Isaac Ludwig Mill: 60 HP Erie Steam Engine Helps Power Scenic Destination

By Don Voelker
Published on September 4, 2009
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A scenic view of the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio. The restored, water-powered grist and flour mill, sawmill and power generating station is situated right on the Erie Canal at Lock 44. It employs an Erie 60 HP steam engine and an 1880-1890 Star 5 HP oil drilling engine.
A scenic view of the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio. The restored, water-powered grist and flour mill, sawmill and power generating station is situated right on the Erie Canal at Lock 44. It employs an Erie 60 HP steam engine and an 1880-1890 Star 5 HP oil drilling engine.
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 Mules Molly and Sally pull the Volunteer, a restored canal boat, at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio.
 Mules Molly and Sally pull the Volunteer, a restored canal boat, at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio.
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The machine shop at the Isaac Ludwig Mill has an overhead line shaft that goes to the back of the shop. The shaft is belted to the mill's 1880-1890 Star 5 HP oil drilling engine.
The machine shop at the Isaac Ludwig Mill has an overhead line shaft that goes to the back of the shop. The shaft is belted to the mill's 1880-1890 Star 5 HP oil drilling engine.
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 The 1890 Erie 60 HP steam engine can be used to power the sawmill at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio, with a change of the belts on the line shafts.
 The 1890 Erie 60 HP steam engine can be used to power the sawmill at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio, with a change of the belts on the line shafts.
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The 1890 Erie 60 HP steam engine was built by the Erie City Iron Works of Erie, Pa. Before it was donated to Toledo Metroparks and brought to the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio, it spent 20 years under water, with only the top of the flywheel and the governor flyball visible.
The 1890 Erie 60 HP steam engine was built by the Erie City Iron Works of Erie, Pa. Before it was donated to Toledo Metroparks and brought to the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio, it spent 20 years under water, with only the top of the flywheel and the governor flyball visible.
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The circa 1885 Star 5 HP vertical steam engine at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio, had been sitting in an old oil field near Signet, Ohio, hidden in an old building. It features an unusual, Stephenson-like reversing gear.
The circa 1885 Star 5 HP vertical steam engine at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio, had been sitting in an old oil field near Signet, Ohio, hidden in an old building. It features an unusual, Stephenson-like reversing gear.
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The 5 HP Star vertical steam engine is a reliable source of power for the machine shop at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio. All the machinery in the shop falls within a period between the late 1800s and early 1900s.
The 5 HP Star vertical steam engine is a reliable source of power for the machine shop at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio. All the machinery in the shop falls within a period between the late 1800s and early 1900s.
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The old boiler at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio, was originally purchased in a junkyard. It was set to be replaced in the winter with a new unit capable of providing the 150 pounds of steam pressure required for the engines to develop full power.
The old boiler at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio, was originally purchased in a junkyard. It was set to be replaced in the winter with a new unit capable of providing the 150 pounds of steam pressure required for the engines to develop full power.
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 The band saw at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio, was made in the late 1800s.
 The band saw at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio, was made in the late 1800s.
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The gear drives from the 160 HP turbine at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio. The large gear is hooked to the shaft going down to the turbine.
The gear drives from the 160 HP turbine at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio. The large gear is hooked to the shaft going down to the turbine.
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The Monarch lathe, made in 1906, in the machine shop at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio.
The Monarch lathe, made in 1906, in the machine shop at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio.
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A Williams & White power hammer, donated by General Motors, at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio.
A Williams & White power hammer, donated by General Motors, at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio.
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The old generator and control panel at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio. They were used from 1900 to 1917.
The old generator and control panel at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio. They were used from 1900 to 1917.
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This Barnes drill press, made in the late 1800s, features a 25-inch throat. It's among the period equipment in the machine shop at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio.
This Barnes drill press, made in the late 1800s, features a 25-inch throat. It's among the period equipment in the machine shop at the Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio.

The scenic Isaac Ludwig Mill in Providence, Ohio, is a, restored, water-powered grist and flour mill, sawmill and power generating station. And better yet, the mill employs two steam engines – an Erie 60 HP and an 1880-1890 Star 5 HP oil drilling engine­.

Adjacent to the mill, two mules, Molly and Sally, pull the Volunteer, a replica 1876 canal boat through the restored mile-long section of the Erie Canal and Lock 44. Along the way, re-enactors take tourist passengers back in time during their one-hour journey. It all adds up to a “must see” for steam engine fans and lovers of history.

History of the Isaac Ludwig Mill

Situated alongside the Maumee River, the mill operated from 1868 to 1970 as both a sawmill and a grist mill. In 1974, the mill became the property of the Providence Metropark System of Toledo. The park system immediately began the restoration process, taking the mill, the adjacent Miami Erie Canal and Lock 44 back to the heydays of the early 1900s.

The mill was powered by water turbine under normal conditions, but when a flood occurred the water would rise and could no longer provide the head needed to run the turbines. To counter this, in 1900 the mill owner installed a steam engine, which could provide power and allow the mill to continue operating under flood conditions.

In small towns and rural farm areas everyone knows their neighbors, and sooner or later stories of anything of interest will spread throughout the community. This was the case with the two steam engines installed at the mill.

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