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Western Electric
Posted by:
Kchi
(---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: May 10, 2011 12:37PM
I rememeber reading that Western Electric once had a huge manufacturing plant that was a mini city and employed thousands. Is there anything left standing?
When did it close? Does anybody have memories of working there?
When did it close? Does anybody have memories of working there?
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
barsntone
(---.nat.trb.com)
Date: May 10, 2011 03:38PM
No doubt others will reply with deets on Western's complex per se, but Western's true "contribution" if you want to call it that, is the (in)famous Eastland disaster:
http://www.eastlanddisaster.org/summary.htm
http://www.eastlanddisaster.org/summary.htm
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
Richard Stachowski
(---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: May 10, 2011 09:05PM
[b]I had worked there in the 50's and at that time they had 27,000 workers going three shifts. I wiered and tested. It was a good place to work with a lot of extra activity like night schools, concerts,ham radio clubs and even had it's own hospital for it's workers.[/b]
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
Rustymuscle
(---.lightspeed.elgnil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: May 10, 2011 09:24PM
There is quite a bit of information about Western Electric's Hawthorne works on the internet. They made all kinds of appliances, telephones and telephone equipment.
A museum was built on the site in the mid 1980s and when they closed the place it was moved to Morton East High School (If memory serves me correctly). The museum is now at Morton CC.
A museum was built on the site in the mid 1980s and when they closed the place it was moved to Morton East High School (If memory serves me correctly). The museum is now at Morton CC.
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
Berwyn Frank
(---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: May 11, 2011 01:06AM
Jay, I could literally write a book on the Hawthorne Works, and have actually considered doing it. I have LOADS of information, TONS of memorabilia, and dozens and dozens of images related to the plant. The plant was located in Cicero and was as you said "a city within a city." In the factories peak during WWII the plant employed about 45,000 people. My father worked there from 1969-1975. They started laying people off at that time and the factory was closed by 1984. When time permits I will add a lot to this thread.
The plant is gone, having been replaced by a large shopping mall, but the tower shown in the vintage image below still stands.
Here is a blurb from my book and a neat image from my collection.
"Home ownership and the rest of life's necessities were attained through hard work and steady employment. Thousands of Lawndale-Crawford's residents found both at the Western Electric Hawthorne Works on the communities western border in neighboring Cicero. Having opened in 1904, the Hawthorne Works factory had quickly expanded to a 150 acre facility manufacturing telephones and related equipment."
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/2011 01:07AM by Berwyn Frank.
The plant is gone, having been replaced by a large shopping mall, but the tower shown in the vintage image below still stands.
Here is a blurb from my book and a neat image from my collection.
"Home ownership and the rest of life's necessities were attained through hard work and steady employment. Thousands of Lawndale-Crawford's residents found both at the Western Electric Hawthorne Works on the communities western border in neighboring Cicero. Having opened in 1904, the Hawthorne Works factory had quickly expanded to a 150 acre facility manufacturing telephones and related equipment."
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/2011 01:07AM by Berwyn Frank.
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
adgorn
(---.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: May 15, 2011 09:21PM
The Morton College Museum is here:
http://www.morton.edu/museum/?nav_id=a2
and
http://www.morton.edu/museum/index.html
This is also interesting:
http://www.porticus.org/bell/bell.htm
Plus the book entitled "Manufacturing the Future: A History of Western Electric" by Stephen B. Adams is very good.
Alan
http://www.morton.edu/museum/?nav_id=a2
and
http://www.morton.edu/museum/index.html
This is also interesting:
http://www.porticus.org/bell/bell.htm
Plus the book entitled "Manufacturing the Future: A History of Western Electric" by Stephen B. Adams is very good.
Alan
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
jak378
(---.dyn.embarqhsd.net)
Date: May 26, 2011 06:07PM
The Hawthorne Works were also the place where the Hawthorne Effect was first discovered. People being studied tend to change their behavior simply because they are aware that they are being studied and not because of any change. The experiment was trying to determine if light would improve efficiency of workers. The study found that efficiency changed when the environment was changed, irrespective of whether or not it was made lighter or darker. That at least is my recollection of the "Effect." I believe this occurred in the late 40's or early 50's.
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
s justice
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: November 23, 2012 06:02PM
My mom worked there in the 1960's as a Comptroller.
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
chuck
(---.176.244.66.biz.sta.networkgci.net)
Date: November 29, 2012 02:19PM
It also had it's own railroad. As of a few days ago the roundhouse and two original locomotives were there. However the locomotives are being scrapped on site and the roundhouse is next.
All three should have been saved...
All three should have been saved...
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
jak378
(---.hsd1.fl.comcast.net)
Date: November 29, 2012 03:41PM
chuck Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It also had it's own railroad. As of a few days
> ago the roundhouse and two original locomotives
> were there. However the locomotives are being
> scrapped on site and the roundhouse is next.
