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View Full Version : Industrial site east of Sacramento?


Kirk Gittings
30-Jun-2012, 10:49
Going through some old negatives I need to print finally. From maybe 20 years ago. I'm trying to figure out a location for a title. It was in a small town east of Sacramento, a mining town in the foothills. There was a mid size old corrugated metal (historic probably but not ancient) foundry or metal fabrication establishment-not (then at least) a museum or anything-that still had some activity. We were there on the weekend so it was closed. My images are details of steel machine parts so no help there. There was a street in front and a hill in back. Allot of interesting large metal industrial parts laying around.

I know this is vague and probably describes many places in that area. Any thoughts?
John Jarosz
30-Jun-2012, 14:45
How far east? In 20 years, the sprawl could have consumed it by now.
David Lindquist
30-Jun-2012, 14:53
Going through some old negatives I need to print finally. From maybe 20 years ago. I'm trying to figure out a location for a title. It was in a small town east of Sacramento, a mining town in the foothills. There was a mid size old corrugated metal (historic probably but not ancient) foundry or metal fabrication establishment-not (then at least) a museum or anything-that still had some activity. We were there on the weekend so it was closed. My images are details of steel machine parts so no help there. There was a street in front and a hill in back. Allot of interesting large metal industrial parts laying around.

I know this is vague and probably describes many places in that area. Any thoughts?

That has to be Knight Foundry in Sutter Creek. This foundry and machine shop dates from the mid 1870's and still is there. Cast iron was last poured in 1996. Currently it is not in operation and is not open to the public. Attempts to restore the site and even bring it back in to operation as a sort of living history museum have so far not been successful.

David
John Jarosz
30-Jun-2012, 14:54
Like here?

East of Sacramento (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.582291,-121.180165&hl=en&ll=38.582333,-121.178126&spn=0.004084,0.006899&num=1&t=h&z=17)
Kirk Gittings
30-Jun-2012, 16:53
Thanks but no. This looks like a mine or maybe a mine smelting operation. I was at the edge of a small town and the place was a forge or some kind of metal fabricating shop. Sorry it was a long time ago and my memory is not great. We went to many sites that day.
Kirk Gittings
30-Jun-2012, 16:54
How far east? In 20 years, the sprawl could have consumed it by now.
Seems like it was maybe an hour away?
Kirk Gittings
30-Jun-2012, 16:55
That has to be Knight Foundry in Sutter Creek. This foundry and machine shop dates from the mid 1870's and still is there. Cast iron was last poured in 1996. Currently it is not in operation and is not open to the public. Attempts to restore the site and even bring it back in to operation as a sort of living history museum have so far not been successful.

David

I will see if I can find some images. Thanks.
David Lindquist
30-Jun-2012, 17:18
I will see if I can find some images. Thanks.

If you Google "HAER Knight Foundry" you'll get lots of pictures done by Jet Lowe for the Historic American Engineering Record. I was fortunate to meet Jet Lowe at the 1996 annual meeting of the Society for Industrial Archeology which was held in Sacramento that year. He signed my copy of his book _Industrial Eye_. Made me happy.
David
Kirk Gittings
30-Jun-2012, 17:33
Yes that is it, the Knight Foundry. THANK YOU! You guys are the best.