Powerhouse, Lyon Mountain Mine.
Photos taken in August 2011 by CandyCat13 Lyon Mountain
Mine, Clinton County. This was the site of an old iron mine on the edge of
Lyon Mountain. It was started in 1871 by the Bethlehem Steel Company and
produced 5,000,000 tons of ore between it's opening and 1919, after 1903 it was
owned by the Chateaugay Ore & Iron Company. It was said that it was some of the
finest ore in the world and some of it was even used on the Golden Gate Bridge.
162 men died in this mine over the years. The mine was closed in 1967. Good
link on the history and technical info on the Lyon Mountain Mine. Link
from Infiltration 'Zine with lots more picks. Slideshow
showing some photos from when the mine was functioning. You
can buy a book about Lyon Mountain Miners. More
external picks and photos of the village and mountains, etc (see page 2 on that
site also).
Candycat13
writes "Since moving here in 1995 this has been one of my 'obsessions'. I have
been to the Lyon Mt museum (dragging my husband w/ me) and fully recommend it to
anyone who attempts a visit to the mine first. They have a wealth of info and a
remarkable ability to make you understand and feel what these miners and their
families went thru. Many of the volunteers are the relatives of a former miners.
The mine remnants are open if you dare to go. I absolutely love this place!!! I
have over 70 picks of the mines works inside and out. I can find my around there
in the dark (except for the lower stages...Even light does not penetrate that
far...I am brave ..but not that BRAVE.) I don't know why more people don't go
and enjoy the 'air'. Just a note... there are a few black, bottomless holes..
don't go traipsing around in the first building w/out a good light."
More pictures from the Lyon Mountain
Mine. Old loading spot.
Blast furnace.
Taken from the fifth floor.
Photos taken in August 2011 by CandyCat13
More, from inside one of the Lyon
Mountain Mine buildings.
Photos taken in August 2011 by CandyCat13
More exterior photos of the mine
buildings.
Photos taken in August 2011 by CandyCat13
Date 01/12. Photos by CharlieB.
First Baptist church on North Chapel St. in
Gowanda, near the border of Erie and Cattaragaus counties. Of note
- a sign in a nearby village mentions that it is 926 feet above sea level.
Date 01/12. Photos by CharlieB.
More photos of the First Baptist church.
Taken on 01/24/12
The front of the old Bomax building, State Route 12F (Coffeen Street),
Watertown, Jefferson County. The company began in October 1962 and
manufactured sub-fractional horsepower motors, C-frames, shaded pole motors, AC
& electric motors; blowers and fans and at one time employed around fifty
workers, but closed in 2004. In the late 80's the webmaster toured
this facility, having to don cleanroom equipment for the tour. It was an
incredibly high tech firm. But in the early 1990's chlorinated
solvents, used to clean the motors they manufactured, were found by the DEC
leeching into the soil and groundwater, having been dumped into the septic tank
system through the floor drains and then later leaking into the soil surrounding
the septic system. It is listed as one of New York State's inactive
hazardous-waste disposal sites.
Scannerman
sent pictures of the demolition of the old Bomax facility, dated June 28th,
2013.
Taken on 01/24/12
Side view of the Bomax building. Various trucks were parked at the
other end, perhaps it is being worked on but it sure doesn't look like it.
It's open from one side to the other, with broken windows and missing doors, and
there are many rumors that homeless and wild animals have been seen inside.
From the now-defunct website - "Bomax, Inc., (Bomax) began operations in 1962 as
a result of the entrepreneurial efforts of Robert G. Marzolf and Max E. Lautner.
After seven years of steady growth as a closely held business Bomax was merged
with Gould, Inc. on April 30, 1969. Bomax continued to grow as the Electric
Motor Division of Gould manufacturing in excess of 30,000 motors a day during
the latter part of the 1970's. In 1989, D'Amico, Christie and Gomez purchased
the Bomax facility and began manufacturing motors with substantially the same
personnel as with its predecessors. As a result of insufficient capital Bomax
was placed on the sale block once again and in 1992 the D'Amico, Christie and
Gomez ownership was succeeded by Fernand Fournier, an entrepreneur in several
other non-related ventures. In June 2002, the company was sold to Thomas
Dardaris, a previous partner with Mr. Fournier. Bomax has focused on product
quality and customer service as the mechanisms to regain the reputation created
by our original founders some thirty years ago. Recognizing we are in a mature
industry with minimal dynamics we believe we can earn our way back into the good
graces of the customers that we successfully served in the past, as well as
attracting new entrepreneurs developing new applications for our products.
Bomax is the only sub-fractional horsepower electric motor manufacturer with
in-house capabilities of plastic injection molding, die casting, shaft
manufacturing and rotor casting. The in-house manufacture of component parts
results in design flexibility and production scheduling to meet stringent
customer specifications and deliveries. Additionally, it allows us to control
the quality aspect of all the component parts that go into our motors. In
1997, Bomax purchased its manufacturing facility to secure its right to continue
its objective of sustained growth and profitable operations. The ownership of
Bomax is committed to continue making investments in people and equipment, and
to provide the necessary resources to obtain these objectives."
County Route 15, about a mile west of
Plessis, Jefferson County - house.
Photos taken in February 2012 by
Scannerman