L’ANSE, Michigan – The Alberta sawmill, designed by Henry Ford, is being restored by Michigan Tech and the Baraga County Historical Society to allow the public to experience the building. The sawmill opened on Sept. 1, 1936, and closed on June 30, 1954. Michigan Tech operated it for research until the 1980’s, and it was closed for public viewing in the early 2000’s for safety concerns. “This is a really important piece of history for the forest sector, the Keweenaw and this region has done a really good job I think with preserving our history and our knowledge of the mining era and our mining history but in terms of our forestry history, this is one of the few locations that really preserves it, highlights it,” said Mark Rudnicki, Ford Center and Forest director. Restoration work has been underway for years, with new siding donated by Louisiana-Pacific and a new roof recently installed.