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Mike Oberloier of Gladwin displayed the partially renovated lower frame of the 1901 “type O” Thew model steam-powered shovel at the Midland Antique Engine Association’s annual show on Friday, July 8. 

Mike Oberloier of Gladwin displayed the boom of the 1901 “type O” Thew model steam-powered shovel at the Midland Antique Engine Association’s annual show on Friday, July 8. 

Gladwin resident Mike Oberloier, far left, talks about the Wixom Lake steam shovel at the Midland Antique Engine Association’s annual show on Friday, July 8. 

A model of the 1901 “type O” Thew model steam-powered shovel, built by Mike Oberloier's uncle, sits on display at the Midland Antique Engine Association's annual show Friday, July 8.

Mike Oberloier of Gladwin displayed the rennovated bucket of the 1901 “type O” Thew model steam-powered shovel at the Midland Antique Engine Association’s annual show on Friday, July 8. 

Mike Oberloier of Gladwin displayed the partially renovated lower frame of the 1901 “type O” Thew model steam-powered shovel at the Midland Antique Engine Association’s annual show on Friday, July 8. 

Gladwin resident Mike Oberloier, right, talks about the Wixom Lake steam shovel at the Midland Antique Engine Association’s annual show on Friday, July 8. 

Mike Oberloier of Gladwin displayed this horse-drawn road grader, found at the bottom of Wixom Lake, at the Midland Antique Engine Association’s annual show on Friday, July 8. 

Mike Oberloier of Gladwin displayed the three engines of the 1901 “type O” Thew model steam-powered shovel at the Midland Antique Engine Association’s annual show on Friday, July 8. 

A model of the 1901 “type O” Thew model steam-powered shovel sits atop the lower frame of the real shovel.

Gladwin resident Mike Oberloier works on the 1901 “type O” Thew model steam-powered shovel, which was at the bottom of Wixom Lake for 95 years.

A steam shovel found embedded in the bottom of Wixom Lake in October 2020 is well on its way to being fully restored.

Mike Oberloier, of Beaverton, who now owns the shovel, recently displayed parts of the 1901 “type O” Thew model steam-powered shovel at the Midland Antique Engine Association’s annual show July 7-10, where it garnered interest from attendees.

Restored parts on display included the shovel’s lower frame, a wheel and the bucket. In addition, Oberloier displayed the boom and three steam engines which still require work. The wooden shed on top of the frame had mostly deteriorated while the shovel lay at the bottom of Wixom Lake for 95 years, but Oberloier found some wooden planks that he identified as the top of the shovel’s coal box.

Besides the steam shovel, he brought along a horse-drawn road grader that was also found at the bottom of Wixom Lake.

“I had permission from Boyce Hydro to take anything antique I found down there,” Oberloier said.

Oberloier began the restoration process shortly after the Midland Antique Engine Association’s 2021 show. This year, Oberloier has focused on restoring the steam shovel’s lower frame, working from the ground up. He has replaced the beams and steel components, sandblasted and painted the metal. He also has been working on the chain steering mechanism.

“We’ve been making pretty good progress so far,” Oberloier said. “I’m just tinkering on it.”

Supply chain issues, including paint shortages and rising prices for steel, have created obstacles in the restoration process. Oberloier, who travels around the state repairing machinery, has been able to find parts on his travels and has received monetary donations. He appreciates the support he has received from his family, friends and fellow antique engine enthusiasts.

“It’s big for the community and the lake,” Oberloier said.

Oberloier expects it will take two to three years to complete renovations. He continues to post updates about the steam shovel on Facebook. Those interested in tracking the progress can visit www.facebook.com/WixomSteamShovel

The Wixom steam shovel is also a rare type of shovel, as there are only two surviving “type O” Thew model steam-powered shovels in the world; the second is owned by Bob Kelly in Pennsylvania. This August, Oberloier will travel to Pennsylvania to help Kelly operate his steam shovel at an antique show. He said the opportunity to run the shovel will further ignite his passion of fully restoring the Wixom shovel.

“(Bob Kelly) has been supportive and helped out,” Oberloier stated. “Any questions I’ve had, I’ve been able to talk with him.”

Oberloier believes that the “type O” Thew model steam-powered shovel was the smallest in the fleet of machines used to build the Edenville Dam in the 1920s. He explained that the shovel’s uniqueness is due to its horizontal prow, which allowed the bucket to travel straight out, then up; this let the bucket scoop up a load without damaging the dock or the ground beneath it.

The Wixom steam shovel was left behind after the dam was completed and was underwater for 95 years. For a time, the top part of the shovel could be seen when Wixom Lake levels were drawn down. However, one of the supports holding the shovel’s boom broke, causing the boom to collapse and sink deeper into the lake. Oberloier recalls how his dad kept looking for it in 1975; Oberloier  himself kept the search on until the shovel resurfaced two years ago.

“Ever since I was little and I would go to the Henry Ford Museum, I’ve always wished that I was born earlier so I could work on older equipment,” Oberloier said. “To have this fall in my lap is like a dream come true. I never thought I would work on something like this, let alone own it.”

Victoria Ritter grew up in Midland and after earning a degree in English at Grand Valley State University, returned. She joined the Daily News as its newsroom clerk, and eventually began editing obituaries, and in 2016 wrote her first article. She loves the arts, from reading and creative writing to catching a movie or singing in her church choir.