As a Clevelander, here's what I can add:

The 1910 Cleveland City Directory showed Henkel's Flour mill at 1636 Merwin Ave., and Stowe-Fuller nearby at 1722 Merwin Ave.

The Center Street swing bridge in the river was built in 1901. Construction of the Detroit-Superior High Level Bridge, shown in an earlier aerial photo, was substantially complete in 1917. There is no sign of that construction project.

So, the general date range of the photo is after 1901 and before 1915.

Are those (barely visible) rungs on the right side of the smokestack? If so, what a harrowing climb that would have been. Also, why would anyone need/want to climb that smokestack in the first place?

The Henkels flour building is still there - you can see where the sign was taken off the roof. And the swing bridge just past it on the opposite bank is still there too, it looks like - you can see it in red behind the overpass.

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Cleveland, shot northward from Franklin Ave., just west of where the big Cleveland Union Terminal RR viaduct would be built in the 1920's.

Here is a streetview from almost the exact location. It was shot on Franklin Ave, just east of W 25th street:

https://maps.google.com/?ll=41.488721,-81.705558&spn=0.007756,0.016512&t...

Streetview is difficult, as there is now thick vegetation between Franklin Ave and the river.

The coal dumper was Erie RR (NYPANO). The farthest flour mill is still there, modified.

The low swing bridge is Center St., still in daily use. The stone part of the Old Superior Viaduct still stands. The replacement Detroit Superior viaduct would cross about where the Erie coal dumper was.

Looks like the origin may be Cleveland. Could be the Cuyahoga River. There's much railroad infrastructure along that river still.

What do I win?

Both Fuller-Stowe and Henkel's Flour seem to have been located there.

Along with Pillsbury, Henke's Flour was produced in Minneapolis. The faint image of a stone bridge in the distance also looks like one still standing in Minneapolis.

Possible taken at the same time as Detroit Publishing Co. no. 500408?

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/det.4a25417/

Based on that picture, which shows a warehouse at 405 West Superior Road, the Henkels factory was at the tip of the elbow in the Cuyahoga river where Carter and Scranton Roads meet today, and this picture would have been taken from about where Route 10, Carnegie Avenue, crosses the Cuyahoga.

A search for "Henkel's Flour" (seen from the reverse of the sign in the distance) returns results for the Commercial Milling Co. from Detroit.

I tried searching for Stowe-Fuller Co. too, but did not retrieve many results.

Quick search revealed the plant was located in Detroit on Atwater Street. Also known as Commercial Milling Co.

I think it is Cleveland, Ohio.

The clue is the Stowe-Fuller Co., who made fire brick among other products, on the river bank.

at Cleveland, based on the Stowe-Fuller Company building in the lower-right corner of the picture.

Here's another angle on the Henkel's sign. On the far right is an ad to visit the Likly and Rockett showroom at 405 Superior Ave.

That would be Cleveland, Ohio, no ?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270836777233&item...

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio.

Henkel's Flour had a grain elevator on the river and another photo is attached showing the freighter North Star tied up next to their dock.

Also, theh Stowe-Fuller Co. was based in Cleveland too.

The Flats. Cleveland, Ohio.

The old Superior Viaduct can be seen crossing the Cuyahoga River off in the backgound.

Since there is a Henkel's Flour building and since the negative has a Detroit Publishing source, I would guess that it is Detroit.

Detroit? Henkel's Flour mill was there.

The Stowe Fuller name is all over google as a Cleveland business.

Stowe-Fuller seems to have been a Cleveland Ohio Cement and Brick maker so I'll guess Cleveland?

Cleveland!

It's Cleveland.

Could that be the Cuyahoga? On 11/27/1899, the Stowe-Fuller Co filed a U.S. federal trademark registration for a brick called Alumnite. Wow!

Cleveland, OH?

Cleveland. Was my first guess based on looks alone, but this picture of the Henkel's Flour elevator would seem to confirm it:

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/det1994021768/PP/

I also found info indicating that there was indeed a Stowe-Fuller Co. in Cleveland.

I'm going to take a wild guess and say Detroit, Michigan. That looks like Henkel's Flour mill sign in the background.

Judging from the Henkel Flour mill, I'd guess Detroit MI.

Cleveland.

I'm gonna guess Cleveland. The Stowe-Fuller Company was based there. Henkel's Flour was out of Detroit, but I think there was an outpost in Cleveland, too.

The Stowe-Fuller Co. in the lower right is the clue.