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Server Time:
2024-05-07 14:01:20
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 noogie
 
Location: Eau Claire
Gender: Male
happy happy joy joy
 |  |  | Finally!
< on 4/9/2009 7:05 PM >
|  | | | It had been taunting me for a long time. Sitting on the corner lot near a busy intersection just waiting to be explored. many times I passed it and thought how neat it would be to gain access inside somehow. I know others have been inside because of the tagging on the buildings outside.
This place has been sitting vacant for some time and since the site is pretty contaminated from its former use, no buyers or developers have been interested for long.
I parked nearby in a neighborhood and camera bag in hand approached it. A municipal truck drove by the joggers pathway near the site but never gave me a second look. I found a break in the fencing and was on the lot! I hightailed it closer and took my bearings. At first it seemed no easy access was there without climbing or going to areas which were highly visible. I found a set of steps which I followed down into a long corridor filled with much and slime, ending in - you guessed it - a dead end!
Not wanting to do a lot of climbing, I looked around until I found a break in the foundation and slipped inside. I was in!
Looking around I stopped for a moment to savor my first real factory setting.
I had no worries as I looked around inside and began to take pictures.
The part of the place I was looking around in was only a small part of the entirety and I was happy to use the location to do some shooting.
Rusted barrels, dust, exposed wires, catwalks, dust and must! I found the obligatory dead bird, and of course shot it!
After looking around and shooting a bit, I made my exit, and back to my car, my first real urban exploration under my belt. I knew it would not be long before I returned with the things I would need to get into the rest of the place without too much trouble, and of course take more pics!
Here are a few pictures of my trip, I shot these freehand point and shoot.
1. Detail on machinery
2.Junction box
3. Bucket of bolts
4. Light switch
5. This structure contained the housing for the first shot of the big machinery covered in white stuff. This is shot from below looking up.
6. Have A NICE DAY!
More soon!
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N1Hawk
Location: Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Gender: Male
| | Re: Finally!
<Reply # 2 on 4/9/2009 7:44 PM >
| | | | nice work for the 1st time exploring! Congrats on your 1st site! Now the Bug is in you! Awesome set of photos and congrats 
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noogie
Location: Eau Claire
Gender: Male
happy happy joy joy
| | | Re: Finally!
<Reply # 3 on 4/21/2009 3:25 AM >
| | | | I have added new pictures of this factory and posted the older pictures in better quality.
Find the gallery and links to a few of my other explores at this
http://s663.photob...dwis/Factory%20one
Album link is also in my profile, just click it!
Feel free to leave comments, criticism, questions as you like.
I am planning to revisit this site and experiment with some light painting as well as explore further into the dark reaches of this treacherous, rusty, abandoned, filthy, awesome place. I will keep you all posted!
Thanks
Matt
EDIT: Fixed broken link.
[last edit 5/13/2009 7:34 AM by Opheliaism - edited 3 times]
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noogie
Location: Eau Claire
Gender: Male
happy happy joy joy
| | | Re: Finally!
<Reply # 5 on 4/21/2009 6:39 PM >
| | | | Posted by shotgun_mario
nice stuff- did you ever get back to the building you mentioned at the beginning of this topic?
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I am planning a new trip very soon and promise to keep everyone updated.
Hazards include a filth pit and a vertical climb on rusted metal beams but the inside awaits.
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the opposite
Location: Charlotte NC
Gender: Male
| | Re: Finally!
<Reply # 6 on 5/3/2009 6:05 PM >
|  | | | I know this was posted a couple weeks ago, but...
it's nice to read about exploring here once and awhile instead of the usual bad jokes and sarcasm. I just attempted my first 'interior' explore in many years, and ended in failure. Drove 30+ miles, knew factory was there the last time I went by on the highway, and this morning came upon piles of rubble. Still some things standing, still took pictures, and got into one of those buildings, but then cops showed up wondering why my car was parked on this nameless street...
When I first did this stuff as a teenager, back in like 1998, I remember waltzing in the front door of anmassive old grist mill, and we had no cameras, nothing, but the place was awesome. Nobody cared we were there, there was no vandalism, and it took us a whole afternoon to go through the place... memories of an age past! The cops were telling me people go there to steal junk from the demolition.. so it comes down to that. We both laughed.
And I drove all the way home defeated. That's my Finally moment...
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the opposite
Location: Charlotte NC
Gender: Male
| | Re: Finally!
<Reply # 7 on 5/3/2009 6:07 PM >
| | | | oops... I forgot to ask the original poster what state you were in during this? First few sentences of description sound exactly like a place not far from me, so I don't know where Madison is I guess.
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mrvander
Location: Cedar Rapids/Spirit Lake, IA
Gender: Male
Brick by Brick
| | Re: Finally!
<Reply # 8 on 5/13/2009 5:50 AM >
| | | | Opposite... did you tell the cop that story about when you were younger?
Go Cubs go! Hey Chicago what do you say... |
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G.U.
Location: Sudbury/Meaford, ON Canada QC
Gender: Male
Get your F****** towel ready.
| | Re: Finally!
<Reply # 9 on 5/13/2009 2:11 PM >
| | | | Great work m8, Love a good story and your pics are great for p&s.
I used a p&s forever and turned out some decent stuff.
