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UER Forum > Archived US: South > Fertilizer Plant (Viewed 564 times)
BugPowder 


Location: Dallas
Gender: Male




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Fertilizer Plant
< on 9/9/2007 7:35 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I sure hope this place isn't old news.

I saw it from the road a couple of weeks ago on my way elsewhere.
By my standards, this place is huge. Probably a half mile on a side, with about a dozen larger structures, and 4-5 smaller ones, all vacated.

A full exploration would take several visits.
I've labeled buildings I explored or shot from the outside on the diagram.



Basically, I went in the front gate, made a left, and headed for what I had seen from the road. I'll refer to it as the main factory, or plant. On my way there, I hit the tanks and the chimney, then went inside the main plant. From there, I basically did a clockwise circuit, staying longer in buildings I found more interesting, and spending less time in the ones that didn't seem to offer much.

I took around 90 pictures, so I've obviously had to narrow it down.
I took some pictures just to expose the sheer scope of the place.
(Side note: I always have trouble getting decent exterior pictures on cloudy days, and this was one. I know some of those shots aren't that good.)

The locals say it's been abandoned for a long time. I heard everything from seven to twenty years.
Some things I saw made twenty years seem about right.

More than once, I heard it was a fertilizer manufacturing plant. One guy said it was called "Napac." It is currently owned by a dairy, and they house calves there. So technically, there is still some on-site activity. Just not nearly as much as there obviously used to be, and nothing is being used for its original purpose.

I had a limited amount of time (someone from the dairy was due to tend the calves in the afternoon) so I had to skip quite a few buildings. I skipped some buildings for other reasons I'll explain along the way. So here goes!


The front gate. The white domes are where the calves live.
In the background, left to right is a hay storage building, the condenser and the silo.
I skipped this front building (extreme right), even though I parked 50 yards away!


It was either a separate building, or the extreme North end of the main plant has completely collapsed.
On the right is what may have been a guard station.
The building in back is attached to the main factory and is probably about 6 stories tall.


A better picture of the main factory tower.
Parts of the cinder block base looked as though they had been hit by artillery rounds.


Another view of the collapse, with the main factory in the background.


From inside the main factory, looking out at the collapse.


Basically turned the tripod around to take in the size of the main factory interior.


The far end of the main factory.
The little indentions in the mud are thousands of raccoon tracks...
At least that was what I told myself.


These cat-litter bags made me wonder if the main factory hadn't been re-purposed at some time.


Green corrugated fiberglass skylights. What a simple thing, and yet the lighting effects they can produce. I heart them.
Basically the same picture as the one before the cat-litter, taken from a raised concrete platform that ran about half the length of the main factory.


This mixing drum was about four feet tall by about six feet long.
Apparently water had collected inside, and rusted its way back out.
Evidence of the twenty years abandonment the locals estimated.


Moving along to the next building, I took a picture to include several buildings for scope.
Notice the vines on the right side of the condenser:
Mother Nature's big green mitt reaching up out of the ground to pull down man's creation.


Next up, the electrical/repair shop.
I found this building the most interesting due to the amount of stuff left behind.
This picture is through the doorway to the electrical shop.


Same doorway, different angle; this exposure took :30. It was almost pitch black.
Of course I forgot to bring my flashlight. Guess I'll just have to go back!


This is an elevated storage area, just a few feet from the previous shot.
What a mess!


From a second angle.


A lengthwise shot of the repair shop, taken from the elevated storage area.
The shelf in the next picture would be along the right hand wall of this one.


This shelf contained dozens of boxes of International Harvester parts.
Suggesting it had been re-purposed at some time.


This is a five ton hook. My theory is that at one time, it lifted stuff.


Just like wood shop from back in the day. "Get yer tools here!"
Attached to the wall at left is an ANCIENT telephone switching box, complete with circuit boards intact.


I call this "The Flop-house." It's attached to the repair shop, but looks like an add-on.
At least the taggers seem peaceful. (OK. Sorry!)


On my way to the next building, I passed this pen for the calves.
They were the ONLY ones curious about my doings all day!


The next building contained these chains and gear. And wasps buzzing around.
I moved slowly enough not to piss them off, but couldn't help but be amazed at the size of the gears and chains.
The gear is at least 2 1/2 feet across, and the links were about 8-10 inches a piece.

Well it's very late and I'm tired.
I'll try to post more in the next couple of days.

Hope y'all enjoyed it so far!

Raticus 

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Location: Tyler
Gender: Male


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Re: Fertilizer Plant
<Reply # 1 on 9/9/2007 2:42 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Very well done BugPowder. That's a nice location and some good pictures too.

Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools speak because they have to say something.
Happiedaze 


Location: Galveston Area, TX
Gender: Female




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Re: Fertilizer Plant
<Reply # 2 on 9/9/2007 2:46 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Nice find and great pictures!


Also, I'm sure you put a lot of thought and research into what that 5 ton hook was used for. Even though guessing it was used for lifting stuff is a long shot, I think you may just be right about this one. ;)

'Our plans are all laid out,
take all these unmarked roads,
we blaze the trails to places no one goes, yeah!' -Rise Against
BugPowder 


Location: Dallas
Gender: Male




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Re: Fertilizer Plant
<Reply # 3 on 9/9/2007 4:20 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Hey thanks. I've always thought some of the best discoveries are made when looking for something else.
This certainly fits that category.

