Zug Island | Detroit, Michigan

Join this channel to get access to perks, including early viewing before releases:
/ @michaelanthonyvideos
Buy me a coffee as a way to say thanks or help the channel go to:
buymeacoffee.c...
Zug Island, an industrial island nestled in the Detroit River between Detroit and River Rouge. This private industrial site has been a cornerstone of steel production and industrial operations for decades, epitomizing the industrial heritage of the region.
Historical Development: Originally part of the mainland, Samuel Zug purchased the land in 1859 with intentions of building a mansion, but the marshy terrain proved unsuitable. By 1888, a canal was dug through his property, creating what we now know as Zug Island. This transformation was not just geographical but marked the beginning of its industrial legacy. The island was sold in 1891, and by 1902, it saw the construction of its first blast furnaces, setting the stage for steel production which would define its industrial character.
Industrial Significance: Zug Island became a crucible for industrial activity, particularly steel production, with companies like U.S. Steel operating there. Its strategic location made it an epicenter for the automotive industry's supply chain, given Detroit's role in car manufacturing.
Environmental Impact: Over the years, Zug Island has been synonymous with pollution. The area around it, including parts of Windsor, Ontario, across the river, has been labeled among the most polluted in Michigan due to industrial activities. This has led to significant environmental remediation efforts, like the $50 million cleanup of contaminated sediments in the Rouge River's Old Channel, aimed at restoring ecological health.
The Windsor Hum: A phenomenon known as "The Hum" has been attributed to Zug Island by some residents of Windsor, Ontario. This low-frequency noise, disturbing to many, has been the subject of studies and speculation, with some pointing towards the industrial operations on the island as a potential source.
Current Sentiments and Activities: From social media and local discussions, there's a mix of industrial activity, environmental concerns, and community reactions. While specific recent events directly tied to Zug Island might not be widely reported, the general sentiment around such industrial sites often involves a blend of economic necessity, environmental concern, and calls for accountability regarding pollution and noise.
Cultural Impact: Zug Island has not just been an industrial site but has permeated into cultural narratives, like being featured in literature and discussions about Detroit's industrial past and its environmental cost. The island's story is often told as a microcosm of industrial America's boom and the subsequent environmental and social challenges.
In summary, Zug Island remains a focal point for understanding the trade-offs between industrial progress and environmental health, encapsulated in its history, current operations, and the community's ongoing dialogue about its impact.
DJI Mini Pro 4 aerial drone video 4K
Michael Anthony Videos
Mesmerize by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommon...
Source: incompetech.com...
Artist: incompetech.com/

[@79kevnor]

Great video. Spent more than 30 years working on Zug. The blast furnace that is featured the most in the video is A1. It hasn't operated since 2001. In the middle of the video it shows D4 furnace. That is the last furnace to be shut down in 2020. At the end, that was B2 furnace, shut down in 2019. The company installed a lot of new equipment and never returned it to production. Worked with a lot of great men and women on that island.

[@michaelanthonyvideos]

@@79kevnor Thank you for sharing this with me. Was it shut down because of the new bridge?

[@johnmaclachlan6818]

I was working for national industrial matenance back when they rebuilt the b-2 furnace.I also spent time on the island working for inland water pollution control. The easiest gig I had was sucking up water around the railroad switches.Hell I even had a street map of the zug. My nickname ended up being zug island John. O the memories 😂 👍

[@kurtboginski507]

Awesome! Can only imagine what it was like in it's heyday! Thanks once again Michael.

[@michaelanthonyvideos]

Yeah, that would have been something to see. Thank you very much for watching Kurt!

[@BlueCollar850]

People make a living here and have for decades. All of your criticizing this place have no idea what it’s like to work here and the pride that comes with it.

[@bob_daniels_art]

Not anymore. It shut down.

[@BlueCollar850]

@@bob_daniels_art The Coke plant is still open or did you not know that??

[@daveromick1]

I was a millwright there for 10 years on the D4 blast furnace. Rough job but the people I worked with made it great.

[@DozenRosesBloom.]

Reports of the Hum ceased after the US Steel plant on Zug Island ceased operations in April 2020. In April 2024, an alleged former worker at Zug Island claimed in an r/IAmA thread that the plant's byproducts flare stacks were the origins of the hum.

[@michaelanthonyvideos]

@@DozenRosesBloom. Wow I didn’t know that.

[@DozenRosesBloom.]

@@michaelanthonyvideos Thank you for your tour there!👍 Also if you get the chance please go inside Holy Cross Hungarian Church in Delray It' truly is Breathtaking ! Still open to public Sunday Services etc. The Hungarian Elders still get together there to make Hungarian Baked Goods for CHRISTMAS Holiday! The Church is strugling for funds to keep it open.

