GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Public Museum unintentionally discovered a piece of downtown history this week right in their own front yard.
Work is underway on a planned $50 million expansion to the museum. While crews were digging near the waterfront this week, they stumbled upon remnants of the city's past: Equipment left behind from an old mill that used to occupy the space the museum now calls home.
"It turns out that they just left it and filled in the hole, so it was there for us to find," said Alex Forist, the museum's chief curator.
The Voigt Milling Company opened in the 1880s. Found underneath the ground were water wheels and turbines that used to be an important part of the mill.
"It was a little bit of a surprise to see that the machinery was still there," said Forist.
The mill was used for a few purposes, grinding both grain and gypsum on the same equipment.
"The Voigt Milling Company was known for breakfast cereals, much like Kellogg's," said Forist. "They made all kinds of different products like that."
The mill ran on power from the Grand River itself, the turbines operated with water directed to the mill by a canal that no longer exists.
"Basically, they were just using gravity and water to power their machinery without the use of electricity or steam or anything," said Forist.
And while the museum looks to the future, it can't help but keep one foot in the past.
"We're going to do our best to save them," said Forist. "And see if we can have them on display here. If not, maybe we can salvage some parts that can become part of the museum's collection and go into the archives."
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