What Follows are WAY TOO MANY PICTURES from our first two days at this site! We had tried numerous times to gain access to this historic 3 building complex with no luck. This morning after a few early explores we decided to drive by again and tug on some doors. This time our luck would change.
This entire complex was constructed in the late 1880s and early 1890s. These 3 buildings were used for many things throughout their history! Some of their uses included office spaces, storage spaces, a seed warehouse(one of many in the Milwaukee area), as well as areas for cold storage. These 3 buildings are all in various states of decay. Some of the floors and wall coverings (plaster) are just giving in to the tug of gravity over time. Most of the Cream-City brick however, still stands iconic and strong in all these buildings!
The first morning we found ourselves here was a great time, until the panic started to set in! We had roamed this complex for a bit over an hour when we started to head towards the exit. We didn’t exactly keep track of how many floors we went up or where we transitioned into the other buildings. For the next 45 minutes or so we roamed up and down and up and down trying to find our exit. We could get to the ground floor in the second and third buildings, but the windows and doors were all very secure (and I wasn’t ready to exit by breaking out(it would’ve been doable though)).
In those two buildings on the ground floors we found a large loading dock and an Electric Machinery MFG Co. powerhouse. This powerhouse would’ve provided all the necessary power for the day to day operations. We didn’t spend nearly enough time documenting these on that first day. When we went back, we definitely took our time because we weren’t stressed out looking for an exit.
Our initial entry and exit would be on the ground floor of the first building, yet we had crossed over through the building’s adjoining walls on a random floor :/ After a bit of stress, sweat, and panic we finally found our way back to that transition through the wall of the first two buildings. As we headed back to the vehicle we laughed and laughed nervously, yet I had an idea. In a few short days it would be July 4th, and we should go back. This time we would take mini glow sticks (for fishing) and use them as breadcrumbs. This way as we roamed and explored the glowsticks would minimize our chances of getting turned around.
Jean was smart enough to document our first day’s attempts to find the exit https://youtube.com/shorts/ahVQQBDmQG4
I will admit I was pretty pleased with myself, and how perfectly those glow sticks worked for what we needed. We haven’t gotten lost again… Yet…..
There is so much surface area on these walls, that these buildings have become a haven for taggers and graffiti artists. I am fairly certain this place is known as one of the “Cream City Galleries” in the Milwaukee graffiti scene. On each floor and in most directions you look, there is everything from childish doodles and tags, to extremely colorful well planned murals. I can really appreciate the thought-out art in these bleak industrial spaces. The contrast between the vibrant artwork, the Cream City brick, and the decay is always staggering. I am also torn with wanting to keep these places untouched and pristine. It is a strange headspace for me to be in! Respect, honor, and preserve these places as best you can. Future explorers and new life opportunities for these historic structures may be just around the corner.
On every occasion we find ourselves in these buildings, We love to take a bit of time and photograph the two different Clipper Cleaners – (Seed & Grain Cleaners (Clipper fanning mills)) – (1) Super 29 D & (1) Super 49 A – These machines were used to remove debris, dust, and other contaminants from the grain and seed, allowing it to be safely stored and shipped more efficiently. Seed cleaning machines use a combination of vibrating screens with various size holes and air to separate heavier seeds from lighter ones, effectively sorting by size and quality. All around these machines small piles of seed remained in the corners and filled in the cracks between floorboards like a kind of mortar. Remnants of an industry vanished long ago!
An Advertisement boasting about the Super 29D read as follows, “This series, which received worldwide Acclaim, earned every bit of its popularity on the basis of exceptional selective performance and durability. Nearly every qualified seed house throughout the United States uses at least one super 29d while many plants have from two to banks of 40 of these highly qualified cleaners operating side by side on a single floor!” – I can almost hear this being read aloud in an enthusiastic early 1900’s barker or announcer’s voice!
We had never seen anything like these machines before that week in July. Just a few short days later we found another Clipper Cleaner in Northern Wisconsin. This time it was a Super 157 BD operating in an old schoolhouse that had been repurposed as a seed storage warehouse. These quality bits of old industry, especially still working ones, really make me happy.
These two days were filled with a few mixed emotions. This site, while light on major finds, gave us a pile of time to just roam and discover whatever we could! These are some of my favorite days exploring. The unexpected additions to well formulated plans always seem to hold a special place for me in our list. These next few weeks will be no exception as we hit the open road again with only a loose list planned!
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Please enjoy! If you are bored, give our walk-thru a listen and send us an email!
I’m gonna switch it up and put my UE partner’s pics up first! As always, our pics are very similar, yet her’s tend to be more artsy and well thought out. I just “need” to document and preserve what we can! I am trying to get a better eye though.
We took so many pictures at this site, this is nowhere near the entire amount! Please sift through these and enjoy. We are sorry for the similar and duplicate photos, but the same things interest us. We also spent at least 4 hours here within a couple days 🙂
Jean’s day 2 pics
beef pics day 2
beef day 1
jean day 1
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