During the 19th century the remains of this Grist Mill were part of a bell foundry. The rouge river pictured here empties into the Detroit River and served as a passage to freedom for runaway slaves coming from the south on the Underground Railroad. When I was growing up I heard stories of this mill actually serving as a sanctuary for some of those slaves. Henry Ford purchased this mill as well as others in the early 20th century along the Rouge River in an effort to generate hydro electric power for his Ford Motor Company. Due to seasonal variations in the supply of power he abandoned his effort. However electricity that was generated was provided to nearby residents in one of the first ever public utility ventures. Underneath the mill some parts of the undershoot wheel can still be seen.