Plant: Peninsular Portland Cement, Cement City, MI

The Peninsular Portland Cement company had a plant in northwest Lenawee County just south of Cement City. (This was in the area north of US-12 in and around Goose Lake. Plant operations were in the southwest quadrant of the north-south Cincinnati Northern and the east-west Detroit Hillsdale & Southwestern railroad. Both railroads services this facility.

Image info: Top, a broad view of the Peninsular Portland Cement plant early in the 1900's. 2nd image, an overhead view of the property looking west. The CN line is across the bottom, while the LS&MS line to Hillsdale runs on the right side. Their overpass is just out of view. 3rd image, a closer view of railroad operations within the plant.

Notes

This plant was founded in 1899 and mined marl from Goose Lake. This marl was processed with clay (from Milbury Ohio) to produce cement which was shipped out by railroad in barrels.  Early on, the plant produced 700 barrels of cement per day. [GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MICHIGAN LOWER PENINSULA 1900-1903 VOL. VIII PART III]

The plant was founded by a group of men from Jackson, MI. 

Time Line

1899. Cement plant begins. Connections with both railroads.

1961. The cement plant closes.