Big Red Wheel

This is an enormous wheel from a refrigeration pump motor inside of the Armour Meat Packing Plant in National City, IL.  In the later parts of the 1800's and early 1900's, this section of East St Louis was covered with stockyards, meat processing plants, slaughterhouses and packaging facilities as well.  As time went on, theindustry changed its methods and factories like this one were closed.  This one closed its doors in 1959 and the land was donated to the city of East St Louis.

Incidentally, this wheel is large enough that standing on the ledge next to it, I can't reach the very top by a foot or two.  This leads me to believe this wheel is somewhere in the 10-12 ft. diameter range.