Evansville, IN: Bucyrus-Erie/Vulcan Steam Shovel Plant

(Satellite)

Bucyrus entered the small revolving steam shovel market by purchasing Vulcan Steam Shovel and building a new factory in Evansville in 1911. This plant was closed during the depression, but it reopened later. [company-history] The video below states that the plant was closed in 1983.

Evidently Vulcan Steam Shovel started out in Toledo, OH. [VintagePaperAds & eBay, eBay]

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HistoricEvansville, Source: Evansville Courier - 8/27/1911
Construction at new Vulcan Steam Shovel factory

(new window) The Evansville plant made the medium machines (dragline and shovels) whereas Milwaukee made the big ones and Erie made the small ones.

 

In addition to the shovels and draglines for which I know the company, B-E also made construction equipment. [ContractorMag] The video says these were also made in the Evansville plant.

EVP

Thomas Mueller via University of Southern Indiana, Nov 8, 1961

Melmar Properties via EvansvilleLiving
Wendell Bennett posted
Bucyrus Erie plant in Evansville, Indiana from 1914-1981 when the plant was closed. It started building the steam shovels used to build the Panama Canal and machines to strip coal in Southern. Indiana. If you have any info or pictures from this era please post them.
Dennis DeBruler: There are some photos in these notes:
https://towns-and-nature.blogspot.com/.../evansville-in...

Photo via Willard Library

15th photo in Aerial Views of the 1937 Flood
Area west of Pigeon Creek: Howell is in the foreground (train yard at right), and the Mead Johnson Terminal is the L-shaped building in the upper right where Pigeon Creek meets the Ohio River. Dated January 26, 1937
[Note the buildings in the left center of this photo.]

My parents used to live in Evansville so during one of my trips there I took photos of the B-E buildings.

20150117

I guess I could see inside the building better than the camera could.