| A CN local traverses the yard lead as a container train approaches at the north end of the former SOO yard at Neenah, WI, on 26 Apr.'20. This view would have been prevented by the dominating silhouette of the original Neenah Foundry facility, later known as Plant 1, which stood here for over ¾’s of a century. Established in 1872 as Aylward Plow Works (a.k.a. Aylward & Sons) at 120 N. Lake St., they erected a new foundry at 500 W. Winneconne Ave. in 1918 “in a rural area of southwestern Neenah.” The name of Neenah Foundry was adopted in 1922. Expanded numerous times over the years, it became Plant 1 in 1960 when Plant 2 was constructed in the then rural area at the intersection of Byrd Ave. and the aptly named Aylward St. (followed by Plant 3 in 1967). Plant 1 was closed in 1994. It stood abandoned for a while and was eventually demolished. The tan 4- or 5-story facility in the background to the right is, or was, Kimberly-Clark Corp. (K-C) Neenah Nonwovens Facility, 1111 Henry St. The Neenah Nonwovens Facility was slated to close by 31 May '19. It was purchased by 5K Fibres, based in Greenville, WI, ca. Apr. '20. |