Alberta, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Alberta is an unincorporated community
in L'Anse Township
of Baraga County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. It is situated on U.S. Route 41
about eight miles (13 km) south of the village of L'Anse
at 46°38′37"N 88°28′46"W.
Alberta is the present site of the Ford Forestry Center and Research Forest, managed by the Michigan Technological University
School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science.
The community was originally founded in 1936 after Henry Ford
declared the banks of the Plumbago Creek to be an ideal spot for a sawmill
. Ford named the town "Alberta" after the daughter of one of his executives in the area. According to some sources, this was Edward G. Kingsford, the husband of one of Ford's cousins and for whom both the Kingsford Charcoal Company
and Kingsford, Michigan
, is named. Other sources indicate it was Fred G. Johnson, superintendent of Ford's Upper Peninsula operations at the time.
At the time Ford established Alberta, wood
was used extensively in automobile
s. Mr. Ford envisioned the town as a model sawmill community; consisting of twelve houses, two schools, and a steam driven mill built to the most modern standards of the day. The Plumbago Creek was dam
med to provide a reservoir to serve the town and mill's water supply needs. The mill was a two-story white clapboard wood frame structure and still stands, now housing a portion of the Alberta Village Museum. The saw mill had a capacity of 14,000 board feet (33 m³) per day for hardwood
and 20,000 board feet (47 m³) per day for softwood
. This was a small capacity even by 1936 standards, with Mr. Ford's other three mills in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
producing twenty to twenty-five times as much.
In 1954, Ford Motor Company
donated the town of Alberta, Michigan and 1700 acres (7 km²) of land to what is now the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science at Michigan Technological University.
Alberta buildings still standing on the property are used as a museum, support research and teaching programs for forestry
and ecology
majors, and are used by numerous universities from around the United States for forestry education.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in L'Anse Township
L'Anse Township, Michigan
L'Anse Township is a civil township of Baraga County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 3,926. Mount Arvon and Mount Curwood, the highest and second highest points in Michigan are located in the township....
of Baraga County
Baraga County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Keweenaw National Historical Park * Ottawa National Forest -Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 8,746 people, 3,353 households, and 2,223 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 4,631 housing units...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It is situated on U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 41 is a north–south United States Highway that runs from Miami, Florida to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, was U.S...
about eight miles (13 km) south of the village of L'Anse
L'Anse, Michigan
L'Anse is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Baraga County. The population was 2,107 at the 2000 census. The village is located within L'Anse Township....
at 46°38′37"N 88°28′46"W.
Alberta is the present site of the Ford Forestry Center and Research Forest, managed by the Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University is a public research university located in Houghton, Michigan, United States. Its main campus sits on on a bluff overlooking Portage Lake...
School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science.
The community was originally founded in 1936 after Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
declared the banks of the Plumbago Creek to be an ideal spot for a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
. Ford named the town "Alberta" after the daughter of one of his executives in the area. According to some sources, this was Edward G. Kingsford, the husband of one of Ford's cousins and for whom both the Kingsford Charcoal Company
Kingsford (charcoal)
Kingsford is a brand of charcoal used for grilling, along with related products. The brand is owned by The Clorox Company.The Kingsford Company was formed by Henry Ford and E.G. Kingsford during the early 1920s. Charcoal was developed from Ford Motor Company's factory waste wood scrap. The...
and Kingsford, Michigan
Kingsford, Michigan
Kingsford is a city in Dickinson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,549 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Iron Mountain, MI–WI Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, is named. Other sources indicate it was Fred G. Johnson, superintendent of Ford's Upper Peninsula operations at the time.
At the time Ford established Alberta, wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
was used extensively in automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s. Mr. Ford envisioned the town as a model sawmill community; consisting of twelve houses, two schools, and a steam driven mill built to the most modern standards of the day. The Plumbago Creek was dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
med to provide a reservoir to serve the town and mill's water supply needs. The mill was a two-story white clapboard wood frame structure and still stands, now housing a portion of the Alberta Village Museum. The saw mill had a capacity of 14,000 board feet (33 m³) per day for hardwood
Hardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...
and 20,000 board feet (47 m³) per day for softwood
Softwood
The term softwood is used to describe wood from trees that are known as gymnosperms.Conifers are an example. It may also be used to describe trees, which tend to be evergreen, notable exceptions being bald cypress and the larches....
. This was a small capacity even by 1936 standards, with Mr. Ford's other three mills in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
producing twenty to twenty-five times as much.
In 1954, Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
donated the town of Alberta, Michigan and 1700 acres (7 km²) of land to what is now the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science at Michigan Technological University.
Alberta buildings still standing on the property are used as a museum, support research and teaching programs for forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
and ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
majors, and are used by numerous universities from around the United States for forestry education.