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Comments:
Brett - 2004-06-23 00:43:27
Daniel J. Quirk on a freaking pogo stick! Find out if her father's still alive- I'm going to start hunting down ex-peninsularians (?) for an oral history project! (I have to use my new mp3 recorder for something besides bludgeoning people!)
Seriously- when you say 'thousands' of people, you're not kidding. In the 1880's the mill employed 110 people, half of them women and girls. Multiply that by 130 years and a lot of souls passed through the place.
In demolition news, last week the mill's 'Heart" was surgically removed- meaning the main boiler next to the chimney. Once they got it pulled some distance from the building, 5 earth movers surrounded it and spent several hours beating it into a tiny pulp (no pun intended). Really, it reminded me of a strange mechanical version of Rodney King, with one (relatively) small bit of metal getting repeatedly slammed by 5 huge bullies.
In other news, the pathetic result of my efforts is made a part of the public record (scroll down to the end of page 3):
Minutes of the Ypsilanti Historic District Commision
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Brett - 2004-06-23 00:45:03
Well, so much for me thinking I could manage a single line of html code. Here's the URL:
http://www.cityofypsilanti.com/boards/bd_historic/minutes/06-01-04.pdf
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raymond - 2004-06-23 08:14:54
A friend was in the 80s and 90s (19, that is)a CCS graphic arts instructor and he wrangled a tour of the mill. I went along and got several samples of excellent high quality paper, which of course through the ensuing decade I've lost. While it's sad to see those old buildings reduced to rubble, surely the proposed hives for the site will rival the beauty of RiverRain and McD's upstream and contribute to the 60something% occupancy rate of Ypsilanti apartments.
From my ignored "55 Ypsi Pics in 5 Minutes" at 555's swansong soiree:
http://www.umich.edu/~xray/paper1.jpg* * * * * * * * * * * *
Laura - 2004-06-23 08:49:45
Brett, would you like me to get her contact info for your oral history project? Sounds totally cool! Also, with your knowledge of history uou doubtless know that there are old Ypsi census records floating around--some online--that show people's occupations; I've seen some with "paper mill" written in. That might be one (laborious) way to track down surnames to follow up on.
Raymond--thank you for the picture; sounds stupid but it made me nostalgic for when only 1/3 of the mill was destroyed.* * * * * * * * * * * *
Eric - 2004-06-23 08:52:32
Is there any chance we could prevent them from tearing down the Deubel Mill?* * * * * * * * * * * *
Laura - 2004-06-23 08:54:49
Sorry, Eric, what's the Deubel Mill?* * * * * * * * * * * *
Lynne - 2004-06-23 09:58:29
I think that what bums me out about tearing down that place is that it could have been renovated into some pretty cool lofts or whatever. Something with a bit more character than whatever they plan on building there.
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Laura - 2004-06-23 10:07:52
I agree, although without knowing how much such a renovation would have cost. I still don't like the layout of busy train tracks right between apartments packed with college kids and a party store/gas station just across the street--not that all college kids drink, but it's still a bad setup in my opinion.* * * * * * * * * * * *
gim - 2004-06-23 13:32:32
would be a nice place for a walking bridge between complexes, though that would be silly with the actual bridge so near. * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lynne - 2004-06-23 13:48:40
Well, it cant be as bad as the whole Depot Town bars right next to the train tracks thing. I *know* there are a bunch of drunks down there a lot of the time. Heck, a lot of the time I *am* one of the drunks down there. ;)
I think the college kids can handle the train tracks. :) * * * * * * * * * * * *
Laura - 2004-06-23 13:51:51
That's a good point. I dunno. When I was that age (sound of creaking rocking chair while Model T goes by outside) I acted as if I were immortal a couple times with some extremely unsafe and stupid behavior...I just worry.* * * * * * * * * * * *
Brett - 2004-06-23 14:58:51
1) Yes, Laura, if you see the driver again then definitely ask if her father is a) alive b) living in the area and c) interested in a short interview about the mill.
2) As for the online sources, I mainly have just seen references to mill employment in the past tense (meaning post mortem). I would bet that there may be some employee tax records out there, though, or the AFL/CIO may have old listings of staff.
