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A new half mile trail in Chassell’s centennial park takes visitors through historic structures, with tons of help from various groups in the community. Nestled in the south east corner of the park, is the newest addition to Chassell recreation options available to visitors and residents, that traverses a former timber processing mill.
“The Chassell Historic Trail is on the site of what used to be the Sturgeon River Lumber Company and the Worcester Lumber Company. And this mill operated on Pike Bay in Chassell from 1888 until 1928. So what we have here now is a historic trail that traverses the mill site. But it gives individuals an opportunity to step back into history, and learn about this significant industrial complex that produced twenty to thirty million board feet of lumber per year.” Kieth Meyers, President, Chassell Historical Organization
Along the half mile looped trail are interpretive markers sharing stories of the history surrounding Chassell’s lumber industry. The signs were a collection of student work culminating in intriguing story telling, and archival photos from when the lumber industry of the region was at it’s peak.
“It started with a relationship between an industrial archeology PhD candidate at Michigan Tech, James Schwaderer. Who worked with students in Marco Guidotti’s history classes at Chassell Township Schools. We parsed that out into nine categories, and we turned it over to Terry Frew’s art and design class at Michigan Tech University. And they synthesized that into the trail markers we have along the trail.” – Kieth Meyers, President, Chassell Historical Organization
Additionally the hiking trail will eventually connect to a riverside trail for kayaks and canoes. That project is located near the sturgeon river, and will include markers at the boat launch area. The Chassell Historical Organization thanks their partnered groups, organizations, and individuals who assisted in developing the new Chassell Historic Trail loop for all of the efforts toward the project.
