In June 1871 Cadillac’s first sawmill began operating on this site as the Pioneer Mill, built by Indiana resident John R. Yale. Jonathan W. Cobbs bought the mill in 1872 and joined with William W. Mitchell in lumbering operations on Lake Cadillac, after which it was renamed Cobbs and Mitchell Mill No. 1. Enlarged several times, the mill cut pine, maple, and later other hardwoods. By 1885 it had become a major contributor to Cadillac’s lumber production, having cut 5,679,000 feet of lumber. By 1940 it was Cadillac’s only remaining sawmill, and when it was razed that year, salvaged material from it was used to build an addition for the Wood Parts Company.