>
> http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8210/8219724470_9a41
> 17062c_b.jpg
>
> All three should have been saved...
Now that is a dirty shame.
-------------------------------------------------------
> It also had it's own railroad. As of a few days
> ago the roundhouse and two original locomotives
> were there. However the locomotives are being
> scrapped on site and the roundhouse is next.
>
> http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8210/8219724470_9a41
> 17062c_b.jpg
>
> All three should have been saved...
Now that is a dirty shame.
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
davem60612
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: December 01, 2012 06:20AM
That railroad was the MJ. The Manufacturers Junction was quite large in it's time, but last year when Permian Basin pulled the pin on them, they were just a small shadow of it's former self. No mains. No junction. Only a few small switch jobs left. I think that CSX serves the indutries around there now.
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
Bruce Kelleher
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: December 01, 2012 05:12PM
My aunt, Bessie Vopatek, worked at WE for 45 years.
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
Richard Stachowski
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: December 01, 2012 05:41PM
[b]I worked ther from 1955 to 1958 on the second floor off Cermak. Was a wire man. The bosses were Bill Sell, Smitty and Polack. [/b]
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
Bruce Kelleher
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: December 01, 2012 06:15PM
They had another plant too ...I think it was called the Karlov plant???
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
daveg
(130.36.62.---)
Date: December 05, 2012 02:10PM
Western Electric had a facility in the Clearing Industial Park as well. ESS switching frames were made there. I don't recall the exact location.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/2012 02:13PM by daveg.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/2012 02:13PM by daveg.
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
Chuck D
(12.104.103.---)
Date: February 12, 2013 12:04PM
I was a maintenance manager at the 26st plant. All of the metal that was used for telephone equipment, was produced at this plant. People don't realize how big the Hawthorne works really was. At their peak, around 44,000 people worked there.my father,and most of my uncles also woked there.Parking stickers to the cable plant parking lot were passed down from father to son.The complex consisted of the TA buildings,where they made switching systems and components, the largest and fastest cable plant in the world,the rod and wire mill, where the took ingots of copperand drew it down to small wire,also there were the new machine construction shop, the merchandise buildings,the foundry,the MJ railroad buildings,the security building with its tower,the main cafeteria and storeroom, and finally the powerhouse.what most people do not know,was that the Hawthorne works was never connected to Commonwealth Edison power--we produced 900lb steam in our six story tall Reilly Stoker boilers, and generated all of our own power with 13 General Electric steam turbine generators. The plant had its own hospital,stores,fire and police departments,and even it's own athletic field. There are so many memories to share !
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
Richard Stachowski
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: February 12, 2013 12:32PM
daveg Wrote: If I remember right that was Kellog Switchboard and they made thier frames for another phone company I can't think of it now. Automatic Electric?
-------------------------------------------------------
> Western Electric had a facility in the Clearing
> Industial Park as well. ESS switching frames were
> made there. I don't recall the exact location.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Western Electric had a facility in the Clearing
> Industial Park as well. ESS switching frames were
> made there. I don't recall the exact location.
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
daveg
(130.36.62.---)
Date: February 12, 2013 01:30PM
Nice summary Chuck D. I wasn't aware that Hawthorne didn't need/use CE power.
Thanks
Thanks
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
Chuck D
(---.115.197.74.res-cmts.sm.ptd.net)
Date: February 12, 2013 10:00PM
daveg, there were mountains of coal at the 26st plant. this coal was loaded into hopper cars, and the cars were backed up on to a ramp in the rear of the powerhouse. the entire car was turned upside down,and the coal was dumped into the pulverizing machine. this machine would turn the coal into a graphite like dust,and was blown with air pressure through a nozzle and into the boiler combustion chamber. This was unique in that we could switch from coal to oil or gas at the flick of a switch, and never worry about running out of any type of fuel. Most of the equipment in the powerhouse such as the chillers and compressors were steam driven. The concrete cooling towers next to the powerhouse were huge and there was a moat around them that supplied cooling water. this moat was 17 feet deep, and trades men would use a row boat to inspect the towers. Steam was supplied to the buildings through tunnels, and to the 26st plant on an overpass that was a mile long. I can't remember how many megawatts of power we produced, but we certainly could have supplied power for all of Cicero, and maybe some of Berwyn too!
Re: Western Electric
Posted by:
badikian
(---.c3-0.nwb-ubr1.chi-nwb.il.cable.rcn.com)
Date: March 06, 2014 02:36PM
I am looking for information on the Clearing Plant. I worked there in 1970 and am writing about it. Please reply if you worked there and remember any details.
Thank you,
Beatriz
Thank you,
Beatriz
