Alberta, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alberta, Michigan
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Community of Alberta along U.S. Route 41
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 Alberta, Michigan
Location in Michigan
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Baraga |
| Township | L'Anse |
| Elevation | 1,316 ft (401 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
49946
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| Area code(s) | 906 |
| GNIS feature ID | 619905 |
Alberta is a small, unincorporated community in Baraga County, Michigan. This means it's a place without its own local government. It's located on US Highway 41, about 8 miles (13 km) south of the village of L'Anse. Today, Alberta is home to the Ford Center, which is managed by Michigan Technological University.
Contents
The Story of Alberta
How Alberta Began
Alberta was founded in 1936 by the famous car maker, Henry Ford. He thought the banks of the Plumbago Creek were a perfect spot for a sawmill. A sawmill is a factory where logs are cut into lumber. Ford named the town "Alberta" after the daughter of Fred J. Johnson, who was in charge of Ford's operations in Michigan's Upper Peninsula at the time.
Henry Ford wanted Alberta to be a perfect example of a lumber and sawmill town. He also planned to build a factory in the nearby forests. At that time, a lot of wood was used to build cars.
Life in Early Alberta
The first village of Alberta had twelve houses and two schools. It also had a modern, steam-powered mill. The Plumbago Creek was dammed to create a reservoir, which supplied water for the town and the mill.
The sawmill was a two-story building made of white wood. It still stands today and is part of the Alberta Village Museum. This mill could cut about 14,000 board feet of hardwood or 20,000 board feet of softwood each day. People living in Alberta were expected to work in lumbering (cutting down trees), milling (processing wood), and farming.
A Global Connection
Interestingly, Alberta has some similarities to another town Henry Ford established called Belterra in Brazil. Both towns were created by the Ford Motor Company around the same time. Alberta provided wood for building cars, while Belterra supplied rubber for the company.
Alberta Today
Ford closed most of its operations in Alberta around 1943. The sawmill continued to run until 1954. After that, the Ford Motor Company officially gave the town of Alberta and about 1,700 acres (688 hectares) of land to Michigan Technological University.
The original buildings in Alberta are still used today. They serve as a museum, showing what life was like in the past. They also support research and teaching programs for students studying forestry and ecology. Many universities from across the United States use these buildings for forestry education.
Images for kids
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Ford Center in Alberta
