Contributor: Photograph, Winton and Cirena Lenz; information, Florian Laper Source: Personal Collections

Fairwater Hemp Company Plant, ca. 1917

During the First World War, hemp became an important agricultural product. The Fairwater Hemp Co. shown here, was established in 1917 by Towne Miller, John Miller, Herman Bielke, and Walter Bielke on the highway north of the mill pond and west of the north fork of the Grand River. Like the Badger hemp plant constructed by W. R. Abercrombie and J. W. Laper the same year, it was located adjacent to the railroad line. Both hemp operations ended in 1931 because of competition from foreign producers. The Miller mill pictured here was converted in turn to a cement block factory, a rivet factory operated by Prairie Tubular Rivet Co., and a foundry operated by Roeming Lind. The Abercrombie mill was demolished and replaced by a pea vining plant.