Any BITOG members ever work in a factory or manufacturing plant that’s now abandoned or defunct ?

[Wrenchturner44]

Parts Pro, you correct. Hard to see the big GM plants on Natural Bridge, Chrysler Fenton plants, 1 and 2, and Hazelwood Ford Explorer plants all disappear. Back in the heyday we made a lot of cars here in the St Lou.

For those of you that are Corvette fans, the Corvette was built mainly by hand here in STL from 1954 - 1981, before production was moved to Bowling Green, KY.

But wait there is more! If you want to read about what it was like to work in the Corvette plan from the worker's point of view, get a copy of the book "Factory Of Dreams"

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Western Electric in North Andover, Massachusetts. Spent 22 years working there. It became AT&T then Lucent Technologies.
We made the central office equipment, grew quartz crystals for oscillators, microwave stuff, fabed most everything from scratch.
1.1million square feet. It was opened on my birthday in 1956; Someone recently told me they just leveled it.

 

[zzyzzx]

Bethlehem Steel.

 

[Oily_Thing]

Worked in four Johnson Controls and three Magna manufacturing plants. Most all shuttered now.

 

[javacontour]

While my first entry wasn't a manufacturing location, it just dawned on me that I did some work in the Ford Hazelwood plant. We updated various Sun Microsystems computers in use in the plant.

I was amazed at what goes into building a car.

The machine that mounted tires to wheels was simply fed by humans who filled the "hoppers" with wheels and tires. Out the other end came a mounted and balanced assembly.

I was also fascinated by the RHD Explorers going to Japan. They got MORE QC than the ones going to North American showrooms as the Japanese consumer wouldn't accept the standard quality level of the NA vehicles. The ones going to Japan had to have fewer defects in order to entice Japanese consumers.

 

[Andrew1972]

I did a summer internship for engineering at Prime Tanning in Berwick Maine a larger leather tannery 1994. Maine shoe industry left and in 2008 it closed up.

 

[4WD]

Yeah, an aluminum extrusion plant …
Press 4 made aluminum pipe and Mike Rowe should have filmed my job there when I was 19 …

 

[Fifth87]

Western Electric in North Andover, Massachusetts. Spent 22 years working there. It became AT&T then Lucent Technologies.
We made the central office equipment, grew quartz crystals for oscillators, microwave stuff, fabed most everything from scratch.
1.1million square feet. It was opened on my birthday in 1956; Someone recently told me they just leveled it.

View attachment 70296

View attachment 70297

My Dad worked there during the early 00's.
He doesn't say much about it, but I am under the impression that it was not a happy time for him.

 

[Aredeeem]

When I worked on the railroad we would service the GM assembly plant in Linden NJ. It closed in 2005. As a brakeman you would ride the hind end of a 20 car train into the plant and then spot cars where needed as you pulled out. It was a remarkable sight. The thought of it closing was unimaginable at the time.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Kinda-sorta. Back in 1999, I was helping a friend of mine do plumbing and electrical work on the side. One project was the expansion of a small sock mill. The owner put up a new metal building and we brought a new, 400-amp, 3-phase service into the building, set new panels, disconnects and wired up new knitting machines, blowers, vacuums, lights, etc. A pretty decent sized commercial electrical project for two guys working nights and weekends on it.

This town was primarily run on hosiery, employing about 7500 in that industry until CAFTA was passed in 2003? and almost overnight, 99% of the sock mills moved to Honduras or Mexico. I just looked at the aerial photograph of the building I'm talking about and it's clear no one has been at it for a long time.

This town has several cheap metal buildings just sitting there. Problem is they are the cheap PEMB, low sidewall height, lightweight construction. Not much good for anything other than a small gun/archery store, skating rink or game room.

 

[bunnspecial]

Good to hear from another BITOG member from Saint Louis area. So many plants, so little space to reply. The big daddy, was the CHRYSLER plant, it was sooooo contaminated when it closed down.

I'm a recent transplant to the area, although I live east of the river(Edwardsville/Collinsville area) and don't venture into the city too often.

Still, though, the sheer amount of decaying heavy industry always amazes me. East St. Louis is much the same way, although I'm not brave enough to actually go and look around.

 

[javacontour]

I'm a recent transplant to the area, although I live east of the river(Edwardsville/Collinsville area) and don't venture into the city too often.

Still, though, the sheer amount of decaying heavy industry always amazes me. East St. Louis is much the same way, although I'm not brave enough to actually go and look around.

"East Boogie" is not bad during the day.

