Flour Mill, Crib Elevator, Warehouse, Offices - 1801 South Gulf Street - Lamar, MO - To Be Torn Down

This thread mainly concerns Rick McClellan's layout, or any one else planning to model Lamar, MO on their layout

My mom told me tonight that the flower mill in Lamar, MO is to be torn down soon because of the the condition it's in.

This is your last chance to get photographs of it for references.

If any one needs photographs of the building let me know and I can post some.

Ethan

Sanborn Fire Insurance Company map timeline.

The 1948 map revision indicates the location address is 1801 South Gulf Street.

1885 - Brand-Dunwoody Milling Company - Gulf Roller Mills - Capacity 100 bushels
1891 - Brand-Dunwoody Milling Company - Gulf Roller Mills - Capacity 100 bushels
1896 - Brand-Dunwoody Milling Company - Gulf Roller Mills - Capacity 125 bushels
1902 - Lamar Mill and Elevator Company - Amos Brand - Capacity 125 bushels
1910 - Moran Milling Company - Capacity 200 barrels per 24 hours, elevators 28,000 bushels
1916 - Lamar Milling Company - Capacity elevator 18,000 bushels
1926 - Lamar Milling Company - Capacity elevator 18,000 bushels
1948 - F. M. Thorpe Company - Wire goods

Edit 1/25/2024: Added timeline, address and occupancy information from Sanborn Fire Insurance Company maps.
MKD

 

Does anyone on the forum know if this was a belt driven mill and if so is any of the machinery stiil in the building and intact?

 

What took you so long?

 

Doubt it.

From what I can piece together the flour mill closed, stayed empty for a while and then Thorco moved into it for a while. Then they moved to a new building and used this old building for storage.

If you look at the pictures Keith took it's not in very good shape and there are a lot of vines growing over it.

Also the spur is still there, but you can't get cars to it.

 

Mark and everybody,

I will try to get some pictures next chance I get, more than likely Monday.

 

Hey Ethan

I won't mention any names but the person who bought it probably won't get to tearing it down any time soon.

I would guess this summer. It will be a big job. He just wants the rock.

I was in the building last winter and it is awesome. Scary but awesome. The original belt driven cast iron wheels are still inside.

I have pics from the basement to the roof as well as plenty from the outside through the years. As a matter of fact I just got a hold of two 1950ish aerials showing the mill. I have also been collecting photos and postcards at the Historical Society. It will be strange not seeing it there.

It was built in 1884.

 

I have a blue print of the mill with exact measurements.

 

Here are some photos I posted real quick I think I have some others somewhere.

http://tigeractionphotos.zenfolio.com/mill

 

I love the one with the "Frisco Line" boxcar.

Great stuff.

Dan

 

Which one is that Dan?

 

When you go to the site, click on #4.

It is the mill with a partial view of an old Frisco Line boxcar.

Dan

 

I gotcha now.

Boy some of you guys have some great layouts. I have a small HO layout I started with my son when he was 4. We have 10 or so engines and several coaches, box cars, etc. But every one of the 10 engines we have has some kind of significance. A lot of the "ordinary" ones like the BNSF, UP, etc. are ones we saw all the time and got our picture with. Others, like the Steamer, Thomas the Tank and John Deere engines were gifts. The Alaska engine is one my in-laws went on several years.

Although not as extravagant as others I have seen on here, I am still proud of it except the Bachman track. I put a lot of time into it. All the scenery I made myself including the tunnel and buildings. All the engines are equipped with DCC with sound as well. But the biggest thing I am proud of is the motorized turntable. It really works and lines up. That was a bugger to put in.

It is all covered up now and has not been used for a while. But one of these days I will get back to it. I want to replace all the plastic Bachman track with better track and roadbed. And you have to realize that when I started making this I didn't know anything about Model railroading. So my inclines and the radius on my turns are way off. But hey, gotta work with what you got right.

http://joedavis.zenfolio.com/trains

 

Joe,

To not know very much when you started, looks as if you have done a very good job.

Love the "Thomas" engine sitting between the diesels.

 

Thanks, I appreciate it.

Problem is I am going to have to re-learn all this stuff since I stopped doing it 4 or 5 years ago, especially the DCC codes.

 

I noticed something between the two aerial photographs.

I remember seeing a 1926 suborn map that showed a pond there where the creek goes through now. In the First photograph it's there, but the second it's not. It would be nice to see someone gut out the floors, roof, leave the original stone, gears, anything else that's in good shape rebuild everything else and make it a museum. It would take a millionaire. HMMMM

That spur is still there. Rebuild the railroad, find an former Frisco box car, move the caboose over too and restore them to original condition.

One can only dream.

EDIT: Any one else notice the interesting pictures of the passenger train and the interlocking tower?

I'm guessing it has a 4-6-2 for power.

 

There used to be an ice house north of the O'Sullivan, Inc. plant and just north of the spur.

The city just removed what was left of it underneath the ground so their mowers could mow without any problems.

At the Historical Society we have an old 1900 map showing it.

 

That was the old Mill pond.

We have several pictures of kids ice skating on it. Not sure when and what happened to it. I don't know that much about flour mills but maybe the pond was used by the mill, hence the name. Then when new technology became available maybe they didn't need the pond anymore.

Speaking of the Sanborn maps have you seen the full resolution color ones online?

I just found the link a month or so ago. They are awesome but only go up to 1916.