3) I have stumbled drunkenly across the tracks at both LeForge and Depot Town many a night, as well as stumbling down the length of the tracks betwixt the two, and survived. However, the history of that stretch (basically from Frenchie's to the paper mill) for the last century includes many dozens of fatalities involving railroad workers, drunks, and risk-taking children. So, I do think that by sheer odds increasing the population near them by a thousand or so will most likely increase the chances of something going wrong- especially if the unlikely commuter rail ever actually takes shape and traffic increases. From what I've read, there WILL be a wall along the tracks preventing people from shortcutting directly from campus to the apartments, though.
4) gim- in the 1880's when there were two mills (the second was where peninsular park now stands), there actually was a foot bridge across the river near the base of the dam. I would personally love the idea as well, although I doubt the cost-cutting developers would spring for it.
5) raymond- I'd love to get any recent stories of the mill as well- they don't all have to be from the days of yore when Laura's model T was new and her chair didn't creak! For example, I heard that in the 1990's when they were making those art papers, that frequently dye was released into the river causing it to run red; a friend of a friend recalls wading in the water and accidentally dying his feet scarlet.
6) (Takes deep breath) Okay. I'll shutup now. * * * * * * * * * * * *
gorbo - 2004-06-23 15:52:36
A little less sentimentality might be in order. Paper plants were notorious and filthy polluters before regulation. Having the river dyed red for an hour was probably the least of it: they would have dumped thousands of tons of chlorine into that river over the years. Plus it was a dirty and dangerous place to work. * * * * * * * * * * * *
Brett - 2004-06-23 16:38:39
gorbo- I actually read recently- and I'm paraphrasing- that "A single tree causes more pollution than an entire Paper Mill".
Just Kidding!
I don't think I've heard a single person advocate 'starting the mill back up'- the main concerns are a) that the mill has historic value, b) the structure was sound and could have been used for any number of new purposes c) the proposed 'clean up' of toxins largely involves burying them on site (beneath the new apartments) and d) The new apartments aren't needed, are in a bad location, and the architecture will be a cheap eyesore for years to come.
I agree about the chlorine, and would also add that a number of acids are used in paper production to 'digest' the pulp so that it will adhere to itself better. Also, the mill may have contained some residual asbestos and pcb's. So, certainly it is/was a toxic place- and working there was far from a paradise (which I think makes the workers' stories that much more compelling).* * * * * * * * * * * *
Brett - 2004-06-23 16:50:25
Speaking of paper...I just found this on a Maine history site about paper making. It's good for a laugh:
An old papermaker's song was: "Rags make paper, paper makes money, money makes banks, banks make loans, loans make beggars, beggars make rags."
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raymond - 2004-06-23 17:15:28
Old Polk directories include occupation. I've seen "paper mill" cited. YDL Whittaker Road 2nd floor Ypsi/Mich room has a fair collection going back to about 1912. Wealth of info and ironies. One of my favorites is Mrs. Swindle who lived modestly on Water Street. Maybe new Swindles abide there now.* * * * * * * * * * * *
Brett - 2004-06-23 17:34:17
Thanks, raymond. I'm actually going there tonight (Don't stalk me, anyone). I'll check out the directories, although I know that up to the teens or so there were actually several other paper mills in the area. We'll see....* * * * * * * * * * * *
Laura - 2004-06-23 18:07:22
Brett, I sure didn't know that the "removal" of the toxins involves burying them...a couple dozen feet from the river! Egads! I'll have to check with my enviro engineer brother-in-law, but that sure sounds like a terrible idea to me. I certainly haven't seen them making a big concrete containment vat or the like.
Good luck with your research. Wonder if you could get a little grant for the oral history project, which I think is awesome and would love to help with if you need any sort of help. If not, that's fine of course--but then I'll certainly buy the result when you produce it!
