New Kensington, PA: 1891 Alcoa Plant and 1930 Technical Center

Plant: (Satellite, on a satellite image I accessed in Sep 2026, parts of the site was still brownland. But it looks like they are building some warehouses.)

Tech Center: (Satellite)

The old and new headquarters buildings were in Pittsburgh.

Sean Brady posted two photos with the comment:

ALCOA PITTSBURG - 1947

INGERSOLL ALUMINUM SCALPING MACH. FOR MILLING SCALE FROM CAST ALUMINUM BILLETS BEFORE ROLLING THEM. IT MILLS OFF 1/4” TO 3/8" IN JUST A FEW SECONDS. CUTTER IS DRIVEN BY 800HP MOTOR.

1

2

alcoa_history
In 1891, Alcoa/Pittsburgh Reduction Co. moved its operations from Pittsburgh to New Kensington.

By 1940, it had grown considerably.

HistoricPittsburgh, cropped
[The birdge is the C. L. Schmitt Bridge.]

In fact, that growth had occurred by this 1925 photo. The operation extended several blocks up the Allegheny River.

HistoricPittsburgh, cropped
[The webpage documents this as Pittsburgh, but the 1940 photo above confirms that this is in New Kensington.]

The building in the right background of the 1940 photos appears to be extant.

Street View, Sep 2018

1930:

alcoa_history

The World’s First Aluminum Research Laboratory

On a hill overlooking the Allegheny River and Alcoa's production facility along its banks in Pittsburgh, the company builds a campus-like facility dedicated to finding new aluminum applications, testing its performance and improving production processes.

HistoricPittsburgh, cropped
"The Aluminum Company of America's (Alcoa) Aluminum Research Laboratories in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, contained scientific research equipment, including the Templin precision metal-working machine, used for testing specimens. It is the most powerful machine of its kind in the world and can exert a force up to 3,000,000 lbs. in compression and 1,000,000 lbs. in tension at speeds up to 36 inches a minute."

This research facility is extant.

Satellite

HistoricPittsburgh, cropped
"Description of the photograph reads, 'Alcoa research technicians making strength tests on an aluminum alloy structural beams. Countless tests on aluminum and its alloys are constantly being conducted at Alcoa's laboratories.'"

1903:

alcoa_history

Alcoa Aluminum Gives Flight to Wright Brothers Invention

The world’s first flying machine is powered by an aluminum heart made from Alcoa’s new metal. To save weight, the engine block and crankcase of the Wright Brothers' historic "Flyer" are cast from aluminum supplied by The Pittsburgh Reduction Company.

1916:

alcoa_history

First Aerospace Alloy

Alcoa's first aerospace alloy, 2017-T4, is a critical material for building the historic USS Shenandoah rigid airship. A century later, 2017-T4 is still used for aircraft sheet and plate. More than 90% of all alloys currently used in the aerospace industry were developed by Alcoa research.

1962: I was wondering the other month when the "pop top" was invented. I can remember as a kid having to remember to pack a can opener. I think the pop top was ubiquitous by the end of the 1960s. That original version of the pop top came off the can. They became a serious pollution problem. So they invented a version that hinged a flap out of the way into the can. But note how narrow the opening was. Today's wide mouth was the next innovation.

alcoa_history

The Can Opener Becomes Extinct

Alcoa works with the Pittsburgh Brewing Company to introduce easy-open aluminum pull tabs on cans of Pittsburgh Brewing's Iron City beer. Today, because of innovations like the pull tab, and because of aluminum's recyclability, the canned beverage market is virtually 100% aluminum.

Pittsburgh, PA: Alcoa Headquarters Buildings

Current World Headquarters: (Satellite)

1953 Headquarters Alcoa Building: (Satellite, this has been converted to apartments.)

Technical Center: (Satellite)

I knew that the Pittsburgh area made a lot of steel. I've learned that it also made aluminum.

In fact, one of the inventors of the Hall-Héroult Process (electrolysis), Charles Martin Hall, founded the Pittsburgh Reduction Co. in 1888 in Pittsburgh. [alcoa_history]

The manufacturing facility was in New Kensington. The research facility is still there.

In 1953 they completed the Alcoa Building. It is completely clad with aluminum. It was the headquarters for over 40 years.

