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(six 1995 idaillinois images And there are more on the second page of a search result.)
The Rialto Flour Mill was built in 1902. The General Mills plant was added south of the slip c1915 and connected to the elevator with a conveyor. Comments on a Facebook posting indicate GM made flour, cereals, cake mixes, and pie crusts. They also had a big warehouse operation.
They did an expansion as recently as 1991.
Pullman Museum holdings Of particular notes: 1920s and 30s; 1940s and 50s; 1990s; site plant and statistics
This plant made cereals as well as flour.
The Rialto Flour Mill was built in 1902. The General Mills plant was added south of the slip c1915 and connected to the elevator with a conveyor. Comments on a Facebook posting indicate GM made flour, cereals, cake mixes, and pie crusts. They also had a big warehouse operation.
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| Bob Lalich commented on a posting The flour mill was south of the slip, next to the main factory building. It was connected to the Rialto elevator by a conveyor over the slip. There were a few silos on the south side of the slip next to the flour mill. Is that where your special assignment took place? This 1970s photo is from the old SCHS web site. Bob Lalich Dennis DeBruler-General Mills was served by the BRC. At one time, the Rock Island had rights to switch the Rialto elevator but I don't recall seeing such moves. The BRC still owns the tracks in the vicinity. Larry Grzywinski It was the Calumet Western (PRR). The SC&S (PRR) was on the east side of the river. For those who don't know, the SC&S was South Chicago and Southern. Larry Grzywinski The Calumet Western (PRR) was on the west side of the river. The SC&S (PRR) was east of the river. For those who don't know, the SC&S was South Chicago and Southern, it was a connecting line that ran from the PCC&StL in Lansing,ILL (Bernice) and the PFW&C in Chicago (Cole Hour Junction). There was also a third rail line that serviced the mills and industries along the east side of the river called Calumet River Railway or River Line. All of them were once owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Bob Lalich I worked at General Mills one summer during college. My aunt worked in the packing department for a long time. The elevator was commonly referred to as the Rialto elevator. Mike KempMike and 116 others joined Southeast Chicago Historical Society within the last two weeks. Give them a warm welcome into your community! I remember at the end of the second summer I worked there being given a "special assignment" with other soon - to-return-to-school summer hires to "clean up the flour mill" (the building on top of those grain elevators). After passing through a whole series of big, thick fire doors (scary) we each were given a broom and a shovel and told to start cleaning. It was somewhat of a exercise in futility as one would clean up a patch of floor only to turn around and see a layer of fresh flour on the floor just cleaned. I think it was the Big G way of sending us back to the ivory towers... "okay, study hard so you don't have to come back here and do this again next year." Rod SellersRod manages the membership, moderators, settings, and posts for Southeast Chicago Historical Society. General Mills SC Plant info here: http://www.pullman-museum.org/.../sechsOtherIndustries.html [Specifically] Robert D'Ambriosio posted They made Wheaties, Cherrios & Betty Crocker stuff and flour. Robert D'Ambrosio the Original cereal/mixplant was torn down in 1995/96. Remaining is the warehouse and bulk house.General Mills where it started. They have blessed my family. What was a shame is that they put all that money into it and walked away from it. Worked on the CWP&S and spoted box and grain cars there. Great to do inj th Spring, Summer and Fall a bitch in the winter with the hawk coming out of the North on the river. The old Gen Mills Inc. torn down in 95 still have a souviener brick that was given to all employees. Great place to work until the big push to get rid of all union plants! Replaced by a new plant built in Covington Ga. and one in New Mexico...non-union of course! Sad times! I believe the eastern half of the slip, beyond Rialto was originally where Fitzsimmon was. That location was later occupied by Chicago Drydock. Holly Marine was closer to the west end. One of Dawson’s rugs that had sunk just inside the South Chicago break wall was recovered and had been left at the far west end of the slip. It was still there in 2017. |
Also note Photos #63 (Rialto before 1915) and #65 (2004 aerial after the GM plant had been torn down) in SEsideIndustrialHistory,
Looking at Google Earth, I see that rail service was already removed by 1998. In 1938 there was plenty of rail service. The above photo shows the expansion of the warehouse that happened in the 1960s and that the BRC rail service still existed in the 1970s.
Update:
This images shows that above image is an example of an artist adding smoke because that was considered a symbol of prosperity in the late 19th Century.
Looking at Google Earth, I see that rail service was already removed by 1998. In 1938 there was plenty of rail service. The above photo shows the expansion of the warehouse that happened in the 1960s and that the BRC rail service still existed in the 1970s.
