American Flat Millsite Virtual Tour

Ore Bin, Coarse-Crushing Plant, Machine Shop, and Blacksmith Shop

Ore Bin - The Ore Bin was equipped with a rotating steel tipple, which dumped ore into a large reinforced concrete receiving bin at the northeastern end of the Coarse-Crushing Plant.

Ore Bin

Backside of American Flat Millsite

Coarse-Crushing Plant - The Coarse-Crushing Plant, as well as the plate/blacksmith shop and machine shop which are connected to it, are constructed entirely of reinforced concrete. The Coarse-Crushing Plant was five stories, including two basement levels. The upper levels were comprised by a concrete skeleton, and filled by Fenestra steel sash windows and corrugated galvanized steel (salvaged in 1927). A number of conveyors fed crushers and vibratory screens, and a 20-ton hand-powered crane spanned the length of the building. The crane connected to the shops and railroad spur, as well as served as a connector to another crane into the Fine-Grinding Plant. The machine shop was also equipped with its own 15-ton crane.

Today, the two basement levels are entirely flooded. Supposedly, the water has a very high arsenic content, although it does support a population of goldfish. A quick search of photos on Flickr shows that the water level does rise and recede, and can cover the concrete floor of the building making holes into the bottom stories entirely invisible.