Heading westward in the direction dictated by that old utility tunnel led us to a collection of brick ruins scattered throughout the woods. We couldn’t find any obvious foundation, but these brick platforms looked to belong to some type of steam equipment, something far less expansive then a hoist. Our first guess was a compressor, and the building we were standing within was none other then the Ojibway’s compressor building.

This bent bolt was a good sign, and it indicated that a large piece of machinery did indeed sit here once. The size of these bolts along with the size of the foundation on which they were attached all pointed to a smaller sized machine such as a compressor.

Another bolt, though this one was still encased in its wooden box.

And nearby we have this oddity. It almost looks like a smokestack base, but its far too small and short to support a stack of any significance. I’m not sure what it is, but its definitely a part of the compressor complex. I just don’t know what type of part.

To get a better perspective on where we are in relation to where we’ve been, here’s a look at the Ojibway surface plant as it existed when still standing. The boiler house and compressor building are in the center of the photo, with the previously explored machine and blacksmith shops hidden behind. In front stands a trio of buildings which includes an oil house, captains house, and – in the direct foreground – a dry house. This photo also shows another important building which we had so far missed on our journey: the hoist building. No fear, however, as that would be our next stop.

To Be Continued…