In North America, Travel & Living / By Alexandra Smith / 26 February 2014

(Image via Atlas Obscura)

Hundreds of millions of years ago, salty seawater settled and evaporated in the lowered Michigan Basin to form several vast salt beds which now sit over 1,000 feet underground. Since mining commenced in the early 1900s, so much salt has been excavated from the site that there are now over 100 miles of subterranean tunnels in this bustling ‘salt city‘ beneath Detroit.

(Images: DetroitSalt.com; WSU)

The salt deposits were discovered in 1895 but salt springs on the surface may have given a clue to their whereabouts earlier. From 1906 to 1911, a shaft was dug to reach the first layer of salt. Later, between 1922 and 1925, another larger shaft was opened at 12841 Sanders Street, Detroit. This could transport greater loads and was used to lower new machine parts into the mine where they could be reconstructed and remain indefinitely.

(Images: WSU)

Over the years the underground operations have changed hands several times – from the Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company and then the Detroit Salt Company, to the Watkins Salt Company (The Detroit Rock Salt Company), the International Salt Company, Crystal Mines Inc. and the Detroit Salt Company, LLC. Salt production finally ended in 1983 under the International Salt Company.

(Images: WSU)

But in 1998 the subterranean activities began again. The mine currently supplies rock salt for de-icing roads, although it once provided salt for food preservation, making glass and tanning leather. The tunnels allegedly span an impressive 1,500 acres but the ‘room and pillar’ formation of this city of salt means that it should not undermine the foundations of Detroit, located more than a thousand feet above. (Hat tip: Scribol.com.)

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