Acme Steel, Chicago Coke Plant
I found this cassette tape in the asst. division manager’s office on my last visit. The introduction at the beginning of the tape identifies the company as Interlake Inc., which should put it as pre-1986. It was buried under mountains of documents and was not in a case. Despite twenty hard Chicago winters, and twenty […]
The third in a continuing series (Click the ‘Tales From Topside’ category heading above to see the rest). Doug Podgorny was area manager ovens up until the very end. With 25 years between the coke plant and mill, he watched things start to unravel but had to stick around to see it through. Never before […]
I don’t mean this in a negative way, but things are really becoming like a solid job for me. This is eight consecutive weeks and my 15th total. For a couple weeks, things get increasingly cold, Saturday by Saturday. So I knew I’d not stay long. I had to work down in Chicago Heights so […]
The fourth in a continuing series (Click the ‘Tales From Topside’ category heading above to see the rest). Doug Podgorny was area manager ovens up until the very end. With 25 years between the coke plant and mill, he watched things start to unravel but had to stick around to see it through. Never before […]
Little kids dream about being a shortstop for their favorite baseball team. They hang a pennant on their wall and get a cap and they cheer on their favorite players. As life goes on, those childhood dreams are forgotten or pushed aside for more critical needs. Then as those critical needs are satisfied, even adults […]
I first found two related prints in the coal bunker a while back. I was thrilled to find them and they were in almost perfect condition. I don’t remember but I’m pretty sure I never found any in that building again. I started finding them, a couple a week, in the main office and I […]
I first discovered this item in the BP office weeks (or months?) ago. It was tipped over and right in the middle of the room, resting on it’s side. I wasn’t shocked that some animal had felt the need to kick it over, but it did seem odd it was in the middle of the […]
Bitterly cold morning, but not nearly as cold as it could have been. I think it was around 15F by the time I got to the plant but I was well dressed and ready to go. As usual I came in around the quench station. It might be questionable to do so when I intend […]
I came across John’s card during my business card exploration recently. But I just filed it along with all the other coal/coke sales related cards (of which there were a few). That is, until I found a fax last weekend. As was expected at the time, a proper cover sheet would have to be filled […]
Slept poorly Friday night for unknown reasons but knew I needed to get myself up and at ’em. A big snow storm was in the works, so I knew I had to leave the plant by 2pm. I had two distinct missions for the day. The first was to get back into Dick O’ Hearn’s […]