tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post3495425369057822814..comments2024-03-25T07:27:23.874-07:00Comments on Places That Were: Kingsbury Ordnance Plant - An Incredible Abandoned WWII Era Ammunition FactoryPlacesThatWerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08906573012383225740noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-879686831851340922024-02-05T13:28:46.623-08:002024-02-05T13:28:46.623-08:00There were never any 'landmines' out there...There were never any 'landmines' out there. The US military NEVER laid minefields around Ordnance plants. Fenced off areas might have some unexploded munitions that were scattered during testing or while being destroyed due to be out-of-spec or damaged, but it's just as likely (or even more likely) that there are far more mundane hazards like open pits, collapsing sewers, etc, than anything explosive.Retired Soldiernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-87591210622329827842024-02-05T13:21:07.532-08:002024-02-05T13:21:07.532-08:00The paranoia and misinformation some people are po...The paranoia and misinformation some people are posting here is laughable. No, the military DOES NOT have an infinite supply of money -- and certainly not enough to waste on cleaning up minor contamination in every Podunk WW II-era facility. Sorry if it hurts your feelings, but the contamination there IS minor, and the location IS Podunk. Turning most of it into a wildlife reserve is a far better idea than throwing billions of dollars into a hunt for every speck of spilled artillery propellant or flake of lead paint -- the former ordnance plant worker who wrote about a lack of modern munitions was 100% correct. When I was in Iraq we were so short of ammunition that we were using rifle ammunition loaded in Colombia and Brazil because the US plants couldn't produce enough. We were using .50 caliber ammunition made in 1944! 155mm artillery shells made in the 1960s and the same with the propelling charges. <br /><br />Shortsighted and simply greedy small-town governments and chambers of commerce agitated to turn Ordnance plants like KOP into 'redevelopment' boondoggles that would line their own pockets rather than keep the plants in mothballs to be available in a time of national need.<br /><br />And as far as the silliness about 'mines'? Get serious. The US most assuredly DID NOT set up minefields around Ordnance plants. At best they built low-quality barbed wire fences -- barely adequate to keep out stray cows -- and hired a handful of civilian security officers (armed with such fearsome weapons as .38 revolvers like Barney Fife carried -- usually empty at that) to drive around the perimeter a few times a day.Retired Soldiernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-83905217474764963482023-06-12T20:58:23.021-07:002023-06-12T20:58:23.021-07:00This is a nice blog. Thank you for sharing. advanc...This is a nice blog. Thank you for sharing. <a href="https://advanceappliance.ca/" rel="nofollow">advanceappliance.ca</a>Angel17https://www.blogger.com/profile/12515866684980903711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-63304308378896591952022-09-05T19:35:46.133-07:002022-09-05T19:35:46.133-07:00I was born there in 47.
My grandfather was employe...I was born there in 47.<br />My grandfather was employed there. Never knew about the weapons of war produced there. <br />I was in "nam" in 65 ..don't know why to this day.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-11379160214416655722022-07-28T10:32:28.699-07:002022-07-28T10:32:28.699-07:00I absolutely loved this discussion! I'm 76 ye...I absolutely loved this discussion! I'm 76 years old, lived in LaPorte in the 40's and 60's. Went to St. Peter's and LaPorte high school (both old and new). Lived on Kingsport Ave, Fox St. Bluff St. and Pine Lake Ave. Learned more history about La Porte in this discussion. Surprised there has been no comments about Allis Chalmers(sp). Thank you so much. My Uncle was Mayor of La Porte for many years.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-5920056860956333562022-05-11T15:15:21.112-07:002022-05-11T15:15:21.112-07:00If you ever visit Kingsford Heights, you may still...If you ever visit Kingsford Heights, you may still see the residences that were erected for the workers of the town's industrial plant. The library also offers information on the industrial site and how it became associated with Kingsford Heights. I grew up in the heights and recently attended an educational presentation about the plant and the heights.downloadhttps://games.lol/resortopia/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-62005672956042076692022-05-11T15:14:55.758-07:002022-05-11T15:14:55.758-07:00This is where I grew up. My boyhood house was the ...This is where I grew up. My boyhood house was the modest white manufactured home on the left with the chain link fence. Except for the banquet facility next door, we didn't have many neighbors. As a child and teenager, I spent a lot of time exploring this area. It's both spooky and cool.games of virtual worldshttps://www.mindsetterz.com/4-best-3d-virtual-world-games-to-play-on-pc/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-30075160815840133142021-08-05T12:24:18.962-07:002021-08-05T12:24:18.962-07:00What would it take to clean the place up and build...What would it take to clean the place up and build villas? What needs to be done? Bring in fresh clean dirt once building are gone. I may have someone coming that possibly can help financially.dman46https://www.blogger.com/profile/02624920543736689846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-83057341002227661912020-07-19T16:30:52.820-07:002020-07-19T16:30:52.820-07:00My Dad worked on Treasure Island in the early 60&#...My Dad worked on Treasure Island in the early 60's. He was an electronic technician in the Navy, and worked at an TV station there on Treasure Island. Wasn't any TV shows, just programs or classes like.