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April 11, 1912. "Detroit City Gas Co. -- foundation for retort house." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Retort house: "town gas" manufactured by heating coal in the absence of air.
AKA coke oven gas (COG).
Before my time there, U. S. Steel in Gary, IN manufactured COG which was used to heat the coke batteries and was also piped into the City of Gary for use in homes and businesses in lieu of natural gas.
That was just down the road from the quip station.
The cart in the background carries a continuous batching steam powered cement mixer.
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