If you are here because of the Big Four roundhouse, than you need to go there.
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| Jeffrey Dunn posted Eagle Pitcher Company Hillsboro Illinois 1954 - Manufacturers of zinc oxide. In the background, top right you can see the Hillsboro Railroad Depot. Top center, railroad roundhouse. Top left, Ball Brothers Glass. The foundation of the roundhouse still exists and can be seen when you drive by. Samuel Dorlaque: My Dad started working at Eagle Picher before WWII; and after the war worked there until he retired. I remember the plant chemist, Max Page, on learning that my brother David was interested in chemistry, inviting him out to the lab as a Junior High student, to study with Max. Max worked with David regularly throughout High School. David started his own "chem lab" in our basement and ended up getting a National Merit Scholarship to Washington University sponsored by the American Chemical Corporation when he graduated from HHS. Susan Hucker: I agree all the closed plants, Eagle Pitcher, the Glass Factory, American Zinc, CIPS, etc., allowed people to earn a good living. Both Eagle Pitcher & American Zinc were found to be the source of toxic chemicals & waste in the air, soil and water. Most everyone remembers the white powdery dust that covered everything at the plant and around the surrounding areas. My brother-in-law, Bernie, farmed a field next to the old airport (now where our H2O treatment plant) back in the 1970s. After a couple of years, he stopped because the stalks & ears of the corn were all gnarly and misshaped in appearance. He determined the soil there was contaminated because none of his other crops in other fields were damaged like that! Even the trees across the road from the field and directly behind E. P.’s plant, were also gnarly looking. The field he farmed eventually became Hillsboro’s Sports Complex & Industrial Park. Someone had the foresight to have soil samples taken and tested prior to building the Sports Complex. The soil came back contaminated and the Corp of Engineers hauled tons after tons of the toxic soil away and replaced it with clean soil. Now the EPA’s Superfund is finishing the cleanup of Eagle Pitcher’s property and leaving the land with clean new soil. They are supposed to to start soon (if they haven’t already) cleaning up all the American Zinc property and the areas around it. Jeffrey Dunn: Operated from 1912 to 2003. Employed 400 at the peak. The Taylor Springs zinc facility was more than double the size of this one. Helen Cearlock: Jeffrey Dunn I would like to know where the TS Zinc facility was and how many was employed there? My daughter asked me about it after they announced about the funding they will be getting to clean it up. Thank you for your information on Eagle Pitcher. Jeffrey Dunn: Helen Cearlock hillsboro was 132 acre site. Taylor Springs was 600 acres and employed 800 people at the peak. The site is located close to downtown ts. South of town New York Central Hillsboro Illinois Bill Edrington: The passenger depot is in the upper right corner, in the "wedge" at the junction of the Short Line and the Old Line. Hillsboro Tower is just east of the depot on the opposite side of the main line, and the coal dock, which straddled the two main tracks, can be seen to the left of the roundhouse. |
It was the industry in the middle of this excerpt. What was the industry on the right of the excerpt?
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| 1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP |
A comment indicated that the literal brownland is now a Superfund.
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| Satellite |
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