[@blueman5924]

Very interesting. Really like the in depth description as well. 👍👍

[@michaelanthonyvideos]

@@blueman5924 Thank you for watching and reading, Blueman! 👍

[@backho12]

Damn! Just find the switch and turn it all on!

[@michaelanthonyvideos]

@@backho12 Right! 🙂

[@theschiznit8777]

What an amazing work of engineering, such a shame what it is now.

[@michaelanthonyvideos]

Thanks for watching the video!

[@josephppopp7493]

I was there 😊

[@michaelanthonyvideos]

👍✌️

[@grimacres]

Dangerous and polluted. I worked on a data cabling project there years back and It was the most terrifying place to be. I have pics of the aftermath of an explosion killed a service worker. Faulty equipment and hazards everywhere. blazing hot with no insulated furnaces and only one road open to the island that was often blocked by the railroad. My pictures were taken illegally and I have no regret.

[@jays.4254]

WOW, really? I bet those photos are pretty interesting. It looks pretty dangerous. Be interesting to meet people like yourself who worked there.

[@guynorth3277]

This is actually the island that the Edmund Fitzgerald was headed to on its final journey, it is just it didn't fit well with the song.

[@michaelanthonyvideos]

@@guynorth3277 Wow 😮

[@SparkyonWheelz]

Or did the Fitz have two deliveries. I could see half going to Zug on the way to Cleveland. I've wondered about that, but never researched it.

[@StubbyPhillips]

I hope it gets preserved and protected from scrappers, redevelopers, scribble kiddies and other vandals.

[@psychiatry-is-eugenics]

a lot of people still work there , security and maintenance .

[@Fitsu13]

Plus, the still operational coke battery and all of its associated processes.

[@jays.4254]

OUTSTANDING! Wow Michael, Zug has a ghostly beauty to it and it's now coming to its end of life. I think I figured out what the piping that goes over the water onto the island is. I think it's the main gas line that feeds blast furnaces, just a guess.

[@michaelanthonyvideos]

@@jays.4254 Oh okay, that’s good to know. I wonder if the coke plant is using it too.

[@jays.4254]

@@michaelanthonyvideos I would imagine so, wonder when that is going to officially shut down?

[@michaelanthonyvideos]

@@jays.4254 I do t think the coke plant has plans to shut down, do they?

[@jays.4254]

@@michaelanthonyvideos Don't quote me but I just read somewhere that they were wrapping up all of the work on the Island in the next year and it to be all inactive by year 2026. It was some article I was reading about Detroit. I can't remember which one, it was a couple weeks ago I know that. Was thinking, if they actually could clean up that area, what a beautiful place to build waterfront property like the Zug's wanted but I know it will never happen in our life times.

[@michaelanthonyvideos]

@@jays.4254 yeah it’s way too toxic and contaminated and it would be come a Brownfield. That needs a certain amount of time to be cleaned up. Mr. Zug actually had a house on there at one time. Before that it was a Native American burial ground so I don’t know, maybe the place is cursed.

[@ronaldvanbeekveld8398]

What a hell hole that place is 😢

[@michaelanthonyvideos]

@@ronaldvanbeekveld8398 It’s a toxic wasteland.

[@SparkyonWheelz]

So you're saying you were a contractor ?

[@CarmenEric-o3b]

Martin Dorothy Martinez Jason Jones Mary

[@DavidBrown-dj7tw]

As a proud Michigander, I am disgustingly ashamed that this environmental disaster of an island exists on this earth. What a terrible first vision of my state, that visitors will see when they glance left, while driving over the beautiful new Gordie Howe bridge beginning in 2025.

[@michaelanthonyvideos]

@@DavidBrown-dj7tw yes this is one of the first things they’re going to see when they get to Detroit.

[@psychiatry-is-eugenics]

All new steel comes from blast furnaces . Without steel mills people do not have cars , buildings , ships . - bridges . Zug Island was part of the ww2 arsenal of democracy that helped defeat Nazi germany .

[@psychiatry-is-eugenics]

.

[@DavidBrown-dj7tw]

You want to put your statement in English, so I can all understand what the hell you are trying to convey.@@psychiatry-is-eugenics

[@SparkyonWheelz]

The Gordie Howe Bridge likely played a major role in Zug shutting down permanently, which is fine by me. It served more than enough time. Regarding the shame you feel, consider the fact that many similar American facilities including Zug helped destroy Hitler.

[@EdOndrusek-d8f]

Huels Drive

[@michaelanthonyvideos]

@@EdOndrusek-d8f what’s that?