Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Forgotten Brewery Caves - Arcadia Wisconsin

Arcadia Wisconsin is one of those out of the way little spots that manages to somehow attract a fair bit of industry.  It is home to Ashley Furniture, a rather large outfit.  And it also has a big "Gold n' Plump" chicken processing plant.  This sits on the site of a brewery that operated from the 1872 to 1949.  In 1910 it was a modest enterprise, a single building under three stories tall.  And only three employees.

The site has been extensively altered with a large area of limestone hillside sculpted out to make room for the factory site.  Take a look at the Google Earth view of the place:

                                                  Gold n' Plump

And in the parking lot right next to where trucks make deliveries I found what I think is the remnant of a cave from the Arcadia Brewery;



It has absolutely nothing to do with brewery caves but the Gold'n Plump company deserves kudos for some really fun ads a few years back.  Military Chickens!

---------
Addendum 1 December, 2016.  While perusing early Winona newspapers on another matter I found a brief account from 14 February, 1959 that describes the removal of the hill behind the current Arcadia fryer plant.  It mentions that the former brewery had caves there so I think my ID of the sad little remnant above is, well, rock solid. T.

No comments: