Manufactured History: Chase Manufacturing
This "Tuesday Talk" was presented on July 24, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at the History Center in Douglas MI. The presenter is Kate Levy, Artist in Residence at Grand Valley State University.
Ms.Levy talks about the Chase Manufacturing plant site, based on historical research and conversations with various people in the community. The talk also brings out the connections between the local plant, the history of filmmaking, and environmental history.
Many people remember 200 Blue Star Highway in Douglas as the site of the Haworth factory. Fewer people recall that a plating company named Chase Manufacturing operated there. In 1965, a large multinational conglomerate, Gulf + Western Industries purchased the plant. Paramount Pictures, the Hollywood studio, was also acquired by multinational conglomerate Gulf and Western in the late 1960s.
In the mid-1980s, local and state officials discovered contamination in the city’s municipal wells, and toxic waste behind the elementary school. Ultimately, the state traced the contamination back to Gulf + Western’s operation in Douglas, though seldom is their name mentioned when discussing this still-contaminated site.
Kate Levy - https://tinyurl.com/mwzpzmj8
Levy's work, "Fate of the Machinery” - https://tinyurl.com/yt35wnw6
Saugatuck-Douglas History Center - https://www.mySDhistory.org
Names mentioned in the talk include Charles Bludhorn and David Barker. Locations include Bay Casting, Grand Rapids Brass, Crampton Manufacturing, Michigan Plating and Stamping, Douglas Elementary School, Ferry Street, Wickes Manufacturing, and Miro Golf Course. Topics include toxic plumes, industrial waste, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), heavy metals, degreasers, TCE (Trichloroethylene), VOCs (volatile organic compounds), contaminated water, cleanup, chemical creek, Michigan DNR, municipal water supply, and pumping stations.
The mission of the Saugatuck-Douglas History Center (SDHC) is to preserve local history and inspire learning to inform and improve our community. We were founded as the S-D Historical Society in 1986. Today, we are a volunteer-run organization 700+ members strong that saves and shares the stories of the greater Saugatuck-Douglas area.
This activity is supported by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts. The SDHC also receives support from the Allegan County Community Foundation Legacy Grant program. Most of all, we rely on members for all we do; join us today at https://mysdhistory.org/join/