Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/119308
connections Chemical Standard discussions about The Dow Chemical Company generally tie the industry-leading giant back to its headquarters in Midland, Mich. But there���s nothing standard about the current Clarke Historical Library exhibit ��� ���Drilling for Brine��� ��� that brings to the surface the nearly 30 years that Dow Chemical operated facilities in Mount Pleasant. During the 20th century Dow had 10 brine wells operating in Midland County, but those weren���t enough to sustain the demand needed to create bromine. In 1903 Dow drilled brine wells and built a bromide plant in Mount Pleasant. ���I expect many people will be surprised by the exhibit, since a lot of people don���t know there was a Dow Chemical plant in Mount Pleasant,��� says Janet Danek, CMU University Libraries��� coordinator of exhibits. ���The primary focus of this exhibit is to highlight the existence of the Mount Pleasant plant.��� Bromine was extracted from brine and turned into bromide, which when mixed with other chemicals was used in a variety of different ways including in pesticides, gasoline additive and brominated vegetable oil. Showcasing the importance of chemistry and geology in Mount Pleasant is one of the key components of ���Drilling for Brine: The Dow Chemical Plant in Mount Pleasant 1903-1903.��� Clarke exhibit highlights three decades of Dow in Mount Pleasant The exhibit features maps, handwritten letters exchanged between Herbert H. Dow and Mount Pleasant residents, and artifacts from the original site. Danek says the exhibit introduces visitors to the wonders of history and provides excellent examples of the many unique pieces in the Clarke Historical Library collection. To complement the exhibit Park Library will feature paintings in the first floor Baber Room and microscopic photography of crystalline structures will be displayed on the third floor. The exhibit and displays will be among the highlights at the 44th Annual American Chemistry Society Central Regional Meeting, which the ACS Midland Section is hosting on CMU���s Mount Pleasant campus May 15-17. ���Displaying these pieces of art during the regional meeting creates awareness while shining a light on Mount Pleasant���s history,��� Danek says. ���Drilling for Brine: The Dow Chemical Plant in Mount Pleasant 1903-1903��� will run through the end of July. �� 3