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02105497064578358044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-27915600486280271692020-05-11T17:40:43.396-07:002020-05-11T17:40:43.396-07:00I remember the coal bin.I remember the coal bin.tomcatnursehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15242584174261646750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-70500918372447864892020-05-11T17:38:35.314-07:002020-05-11T17:38:35.314-07:00We lived at 444 Grenway. Think it was 1948 or 1949...We lived at 444 Grenway. Think it was 1948 or 1949. Lived there until I got married and moved to Knox.<br />tomcatnursehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15242584174261646750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-38536115691107965802020-05-11T17:32:50.635-07:002020-05-11T17:32:50.635-07:00I grew up in the Heights. I was about 7 or 8. At n...I grew up in the Heights. I was about 7 or 8. At night I could hear loud noises like bombs going off. It terrified me because I thought we were going to be bombed. This was during the Korean war. To this day I don't sleep well at night. I became a critical nurse and always worked 12 hour midnight shifts. Just saw a program on SCIHD about KOP. Didn't know it was that large.tomcatnursehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15242584174261646750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-64346249452010500102020-04-15T16:50:28.455-07:002020-04-15T16:50:28.455-07:00They didn't give me the option to pay at the p...They didn't give me the option to pay at the pump.PlacesThatWerehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08906573012383225740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-61011669164687592852020-04-02T22:37:32.521-07:002020-04-02T22:37:32.521-07:00It looks like their are some buildings that have b...It looks like their are some buildings that have been buried. Is that true or just my imagination walking thru there?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01316411431993263278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-75975502370235618692020-02-13T16:56:03.976-08:002020-02-13T16:56:03.976-08:00My family lived in Kingsford Heights in 1944/45 wh...My family lived in Kingsford Heights in 1944/45 while my Dad worked at KOP as a steam fitter in the maintenance department, he did NOT work on the ammo assembly line. I was only 8 years old but still remember our address in Kingsford Heights; it was 389 Chatfield Road. We had a 3-BR, 2BA single family house. Most of the homes were 2-BR, 1BA. The homes were all identical and it was very easy to get lost because all the homes looked exactly alike. I seem to recall my Dad telling me that the rent was $45 per month. You could only rent one of these if you worked for Todd & Brown at KOP. There was NO natural gas, so all the homes had a "coal bin" just outside the kitchen door. A Fairbanks-Morse furnace was in the kitchen which also was the water heater. The cookstove was fueled by kerosene. The schools were not built when we moved into our new house, so we had to continue going to Union Mills to school which was about 5 or 6 miles away. We had to furnish our own transportation to and from school. Dad had purchased a new 1941 Chevy 2-door right before Pearl Harbor was bombed. We had an "A" Card which allowed us to purchase 15 Gallons of gasoline a week as gasoline was rationed, as was everything else. There were lots of kids my age that lived in KH, so I had plenty of buddies, and everybody's Dad or Mom (or both) worked at the KOP. Eddie Dykeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17238439001023571063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-12976268151972586182020-02-09T07:09:56.600-08:002020-02-09T07:09:56.600-08:00I grew up here. That little white manufactured hom...I grew up here. That little white manufactured home to the left with the chain link fence was my childhood home. We didn't really have neighbors except for the banquet hall nextdoor. I have explored a ton of this area as a kid and teenager. It's creepy and super cool. Emma Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15729198859228649792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-85822702807419446432020-02-03T10:28:55.125-08:002020-02-03T10:28:55.125-08:00Ive hiked into the 'military' owned area a...Ive hiked into the 'military' owned area a few times, there used to be some non fenced sections you could get through. Doesnt seem like a standard military area, but there are surveillance cameras around all entrances. Got caught once- we went up to the bunkers in daylight (dumb). They are out in the open and you have to cover a decent bit of ground before you can get back to the woods. 