La Salle, IL: Lost/IC Depot, Freight House and Engine House

(Satellite, the depot is long gone)

I already have some notes on the railyard.

Illinois Central Railroad Scrapbook posted

An IC company photographer took this photo of the IC's depot at LaSalle, IL, on June 10, 1915. The depot was in the process of being enlarged. The walls for the new addition appear to be about half completed. Meanwhile, part of the wall between the old and new parts of the depot has been taken down.

Despite the construction work, it appears the depot was still in daily use (note the baggage wagon in front of the depot).

IC photo, Cliff Downey collection.

Marty Bernard posted
4. IC Station, LaSalle, IL in May 1962. A Rick Burn photo
Harry D. LaBar When did passenger service end on the Gruber line?Jim French Harry D. LaBar 1939Harry D. LaBar Jim French Thanks Jim. I would’ve thought it would’ve lasted through WW2.

I believe the red rectangle is where the depot was and the yellow rectangle was the freight house. The I&M Canal runs along the bottom. You can see the freight house in the background of Rick Burn's photo.

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Andy Zukowski posted
Illinois Central Railroad Depot in LaSalle, Illinois. 1920’s
[Note the water tower on the right.]
John Richmond: What an off-beat design. All that glass. No bay window. Etc. But I've seen various IC depots that were not-your-average depot.

Andy Zukowski posted
Illinois Central Railroad, Passenger Depot, LaSalle Illinois before remodeling in 1915.

Christie Pasieka posted four photos with the comment: "Year 1918, LaSalle Freight House.  I have more pictures that I will sort through."

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This must have been a predecessor depot.

Christie Pasieka posted

I was looking for the depot that was in Ticona,IL. ( which I did find)  A little more looking and found the depot below.

1896 Passenger and freight house LaSalle 

3rd Div I.C.R.R. March 30,1896

Bruce Liebe: Notice the Carus mansion directly above the freight house (later to be the engine house)..

Pam Broviak commented on Christie's post
I drew the direction of the shot on this Sanborn map of LaSalle from 1898. I was curious about that house so wanted to see how the map fit this photo. The map notes that barn looking structure behind the house is an ice house?
Bruce Liebe: Pam Broviak as I'm sure you know from your interest in history, ice houses were common in that time period. There were 3 different beer distributors in the area of the old CB&Q depot in LaSalle that were listed as "ice houses." For beer, I guess the ice house was important before pasteurization. There certainly had to be plenty more ice suppliers for other refrigeration needs.

Andy Zukowski posted
Illinois Central Railroad Engine House in LaSalle, Illinois (1980s) Photo by Steve Shutt

Christie Pasieka posted seven photos with the comment:

The year 1915, a picture series on the remodeling of the LaSalle Passenger Station. 

I posted these all at the same time for a reason. Tell us what you see in the photos.  The details along with the oddities.  

My question is the top and bottom wood of the bow window, and how the bow was made?

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Port Huron, MI: Roundhouses, Backshops and GTW Yard Office

(A blog posting about the C&O roundhouse)

While looking for the 6-stall roundhouse talked about in this article: CSX readies Michigan roundhouse for donation (source), I discovered the land scar of a big roundhouse (below). (Caution: TheTimesHearld has an absolute pay count.) Another article about CSX donating instead of destroying (source) And another article   

David Cofield, CSX project monitor-inspector for asbestos abatement removal projects, says crews started working in Port Huron Township this month. The Times Herald reports that they soon heard from concerned railroad history buffs worried about losing the historic structure. Plans initially called for clearing the site about 55 miles (88 kilometers) northeast of Detroit, but Cofield says the project has changed to environmental cleanup and salvage. [USnews]

So the cost of  asbestos containment during demolition was probably high enough that just removing the asbestos might be cheaper. Or maybe CSX has had enough derailments that they feel the need to get some good PR. Or maybe some of that corporate tax cut is actually trickling down rather than just buying back shares.

I believe this was GTW's roundhouse. You can see that some of the stalls were longer than the others to accommodate larger steam locomotives.

Satellite

Fortunately, the second article gave an address for the existing roundhouse. It is too bad CSX didn't donate it before the roof fell in.

