Category: News

Friends,

The Moving Pillsbury Forward / Pillsbury Reunion Project is pleased to announce weekly open office hours for former Pillsbury employees, neighbors, retirees, and families.  We have a comfortable, shaded/indoor sitting area at the old south truck loading dock.  We also have plenty of collected artifacts from the plant…and we would like your help in identifying how many of them were used.  Please, bring a cup of coffee and plan to spend some time with us.  It is a good informal setting that we hope will allow us all to learn more about the history of the Springfield Pillsbury Plant. 

When: Every Tuesday morning from 9:00am to 11.00am.  (Starting 7/18/23)

Where: At the Pillsbury South Loading Dock (corner of 16^th St. and Phillips Ave.)

Why: To connect and learn more about our local history centered around the Pillsbury Plant.

Download the Flyer… (PDF)

We have already connected with several retirees and families.  The stories are fantastic, and we want to hear more of them.  We are working to compile a comprehensive list of Pillsbury employees and their start dates for families.  Old seniority lists have been very helpful.   Several have been scanned and can be shared via email.

The Pillsbury plant had a positive impact on the Greater Springfield Area that was tremendous and long lasting.  A huge part of that was the people involved…the workers and the great productive culture they established.  Certainly, a history worth remembering and recording for future generations. 

Thanks for being a part of the Pillsbury reunion Project.

MPF Reunion Project Team
PillsburyProject.org

Friends,

Moving Pillsbury Forward is actively working to capture the history of the Springfield Pillsbury plant. We have formed a working group for what we are now calling the Pillsbury Reunion Project.

After our April 29th gathering of 34 Pillsbury employees for the group photo on the front lawn it became clear that this is an important aspect of the overall Pillsbury Project. There are hundreds of families in the area that are connected to Pillsbury in various ways. We want to embrace and record the great Pillsbury stories and memories before they are lost.

Here are a few aspects of the Pillsbury Reunion Project we are working on:

Tours — one of the primary things we would like to do is connect with as many former Pillsbury employees as is reasonable and offer small group tours. We would love to walk and talk with the employees to learn more about the site and record their stories. Note: General public tours will resume in the Fall with advanced announcements.

Pictures — if families have pictures of the site and people working at Pillsbury, we would love to have copies. Seniority lists of various years would be great also. We currently have 1946, 1974, 1977, and 1990. We also have the 2007 retiree list.

Memorabilia — we would love to have items to consider loaning for exhibit. Team shirts (bowling, softball, etc.) and other items would be great! We are planning an exhibit for this winter. We are working to identify the right venue and solidify dates.

Gathering — we would love to bring together the former employees for a gathering (maybe a picnic) in the Fall. We are also planning a fundraiser/exhibit/auction for the Fall in the dock area.

Oral Histories — we would love to record a few employees as they talk about their time at Pillsbury.

Timecards — we have a good supply of The Pillsbury Company Springfield Plant timecards for employees and families to have for mementos and scrapbooks.

Bricks — we have a good supply of bricks from the 1929 Warehouse #4. Folks can have as many as they want. We also have a limited supply of engraved bricks with a minimum donation of $20 for each engraved brick.

Please, consider being a part of the Pillsbury Reunion Project.

Here are a few ways to connect with us:

• Via email at:
• At the Downtown Farmers Market on Saturday, July 22nd from 8:00 to noon
• At the Pillsbury South Loading Dock most weekday mornings throughout the summer months

The Pillsbury Reunion Team
pillsburyproject.org

Friends,

Moving Pillsbury Forward participated in the USEPA Technical Assistance Program this past winter. Through this program MPF consulted with Vita Nuova, an innovative consulting firm that creatively tackles complex industrial redevelopment projects throughout North America.

This month Vita Nuova chose to feature MPF in their new Project Spotlight series. This is exciting news for MPF. It gives our project national exposure within the industrial redevelopment community. The team at Vita Nuova delivered everything we asked for and more!

https://www.vitanuova.net/project-spotlight-a-new-vision-for-the-former-pillsbury-mills-site/

Thank you for being a part of the Pillsbury Project.

Chris / Polly / Tony
pillsburyproject.org

Friends,

MPF switched gears for a little bit today and addressed a vacant lot issue in the neighborhood.  

A block from the Pillsbury front gate at the corner of 16th St. and Matheny St. is a vacant lot.  The deed is held by the County Trustee.  The City of Springfield thankfully removed the dilapidated vacant house that stood there just two years ago. The vacant lot has not been mowed since last year.

Today we mowed.  The stop sign on the corner was obscured by the weeds and the sidewalk was not accessible. We witnessed a neighbor walking in the street on his regular morning walk because the sidewalk was overgrown with weeds.  Well…tomorrow he can use the sidewalk!

