This historic old mill, now part of the Hemlock Hills On Mill Pond property, stands near Posen, northwest of Alpena.
Its story began with Michael Elowsky, a Prussian immigrant who fled unrest in Eastern Europe in 1862. After settling briefly in Detroit and being joined by his family, he migrated to Presque Isle County around 1870. Utilizing President Lincoln’s Homestead Act of 1865, Elowsky secured land at no cost on the north branch of the Thunder Bay River, near Posen.
He established the mill complex by building a log dam and relocating part of an existing structure from Trout River. Over time, he developed a significant operation encompassing flour, shingle, siding, planing, and lathe milling. This essential complex served the local communities, with residents from Metz, Posen, and Krakow townships bringing their grain and timber to be processed.
A key innovation was introduced by Michael’s son, Emil Elowsky, who, with the help of Thomas Edison, added a generator and electric lights. This allowed the mill to operate continuously, 24 hours a day.
The mill’s operational life concluded at the end of the harvest season in October of 1963. Tragically, a massive spring run-off following a winter of heavy snowfall (1963-1964) caused the original log dam to collapse. This floodwaters also destroyed the family’s sawmill located across the river on the south bank.
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