History Forensic planning

[JNA]

Moderator note:

Forensic planning: see the definition here.

Forensic planning. When one uses clues and guesswork identifying elements in the built environment to determine how something likely developed.

Consider this west of Milan, Indiana -

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[Dan]

Old warehouse facility. No employee parking, so probably built for long term storage for one specific business. Not military, because the site is constrained, and the facility remnants would be further back from the road.

 

[Maister]

Using your years of experience and finely attuned senses of pattern recognition, would you believe this building is in fact an adaptive reuse? If so, what would you guess it was in the past - a gas station, a dentist office, an old head shop? Who can say with certainty

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[Maister]

Old warehouse facility. No employee parking, so probably built for long term storage for one specific business. Not military, because the site is constrained, and the facility remnants would be further back from the road.

There's another clue present and I'm not sure what to make of what appears to be water storage near the south end.

 

[JNA]

Using your years of experience and finely attuned senses of pattern recognition, would you believe this building is in fact an adaptive reuse? If so, what would you guess it was in the past - a gas station, a dentist office, an old head shop? Who can say with certainty

Google Maps

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By the bucket up on the sign - was it a KFC ?

 

[Faust_Motel]

By the bucket up on the sign - was it a KFC ?

I'm so glad this site still exists: http://notfoolinganybody.com/

 

[Dan]

There's another clue present and I'm not sure what to make of what appears to be water storage near the south end.

Well, this is getting more into the territory of air photo interpretation, not just being able to "read a city".

Whatever use was there generated wastewater that couldn't go into a storm or sanitary sewer; thus, the basin. It's not a typical ugly detention basin; it's defined by sharp edges, which means it's not just a pit, but a lined basin. They didn't want whatever was there to enter the water table.

There's no evidence of a current or previous railroad siding.

No chemical plants or heavy industry nearby, so I can't imagine anybody would be storing anything really toxic on the site. It's really close to the Kentucky state line, though. What's Kentucky famous for? Bourbon whisky. What do you have to do to whisky before you sell it? Age it for years. What's the best place to do that? Close to distilleries, on land that's cheap. Labor isn't an issue, so it doesn't need to be near a poplation center.

Whisky aging facility. That's my final answer.

 

[SlaveToTheGrind]

I thought first an agriculture use but that would not explain the landscaped areas between buildings and same goes for a warehouse facility. Past Google Earth imagery show the buildings were removed not long ago. Also appears there was a water tower on site.

 

[SlaveToTheGrind]

Well, this is getting more into the territory of air photo interpretation, not just being able to "read a city".

Whatever use was there generated wastewater that couldn't go into a storm or sanitary sewer; thus, the basin. It's not a typical ugly detention basin; it's defined by sharp edges, which means it's not just a pit, but a lined basin. They didn't want whatever was there to enter the water table.

There's no evidence of a current or previous railroad siding.

No chemical plants or heavy industry nearby, so I can't imagine anybody would be storing anything really toxic on the site. It's really close to the Kentucky state line, though. What's Kentucky famous for? Bourbon whisky. What do you have to do to whisky before you sell it? Age it for years. What's the best place to do that? Close to distilleries, on land that's cheap. Labor isn't an issue, so it doesn't need to be near a poplation center.

Whisky aging facility. That's my final answer.

You have made a reasonable guess, Dan. My question as a follow up would be why the multiple access points on north and south sides of the pads? I would think a truck would need to drive into the building to load/dump barrels. Plus, no truck turnaround area, the drives just dead-end. Cannot be a use that required many people as off-street parking is non-existent so some type or storage facility is correct. But what?

 

[Faust_Motel]

Pretty sure it used to be a China Express, and the sign came conveniently with a pole for mounting the tank: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.457...=105.3928&pitch=0&thumbfov=100!7i16384!8i8192

 

[jsk1983]

FYI there were still buildings there in 2008 Google Streetview, though the quality isn't quite good enough to read any signs.

 

[Faust_Motel]

Moderator note:

Forensic planning: see the definition here.

Consider this west of Milan, Indiana -

Google Maps

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www.google.com

Lots of farm fields around, bunch of big buildings. Storage/drying for some kind of commodity crop?

 

[Maister]

Whisky aging facility. That's my final answer.

This is fun. We should do another one.

 

[bureaucrat#3]

This is fun. We should do another one.

The Ripley County, IN GIS has the answer. I cheated and looked at the chain of title.

 

[Dan]

The Ripley County, IN GIS has the answer. I cheated and looked at the chain of title.

