Aurora Station

Aurora Station, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

After sustaining damage during a recent thunderstorm, the city of Aurora, Illinois is finally demolishing the former Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy train station. Unused and effectively abandoned since the 80's, the building was in terrible condition-note the holes in the wood roof. It was only a matter of time.

Masonic Temple

Masonic Temple, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A former Masonic Temple, latterly a banquet hall, in Aurora Illinois. Built in 1922, this neo-classical building has fallen on hard times the last few years. It's completely fenced off, including the sidewalks out front, presumably to protect passersby from falling masonry. The stone is stained and dirty, the bas relief Masonic symbols above the door and at the peak of the roof have smoothed out with the weather, windows are broken, and weeds grow atop the entryway. I don't know what the current status of this building is, but I fear it's endangered.

Warehouse

Warehouse, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Semi-abandoned warehouses. These are part of the Green River Ordnance Plant complex, a World War Two-era munitions factory. They've been used for a number of purposes since then, most recently as storage units, but they appear to be disused at the moment. A pair of railroad tracks still runs between the buildings, and one can still trace the rail's path to the former Illinois Central main line.

Trike

Trike, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

I found this at an abandoned farm in Wisconsin. I'd last visited a couple of years ago, and the main barn was in a perilous state. It's since mostly collapsed, but much of the site remains the same.

I don't remember if this old tricycle was there last time.

Master Mix Feeds

Master Mix Feeds, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A classically grungy image for this week's Through the Viewfinder Tuesday. This is the abandoned grain elevator in tiny Arlington, Illinois. A very interesting structure, full of interesting textures and signage.

Choice of Seven out of Ten Saw Owners!

Choice of Seven out of Ten Saw Owners!, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

An unintentionally funny sticker in the window of an abandoned shop.

Through the Viewfinder Tuesday!

Master Mix Feeds, originally uploaded by William 74.

We return to Arlington for this week's return of Through the Viewfinder Tuesday. I can't say a whole lot more about this building, or the town of Arlington, that I didn't say here last week. So I'll just let this shot of the Master Mix sign speak for itself.

Arlington

Arlington Grain Co., originally uploaded by William 74.

Arlington is a very small, somewhat remote town in rural Illinois. With a population of something less than 200, it is typical of the many tiny, almost gone towns that dot the American Midwest.

It wasn't always like this. Originally called Lost Grove, Arlington grew rapidly in the early twentieth century, with plenty of new residents who worked the coal mines of this part of Illinois. Several businesses set up shop as well, including a brewery and several restaurants. However, the Cherry Mine Disaster of 1909, which killed over 200 miners, put a damper on the mining business, and on Arlington's growth as well.



Arlington held it's own until after World War Two, when a tornado in 1950 destroyed most of the town. Many residents moved away at this time, the businesses shut down, and slowly the town started to shrink. Most of the homes have been given over to fields again (you can still find foundations out in them), and the downtown has a few buildings and a restaurant.

A block away, by the Burlington tracks, is the former Arlington Grain Company elevator. It's abandoned now, and slowly shedding it's steel siding, and an interior floor has collapsed into the basement. But still it stands, the tallest building on the landscape, the skyscraper of the prairie.