Eber Brock Ward

Railroading Starting around 1852, Ward acquired timberlands along the Pere Marquette River in Lake County, near the Ludington area. He held onto this land, waiting for the timber to mature. He was elected president of the Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad Company in 1860, and was the first to use rail made of Bessemer steel.

Steel manufacturing Bessemer steel was produced at Kelly Pneumatic Process Company around 1864 or 1865.

Logging Ward carried on logging operations in Lake County through his agents. In 1869 he purchased a tract consisting of in the fourth ward of Ludington, on Lake Pere Marquette, accessible by the Pere Marquette River.

Ward built a sawmill out on Lake Pere Marquette in 1870, known as the "North" mill. It was built on 55 stone piers, and was by in size. It was equipped with two circular mills, and "cutting-edge technology". The cost of the mill was $60,000 , and it had a capacity of per day. Ward purchased all the land between his mill and that of Messrs. Danaher and Melendy, which bordered on the Lake in the spring of 1871. During the summer months, he built a by warehouse near the original mill. This was used for storing supplies, and selling supplies to his employees. The next year Ward, built another mill nearby, which was called the "South" mill. This was then considered the best sawmill in the United States.

Mining Ward engaged in silver mining around Lake Superior with the Silver Islet Mining Company. He owned about a million dollars' worth of stock in the North Chicago Rolling Mill company, and about half a million dollars' worth of stock of the Milwaukee Rolling Mill company. He also had about a half a million in the Wyandotte Rolling Mill.