The Demolition of the Bogdon and Gross Plant, Walkerton

 


Over the last few weeks we have been walking over the site of the old Bogdon and Gross furniture factory, which is being demolished to make way for another sub-division.

Originally built in the late 1890's by the Knechtel Furniture Co.,  It operated until 1934, closing during the great depression. 

Purchased by Bogdon and Gross in 1938. They operated a furniture manufacturing operation until 2017 when it closed and has sat empty since.  

A fire in 2020 caused some damage and a permit was issued for the demolition.

 I am posting photos taken (usually just with a cell phone) showing the events and the changing landscape.


Old photo of plant from the internet archives


 Satellite image from google earth before anything happened



 

 

2021 02 20 before destruction









 

2021 02 24 still no changes








2021 03 11 Work has started
 
 




Fencing has been put up to keep people out.








 
Keep an eye on that rail car to right of building.
it is sort of an anchor point


 2021 03 13








 2021 03 15








The rail car is still there!  Along with the chimney and the two elevator shafts.
 
 

 2021 03 19

 

 
 

2021 03 20




 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 2021 03 23

 


 
 

2021 03 25

 
 
 

 2021 03 28

It starting to snow!

 
 
driveway at south end of property
 


The piles keep getting bigger as they sort material




 
 
 

 2021 03 30

 
 
Building a new strong road on south side of house.  Using old bricks as fill
Likely in preparation for large trucks to take away the rubble






 

 2021 04 05

 
the new road is looking ready for trucks
 


Something is missing,  the one elevator shaft  concrete shell is gone.  There is blue steel frame is all that remains





 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 2021 04 06

 
 
 



cleaning up brick and concrete, putting it into a crusher (upper photo) with the resulting pile of small bits.

 
 

 2021 04 09  The Chimney comes down!


Had hoped that they would leave the old chimney, as was done in Paisley, but that did not appear to be the case.


take the last look














Above, the plan appeared to be to use four cables attached to the blue excavator at the extreme left of the frame,  and simply pull the bricks out of the bottom. The cables going through the holes at the base of the chimney.
 
Did not quite work.  Machine pulled a lot, the chimney did not yield.  Brought over the large machine with a jack hammer, broke some of the brick away,  back to pulling on the cables, and... one,  then second and finally 3rd and 4th cables snapped.  Score: Chimney one, workers zero.

We moved from here to the west side for better view, and not into the sun.  I could see they were not going to give up.
 
So with different angle, pull from the side and hope they could slice through the bricks
It started to work!
 












you can see the bricks breaking into dust.











There she goes!! The bricks gave way. Only a few seconds left for the old girl.

















































































And she is down!

We had to leave the site for a little while, getting hungry, but came back with a real camera (not the cellphone) and a longer lens for a few closer shots.


That is all there is of the main part of the chimney, just a pile of bricks and mortar.












The base is still there





closer view of the base


a tighter view of the chain used, as well you can see the frayed cable
And while here, I got a better view of the frame of the one elevator shaft, stripped of it's shell











And just for comparison, I walked around to the north side for a better shot of the other elevator shaft, with the base of the chimney in the background.





2021 04 12

Rainy day, did no look like anything was done today
 
 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2021 05 02

Another rainy day, they have been busy cleaning up and have removed remains of both elevators. Took these from the rail trail (West) side

 




It looks like they have emptied the old rail car.







 

 

2021 06 16

The cleanup continues, all old foundations have been broken up

the old rail car has moved




 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

2021 10 03

 
Update
 


 

 
 

 
 
 
...


Mostly cleaned up

Popular posts from this blog