Satellite

1952/54 Port Huron Quad @ 24,000

David Combs, May 2018

David Combs, May 2018

Link Banner

The C&O roundhouse was originally Pere Marquette. This page (source) has several photos. It claims it is by 16th Street. But I couldn't find one over there. The photos look similar to this Street View.

Street View

If you know where this was, please leave its location in a comment.

Charles Geletzke Jr. posted
The GTW 32nd Street yard office at Tunnel Yard in Port Huron, Michigan as photographed on May 28. 1975. (Ken Annett photo; C. H. Geletzke, Jr. collection)

Viral Media posted five images with the comment:

Grand Trunk Port Huron Shops

In 1918 Grand Trunk rebuilt shops in Port Huron in for the construction and repair of freight and passenger cars. Including tracks and buildings the new plant covered an area of 55 acres and represented an expenditure of more than $700,000

GTRR built their first Port Huron car shops in 1882, on the site of the former Fort Gratiot.  That complex was nearly demolished by the Great Lakes Hurricane of 1913. What remained standing of the ten-acre complex was subsequently annihilated in a devastating fire two weeks later.

The new facility included two buildings for the repair of passenger cars with a total capacity of 27 cars, a steel freight car shop and a wood freight car shop each with a 28-car capacity, a repair track yard with a capacity for 200 cars.  Auxiliary buildings included a modern power plant, cabinet shop. blacksmith shop, machine shop, and wood mill.

Grand Trunk Railroad also had a roundhouse nearby, but it was demolished in 1964. In 1975, the historic Port Huron Grand Trunk Western Railway Depot was demolished. In 1982 a fire destroyed on of the buildings in Port Huron shops. 

In December 1991, Canadian National announced a restructuring program to consolidate all of its U.S. railroads under the CN North America. Grand Trunk Western became CN North America. As a part of restructuring Grand Trunk closed its Port Huron shop in 1995. The Port Huron shops were sold to PDS Rail Car Services Corp. The shop reopened in 1996 and PDS hired many of the former Grand Trunk employees. The shops closed in 2001. After closure the remaining shop buildings were torn down.

Dave Hooton: I didn’t know that the Great Storm of Nov. 1913 did major damage to the GTR on land, you only hear about all the boats that were lost on the Great Lakes in the storm.

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Viral Media posted

CN Port Huron Terminal

Port Huron had been the location of Grand Trunk Western car shops and a roundhouse, although all that is left are foundations. The yard at Port Huron operationally acts like an extension of Sarnia Yard.  In Sarnia Ontario, Canada across the river is a CN Sarnia yard driven by the energy industry traffic. Port Huron also serves as a staging yard for the complex interaction required for an international freight rail Port of Entry. There are some freight operations that take place here, but the yard’s international role is the primary activity.

The Canadian National Flint Subdivision runs from Tappan to CN's South Bend Subdivision in Battle Creek, Michigan. At Tappan, The Flint Sub meets the Strathroy Subdivision which runs through the St. Clair Tunnel into Ontario. The line was part of the Grand Trunk Western Railroad mainline between Chicago and Toronto. The line mostly handles freight traffic, although Amtrak's Blue Water uses the line between Battle Creek and Port Huron.

Historically Tappan was the site of a busy interlocking tower junction of five railroad lines radiating out in eight directions.

• GTW main line between Port Huron and Flint

• GTW main line between Fort Gratiot and West Detroit

• Pere Marquette's Almont branch from Port Huron to Almont (abandoned)

• Pere Marquette's branch to Saginaw via Marlette (abandoned)

• Pere Marquette's Port Huron Yard

The CN Fort Gratiot Branch is operated by Lake State Railway (LSCR) and serves Dunn Paper near the Blue Water Bridge. Unfortunately, the Dotmar paper mill on the branch announced it was closing last year [this was published at the end of 2024].

Charles Geletzke Jr. shared

Jeff Branch: One thing that I haven't heard brought out, but back in the days of LCL [Less than Car Load] operations, the Port Huron freight house appeared to be the main hub of LCL for GTW considering its proximity to the CN system and U.S. Customs, and location between Detroit, Chicago, and Toronto, etc.

