 |
| William Shapotkin posted It is Sept 4, 1954 and car #406, working a W/B trip on the CA&E, has just made its stop at the Villa Ave station in Villa Park and is seen x/o Villa Ave itself. In background is the still-standing Ovaltine Factory Building. View looks E-N/E. Wm Shapotkin Collection. |
 |
| Glen Brewer shared Tom Rutkowski Very cool photo with the old Ovaltine Factory in the background. Nothing left there just a Prairie Path now Patrick McNamara The Villa Avenue Station is now home of the Villa Park Historical Society.......http://www.vphistoricalsociety.com/ Railroad Glory Days photo
My first train ride was on the blue and gray electric cars of the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin. My mom started taking me on an occasional shopping trip from suburban Villa Park to the Chicago Loop when I was barely old enough to climb the steps into the cars. In fact I had to be helped a bit to clear the way for impatient regulars; I had been idly inquiring as to what the little sign on the steps said. Someone responded, "Watch your step", but I stubbornly demanded, "Yes, but what does the sign say?"
Much more about the CA&E here: http://RailroadGloryDays.com/cae
|
 |
| Railroad Glory Days posted At the Ovaltine factory in Villa Park -- CA&E started to return to nature long before the rails were pulled up. The little shelter (center) was the westbound waiting shed. See my story of the last days of the "Great Third Rail": http://RailroadGloryDays.com/cae |
Glen Brewer has a section on the railroads in his memories of growing up in Villa Park. He also shared a CA&E freight locomotive on the "clean-up-train" on June 17, 1959, that has this plant in the background.
Veronica Drake posted three photos with the comment: "The Ovaltine Factory in Villa Park, IL... yesterday and today..."
Ned Carlson The train in the photo is a railfan charter run after passenger service ceased. Here's some more photos of this area.
http://www.greatthirdrail.org/stations/main/villapark.html
Val Ginter Ovaltine sponsored the Howdy Doody Show! I can still sing it like Howdy!
 |
| 1 |
 |
| 2 |
 |
| 3 |
 |
| Birds-Eye View [I'm glad I saved an image because Microsoft has broken their 3D images. I noticed that the smokestack no longer exists.] |
The plant was shutdown in 1985 and production of Ovaltine was moved to a modern facility in Minneapolis. [Tribune] I think it is so neat that the developers retained the smoke stack. (Update: but someone has taken it down.)
In 1917 Gottlieb Steiner was sent from Bern, Switzerland to set up the American factory for the Wander Company, the maker of Ovaltine. Villa Park had been chosen for the site because of the good water, the availability of farmproducts used in the manufacturing process, and the excellent transportation. Steiner's temporary assignment lengthened into thirtyseven years. Steiner is remembered for his many civic interests. He was one of the founders of Elmhurst Memorial Hospital and a leader in establishing the Villa Park Trust and Savings Bank.
Since it opened, Ovaltine has been head quartered at Number 1 Ovaltine Court. During both World Wars its product was used in Allied hospitals to aid in the recuperation of soldiers suffering from combat fatigue. Ovaltine has been an official supplier to the Summer and Winter Olympics since 1932. In the 1930s the company sponsored Little Orphan Annie programs on radio; Captain Midnight on radio in the 1940s, and on TV. in the 1950s. Ovaltine grew to be Villa Park's largest industry and its greatest benefactor, especially during the Depression. (DuPageHistory)
 |
| 1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP |
 |
| Mark Llanuza posted Villa Park 1972 CGW line [photo collection mark Llanuza] Jeffrey Radek Ovaltine factory in the background |
Tom Podraza Ovaltine had the production to warrant 2 shippers. I hear the CGW was the Raw materials and the CAE handled the finished product
 |
| 1 |
 |
| 2 |
 |
| 3 |
(Facebooked)
Kevin Piper posted a history and tweleve images.
I remember the smell of Ovaltine, as I rode my bike past the factory.
ReplyDeleteI do too! It's one of my favorite childhood memories........
DeleteI worked there in the early 80s
ReplyDeleteAm doing geneology research. I believe My great uncle George Rosenwinkle worked at Ovaltine for many years, as did a daughter or two of his. They lived in Villa Park or perhaps Bensenville. Any info would be appreciated.
DeleteI showed my dad these pictures and it brought him back to his childhood days when he lived in Villa Park he said and he started telling me stories about those days I loved hearing them. He remembers the Ovaltine Factory in Villa Park it was great thanks for the stories dad.
ReplyDelete