Survey of Rouge River, Mich.

The Rouge River and two important Detroit industries.

This interesting map and brief report were compiled by B.H. Muehle and G.J. Lydecker of the Army Corps of Engineers. They were originally published by the Government Printing Office in 1899 as part of a Congressional report on internal improvements by the War Department. The contents outline the result of a survey along a segment of Detroit’s Rouge River between the Wabash Bridge Crossing and Maple Road. Costs for dredging a 16 ft. shipping channel through the area were estimated at $33,000. The map presents scores of depth sounding and numerous coastal details.

Of particular interest are the properties of the Detroit Salt Company and the Michigan Carbon Works. The former reflects some of the earliest operations to access metro Detroit’s massive subterranean salt deposits, whereas the latter company produced glue, pigments, and other products from processing animal bones. It was the site of the infamous photograph of the mountain of buffalo skulls from the late 19th century.

Sources: The Rouge.org; Michigan State Geography Department;