And the answer is ....

 

[bureaucrat#3]

The property was, until 2008, owned by Joseph E. Seagram & Sons. I googled Seagrams and Milan and there is an order regarding the ethanol emissions from their whiskey aging warehouses. Apparently, there was concern over the 100 tons of ethanol released per year and whether the buildings were properly vented.

I also learned that the 1954 Milan basketball team was the basis for Hoosiers.

 

[SlaveToTheGrind]

Guess the winning answer is the former site of whiskey "barrel houses."

 

[estromberg]

There's another clue present and I'm not sure what to make of what appears to be water storage near the south end.

Water storage like this is commonly for feeding fire suppression sprinkler systems when a building is not serviced by public water. Which it likely wasn't if it had an on-site water tower.

 

[DVD]

Here's an easy one.

Yuma

Arizona

www.google.com

 

[DVD]

Also enjoy the test track to the west.

 

[estromberg]

Here's an easy one.

Yuma

Arizona

www.google.com

I know what it is, but I like this answer better.

Heaven's Gate - How and When It May Be Entered

How and When Heaven's Gate, the Door to the Physical Kingdom Level Above Human, May Be Entered. Organized Religions Are Killers of Souls. UFOs and Extraterrestrials - Sorting the Good from the Bad. Final Warning for Possible Survivors.

www.heavensgate.com

 

[JNA]

Here's an easy one.

Yuma

Arizona

www.google.com

Another one

Google Maps

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[DVD]

There are also a couple near Yuma. The City of Surprise built their city hall on one. I think there are a few that have been repurposed north of Phoenix so you can't tell unless you know what you're looking for.

 

[Maister]

The property was, until 2008, owned by Joseph E. Seagram & Sons. I googled Seagrams and Milan and there is an order regarding the ethanol emissions from their whiskey aging warehouses. Apparently, there was concern over the 100 tons of ethanol released per year and whether the buildings were properly vented.

That was quite a demonstration of forensic planning that Dan provided. Walked us right through his reasoning and even happened to be correct in this instance. He deserves a victory lap for that one!

 

[jsk1983]

There are also a couple near Yuma. The City of Surprise built their city hall on one. I think there are a few that have been repurposed north of Phoenix so you can't tell unless you know what you're looking for.

But what exactly are these things, why were they built?

 

[Bubba]

But what exactly are these things, why were they built?

Usually former military auxiliary landing strips.

 

[SlaveToTheGrind]

 

[JNA]

View attachment 48968

Ooh! Ooh ooh! I know but I won't spoil the fun.

 

[Faust_Motel]

View attachment 48968

I know this too- there is at least one in my municipality.

 

[Bubba]

Ooh! Ooh ooh! I know but I won't spoil the fun.

Same here - I'll stay out of it.

 

[DVD]

For mine, back in the day Phoenix was a training area for fighter squadrons so the triangles are all old runways.

 

[Maister]

Forensic planning #3:

When do you think this plat was developed? Give us as small a year range as you'd be willing to wager a weeks wages on.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

Feel free to drive up and down the block for clues. For the record, let me state I don't know the answer, but what we're primarily interested in here is your REASONING behind your educated guesses.

 

[SlaveToTheGrind]

Forensic planning #3:

When do you think this plat was developed? Give us as small a year range as you'd be willing to wager a weeks wages on.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

Feel free to drive up and down the block for clues. For the record, let me state I don't know the answer, but what we're primarily interested in here is your REASONING behind your educated guesses.

1920-1930, looking at house styles and a similarity to what my mother grew up in leads me to the year range I've indicated.

 

[jsk1983]

Forensic planning #3:

When do you think this plat was developed? Give us as small a year range as you'd be willing to wager a weeks wages on.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

Feel free to drive up and down the block for clues. For the record, let me state I don't know the answer, but what we're primarily interested in here is your REASONING behind your educated guesses.

1925-1930. Depression got in the way of overly ambitious plans and most houses in neighborhood weren't built until after WWII. While you're "in the area" might as well explore south of I-94, east of Clark. It's only an hour away from me but I think I will stick to a virtual visit...

 

[mendelman]

1925-1930. Depression got in the way of overly ambitious plans and most houses in neighborhood weren't built until after WWII. While you're "in the area" might as well explore south of I-94, east of Clark. It's only an hour away from me but I think I will stick to a virtual visit...

Dittos. The subdivision was recorded in 1928 with a smattering of houses built 1930-1950, then a deluge when the local steel workers starting spending and/or making those good wages from the local mills.