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| 1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP |
On October 12, 1971 an explosion ripped through a grain elevator, the Rialto Elevator at the General Mills plant, resulting in four deaths. The fire was put out in a couple of hours. The incident was described as a “dust explosion.” On August 4, 1977 lightning struck the Garvey Grain elevator at 93rd and the Calumet River. It exploded two of the silos and set fire to 6 of the 150 foot silos at the site. Two were killed and two more were critically injured in the incident. This fire smoldered for months. [SECHS Newsleter referenced by a Rod Sellers comment on a post]
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| csu.edu |
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| Dwayne Stegner posted Rialto Elevators and Crescent Mills. South Chicago, formerly General Mills. 1909 postcard. Dennis Conklin Can still remember the smell of those Cheerios cooking. |
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| Rod Sellers posted Rialto Elevator and Crescent Flour Mills 1909 In 1902 the Wabash Railroad built the Rialto Elevator on a slip of the Calumet River at 104th Street. A year later the Star & Crescent Milling Company built a flour mill on the other side of the slip. A cereal plant was built on the site in 1923 and all were combined in 1929 with the formation of General Mills. Among the products produced at the South Chicago plant were Gold Medal Cake Flour, Wheaties, Bisquick, Kix, Cheerios, Betty Crocker Soup, Betty Crocker Cake Mixes, Coca Puffs, Trix, and others. The plant closed in 1995. [I added the rrWabash label because of this comment. I wonder how the Wabash got to this elevator.] |
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| John DeWit Woodlock II posted BRC 511,505 @ 100th Street Yard-Chicago,IL 19 APR 97 [The cow and calf unit must be at the south end of the yard.] John DeWit Woodlock II It was indeed located at the south end of the yard, not quite as far as 104th Street if I remember correctly. |
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| Nick Hart posted Chicago Rail Link time! The clouds were trying to spoil the party, but OMLX 4200 and 9469 managed to find the sun. Slowly making way to the yard near 104th Street in Chicago's south side, the pair of GP40-2LW's are in charge of interchange tonnage from Blue Island. 4200 wears sharp Hudson Bay paint, while the 9469 is still kicking in CN zebra paint. |
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| Street View |
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| John DeWit Woodlock II posted BRC 604,600 @ 100th Street Yard-Chicago,IL 18 APR 97. My apologies for the soft focus. [A view of the north side of the elevator.] |
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| Evie N Bob Bruns posted BRC 501-511 at South Chicago switching General Foods 12/13/1986. |
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| Rick Kubic posted [There are a lot of comments about the good smells and who worked there. They made cereals at this plant.] |
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| Ken Wontor commented on Rick's post My dad Joe Wontor (Swabby) worked there and retired with over 20 years from there. He ran the palletizer in the warehouse. I worked for 4 summers between college as a “A” loader. Great memories and many friends. |
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| Toad Brajkovich posted |
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| Rod Sellers commented on Toad's post Definitely General Mills. 2 buildings in your photo are to the left. |
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| William Dmytriw commented on Toad's post Those are the silo's across the slip from Gen. Mills which supply the grain via conveyers to the plant to make cereal but were owned by Rialto. William Dmytriw also commented on Robert's post This is a more recent pic of the Big G before they demolished it. Offices were added to the front of the old plant, a bulk house in back along with the replacement plant bottom right, which downsized the workforce to less than half and called a high involvement facility where you were trained on all the jobs thus saving money and overtime. Later completely shut down because of a tax write-off and it was union run! |
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| David Daruszka commented on Toad's post |
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| One of five sunset photos posted by Michael Siola The General Mills Grain Elevator radiates majesty this evening at 10500 S. Commercial Avenue in the South Deering neighborhood on Chicago's far Southeast Side. Robert Szumanski: I've always heard them referred to as the Rialto elevators. Owned by General Mills. Originally the Washburn and Crosby company making Gold Medal flour. Michael Siola shared Martha Ostoich Teshich: The smell of CHerrios used to waft through the neighborhood. Michael Siola: Martha Ostoich Teshich Cocoa Puffs were the best smelling. |
2012 uploaded Flickr, "This was once a General Mills Cereal Plant. 1922-1995."
They did an expansion as recently as 1991.
Pullman Museum holdings Of particular notes: 1920s and 30s; 1940s and 50s; 1990s; site plant and statistics
This plant made cereals as well as flour.
It was a sad day in South Chicago when GMI closed its doors in 1995.
ReplyDeleteEspecially when after 37 years our pension was cut to $678 per month.
I could remember riding our bikes near tge factory smelling wheates and sweet cereal! Later in life as a Attorney and insurance agent i would w ork with them on mergers and acquisitions along with the Illinois Central Railroad. Cheaper ceareals and competitive prices and outdated manufacturing equipment force them to cut cost, employees, Marketing and eventually that plant locations. Illinois State's Attorney Ricardo Mazzarino Huerta, LLB, RHU, USN Captain, Retired.
ReplyDeleteI recall a "PROJECT HULK" for a warehouse in vicinity of the South Chicago Cereal Plant. One of my coworkers visited the hulk plant
ReplyDeleteWhat was the large bulk material handling facility immediately adjacent to the mill, further out along the south side of the slip? Looks like coal, limestone, etc., but obviously a different property entirely.
ReplyDeleteAnd for that matter, the bulk facilities on the Rialto side as well...and everything on the next two slips north of here. There was another elevator at 102nd Street before one gets to the Commonwealth Edison coal yards. Thoughts?
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