Michigan: Vicksburg Historical Society needs a scale model of Lee Paper Mill

[Anonymous]

The Vicksburg Historical Society is located in Vicksburg, Michigan.

The Vicksburg Historical Society does not have a realistic scale model of the former Lee Paper Mill as it appeared between the time period of 1930-1954. A nice approximate scale model of the Lee Paper Mill is needed for several exhibits throughout the yearly cycle. The Lee Paper Mill models can be built in 1:87th Scale or 1:48th Scale to accompany the Scale Railroad equipment owned by the Vicksburg Historical Society. There are no blueprints on hand, just many old photographs. Most of the original buildings still are around to be photographed and measured.

Building such a large model is not a one person job. Four to ten talented people will have to do the research, draw the plans, buy the parts, assemble the model, and paint the model of the Lee Paper Mill. Since your volunteer building team is paying for the model, and it is an extremely large structure, your team can loan the completed Paper Mill model to the Vicksburg Historical Society and use it for your own historical display when they do not need it. To transport the 1:87th Scale or 1:48th Scale Paper Mill model it must be made of small sections that slide together for the exhibit. Being built in sections will also allow a portion of the scale sized mill to be displayed in cases inside the Depot Museum.

The easiest way to build the Paper Mill is to use the Walthers Cornerstone Modulars Building System in HO Scale. Even the easiest method will cost the building team volunteers over $300 for parts and take a few weeks to build considering the size of the structure. Walthers also produces an HO Scale Cornerstone Series kit called the Northern Light and Power Power House and a matching interior kit. This Power House model is similar to the coal power plant with a smokestack which was in use at the paper mill during 1930 to 1954. Walthers has a website and the big HO Scale Catalog available at Hobby Shops.

For an O Scale version of the Paper Mill there are various building and structural parts manufacturers like Korber Models, Design Preservation Models, Stone Mill Models, and Grandt Line who produce wall sections and windows that are similar in appearance to the real buildings. These companies have paper catalogs in hobby shops or catalogs on websites.

One version of the O Scale Lee Paper Mill can also be a background building flat measuring 3’ to 6’ long and 6” deep.

The Paper Mill Model interior will be detailed when someone is able to build models of Paper Making Equipment and add painted figures of the workers.

I would like to make this great big model by myself, but I already have several other O Scale buildings to work on for the Winter Model Railroad Exhibit opening this November at the Vicksburg Historical Society.