I headed back over by Amour on Saturday, and not much has changed on the slaughterhouse, but a tons of rubble have been removed from the site of the refrigeration plant.
Giant husks of metal, some recognizable as refrigeration tanks, and others as the pipes that once snaked around the building, lay about, probably about to be cut up as scrap.
And then I spotted it.
The giant De La Vergne engine survived the implosion, and is sitting upright in relatively good condition. Can it still be saved, please?
That is awesome
So happy to see this!
Any scrapper worth their weight knows scrap is lowest common denominator, anything worth more should be sold off. That’s why I was so surprised to hear of it being scrapped. No scrapper or scrapyard would have just thrown that to the smelter.
That’s amazing! We revisited shortly after the implosion and I halfheartedly hoped the engine would be intact sticking out of the rubble. Is it still there? I’d love to go see it.
It’s worth taking a look. I photographed the site back in mid July.
I am very pleased to report that this engine/compressor has been purchased by a group of volunteers and is being saved to display at the American Farm Heritage Museum located at Greenville Illinois . we could use your help in funding such a big project , contact Andy Craig at craigexc1@sbcglobal.net if you would like to help .
I have to ask, did you ever get any pictures of the old Swift Plant. I remember it still being up in 1976?
Appreciate the update.
Has any new industry moved in or just the new interstate by-pass?
Terry, unfortunately I wasn’t alive back in 1976. There is some scattered light industry in the place of the packing plants, but there are a lot of hopeful realtors’ signs lining the streets. Someday, it would be a great place for warehouse distribution centers, in my opinion.
I am so happy to hear that this engine has been saved! I was almost ready to go and offer whoever owned it $100 plus its scrap value.