Help required tracing an industry - Los Angeles

[jonte]

Hi

Does anybody know what type of industry is to the left of the following picture (adjacent to the pile(s) of earth/sand)?

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=146523312038152&set=a.146523108704839.22038.133337953356688&pid=339627&id=133337953356688">http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... 7953356688</a><!-- m -->

Are there pictures of any similar industries elsewhere on the forum?

Perhaps somebody knows where this was taken and even if it's still extant (think it may be in an area to the north of North Santa Fe Avenue) ?

All suggestions gratefully received.

Best wishes,

Jonte

[Mr Fixit]

Hi Jonte

I had a look at the photo and the others in the series, and at the moment I'm going to have to admit that Im stumped.

The fact that there is a high roof area at one end does sort of indicate to me that it could be some sort of heavy engineering factory, ie steel fabrication with the indoor crane located under the high roof. The only down side to that theory is that those sorts of industies also like outdoor space possibly with overhead crane facilities to store raw materials and jobs in progress.

There are no tell tale smoke stacks or flues and apart from the piles of earth or sand.

Thinking about if it was sand, it could possibly be something like a cement roof tile factory, assuming the finished product is stored on the other side of the factory, but there are no advertising signs..

Perhaps you can check something like the Sanborn insurance maps of the era and find out who occupied the building.

Does the building still stand today? If not when was it torn down? We are only talking 20 to 30 years ago so someone working in the area must know.

Mark

[jonte]

Hi Jonte

I had a look at the photo and the others in the series, and at the moment I'm going to have to admit that Im stumped.

The fact that there is a high roof area at one end does sort of indicate to me that it could be some sort of heavy engineering factory, ie steel fabrication with the indoor crane located under the high roof. The only down side to that theory is that those sorts of industies also like outdoor space possibly with overhead crane facilities to store raw materials and jobs in progress.

There are no tell tale smoke stacks or flues and apart from the piles of earth or sand.

Thinking about if it was sand, it could possibly be something like a cement roof tile factory, assuming the finished product is stored on the other side of the factory, but there are no advertising signs..

Perhaps you can check something like the Sanborn insurance maps of the era and find out who occupied the building.

Does the building still stand today? If not when was it torn down? We are only talking 20 to 30 years ago so someone working in the area must know.

Mark

Hi Mark

Your response is appreciated and I thank you for your suggestions.

I shall consider your advice about tracing via the insurance map route, but meanwhile have decided to write to the photographer directly. In the event that this proves fruitless, and the other option also, I shall adopt your ideas for the industry anyway.

All outcomes will be posted for the information of any intereted parties.

Many thanks,

Jon.

[jonte]

Mystery Solved...................

Industry believed to have been a fertiliser plant located off Boyers Avenue, LA.

Grid reference: 34° 0.055'N, 118° 10.723'W

Long since gone......location is now a car park.

Bizarrely enough, premises to right of original photo are still rail served by BNSF although the original buildings have been replaced by contemporary offerings.

Still able to gain an aerial view of original site from Google Earth (originals date from 1994) but black and white, and back then no street view facility :cry:

Would appear that demolition occurred around 2002.

Jonte.

[Mr Fixit]

Well there you have it, but who would have guessed it was a fertiliser plant.

Mark