Late in the fall of 2010 contractor Audino Construction started the refurbishment of the Machine/Blacksmith Shop. Another historical industrial building has been saved with help of grants from Federal and State agencies the Iowa State Transportation Enhancement Act and Vision Iowa providing the majority of the funding for this project. This structure during it's heyday was home to hundreds of skilled machinists, blacksmiths, welders, and pipfitters. Operating the largest and most sophisticated machinery in the tri-state area from the 1920's and into the 1950's . This building will find new life as an industrial display hall featuring industrial steam machines and other tools and machines used during this time frame. The staring exhibit will the 1911 St. Louis Corliss steam engine that we saved from the basement of the former Swift Pork Packing plant (KD Station) in the Sioux City Stockyards just days prior to it's demolition. The work accomplished by Audino Construction during the fall and winter has included; re-tuck pointing all the brick work, replacing the roof, removing the old rotted window frames and replaced them with all new windows, re-opened doors that that have been long covered and closed by concrete, and installed new freight doors at both ends of the building.
Future fund raising will be needed to accomplish repair of the floor, building the Corliss foundation and installation of electrical and HVAC. We are gradually winning the reclamation battle of this industrial complex and converting it into what will become a nationally recognized science and technology museum that all of Siouxland will be proud of.
The wheels of progress turn slowly but just like the great steam trains of the past we just keep chugging along. Come on out and check us out, you'll be glad you did. The Milwaukee Railroad Historic District; Where railroad history, science and technology are coupled together.
