Originally posted by JimJohnson You are correct. The land is in the NW part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The lumber processing camp was eventually donated to Michigan Technological University (Ford Forestry Center) and is still in use as hands-on lab to teach forestry classes. The area is 45-50 miles (~80km) south of our home. Kingsford is a town just about due south another 45-50 miles) near the Wisconsin border and the original home of the charcoal manufacturing plant.
Henry jr. would drive up from the Detroit area to inspect Ford's forestry ventures (~500 miles / ~800km) and often stopped at a coffee shop owned by my grandfather in the dinky little town of Michigamme. The building is in rough shape but still standing. The area is also known for its iron mines. Following the Korean War, Ford offered my grandfather a job. My grandfather knew the local economy would get rough with the reduced demand for iron ore and took the job. My father went kicking and screaming to the Detroit area and his older sisters were thrilled to leave the back woods.
I was raised in a suburb of Detroit, but we made frequent trips to the Upper Peninsula. After High School I attended Michigan Technological University, met & eventually married a local gal. We moved back to the Upper Peninsula over 30 years ago.
Great story about your family.
I think probably one of the reasons Ford wanted a forest, was back in the old days, some of a car's framing was made of wood, also the woody station wagons, truck stake bodies, etc.....were popular and used a lot of wood in their manufacture.
Now I'm not sure, but somewhere in dark, deep recesses of my mind, I seem to recall reading that this forest might of had hardwood, which would be important in the manufacture of some parts of vehicles at that time. Could be wrong.