Two New Interpretive Signs at the Burns-Stokes Preserve

Travel down Zeeb Road in Scio Township and you will happen upon the bucolic Burns-Stokes Preserve just south of Huron River Drive. At first glance there is little evidence to reveal its former life as a bustling mill site over 100 years ago. After closer examination, however, you just might notice some clues to its past. A raised earthen embankment adjacent to the parking lot—which provides an ideal location for a trail down to the Huron River—was originally created to divert water from the river for use in powering the various mills.

In the 1830s a sawmill and flour mill were built on the site; collectively they were known as Scio Mills. Today, the towering mill buildings are gone, and so is the railroad trestle that carried flour to the station up the hill. They have since been replaced with flood plain forest and creatures like beaver and mink.

Two new interpretive signs, to be installed this spring, help uncover more clues about the history of this unique place. Visit the preserve to learn more about the history of the mills, Scio Village, how water from the Huron River flowed through the property, and more!

Kira Macyda, Park Planner