A tripod was invaluable in the darker corners of buildings. Do you have one?
 G.U.
~"Why did the geologist take his girlfriend to the quarry? She wanted to get a little boulder, and He wanted to get his rocks off."~ ~When your hands are tied, Kick...Ass ~ My Flickr! |
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Naes
Location: San Francisco/Santa Cruz, California
Gender: Male
| | Re: Finally!
<Reply # 10 on 5/18/2009 4:57 PM >
| | | | This place looks awesome! Man I wish there were places like this in my town. Unfortunately it's small so vacant lots get bought over pretty quick. Good job!
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AlexV
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Gender: Male
| | Re: Finally!
<Reply # 11 on 6/23/2009 11:56 PM >
| | | | Ahhhhhh, this place was my first real factory exploration, too. In fact it happened pretty much exactly as you said it, pointless dead-end slime tunnel and everything. I really do love this place.
Did you check out the storage domes? Really fabulous reverberations in those.
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noogie
Location: Eau Claire
Gender: Male
happy happy joy joy
| | | Re: Finally!
<Reply # 12 on 6/27/2009 10:18 PM >
| | | | Posted by AlexV
Ahhhhhh, this place was my first real factory exploration, too. In fact it happened pretty much exactly as you said it, pointless dead-end slime tunnel and everything. I really do love this place.
Did you check out the storage domes? Really fabulous reverberations in those.
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I have been meaning to get back inside of this place and have not had time lately.
I keep an eye on it, and noticed the company contracted through the owners has been keeping the grass cut, and last week did some repairs on the exterior of the building. Several spots had the exterior pretty much hanging off, looks fixed now.
If you look on the fence there I a sign about a community meeting on the fate of the building, but it is dated last year. I know the company that owns the property is based in Georgia, and for some time there has been an effort to sell the property or to restore it to parkland. The problem is the site is massively contaminated and if I am not mistaken is a brownfield site. The chemicals they used pretty much were very toxic stuff. All potential buyers have run screaming into the night after estimates of cleanup costs.
I did not check out the domes, although they appear to be easy to get into.
There was a conveyor belt outside that has since been taken down, and several other feed systems on the outside from the domes into the plant. I considered scaling them to get in but my fear of the integrity of the roof and also the high vis while climbing kept me from it. The smaller conveyor belt system was removed but I did scale it while it was still up and felt with some work I could have entered through the opening, although it was rusted and I did not know how far the drop was.
I would love to get back in here but the slime pit seems to be my stonewall. The wall is about 10 to 12 feet high, and is adjacent to another pit, and a corridor with another high wall. After that the plant seems to be acessable, but I feel to do it right I would need some sort of assistance to get over the wall. I considered a fire escape safety ladder, but thought I might look a bit out of place walking across the lot with a large box under my arm.
I do not know if the entry I used is still viable, as there were several concrete culverts and dirt near it. After three visits past I did not notice any work on that specifically, but have noticed activity on the site - the conveyors taken down, some heavy equipment on the grounds, the exterior work. The site is semi active but it seems only to keep it from looking any worse than it does now.
Some have called this the biggest eyesore in Madtown.
Pm me if you are interested in meeting up and doing it together.
Did you try to climb up the gypsum separator in the back? I did and did not think it led anywhere but to the catwalk over the pit. I thought possibly there might be an entry from above to the main plant, but my examination leads me to believe it dead ends and is just for getting over the pit or on top of the extractor. The catwalks are rusty to say the least!
Did you see the "exit" sign near the extractor? I laughed so hard when I saw that there. They have been inside and cleaned a lot of that area up since, and put a few new parts inside probably for maintenance.
I have noticed the very top of the structure is damaged and goads me daily. It is wide open but I am afraid of that roof.
I think with more than one person properly prepared entry would be not so hard with a bit of planning.
I did notice after my third visit that someone had taken a metal ladder from the extractor?? and put it down the pit, so I ventured down to see what I could see. Dead end without a way over that wall. Damn wall! ha!
It is great to hear from someone else who has been inside of this place!
If you shot it and posted on flickr I have seen the pictures, if not I can try to find the link to them for you - they were helpful in guaging the layout and possible ways over that wall.
At one time this place was wide open, exterior hanging off, easy entry. Not so much now. The high vis and the lack of cover make it a challenge.
But isn't that half the fun?
: )
Noog
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AlexV
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Gender: Male
| | Re: Finally!
<Reply # 13 on 6/28/2009 1:24 AM >
| | | | I was just at this place today, as well as the old Garver mill (I saw you had some pics of the exterior on your website - have you ever been inside?).
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by the extractor, but if you mean that one exit sign sitting above the break in the foundation, that was me =) (well, it was my friend's idea, but she's not here, so I'm taking credit). We're also the ones who lowered the ladder into the slime pit. There are definitely a couple of really easy entrance points to the main part of the plant -- PM me if you wanna skip the hunt and have me tell you the details.
You're definitely right about the activity level there. One of the last times I was there, I successfully made it onto the highest roof with a friend only to see a swarm of red-shirted workers inside the fence, mowing the grass. Where they came from, I have no idea, but we had to make a daring escape involving tall grasses, crouching, and ticks, ticks, ticks.
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