I don't go at night, but I wouldn't be too worried in the daytime.

It is sad as East STL was the place to be until about the 1950s. White Flight decimated the city. Before then, it was the place to live with stunning views of STL across the river. When I used to live in Belleville, several of my neighbors moved to the then new subdivision in the 1950s.

 

[bunnspecial]

"East Boogie" is not bad during the day.

I don't go at night, but I wouldn't be too worried in the daytime.

It is sad as East STL was the place to be until about the 1950s. White Flight decimated the city. Before then, it was the place to live with stunning views of STL across the river. When I used to live in Belleville, several of my neighbors moved to the then new subdivision in the 1950s.

TBH, I've never thought it looked particularly scary during the day, just a lot of blight.

I've skimmed the edge of it a few times. My wife usually drives in St. Louis, and we've been caught in bridge traffic(especially with the current MLK closure) and ended up crossing the Eads bridge.

You can see the former grandeur of it in several of the buildings for sure, and the view is still great. I'd love to see the city revitalized, but I also realize it's an uphill battle. My grandparents-in-law talk about their Saturday Night trips to go shopping on the main street there(Collinsville Ave?) and things like that and it basically being the place to be.

On the other hand, I've heard stories about several years ago(before I was in the picture) of one of the grandparents taking a wrong turn leaving a Gateway Grizzlies game at probably ~10:00PM probably 5-6 years ago and ending up right in the middle of East St. Louis. My wife and her siblings still say that it was the only time they've ever seen their grandmother truly mad at their grandfather...

 

[javacontour]

TBH, I've never thought it looked particularly scary during the day, just a lot of blight.

I've skimmed the edge of it a few times. My wife usually drives in St. Louis, and we've been caught in bridge traffic(especially with the current MLK closure) and ended up crossing the Eads bridge.

You can see the former grandeur of it in several of the buildings for sure, and the view is still great. I'd love to see the city revitalized, but I also realize it's an uphill battle. My grandparents-in-law talk about their Saturday Night trips to go shopping on the main street there(Collinsville Ave?) and things like that and it basically being the place to be.

On the other hand, I've heard stories about several years ago(before I was in the picture) of one of the grandparents taking a wrong turn leaving a Gateway Grizzlies game at probably ~10:00PM probably 5-6 years ago and ending up right in the middle of East St. Louis. My wife and her siblings still say that it was the only time they've ever seen their grandmother truly mad at their grandfather...

Before everyone figured it out, I would go to the Casino Queen and watch the 4th of July fireworks. The first year or two it was a small crowd. Then folks figured it out and it was just another mass of humanity for a while.

 

[Dave Hess]

Interesting stories from various folks working in different industries.

 

[Oily_Thing]

Before everyone figured it out, I would go to the Casino Queen and watch the 4th of July fireworks. The first year or two it was a small crowd. Then folks figured it out and it was just another mass of humanity for a while.

Sauget, IL has some interesting industries.

 

[sk_pete]

Western Electric

........ their vacuum tubes are even today expensive stuff. like their 300b type.

i worked at yazaki- car wire harnesses engineering.
but in 2009 global crisis, it was decided to move production to cheap morocco...
https://goo.gl/maps/o9VskNschRNKCdzR6 still the sign on the roof lotsa "one of a kind" memories, people..
different company is in the buildings now.

 

[FFFEMT]

Motorola in Harvard, IL. 1.5 million square feet. Open from July 1996 to July, 2001. Manufactured cell phones. Plant was built for 7,500 employees, but only hit about 5,000. Main cafeteria seated about 1200 people. Jobs went to Mexico, then to China. The campus has been sold 3 times. Property remains empty to this date. It was a GREAT place to work. They treated us extremely well.

 

[Dave Hess]

Motorola in Harvard, IL. 1.5 million square feet. Open from July 1996 to July, 2001. Manufactured cell phones. Plant was built for 7,500 employees, but only hit about 5,000. Main cafeteria seated about 1200 people. Jobs went to Mexico, then to China. The campus has been sold 3 times. Property remains empty to this date. It was a GREAT place to work. They treated us extremely well.

I just Googled the photo of this building and it’s very impressive.

I‘m always amazed that newer buildings can be abandoned after only a few years of use. They must have spent big $$$ on such a modern building only to abandon it soon after.

This is a perfect example of me wanting to go back in time to visit..... then revisit it today.




.

 

[javacontour]

Sauget, IL has some interesting industries.

That’s right, the Sauget Ballet.