I'll check with the bus driver, incidentally. Last bit: maybe an ad in/letter to the Courier soliciting paper mill stories might get results--I have the feeling they don't get tons of letters so I imagine they'd probably print it.* * * * * * * * * * * *
Brett - 2004-06-23 18:27:03
I've thought of the letter idea, and also I think some papers have free classified listings if you're not selling something- a community bulletin type thing. Also, they DID remove many toxins to who knows where, but a lot of the contaminated structural bits seem to be getting buried.* * * * * * * * * * * *
Laura - 2004-06-23 19:32:11
Ugh. Regarding the bulletin-board--I think the AA news has a free one.* * * * * * * * * * * *
Murph - 2004-06-24 20:35:12
Current best practice involves removing contaminated soil and incinerating it (yes, tragic, but that *is* the current "best practice"); treating it on-site is considered next best; burying contamination is somewhere a little further down. Eventually, stuff travels through the soil to, yes, the river. Maybe they're hoping that it's more "stuck" on pieces of building than it would be in soil?* * * * * * * * * * * *
Laura - 2004-06-24 20:57:56
Good insider info, Murph; thank you. I can't remember now what the protocol was for the Water Street Project soil--I think that was another on-site deal unless I'm misremembering. * * * * * * * * * * * *
raymond - 2004-06-25 09:15:39
Water Street soil has been hauled away by fleets of carcinogenic diesel powered 11 axle trains. Sand comes to replace it. A battalion of core samplers came after to retest for a week or so. Oil companies, among other dirtiers, inhabited the flood plain for 150yrs. What treasures of crud will come with the destruction of Dura Corp's Motor State Products steel reinforced asbestos laden concrete bunkers? Good riddance to that at least.* * * * * * * * * * * *
Laura - 2004-06-25 09:27:44
Oh. Thanks Raymond. I don't recall the bunkers from quick drivebys but now am curious of course--I haven't seen the site in a couple weeks or so.* * * * * * * * * * * *
Brett - 2004-06-29 11:53:27
As some of you may have heard, the city of Ypsilanti just announced that water street has more contaminants than they originally thought, so the city is now going to spend an extra Ten million dollars ($10,000,000) on cleaning it up. With this money, they could have kept all the city services they just cut, as well as buying the paper mill outright (which sold for $1,500,000).* * * * * * * * * * * *
raymond - 2004-06-29 18:23:22
and who's surprised? people who haven't read their polks nor paid attention. white polluters have been down there pissing in the river since 1823. and guess what? they haven't even tested the soil under the still standing dura corp erection. missus swindle, are you rolling over in your grave? it's great to fix this stuff, and we're not as bad off as russia, but omigod...
btw, i took some straw to a woman on oak street who recalls the technicolor paper mill river, and her grandpa recalls swimming near peninsular grove.* * * * * * * * * * * *
raymond - 2004-06-29 18:33:24
name link should have been to water street.
my pal brian says friend on oak street reports of the paper mill area, "grandma said grandpa didn't go over to THAT part of town very much."* * * * * * * * * * * *
Brett - 2004-06-29 19:58:01
Thanks for the info, raymond. If you know your sources well enough to ask if they'd like to partake of an oral history project, I'd be happy to help out (Laura has my email address if you want to contact her).
One thing I haven't seen any reference to about the mill, though, involves its location- which in 1867 was a good 15 minute walk outside of the city, and through woods (what is now emu's north campus). I realize the river carried things into town, but when it was first built I think the owners were trying to be somewhat considerate of at least the stench that paper mills put off. Of course, it's the fault of developers (beginning with Eastern Highlands Apartments in the 1960's) who decided that there should be a bunch of cheap housing right next to it.
In other news, the boys of Homrich Demolition (who are destroying the mill, and who also are the ones working on water street) have brought in a whole bunch of new machinery today that appear to be some sort of rock crushers and loaders- they're also working later in the evening, probably because they have to pay extra for this equipment.
If (as of 8 p.m. on Tuesday) you go down to huron street facing the mill, note the large beige vat. This is a mixer and the 'room' it was in is the former fourdrinier area- also notice that the back wall has remnants of windows and fancy brickwork, which by my estimation (based on period photos) dates it to the 1880's. Next to the mixer is a sign on the wall which reads (if your eyes are good) :
"Customer Driven - Quality Oriented - Environmentally Concerned."* * * * * * * * * * * *
Laura - 2004-06-30 09:05:56
Ten million. I was staggered when I read of the overrun and unsure as to how the cleanup co. could miss the mark by this gargantuan amount. I'm sure they gave Ypsi an estimate--it almost looks like the city got lowballed and then locked into a cleanup they couldn't backtrack from, then roasted. But I'm too suspicious I guess--it's doubtless all on the up and up.* * * * * * * * * * * *
raymond - 2004-06-30 09:22:39
I've been working on contacts for oral history, Brett. I have an email addy for you (private detective habit), haven't checked if current. I'll let you know when I know. Grandpa feigns ignorance, but he's been around a while and there's always some valuable memory.
Factories and mills located on rivers to harness the water's power and to wash away the sins of industry.* * * * * * * * * * * *
Laura - 2004-06-30 09:32:41
bus driver info pending, will give to you Brett asap.* * * * * * * * * * * *
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