HistoricPittsburgh
''The Alcoa Building (center), located at 425 6th Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh, used aluminum wherever possible including aluminum furniture, aluminum piping and wiring, and aluminum air-conditioning ducts. Its thirty-story tower is lighter and more efficient than buildings of comparable size at the time of its construction. The entire exterior wall of the structure was built using prefabricated aluminum sheets that contained both windows and the floor zone. These windows swung open in special inflatable rubber gaskets containing neoprene that minimized heat from the sun's rays and also required minimal cleaning and maintenance on the exterior. Construction began in 1951 and was completed in 1953. The architectural firms involved on this project were Harrison & Abramovitz, along with Altenhof & Bown and Mitchell & Ritchey. The Alcoa Building stands on the site of the renowned Beaux Arts-style Nixon Theater and the building is presently referred to as the Regional Enterprise Tower. Mellon Park is in the center foreground."

It was then converted to residential units.

PMC

1952:

alcoa_history

First Aluminum-Sheathed High-Rise Building

Featuring an all-aluminum exterior and many other innovative architectural elements, the Alcoa Building in Downtown Pittsburgh is completed. It will serve as the company’s headquarters for more than 40 years. It also ushers in a new era of high-rise buildings clad in Alcoa aluminum.

The round-corner windows are a maintenance issue. [reddit]

HistoricPittsburgh, cropped
"Sample Section of a Stamped Aluminum Panel for the Alcoa Building"

Then they built a world headquarters on the north side of the Allegheny River between the Andy Warhol and Rachel Carson Bridges.

Boat View, Jan 2021

The Andy Warhol Bridge is on the right.

Street View, Oct 2024

Enderlin, ND: Wood Feed Mill, ADM Edible Beans and Lost/SOO Roundhouse

Wood Feed Mill: (Satellite)

Large Storage Elevator: (Satellite)

ADM Edible Beans: (Satellite)

SOO Roundhouse: (Satellite, based on the topo map below.)

The truck with an augur is a feed truck, which implies that the elevator is a feed mill. Or at least it was back in 2008.

Street View, Aug 2008

The building on the left is the CPKC yard office. There is enough rail service in this town to justify at least one local locomotive.

Street View, Aug 2021

Wesley Peters posted

Grain Elevator Photography Trip 2, North Dakota.

Enderlin, Ransom County, ND.

Farmers Co-op Elevator Co. False-front combination headhouse/annex built in unknown year, Hogenson Construction Co. Bushel capacity unknown.

Photographed on 7/19/2025.

Photo courtesy of Wesley Peters.

The storage elevator has a long fall protector.

PlainsGrain

ADM also handles canola. [ADMadvantage]

1960 Enderlin South and 1961 Enderlin North Quads @ 24,000

Romney, IN: Lost/Monon Depot and Lost/Wood Grain Elevator

Depot: (Satellite)

Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society posted 19 photos with the comment:

This week’s Monon Monday was Romney 🚂 

Romney was first platted by Josiah Halstead and Major Harvey Aristide of Crawfordsville in 1832. They determined it to be a good place for a stage coach stop and an advantageous trading post with the Indians. 

Originally named Columbia, the town had a tavern and a large barn where the horses for the stage coach were kept and changed. A Blacksmith shop, church and school were built and as more settlers arrived several houses followed. Some of these settlers came from Romney, Virginia (now West Virginia) and out of love for their old home in Virginia they had the name changed from Columbia to Romney in 1846. 

The railroad came to town in 1851-1852 as part of the Crawfordsville and Wabash. 

By 1879 Romney had two Blacksmith shops, a wagon shop, a general store, post office drug store, a grocery store, an Odd Fellows hall, Masonic Lodge, two churches and a cemetery. 

In 1901 a bank was established and was in business at that location until atleast 1932, at the writing of Romney’s Centennial publication. The bank is the same building as the present day post office, which explains the interesting shape of it. 

Romney’s main (and perhaps only?) business on the railroad was grain. Romney had a grain elevator up until atleast 2004. 

Romney is also known for boasting the last pair of operating semaphore signals which came down in December of 2010. 

