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BARAGA COUNTY -- A mix of history and innovation--the Ford Center--is the best surviving evidence of Henry Ford's U.P. operations in the early 20th century

Pulling a lever used to engage the conveyor belt that carried logs from a hot pond into the Ford Sawmill.

It's been thirty years since operations ceased entirely, but pieces of wood are still in place depicting the process for anyone wanting to tour the historic site.

Ford built the mill and created the village of Alberta in 1935, using it as much for publicity as lumber production.

"Since it was a model town, he wanted it to be self-sustaining,” says facility manager Kari Price.  “All of the scraps and sawdust created in the milling process were put right back in the firebox and were able to produce enough steam to run a generator that electrified the mill and the town."

Alberta never developed into the community Ford once envisioned, but the Ford Center has become an enduring tribute to an incredible man.

Operations were donated to Michigan Tech in 1954.

The forest has since been used for studies in sustainability and some of the buildings for research space.

"Michigan Tech was tracing a log from where it stood in the woods to the time it came into the mill and measuring exactly how many board feet we got out of that log and the quality,” says former mill sawyer Dave Stimac.  “It was about forest management, which still continues."

Visiting the village is like taking a trip back in time.  All of the original buildings are still intact, in fact most are occupied by renters.

The center also offers group lodging for conferences and other gatherings.

The main office and gift shop are open year-round, and sawmill tours start up in June.