across the countryside that fed their baths and fountains. During the early years of the industrial revolution, before steam power was invented, channeling water through buildings was a common practice for powering machinery. Lockport, New York has tunnels that they give boat rides through that go under an old factory that used the water t power their machinery. So this technology was well used back before electricity was commonly available.

The Hole in the concrete was my favorite part. Thank you cupcake.

Here in the Year 2020 and wanting to use "clean" energy... this just proves they had this figured out over 100 years ago. FACT!

Interesting video. I grew up across the river... just down Water street. Spent many hours exploring the ruins of the plant.

I drive by it every day. Multiple time

Thank you for reminding me just how much history is in that part of the country. I remember exploring Wisconsin as a kid and finding crazy stuff

I remember swimming at that beach across the river as a kid. I always wondered what that metal chute was where the water came out. This was back In 2008

This is one of the coolest locations! Thank you for sharing! This reminds me so much of the canal and water locks at the old Belle Isle Hydroelectric plant in Virginia. You earned another sub😁😁

You picked a good time of year to go, if I remember correctly there is a spitload of poison ivy towards the road. Also at about 4:45 that looks like a panel of an old Michigan standard metal grid rail either R-4 concrete posts or the rarer R-5 metal posts.

My brother lives in White Cloud, I on the other hand live in the southwest US.

It appears that most of this factory was built with a RCC concrete type of mix which would be (roller compact concrete). Also inforced with beams and 1 to 2 inch bar. Rcc concrete is much much stronger than regular concrete..... its a dryer and thicker mix of concrete and on top of that it's compacted with heavy equiptment as it drys.. mostly what is used to build dams and military bunkers back in the WW2 erra I'm confident...also I would suppose and evaluate that it's MUCH stronger than today's concrete.. though it all depends on who done the work. I suppose this mill was built by a quality engineering group and steel workers most likely run by a northern union.. possibly USW which is united steel workers. RCC concrete can last CENTURIES even in severe weather conditions.

you should do a bit about the big bridge right there, story has it the original bridge collapsed with a bus full of people, huge tragedy that is now forgotten. also the logging cribs from lumber days still exist just east of big bridge.

I think one of them inlets is panoyer Creek . Which actually runs through my property

Actually, the raceway that has the steel in it now was only open for a few years, prior to that it was a concrete chute - we used to jump off the end of it and MAYBE even ride our bikes off of it until the time my brother broke his face open... then we had to go back to just kids, no bikes :)

This is cool, I have inspected both the M-82 over CSX / Penyoer creek and M-37 bridges in the past. I always wondered what that was downstream of the M-86 bridge. If you look into the Muskegon river from the west sidewalk of the M-37 bridge you can see remnants (timber cribs I think) if the water level is low.

I think there is a small power or pump house up stream that pumped water to the water Towers and furnished some electric to the plant.

I grew up in that area. Lots of good places to explore, if you know where to look. Great channel. Cheers 🥃

My great grandfather who was born in the 1880s is from that area and was a “Finisher” or Cabinetmaker. He’s buried in Coral amd was born in the late 1800s. I’m sure he must have had something to do with this plant.

Are u by Detroit Michigan and ill be out there tomorrow want to do a collaboration

I've driven past there dozens of times & had no clue. Its a hidden under summer foliage on GE, but the discharge plume can be seen.

Good video of another site I've driven past many of times over the years I was living in Whitehall and exploring around or whatever was I guess better spiritually leading me post polysubstance abuse sexual deviant didn't realize was so badville, danger in Portuguese sounding place perimeter including installation, that links up with back home area found. Anyways, pardon the area reminders of places I wouldn't go unless ordered.

The TV still there 😂

Speculators! 🤣

Would be much better without the music

Carbon neutral is not realistic we can’t afford it.

Interesting. Makes You Wonder With Today's Higher Energy Cost If Some Entrepreneur Could Reinvent The Resources The To Make Some New Entity.