2 blacked out suvs and a white van that looked exactly like what you would expect an FBI surveillance van to look like rolled up on us in a hurry. They threatening to have us arrested but I just played it off like we were hiking in kop and got lost. <br /><br />To be fair we didnt hop any fences!<br /><br />Ive also heard rumors there is an underground section around those bunkers but havent seen any evidence of that.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04201050736345891995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-11115969672038918922020-02-03T10:20:01.572-08:002020-02-03T10:20:01.572-08:00The thought of the US military not having enough m...The thought of the US military not having enough money is laughable. They "lose" trillions of dollars. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04201050736345891995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-1556657301886297382019-12-05T12:48:45.182-08:002019-12-05T12:48:45.182-08:00As someone who grew up in LaPorte city and worked ...As someone who grew up in LaPorte city and worked at a gas station after graduating high school for a little bit I can say this is a very common practice. If you are not paying at the pump or coming in and prepaying they will ask to hold your card and ID until your done to avoid pump and runs that happen way to often. You have to think about how weird it is to see someone who has a card but does not use the card reader at the pump but plans to pay for their gas with a card. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-35816827282902457422019-12-05T10:57:16.497-08:002019-12-05T10:57:16.497-08:00I actually grew up in the city of LaPorte which is...I actually grew up in the city of LaPorte which is maybe 15 minutes tops away for KOP. We often went out there as teens. The biggest problem out there is there are mines in several locations that were never found, contaminated soil, ammunitions, buried containers of god only knows what. And the US Army still owns a section of that land. Some of it has been sold off, some has been turned into a wildlife/ hunting area. Its a neat place but when the Army decided not to clean it there was no chance of the area ever being able to be reestablished. The contamination isn't minor and I understand money needs to be spend wisely but to call a whole area "Podunk" because its not some big city you know doesn't mean it isn't affecting surrounding cities. I doubt if we ever were in need that the county of LaPorte would be so accommodating next time after being left with the headache they have now...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-89406991135588313092019-09-12T23:31:24.593-07:002019-09-12T23:31:24.593-07:00My grandmother, who was 35 in 1940, ended up worki...My grandmother, who was 35 in 1940, ended up working at the Kingsbury Ordinance Plant. My dad, who was 19 in 1942, was drafted by the Navy, while he was an employee at the plant. I never knew what defense plant they worked at until I found my dad's draft card on Ancestry.com. Thank you for writing this and including photos. I'm a bit of an historical geographer myself.Stuart Ackleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02253561724703333459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-35283202844310568742019-06-23T13:21:40.452-07:002019-06-23T13:21:40.452-07:00I remember when are school , in the heights, burn ...I remember when are school , in the heights, burn down and going to school there until a new school was built. I was born in la Porte in 1953. My mother talk about working there a using a " something " size shell as a head rest during breaks.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08916179851962834804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-64657010527741350182019-05-23T20:24:16.117-07:002019-05-23T20:24:16.117-07:00There is a similar facility at Illiopolis, IL just...There is a similar facility at Illiopolis, IL just east of Springfield, IL just north of I74Thom Mahaffeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07033789330818431263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-44928495249668655682019-05-23T12:05:05.577-07:002019-05-23T12:05:05.577-07:00La Porte native here... The large building with th...La Porte native here... The large building with the tower was the Employment Office and was designed by John Lloyd Wright, Frank's son. Here's a short article on KOP from Indiana Landmarks:<br /><br />https://www.indianalandmarks.org/2018/06/exploring-cold-war-landmarks-in-northwest-indiana/themickeyrogershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15961809633947259303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5398633296962611892.post-33955855942347737552019-05-22T07:12:52.065-07:002019-05-22T07:12:52.065-07:00Many of those 'bunkers' were storage for a...Many of those 'bunkers' were storage for ammo produced at the plant.Hoosier Mudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00643152999600413865noreply@blogger.com