If you have followed me for a while on my journey around the Mitten State you know the I love taking dam photos. I had to stop and get a pic of the Croton Dam east of Newaygo. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has a Michigan Historical marker nearby that reads:

The Grand Rapids – Muskegon Power Company (a predecessor to today’s Consumers Energy Company) built the Croton Hydroelectric Plant in 1906 – 1907. The plant and its 110,000-volt transmission line (the highest voltage in use at that time) attracted international attention. Curious spectators rode excursion trains to the site, where they received a tour of the dam and powerhouse, as well as a grand dinner. When the plant went into full service in September 1907 it represented the latest advances in electric power generation and transmission. Engineers from Russia, England, France, Italy, Japan, and India came to tour the plant when it opened. The facility is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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The lower peninsula does not have many waterfalls compared to the U.P. If you are near the Ausable River, not far from lumberman’s monument, is the Five Channels Dam. If the gate is open water comes gushing out like a spectacular waterfall. With all the rain we have been getting and high water levels I imagine the gate is open frequently.

A historical marker stands near the dam and reads:

Consumers Power Company (now Consumers Energy) built Five Channels Dam in 1911 and 1912. It was the second of six hydroelectric plants to be built on the lower Au Sable River by the Foote brothers of Jackson (founders of Consumers Power). During construction, the company sought to provide a healthy environment for workers and their families by building a forty-five-acre camp complete with a central water supply and sewage system, icehouse, school, washroom, store, and boardinghouse. Workers received land on which to build a house. Housing ranged from log or clapboard to tarpaper shacks and tents. Camp buildings were moved to the next site (Loud Dam) or razed as the plant neared completion in late 1912

Flowing water has long provided power to mines and mills. With advances in electricity in the 1880s, waterpower was soon used to generate electricity. The first public demonstration of hydroelectric power in the country occurred on July 24, 1880, when sixteen carbon arc street lamps lit up Grand Rapids using a belt driven dynamo (generator) powered by a water turbine at the Wolverine Chair Factory. Michigan’s extensive water resources were harnessed to power electric generating equipment, first at existing dams and mills and later at sites built expressly for hydroelectric generation. The electricity from these plants provided power for homes and businesses and helped fuel Michigan’s growth as one of the nation’s premier industrial states.

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I was out exploring the southern part of the Huron-Manistee National Forest for my www.campmichigan.org website on a dreary and foggy day when I came upon the Hardy Dam. If you have followed me for a while you know that I like taking dam photos but I did not realize you can drive across the Hardy Dam. It was a long narrow road with a concrete wall on one side and a guardrail on the other. I was thankful there wasn’t a large truck coming the other way. I need to go back on a nice day and get some more dam photos. I have driven down a lot of different roads in Michigan in this was one of the most interesting ones I have driven on. If you are wondering, no one was behind me so I stopped the jeep for a second and took this pic.

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While I was in the town of Leland, in the Leelanau Peninsula, I stopped and checked out Fisthtown at the mouth of the Leland River.  I could not pass up the opportunity to get a dam photo. I am thinking it has to be the most photographed dam in Michigan. I wandered around Fishtown a little bit, but I had Cooper the wonder dog with me and I was limited to where I could go. I do want to thank the Dam Candy Store for leaving a bowl of water out for him to get a drink. I always take water for him when we travel but it’s nice to have some water out for the four legged visitors. I need to take another trip back there soon so I can eat at some of the restaurants in town.

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I travel through St Louis ( Michigan of course) frequently because it’s on M46 west of my hometown of Saginaw. It’s a beautiful town with some stunning Queen Anne style homes. When I was there rRecently I found a dam on the Pine River that I never knew was there. Of course, I had to stop and get a dam photo. I am starting to get a good size gallery of dam photos, I will have to see what I have and maybe I can do a Michigan dam calendar soon.

P.S. sorry I have not been posting as much as I would like to lately, I have been busy with my book project and my family, summer is going by so fast. I do have some trips planned and hope to get a lot of photos and stories to share with you soon.

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It’s been a while since I posted a dam photo, so here is dam number 3 on the Escanaba River. It is the 3rd, and final dam, as the river flows into Lake Michigan. I saw it while traveling down U.S. 2, on my drive into Escanaba, and I found a nice place to stop and get a pic. I can’t explain why, but I like stopping and visiting some of the old dams around Michigan.  I especially like it when the spillway is open, and you can see hear and feel the power of the rushing water as it exits the spillway. I am no dam expert, but I would imagine it is still one of the best sources of generating electricity. I wonder if they knew we would have so many electronic devices to power when it was built.

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