Chevron/Texaco Facility and Concrete I&M Canal Retaining Wall in Lockport, IL

Refinery: (Satellite, long gone)

Bill Molony posted

Texaco used to have a refinery and tank farm along the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal on the north side of Lockport, IL. The Sante Fe tracks passed it on the west side and the GM&O passed it on the east side. The 1939 aerial photo below shows rows of tank cars on the west side. So GM&O had an industrial spur that went west along the south side of the Texaco facility to access that rail yard. The red line near the lower-right corner in the aerial photo shows the curve where the spur left the mainline and curved to the west. The above photo was taken along that curve.

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

The refinery closed in 1981. The land has been cleaned and Chevron is ready to market the 500 acres as the Star Business Park. Last March the Lockport City Council approved a land swap of about 13 acres with Chevron. [ChicagoTribune] If you look at the boundaries of Lockport, you will see a "hole" on the north side along New Avenue. That "hole" contains a tank farm. I don't know if it is owned by Chevron or not because I have noticed there are no signs along the road or on the tanks.

BRHS posted
The Texaco refinery in Lockport was served by both the Chicago & Alton and the Santa Fe railroads.

I'm parking this photo here because I don't know the exact location. I've been along the canal in the downtown area (Gaylord and Norton Buildings) and to the south to check out the locks (#1 and #2) and I never noticed a concrete retaining wall. (The lock walls are made with cut stone. There is a lot of limestone in the area.) So I'm assuming this wall was somewhere in the northern part of Lockport. Please leave the location in a comment if you know where it is.

MWRD posted
 Repairs to a section of retaining wall on Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Lockport, Illinois, on July 11, 1911.

Tim Eaker: Lloyd Scott Hardin I’m pretty sure this notch is still in the wall. 😂