Posted 10 months ago
Reeling
(64 items)
Found this at a garage sale recently vintage iron, heavy plaque….interesting in front has consolidation steel corp…. Los Angeles, Calif, 1936 wondering if it was part of a bridge they tore down in Buena Park back in the 80s…. size 20 x 9 1/2.”
Newfld,
vcal..Tks 4The luv
Reeling, Cool. :-)
From the right-hand brass plaques:
NORTHAM STATION UNDERPASS
BRIDGE NO. 55-71
Built 1936
Removed 1983
So it was an rail station underpass bridge.
The name "Northam Station" was a bit of an anachronism even in 1936, because apparently the station had been renamed from "Northam" to "Buena Park" in 1929:
*snip*
Northam station was not renamed Buena Park until 1929. (The Santa Fe tracks are now the route of the Metrolink line, while the I-5 follows the old Southern Pacific right-of-way.)
*snip*
https://www.ochistoryland.com/plic
Vetraio50,
fortapache,
BHIFOS,
kev123,
yougottahavestuff,
Cisum,
kwqd,
DejaVu2,
dav2no1..Tks 4The luv..& keramikos, Tks 4 info
Reeling, You're welcome. :-)
The trail got a little muddy.
Consolidated Steel Corp. apparently was founded 1928/1929, but its two main plants (in Orange, TX and Wilmington, CA) weren't built until after 1936:
https://www.buttonmuseum.org/buttons/consolidated-steel-corporation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consolidated_Steel_Corporation
A couple of the companies that merged to form it (Llewellyn Iron Works, Baker Iron Works) were involved in the construction of the iconic Bradbury Building:
https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/lost-la/how-iron-steel-helped-los-angeles-forge-a-modern-metropolis
So it isn't clear exactly where this plaque was cast.
Reeling, Sorry, bad editing on my last comment.
That intervening tidbit about the Bradbury Building was just interesting to me.
As you've probably long since deduced, this vintage bridge plaque was mounted on wood and probably presented to one-time mayor of Buena Park, Lester J. Reese.
I can't read all of the engraved text on the left-hand brass plate (because of reflection), which might provide more clues.
Where exactly was the associated railroad underpass that was removed in 1983? Dunno.
The Buena Park station is no doubt different from what it was in 1983, let alone 1936. The modern infill station opened in 2007:
https://subwaynut.com/california/metrolink/buena_park/index.php