Superior, WI: Dec 2018: Burning of 1888 world's largest grain elevator (Peavy Globe)

(HAER; 3D Satellite)

This was one of several big grain elevators in Superior, WI.

This Peavey Globe Elevator been abandoned for decades and three men were salvaging wood. They escaped without harm. Wood that had already been sold for $450,000 and two hydro cranes were lost. I saw damage estimates of $2.5 million and $10 million. This was part of the huge harbor facilities on the west end of Lake Superior.

Some "before" photos.

Photo from WDIO  (source)
[The linked WDIO article contains an informative four minute video.]

The fire chief implied that a spark could ignite the wood. I don't think a spark is going to set a timber on fire. In fact, I wonder how long you would have to hold a blow torch next to a timber so that it would continue to burn after you remove the torch. But if the workers disturbed some grain dust hidden between timbers, a spark could ignite a dust cloud.

A silent, long video of the fire burning.

Kyle Day from WDIO

Satellite, saving an image because this view will change
It shows that a lot of the wood has already been removed.

mprnews
"The site featured two storage buildings and a head house. Built in 1887, the Globe Elevators were at one time the largest elevators in the world, according to an online historical record kept by the Old Globe Wood Company and confirmed by the Duluth port authority. The Globe Elevators featured the first integrated elevator system — able to convey grain between structures."

David Schauer posted
The year is 1973 and we are looking toward Duluth from Superior's waterfront. Canadian lakers are loading at the GN elevator (center) and Globe elevator (right). Two silver stackers of the U.S. Steel fleet are headed for the DM&IR ore docks while a pair of salties are at the port terminal. The open area in the lower left would soon become the Superior Midwest Energy Terminal to handle millions of tons of western coal through the Twin Ports. Burlington Northern's Wisconsin and Minnesota swing bridges are also visible (removed in the mid-1980s). Basgen Photography

Chad Van Hove commented on David's post
Been finishing cabins with the globe wood for 5 years, so beautiful.

Mick Sertich: Chad van Hove yes sir! Beautiful wood. I remember being inside the bins looking at the wood walls. So smooth from grain running over the walls

OldGlobeWood

SubStreet, please follow the link for a nice history of the elevator

Photo from HAER WI-107-A-4 from wc0582

4. GLOBE ELEVATOR COMPANY, SUPERIOR WISCONSIN 1887; NO. 3 ANNEX FOREGROUND. NO. 2 ANNEX WORKHOUSE [NO. 1] TIMBER CRIB CONSTRUCTION, J.T. MOULTON AND SONS, CHICAGO [ARCHITECT]. - Peavey Globe Elevator, No. 1 House, West Gate Basin & Howard's Bay, east side of slip, Superior, Douglas County, WI

The workhouse that is in the background of the above photo:

Photo from HAER WI-107-A-3 from wc0582

David Schauer posted
A Sunday flashback...shows the Lake Manitoba loading at the Globe Elevator in Superior on August 14, 1976. The GN elevator is in the lower left and Harvest States is in the upper right. Basgen Photography

HAER WI-107
Peavey Globe Elevator, West Gate Basin & Howard's Bay, east side of slip, Superior, Douglas County, WI
[Demolished 2000]

3D Satellite

HAER WI-107
Peavey Globe Elevator, West Gate Basin & Howard's Bay, east side of slip, Superior, Douglas County, WI

HAER WI-107-A, first of fourteen photos including several interior shots
Peavey Globe Elevator, No. 1 House, West Gate Basin & Howard's Bay, east side of slip, Superior, Douglas County, WI

Christie MacDonald commented on a post
For our restoration in sturgeon bay, to fix our rot bin areas, we bought lumber from the globe elevator months before it burned down.

David Schauer posted
An image from 1976 of the Globe Elevator in Superior as a Canadian laker loads. I can't read the name but maybe Lake Manitoba? There is a green maple leaf logo on its stack. Basgen Photography
Alain M. Gindroz: No question Lake Manitoba
Dennis DeBruler: Thanks for keeping this group Public so that the great photos of the grain elevators can be shared.
Dennis DeBruler shared
This Peavy Globe Elevator was the world's largest in 1888. It was abandoned decades ago and a company was dismantling it to salvage the wood. Unfortunately, it caught fire in 2018.