I'm working on culling out and prepping more shots.

Raticus 

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Location: Tyler
Gender: Male


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Re: Fertilizer Plant
<Reply # 4 on 9/9/2007 7:21 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by BugPowder
Hey thanks. I've always thought some of the best discoveries are made when looking for something else.
This certainly fits that category.

I'm working on culling out and prepping more shots.


The good thing is you actually get out there and explore. So many people on here don't do that anymore. They get on here and want information just handed to them, or else they pretend to explore but never actually get out of the house. Great work.

Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools speak because they have to say something.
istakebroad 


Location: Arkansas
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Re: Fertilizer Plant
<Reply # 5 on 9/9/2007 10:34 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Wonderful pictures and a swell find. Thanks for the captions also.

War is an intergalactic language. We're all fluent, but some of us speak it natively.
BugPowder 


Location: Dallas
Gender: Male




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Re: Fertilizer Plant
<Reply # 6 on 9/9/2007 11:42 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by Raticus


The good thing is you actually get out there and explore. So many people on here don't do that anymore. They get on here and want information just handed to them, or else they pretend to explore but never actually get out of the house. Great work.


Now there's a can o' worms!

This probably belongs in the rookie forums, but I've noticed lots of them seem pretty hard-headed, so I've avoided it.

Anyhow, I think getting out of the city is the way to scratch the itch these days. Population centers are understandably jumpy. So it just doesn't make sense to borrow that kind of trouble. Get away from all that. It takes a bit more time and work, but what's further out is just as, if not more interesting, and easily as photogenic.

The closer you are to a downtown area, the tougher time you'll have explaining yourself. We know we don't have bad intentions, but the casual observer doesn't.

I'll finish up the pictures, starting out with a little mop-up of the electrical repair shop:


A detail of the ancient phone switch box.


Just inside the door to the main building, I noticed a box mounted to the wall.
On closer inspection, a clever bird had built its nest there.
Only 4-5 feet off the ground.


I took this before I found the flop-house.
Which was why I thought the bed in the room on the left was so strange.
But even more strange was the child's toy in the room on the right.


After the chains and gears building, I walked past the condenser.
One of the downsides of exploring solo is that you can't climb things like this!


The last building I spent time in just seemed like a catchall storage building.
It was divided in half by a wall. Almost nothing on one side, and this on the other.
Farm equipment and a hobby horse...


And a pile of couches and old appliances.


Here's a close up of one of the old appliances.
The "Butcher Boy." I can only guess what that was used for...


An old washing machine with stilts for legs.
The "Energy Saver." Saving lots of energy these days.


The heat wasn't too bad, but I was pretty thirsty.
Luckily, I found this old Dr. Pepper machine.
But the darn thing stole my money.


This room was attached to the storage area.
No idea what a "Print-Vac 190" is used for, but I liked the spider webs on it.


Among the debris were several 3-ring binders filled with work and purchase orders.


A close-up (out of focus! Augh!) of the previous shot.
Clark-Bresser letterhead, and a date of 8-26-80.
Even *I* was a young man then!


On my way out, I noticed a pile of long forgotten Christmas decorations.
Someone took their time creating these.
The names hand-painted on them made me wonder: "Where are they now?"


By this time, the calf-tending employee was due to arrive within the hour.
Time to head back, but on the way, I got a better picture of the cow huts.

All in all, a good day's exploration.
And the best part about this site:

A couple of miles away, there's a Dairy Queen that's definitely NOT abandoned!

efrain 


Location: Alexandria, LA
Gender: Male




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Re: Fertilizer Plant
<Reply # 7 on 9/10/2007 4:03 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Wow, those are some great pics, and a great find. Just one thing that troubles me is that you clearly saw the 'No Trespassing' sign...Mr, you clearly saw it. What you did was a crime, how could you trespass??? For shame.

BugPowder 


Location: Dallas
Gender: Male




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Re: Fertilizer Plant
<Reply # 8 on 9/10/2007 4:23 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by efrain
Wow, those are some great pics, and a great find. Just one thing that troubles me is that you clearly saw the 'No Trespassing' sign...Mr, you clearly saw it. What you did was a crime, how could you trespass??? For shame.


Actually, um, I uhh...

Oh! I have a very rare eye disease. There.

Seriously though, thanks!

Barry Kooda 


Location: The Cliff
Gender: Male


Trees

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Re: Fertilizer Plant
<Reply # 9 on 9/15/2007 1:43 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I love that place.
Coffinnail, Noah Vale and I got thrown out of there last time we went a couple of years ago by the guys who rent the property for cattle but they were very nice about it. Someone had escaped from the prison and there were cops with AK's all over so we decided it was best to vamoose.
You're really close to the old Carr Ranch where there's an entrance to Balcones Fault. They used to hide runaway slaves in the cave there.
Nice photos!

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Next time you're down there, stop by the cave.

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[last edit 9/15/2007 1:44 AM by Barry Kooda - edited 1 times]

I'm a blatant waste of time and resources.
UER Forum > Archived US: South > Fertilizer Plant (Viewed 564 times)



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