The Alberta Pump House and Sawmill once stood as an important piece of Ford’s automotive empire. Today the historic site welcomes visitors and preserves a rich lumber history. And today, those components that were once made from wood, use metal, plastic and polycarbonate. While using wood to outfit the Model T and Model A, Ford would use between 200 and 250 board sheets of lumber on a car.
One of the stories that if you dig in some of the history is it took about one tree per vehicle and the early Fords, the Model T and the Model A, had a lot of wood in there. When you think back there, there were running boards, dashboards, floorboards, and even the cabin, you know, the bows across the roof, that was all wood.
Today the Barga County Historical Society hosts a ribbon cutting ceremony to open the Alberta Pumphouse to the community. The event will begin at 3 pm today and invites the community to celebrate the preservation of history at the Ford Alberta Sawmill site. The sawmill is located about 10 miles south of L’Anse along US-41. Those interested in learning more about the Historic Ford Welcome Center at the Alberta Pumphouse and Sawmill can find more details online.
Learn more about the Alberta Sawmill with Todd Van Dyke on Copper Country Today here.
