The Jungle

I’ll wrap up the St. Louis saga with my favorite site, the Armour packing plant. The Armour plant sits on the lovely outskirts of East St. Louis, between the stockyards and a rail yard. I had visited this building back in 2002 and have always wanted to go back. It was actually the first factory I ever explored. I still have yet to find another like it.



Armour is a surreal and lonely place. The crumbling structure is heavily overgrown. It is not unlike a Mayan ruin being reclaimed by nature. You would think you were in the jungle if not for scattered industrial debris and the sounds coming from a nearby racetrack.



The Silver Streak managed the difficult journey to the plant and I began my walkthrough. The complex is incredible to behold. There are three main structures, one smaller and uber blown apart one and two very large buildings. I started with the building we had visited four years ago.



This building housed the plant’s power and refrigeration plants. In a vast hall there are number of rusted out machines. The most interesting is a large steam engine that is over a century old. Packard doesn’t have anything like that!



As I wandered around the machinery I noted the lack of vandalism. If this building was in Detroit it would be tagged to shit. Granted, the building is crumbling, but natural decay is more attractive methinks. As evidence of the building’s continuing deterioration I noticed that a massive section of the roof in the second large hall has fallen in since my last visit.



The lower level was refreshing. The air down there was much cooler then upstairs. Everywhere I turned there was an orgasm of industry. Did I mention that this building rocks?



The roof is rather nifty. One can gaze down at the machine rooms through the skylights. There are two large stacks and a large locker room. The view of the St. Louis skyline is also rather nice. As noted earlier, however, some large sections of the roof have fallen in.



The second building doesn’t have as many large spaces or interesting machinery. Perhaps its most interesting feature is the wood-lined path that livestock were channeled through on their way to slaughter. The whole time that I was wandering through the dark interior I visualized scenes from The Jungle.



From the top floor I gazed out at the green surroundings and distant St. Louis skyline for a few minutes. I then doubled back down the stairwells and exited the second structure. By now there was a light rain. I made my way around the complex, enjoying the cool raindrops, and then headed to a more normal environment. I hope that East St. Louis never gets the money to demolish Armour. The buildings are too far gone to save. I would rather that they be allowed to return to nature the way that they are presently, rather then meet the wrecking ball.



The more I look at my pictures, the more I want to go back. Armour is a place I could photograph all day. There is really nothing in Detroit like it. Between Armour, Lemp, and ESTL there is cause for another trip. Road trip anyone??? Come on, there is a steam engine in there!!!



In other news, things are looking up for the long-abandoned King Edward Hotel in Jackson Miss. This is the place I made impromptu road trips to see last summer and last winter. The mayor of Jackson was Hell-bent on tearing the hotel down. Now, claiming a message from God, he has changed his mind. It is a little known fact that there is an 11th commandment, “thou shall not tear down historic buildings”. This was on the third stone tablet, which, as depicted in The History of the World Part One, Moses unfortunately dropped on his way down from the mountain. It took preservation law thousands of years to recover.



I said I would grow a beard for the upcoming Chuck Norris party, but that stupid thing was too damn itchy. A fake beard will be funnier anyway. I was having a productive day at work until lunch, and then I got sick. Note to self, eat Long John Silver’s in moderation.



Yep.