Rosemount Stonehenge: WTF is this?

[Brian Link]

I went out to AAA Salvage in Rosemount today to pick up some stuff for
this Geo we're trying to get roadworthy. Along the way, driving on CR
46 (160th Street East), there was this bizarre field of concrete
supports of some kind. If the below link doesn't work, it's on the
south side of 46 between Akron and Angus.

You can see them (I think this link will work) on Google Streetview:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=County+Road+46+and+Akron+Avenue,+Rosemount,+MN&sll=44.717923,-93.085141&sspn=0.008859,0.022724&ie=UTF8&hq=County+Road+46+and&hnear=Akron+Ave,+Rosemount,+MN+55068&ll=44.717267,-93.084036&spn=0,359.994319&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=44.717739,-93.085382&panoid=cjI8EfmKeirnaAtOkFhErA&cbp=12,145.81,,0,7.46

Very odd constructions - I could see on the north side of 46 there
were other old concrete constructions, and I wonder if there was some
huge industrial encampment that used to span 46?

Thanks if anyone knows.

BLink
--------------------------
"The worst thing about censorship is [redacted]"

[John A. Weeks III]

Post by Brian Link
I went out to AAA Salvage in Rosemount today to pick up some stuff for
this Geo we're trying to get roadworthy. Along the way, driving on CR
46 (160th Street East), there was this bizarre field of concrete
supports of some kind. If the below link doesn't work, it's on the
south side of 46 between Akron and Angus.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=County+Road+46+and
+Akron+Avenue,+Rosemount,+MN&sll=44.717923,-93.085141&sspn=0.008859,0.022724&i
e=UTF8&hq=County+Road+46+and&hnear=Akron+Ave,+Rosemount,+MN+55068&ll=44.717267
,-93.084036&spn=0,359.994319&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=44.717739,-93.085382&panoid
=cjI8EfmKeirnaAtOkFhErA&cbp=12,145.81,,0,7.46
Very odd constructions - I could see on the north side of 46 there
were other old concrete constructions, and I wonder if there was some
huge industrial encampment that used to span 46?

That is the remains of the Gopher Ordnance Plant. It was built
during WWII to make a new kind of smokeless powder for the big
US Navy guns. The plant employed as many as 19,000 workers when
it was being built, and it took almost 10,000 workers to run the
place. It had over 100 miles of railroad track, and its own
airport.

The construction started after the war started, and by the time
the plant was done, the war was starting to tail off. Then the
battle of the bulge happened, and they realized that the war would
not be over in 1944. Plus the invasion of Japan was being planned.
The plant construction was actually halted at one point, and some
of the equipment started to be moved out. Then it was decided to
finish it, so the equipment was hauled back in. The plant did
run for a few months, and then was mothballed. After the war
was over, the wood and metal was salvaged, and the concrete
structures were abandoned in place.

The plant construction lead to one of the darker chapters in how
the government has treated farmers over time. The land was taken
through condemnation. Farmers were paid depression era prices,
which was far below the price that many of the farmers had paid
during the land booms between 1900 and 1930.

There was also an ammunition plant built in Arden Hills for WWII.
One farmer whose land was condemned in Arden Hills took his payout
and moved to Rosemont. Guess what? Shortly after that, his new
farm was condemned for the Gopher plant.

After the plant was shut down, the land was deeded to the University
of MN. It serves as a test farm. More lately, that test farm has
morphed into U-More Park. County Road 46 was put though the area
about a decade ago. Before that, you had to follow trails or
trespass to visit the ruins.

There was also a small Navy base built just south of the current
Dakota Tech school. That Navy base was used to control and downlink
data from spy satellites. The Navy phased it out, and it ran as a
joint reserve base for a few years. It was closed and dismantled
a few years ago.

The base airport is still open. In fact, it was in the news a
few days ago because they had an airplane crash about a week ago.

The biggest remains of the Gopher plant are the stacks from the
two power plants. Each plant had either 4 or 5 stacks. You can
still see remains of the rail line coming south out of the refinery,
but the trestle over County 42 was pulled out about 15 years ago.
A large farm and Vic's Crane Service are located along 42, and both
display some remains from the plant equipment, including a large
flywheel from some machine. Much of the remains on the south side
of the plant are concrete foundations from the factory buildings
and the powder storage bunkers, which numbered in the hundreds.
The roads in U-More Park are open to the public, so you can drive
through the area, but the land is off-limits. They spray
experimental chemicals and they have trademarked plant varieties,
so they don't want people to stray from the roads.

-john-

[EKlein]

This is why I love the interweb...
Erica

[Brian Link]

Thanks John!
--------------------------
"The worst thing about censorship is [redacted]"

[Mike H]

Post by John A. Weeks III
The roads in U-More Park are open to the public, so you can drive
through the area, but the land is off-limits.  They spray
experimental chemicals and they have trademarked plant varieties,
so they don't want people to stray from the roads.

U-More park has been getting more and more attention of the past few
years. The latest plan seems to be some sort of large scale
development of a planned community. The economy tanking slowed that
process down quite a bit, but the U still has plans to develop that
area. Most of the problems (prior to the economy) was dickering with
the Federal Government on covering costs for clean-up of the site.
http://www.umorepark.umn.edu/

Here is a link to some folks that did some digging around the site a
while back and took some pictures:
http://turbo_six923.tripod.com/rosemount/

[AnnE]

Post by Mike H

Post by John A. Weeks III
The roads in U-More Park are open to the public, so you can drive
through the area, but the land is off-limits.  They spray
experimental chemicals and they have trademarked plant varieties,
so they don't want people to stray from the roads.

U-More park has been getting more and more attention of the past few
years.  The latest plan seems to be some sort of large scale
development of a planned community.  The economy tanking slowed that
process down quite a bit, but the U still has plans to develop that
area.  Most of the problems (prior to the economy) was dickering with
the Federal Government on covering costs for clean-up of the site.http://www.umorepark.umn.edu/
Here is a link to some folks that did some digging around the site a
while back and took some pictures:http://turbo_six923.tripod.com/rosemount/

Wow, great site. Thanks for posting that URL. I had gone to Bing
Maps the other day to bring up the site which I thought was
fascinating. Couldn't understand what those concrete structures were
but now I do. thanks. I have been there in the 60s. I think the U
of M police have something out there. Shooting range?

AnnE

AnnE

[b***@gmail.com]

Post by Brian Link
I went out to AAA Salvage in Rosemount today to pick up some stuff for
this Geo we're trying to get roadworthy. Along the way, driving on CR
46 (160th Street East), there was this bizarre field of concrete
supports of some kind. If the below link doesn't work, it's on the
south side of 46 between Akron and Angus.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=County+Road+46+and+Akron+Avenue,+Rosemount,+MN&sll=44.717923,-93.085141&sspn=0.008859,0.022724&ie=UTF8&hq=County+Road+46+and&hnear=Akron+Ave,+Rosemount,+MN+55068&ll=44.717267,-93.084036&spn=0,359.994319&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=44.717739,-93.085382&panoid=cjI8EfmKeirnaAtOkFhErA&cbp=12,145.81,,0,7.46
Very odd constructions - I could see on the north side of 46 there
were other old concrete constructions, and I wonder if there was some
huge industrial encampment that used to span 46?
Thanks if anyone knows.
BLink
--------------------------
"The worst thing about censorship is [redacted]"

a little late but here is a link about the walls:

https://rroc.cfans.umn.edu/about/twalls

B