Belle Isle Sawmill - Vance Patrick Historic Photo Collection
Belle Isle
Workers from the City's Parks & Recreation Department's maintenance division feed a 14-foot log from a giant spruce into the sawmill's giant spinning blade on Feb. 3, 1963. The lumber was used to repair Belle Isle's buildings, benches and signs.
Fred Murphy, left, and Howard Bailey stack a pile of 1-by-3-inch slats cut from spruce logs harvested on Belle Isle in order to dry them out on Feb. 3, 1963. These slats were used to repair park benches.
Workers pile logs to be cut up at Belle Isle's sawmill, on June 13, 1948.
Sawmill workers on May 24, 1948
Carpenter Howard Bailey installs newly cut slats on park benches on Feb. 3, 1963.
The City of Detroit's annual Christmas trees were processed at the Belle Isle Sawmill, as well. Here, City forestry workers Edward De Virgilio, left, and Wally Wood trim the tree from 1962's celebration and prep it for the sawmill, on Feb. 3, 1963.
The boards processed at the Belle Isle sawmill from felled trees were used for repairing benches, buildings and making signs. Here, sign painters work on May 24, 1948.
The Belle Isle Sawmill's reef saw chews up another victim on Feb. 22, 1928.
The Belle Isle lumberyard in action on Feb. 22, 1928
The Belle Isle Sawmill's reef saw in action on Feb. 22, 1928
The Belle Isle Sawmill processing lumber on May 24, 1948
Belle Isle Sawmill workers prep another tree for processing on June 13, 1948.
Part of the Belle Isle lumberyard on Feb. 22, 1928
The Belle Isle lumberyard on March 2, 1928