 

Dennis DeBruler commented on his share

When built, it had a steam boiler house on the north side. What is the proper name for the concrete structure that replaced it? Headhouse?

"Globe from the side of Great Northern. Sawyer Unloader (Gallagher, Duluth Public Library)" via substreet: https://substreet.org/globe-elevator/

Bob Summers: Dennis DeBruler I was brought up calling top part of the tall portion of an elevator the “headhouse” because that is where the top of the elevator legs (vertical conveyors) and the associated machinery, scales, distributors and sometimes some grain cleaning equipment. The lower portion may have some grain bins. For a concrete country elevator we referred to the initial structure, including the upper portion or headhouse as the “working house” to differentiate it and any grain storage annexes which have grain bins and horizontal conveyors on top in what were sometimes called “galleries” or “Texas house” and the tunnels under the bins we just called the “basement.” Not sure these are proper names as offen referred to differently in different parts of the country.

Al Miller posted
Views of a glass plate print of the Soo Line whaleback Washburn loading. Although the elevator says Duluth, I believe this actually is in Superior, Wis.
[Al's posting includes three closeups of the whaleback boat.]
Tim Pranke Al, I don't think I have seen this one before. And you are correct, this is Superior, the elevator that burn a couple years ago.
Al Miller Tim Pranke This is a 1980s print made off a glass plate neg that I believe was shot by D.F. Barry, who set up shop in Superior for a time and apparently did some work for McDougall in the early days to help publicize the whaleback design.

Mike Harlan shared
Greg Sumser I believe that elevator is STILL standing near BARCO in Superior.

Dennis DeBruler shared
The first photo is of interest. According to Google Earth images, it burned between Sep 2006 and Sep 2008. It appears it has been disassembled for the wood.
https://www.google.com/…/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x52ae53fa…
It looks like these elevators are also being "mined" for wood.
https://www.google.com/…/@46.7388935,-92.1018…/data=!3m1!1e3
Rick Aylsworth Yes, it was being salvaged for timber at the time of the fire.
Bob Summers Estimated date for this photo? Looks like a steam engine room on the left, so likely before they had electric motors?
Dennis DeBruler The first whaleback was built in 1887, so this could be before electricity became popular. Or they may have converted it to electricity but they hadn't bothered to tear down the steam plant. I think it is safe to say that it is old enough that it originally operated with steam instead of electricity.
I just noticed the wires in the foreground. But I don't think those are electric power wires.
We are also left with the question of what did the conveyor on the right go to.
Bob Summers Dennis DeBruler based on my research the mills and elevators here in central Kansas converted to powering with electric motors mostly in the second decade of the 20rh century, may have had electric light a little earlier. When our first concrete terminal was built in Hutchinson in 1913 they used electric motors, and the mills and older wooden elevators were starting to change over from the coal fired steam power plants. Lots of fires in those days. I suppose the conveyor you mentioned when to another laker loading pier to the right.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Greg's comment on Mike's post
It looks like it got disassembled for the wood.
https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4...

Judging from images from Google Earth, it burned between Sep 2006 and Sep 2008. I include a Dec 2005 image because it is better.

200512

200609

200809

Or is it these elevators that are being "mined" for wood.

3D Satellite

Jacob Wickman posted 12 photos with the comment: "Headed over to Superior to catch the Miedwie loading grain at CHS 1. Right across the road is what remains of the former globe elevator. It’s sad to see what was the largest grain elevator in the world when built being torn down, but at least they’re trying to preserve much of the wood from the insides. 9/9/23"

Mick Sertich: The Globe was a work horse facility, employed many people , but was too labor intensive . Many of the bins leaked together or next to each other. Had to put the same grain next to each other, so it didn’t get mixed. She served the port well in her day! Lots of overtime.

Ken Olson: Some of the Glove Elevator burned down in 2018. https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/.../video-and-photos...

Dennis DeBruler shared

Because the freighter has cranes, I believe it is a salty.

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Dennis DeBruler commented on his share
The elevator loading the freighter is on the right and the wood elevator that is being dismantled is on the left.
 https://www.google.com/maps/@46.7402484,-92.1058595,980m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu