Abandoned Carbide Mill

This place is on private property. Listing for informational purposes only. Please do not visit without express permission from the land owner. Thomas Wilson (1860-1915) settled here in 1907 to study chemical fertilizers. The engineer, who had made a fortune with his discoveries and inventions in the field of electro-chemistry, considered this the ideal site for one of his most daring experiments. Within these walls, now in ruins, he condensed phosphoric acid to produce phosphate fertilizer. He earned his nickname, "Carbide", by developing a method for the production of calcium carbide. This substance is harmless when dry, but produces acetylene - an extremely flammable gas - when dampened with water. With Wilson's process, acetylene could be safely stored in the form of inert calcium carbide. Today, the Wilson House, located on O'Brien Point at Meech Lake, is used for federal government conferences. The Mill isn't terribly hard to get to, but fair warning: this location is known for nude, male sunbathers.. so you might not want to bring the kids.