Agricultural Works

Another industry that developed along the river in the 19th Century was machine making. Using the power from the Argo Mill, the Agricultural Works began operations on the north side of the Huron River and east of Broadway, in 1867. It began as a foundry and factory that made farm implements and shipped them to customers all across the country. The business eventually expanded to include five buildings and a lumberyard, but in 1908, it was forced to close under pressure from national manufacturers of similar products. In its place, the Ann Arbor Machine Company used to location to make hay presses for the next twenty years. In 1924, Detroit Edison bought the site and built a garage and a storage yard that remain today.

This series of maps (click any to enlarge) shows the Agricultural Works in 1892, its evolution into the Ann Arbor Machine Company in 1916, and the same property when it is owned by Detroit Edison in 1931.