background

Thursday, January 20, 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

The munitions manufacturing facility that once stood here was built during WWII and saw use through the Vietnam War for the production of ammunition and airplanes. There are tunnels which once connected the factories and provided climate controlled underground storage, evidenced by the large empty rooms and aged compressor equipment. The tunnels themselves stretch for a good mile or so.

Along the side of the busy road sits a conspicuous bunker, surrounded by a tall fence which is lined with razor wire. The lack of doors on this structure hints of the tunnels existence below. This small concrete shack was, in fact a machine-gun emplacement. Nearby, a long abandoned munition testing facility slowly crumbles. Falsely assuming there was a connection from the building just down the road, we headed there first.

The ammunition produced in the Manufacturing Plant was tested at the Firing Range/Test Laboratory. It has a few small tunnels used for underground 50 cal target practice, but we found they do not connect directly to the main storage bunkers/tunnels. It was in an advanced state of disrepair with the exception of the area used as a firing range which had huge blast doors and reinforced concrete walls. Several nearby warehouses are being rented out, others are sitting vacant. To this day, the area is still mostly Federal Government owned.

Firing range/testing laboratory:

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

Furry Tubes. This is one of the underground firing ranges for 50 caliber machine guns.

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

This is the back end of a small-arms range. The bullets were collected at the end of these tubes.

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

Cave Crickets

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

Furry rooms. Asbestos?

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

Down the road, we located the entrance to the network of tunnels and the climate controlled underground storage areas.

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

Looking out from behind the razor wire in the former machine gun emplacement.

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

Above ground storage:

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

WWII Munitions Testing Facility Saint Louis copyright sublunar 2011

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Bethlehem Lutheran Church was completed on April 17th, 1894. The original church at this location was dedicated on October 29th, 1893, but it burned to the ground less than three months later.

Click here for my final trip. Sadly, this church was demolished in April of 2014.

1934:

Bethlehem Lutheran Church Saint Louis © 2014 sublunar

2010:

Bethlehem Lutheran Church Saint Louis © 2014 sublunar

Bethlehem Lutheran Church Saint Louis © 2014 sublunar

Bethlehem Lutheran Church Saint Louis © 2014 sublunar

Bethlehem Lutheran Church Saint Louis © 2014 sublunar

Bethlehem Lutheran Church Saint Louis © 2014 sublunar

Bethlehem Lutheran Church Saint Louis © 2014 sublunar

Bethlehem Lutheran Church Saint Louis © 2014 sublunar

Bethlehem Lutheran Church Saint Louis © 2014 sublunar

Bethlehem Lutheran Church Saint Louis © 2014 sublunar

Bethlehem Lutheran Church Saint Louis © 2014 sublunar

Bethlehem Lutheran Church Saint Louis © 2014 sublunar

Bethlehem Lutheran Church Saint Louis © 2014 sublunar

Bethlehem Lutheran Church Saint Louis © 2014 sublunar

Bethlehem Lutheran Church Saint Louis © 2014 sublunar