Kind of sad day today. First I had to take Larry for a lung procedure on his birthday, no less. But what made it sad was on our way home from Wyandotte hospital, we went south down Biddle. Pennwalt (Elf Autochem, Autofina, Arkema) is no more. They had torn the east plant down years ago, but now the west plant is erradicated also. Nothing left but a giant (and I assume somewhat toxic) field. I remember complaining about the smell when I was a kid and dad remarking, "That's your bread and butter!" Never realized that bread and butter could smell so foul. But I never complained again.
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After leaving school at the U of M, I spent about 2 years working at the plant, first at the offices on Biddle in the mail room, and delivering mail in both plants. Later I work as a freight clerk on a loading dock in the west plant, subbing for a worker on extended sick leave. Toxicity wasn't as big a problem as in the chlorine bldg. in the east plant, but fire danger was critical. One of the workers in the west plant was Dwight Church II (no relation to Chris' Mom & family). He was the grandson of a founder of the Dwight and Church Arm and Hammer Baking Soda Company. His inheritance was meted out from a trust which paid him a large sum weekly, so long as he held down a full time job! The original plant was placed in Wyandotte to produce chemicals which needed sodium chloride (salt) for the process. Wells were dug to the salt deep below, and hot water pumped in to extricate brine. I miss the place.
Yep, I also remember working at Pennwalt. Dad got me a job in the West Plant for 2 summers I think. I worked in Process 30, properly named "dirty 30" where they made powdered chemicals used to accelerate the curing process for rubber. The job paid VERY well, especially on the midnight shift. So it wasn't only our bread and butter, it was also my tuition and room and board!
Oddly enough, Dad and I rarely traveled into work together since I only occasionally got the day shift. But when we did, Dad kind of liked getting into work by 6:30 AM and getting out at 3 PM to have the rest of the afternoon free. I worked 10 days on and 4 days off, which the married guys liked a lot since it gave them a 4-day break at least twice a month.
The reason the West Plant had such an odor was from some of the "amine" chemicals that were used. Among other products, they used chlorine (made in the East Plant) to produce Phenacyl chloride, in Process 12 I think it was. I can remember tears running down our faces on the labor gang as we returned empty barrels to that process - and we weren't crying! Phenacyl chloride is better known as tear gas. I am absolutely sure my life will be shortened somewhat from exposure to chemicals there. I can remember one of the mixing ingredients for Process 30 being Carbon Disulfide, a chemical so volatile and dangerous, it had to be weighed in a separate location and pumped to our tanks. Lots of stories from the West Plant. I don't miss the place.
I have similar memories to yours, Tom and Lou. However, in my case "the place" was a little farther upt Jefferson Avenue, hard by Zug Island - at Allied Chemical, pka "Solvay Process" where they made sodium bicarbonate (by the "Solvay Process"), and caustic soda (nice name!) .
After my dad dropped out of school at about age 15,in the early thirties depression era, he moved around SE Michigan working on siblings and in-laws farms, as a live-on laborer. He met my mom while "on location" in Carleton. Grandpa Jackson's rule his daughters weren't marrying anyone who didn't have a farm or a full time job. Dad's brother-in-law got him in at Solvay in 1939, when the place was allegedly clean clean enough to "fry an egg on the boilers in the heating plant where the process steam was made. Mom & Dad were married in June 1940 and the rest is history.
I worked there for about 8 weeks the summer after I graduated HS ('65), but that was plenty long for me! I was on the swing shift, 2 weeks on days, then afternoons, then midnights. Talk about screwing yup your sleeping habits!! .... tending the vacuum wheels on the 3rd floor, taking salt-solution samples, running around opening and closing gatevalves, shutting down & powering up the wheels (6 of the 8 were to run at any given time). It was a very Willy-Wonka-like experience, and the chemical experience made me get thru architecture school, that's for sure!
Allied Chem discovered a huge natural deposit of sodium bicarb out in Wyoming, purchased the mineral rights and My dad worked there for 28 years. He was out of work at 53, but caught on for another 9 years at Calgon in Rockwood..... it was closer, paid a little better (to add to his small Allied pension) and way less stressful for him.
I REALLY DON'T MISS THAT PLACE...... and wonder how SW Detroit and the other heavy industrial sites downriver will ever be cleaned up for reuse of the land.........
...... it's pretty impressive what that generation of men and women did for their families.
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