Hope you enjoy the following pictures of Romney. A few are from our archives, there’s a wonderful Barriger photo and some pictures are borrowed from the Monon bygone page. You will also find a few ads and pictures from the publication in 1932 for Romney’s Centennial. 

1
Romney depot- date unknown

2
The original Romney depot, date unknown

3
Barriger photo of Romney elevator- taken just south of CR 1150 crossing.

4
Jim Smith photo, Cement cars at Romney (could be hauling sand)

5

Elevator at Romney, ca. 1960s

Courtesy Monon bygone page.

6
Romney grain elevator, March 2004

7
CSXT 2347 heading north for Lafayette yard passing the famous Monon blades in Romney, April 2003, Robby photograph.

8
Kevin Heggi photograph of the signals at Romney, ca. 2004, you are looking south towards Linden.

9
GP 38-2 on the former Monon mainline at Romney, April 2005. Photograph by Rob Schreiner

10
The first two story building in Romney- it had a lodge in the upper floor and a blacksmith and wagon shop below. This building sat just south of the I.O.O.F. Building in Romney (The IOOF building is currently occupied by The Romney Toy Shop)

11
View South on Road 43 (present day 231) in Romney, ca. 1932

12
The public school in Romney, ca. 1932

13
Page showing and an ad for the Loft & Lamb service station and Romney Bank from Romney Centennial publication, 1932

14
Pages with ads for The Simison Grain Co, the Romney Service Station, the Allen A Wilkinson lumber company, J.C. Penney, the JW McCabe Barber Shop and Billiard Room, Rapp Co. a “cut price” clothing store, from Romney Centennial publication, 1932

15
Pages with ads for Romney’s Standard Oil Co., Fowler Bank, Thieme & Wangerin Dry Goods Store and Shanklin and King Undertakers from Romney Centennial publication, 1932

16
Pages showing Republican candidates and ads for Loeb & Hene Co and S.S. KRESGE Co (Lafayette) from Romney Centennial publication, 1932

17
Pages showing democratic candidates and an ad for Schnaible drug store, from Romney Centennial publication, 1932

18
Google earth map of railroad crossing at Romney, red arrow marks where the grain elevator track would have diverged from the missing passing siding.

19
Google earth map of tracks just north of Romney depot location, the blue line marks where the passing siding would have been. The red arrow marks where they came together.

Barriger's photo (Photo 3) above is looking North and confirms that the depot was in the Northeast quadrant of the tracks and the road.

1961/62 Romney Quad @ 24,000

At first, I thought fertilizer supply was a bigger business than grain storage, but then I noticed the grain elevator a little further west of the tracks.

Satellite

Stirum, ND: Wood Grain Elevator

(Satellite)

The railroad was the Northern Pacific, and it is now the Red River Valley & Western.

Street View, Nov 2021

Street View, Nov 2021

Wesley Peters posted

Grain Elevator Photography Trip 2, North Dakota.

Stirum, Sargent County, ND.

Stirum Grain Co. Built in 1958, Hogenson Construction Co. Bushel capacity unknown.

Photographed on 7/19/2025.

Photo courtesy of Wesley Peters.

This town easily has more bins than houses.

Satellite

Harrisville, WV: Cliff's Museum of Automobile Memorabilia

(Satellite)

Street View, Sep 2023

They had a couple of vehicles for sale in 2025.

Street View, Sep 2025

Danny green nostalgia posted
This car memorabilia museum draws fans from everywhere.

Charlie Wilson: Cliff's Museum of Automobile Memorabilia, known as "The Building," is located at 305 East Main Street in Harrisville, West Virginia.

AtlasOcscura, 1 of several photos
"Located in a former Chevrolet dealership dating back to the 1930s, this 13,000-square-foot, locally owned museum is full of antique automobiles, gas station pumps, store signs, road maps, license plates, and thousands more items of automobile memorabilia. It is said to have the most complete collection of West Virginia licenses."

Note the firetruck in the left background.

OnlyInYourState
"Outside, notice the old gas pumps and perhaps an old car or two....More of both can be found inside, along with automobile equipment, oil cans and bottles, car parts, maps, a local West Virginia coca cola bottle collection, motorcycles, auto brand names and advertising, and of course license plates (more than 4,000!)."

Lawrence Johnson, Jul 2025