Restored 1861 sawmill give glimpse of the past

Noah Johnson Daily Press Members of the U.P. Steam and Gas Engine Association make adjustments an antique saw mill at the Antique Village at the U.P. State Fairgrounds. The saw mill was built in 1861.

ESCANABA — An operational machine from the 1800s comes out a few times a year in the Antique Village at the U.P. State Fairgrounds — giving on-lookers a view into the past.

A staple in the U.P. Steam and Gas Engine show each year, the restored antique sawmill from the 1800s was up and running during Labor Day Weekend.

“The sawmill was built in 1861 by American Sawmill Company – probably one of the oldest mills running in Michigan,” said U.P. Steam and Gas Engine Association Board Member, Skip Dufour.

Note, the mill was built in 1861 but it would later be patented in 1869.

The mill was donated by the late Steve Psconda, a dairy farmer and logger from Garden. He was also one of the original members of the U.P. Steam and Gas Engine Association.

Dufour said that Psconda was no longer using the mill and decided he wanted to donate it. The only problem was that the structure sat in Garden and needed repairs.

“They weren’t using it anymore (and) it was pretty much derelict, and they were interested in antique steam engines and antique gas engines and things. It’s from the right period so they thought we would be interested in it and everything evolved from there,” Dufour said.

Dufour and company were interested and they were tasked with retrieving and moving the mill.

“We got that approximately 47 years ago and we literally dug that thing out of the ground and brought it over here – completely dismantled what was left of it (and) rebuilt each individual part. And then (we) slowly put the thing together and after that, it’s pretty much the way you see it,” Dufour said.

The mill has now been a part of the U.P. Steam and Gas Engine Show since 1977 and is still in operation yearly.

During the U.P. State Fair and the U.P. Steam and Gas Engine Show, the mill is run to demonstrate how it operates.

“It shows people how it works and then a lot of the lumber we cut out of it we either sell or else we’ll use it around the fairgrounds or to help build buildings for the village,” he said.

It was a successful Labor Day Weekend this year for the organization’s 49th year, and it is sure to be even bigger next year for the 50th anniversary.

Source: Daily Press