History of Saginaw county, Michigan; together with ... portraits ... and biographies ... History of Michigan ...

CITY OF EAST SAGINAW.

533

Gebhart c& Estabrook's Saw-Mill, etc.-A mill was built on the
site of their present mill by Millard & Sweet (Franklin M. and WVm.
H. S.), in 1851; size 40x60 feet, having two muleys, a siding machine
and an edger; capacity, 4,000,000. This was the fourth mill built
at this end of the river. In 1853 it was sold to J. E. Earle, of
New York; in 1857 to Curtis & KIilg (L. 13. C. and Stephen K.),
of Saginaw City; in 1863 King sold his interest to Gordon Corning, of Saginaw; in 1871 the latter sold his interest to John S.
Estabrook, of East Saginaw, and Alex. Gebhart, of Dayton, 0.,
who thus constituted, with Mr. Curtis, the firm of L. B. Curtis &
Co. In 1872 this company took down the mill, and it was removed
to Chippewa Station, Osceola Co.; they erected a new mill the
same year, putting in Wicke's steam Yankee gang, circular, two
edgers, a lath mill, etc.; capacity, 102,000,000; cost, $54,000; real
estate, $30,000. In December, 1873, Messrs Gebhart & Estabrook
bought Mr. Curtis' interest. At that time 51 men were employed.
The mill was rebuilt in the winter of 1880-'1, with machinery as
follows: Wicke's new improved gang, 40-inch gate, two circulars,
66-inch saws each, two edgers, two trimmers, lath, stave and heading machinery, seven boilers, one engine 22x26 and one 20x22,
Prescott's steam feed and Lamb's steam feed, live rollers, transfers
and all modern improvements. Cost of improvements,$20,000; total
cost, $104,000. Size of mill building, 60x122 feet, iron roof;
boiler house, 60x62, brick, iron roof; a brick chimney 106 feet high
and an iron stack 115 feet high. Assessed valuation in 1880, $32,300; men employed, 68.
In connection with the salt block, the first well was bored in
1876, 790 feet deep; second well, 787 feet deep, in 1877; and third
well, 774 feet in depth, in 1880. 135 barrels of salt are made per
day. There are four cisterns, 20x30 feet, one steam settler, 8x150
feet, two steam settlers, 12x100 feet, six grainers, 81x150 feet.
Steam power is used. Cost of block and wells, $22,000; number
of men employed, 15.
Hoyt's Salt Works.-The first well bored under direction of
Jesse H-oyt was that in 1860, reaching a depth of 745 feet; the
second was sunk in 1873, to a depth of 700 feet, and the third in
1874, reaching a depth of 764 feet. The cisterns number 16, with a
capacityof 100 barrels each, arranged in six blocks. There are 497
covers, 16x16, in use, enabling the manufacture of 600 barrels per
week, or the contents of six cisterns. The cooper-shop, in connection
with the works, has a capacity of 100 barrels per day each ---each
barrel produced at a net cost of 23c. The manufactured salt is shipped in bulk to Chicago, where it is sold to the stock-yard operators.
The first salt made by the process of solar evaporation was that manufactured under the superintendency of Patrick Green for the Hoyt
firm. David McNicholls is the present superintendent of this salt
factory.
Royt's Saw-Mill was built in September, 1866, by Wickes Bros.,
at a cost of $20,000. The concern was purchased by Jesse Hoyt,