The thinking here is simple…see a problem, fix a problem.  It’s the little things that add up to a better quality of life.

UPDATE:

Thanks for the encouragement and questions related to yesterday’s lot mowing email.  Here is a bit of follow-up detail for those who have asked:

When reviewing the ownership of 1537 Matheny Ave. (Parcel # 14-26.0-151-020) we find that a woman named Victoria McCall owned the property and last paid taxes in 2015.  Until today it was not known what happened to her.  This morning a long-time neighbor on the block told me that “Vicky and her husband moved to Texas several years ago.  He died a short time later.  Vicky now lives in West Virginia.”  It is fair to say that they simply walked away from the property and started anew in Texas. 

Well…that explains why the property was eventually (over an 8-year period) taken for back taxes and the deed is now held by the County Trustee.  Individual property rights and the legality surrounding it move slowly in situations like this one.  Unfortunately, it happens all too often in distressed neighborhoods and creates a negative spiral. 

Long-term solutions are hard to find in these situations.  The short-term solution this week was mowing. 

Thanks again for the encouragement and great questions.

Chris Richmond
pillsburyproject.org

Friends,

Moving Pillsbury Forward is pleased to announce two additional funding commitments totaling nearly $2,000,000.

On May 25th the USEPA announced an award of nearly $800,000 for cleanup at the Pillsbury site. We applied for this funding in November after our Phase II Environmental Site Assessment and building surveys were completed earlier in the Fall. The surveys allowed us to calculate the amount of remaining asbestos and other contaminants in the buildings. The award will be utilized to complete remediation (contaminate removal) within all remaining buildings at the site.

Over the weekend (May 27th), the State budget passed with $1,200,000 awarded to Moving Pillsbury Forward. These funds will primarily be utilized to continue demolition activities at the site. As the buildings are remediated and demolished, public safety in the area increases and so do the redevelopment opportunities. We appreciate the efforts of Senator Turner in getting this accomplished on behalf of the Greater Springfield community.

Moving Pillsbury forward now has over $6,000,000 in commitments for the project at the Local, State, and Federal levels. In the coming weeks we will continue to raise funds, complete the necessary environmental review process, and prepare bids for remediation and demolition contracts.

Together we are moving forward – THANK YOU!

Chris / Polly / Tony
pillsburyproject.org

Saturday, April 29th, 2023 was a special day for former Pillsbury employees who attended our public tour. They all seemed to enjoy visiting and talking about their days at Pillsbury. It was wonderful to see them interact and tell their stories.

A huge thank you goes to local photographer Frank Bowen, who made the following images and gave them to us for use on our website.

Frank should get an award for the photo of the three retired guys! He really captured what the day was all about for the former Pillsbury employees. 34 former Pillsbury employees appear in the group photo.

Chris Richmond

(click to see larger photo)

Friends,

Moving Pillsbury Forward had a great turnout for general public tours on Saturday, April 29. More than 80 people attended the 10:00 am tour. Another 100-plus attended the noon tour after the group Pillsbury Employee photo was taken from the front lawn. In total, MPF hosted over 400 people for tours in April. Tours will resume again in late summer. Dates will be announced in advance as they get scheduled.

We had 34 employees in attendance for the group photo on Saturday. Loved seeing them together again! It was a great day for a reunion photo. The photo attached was taken on a personal phone. Our photographer’s photo is published on our website!

Thank you all for making this special day a success.

Chris / Polly / Tony
pillsburyproject.org

Friends,

On April 7th the Propane Shed and fenced area at the southwest corner of the Administrative Building was demolished and cleared from the Pillsbury property. All of the metal was recycled. The area was cleared to enhance safety, open sightlines, and prepare for larger demolition activities.

Many small steps have taken the Pillsbury Project a long way. The attached photos are a visual example of yet another step. We invite you to drive by and take a look now. A dramatic improvement! Especially for the neighbors right across the street.

We appreciate the continued generous support of the community. Please, join us for scheduled public tours this Saturday (4/22) and next Saturday (4/29). Tour times are at 10:00 am and Noon. Parking is inside the main gate at 16th & Phillips. The ground level tours take about an hour.

Chris / Polly / Tony

Friends,

Rumors of bugs and rodents at Pillsbury are greatly exaggerated by door-to-door exterminator salesmen. We have heard this story several times in the past couple of weeks. Apparently part of the pitch is to scare people with tall tales of critters exiting Pillsbury as the buildings are demolished. They paint an ugly picture in hopes of landing a contract for services. Shameful!

Facts: There is very little evidence of bugs and rodents at the former Pillsbury site. The food sources for critters are long gone (spoiled grain and fly-dumped garbage). Extensive efforts have taken place this past year to remove all fly-dumped garbage at the site. Moving Pillsbury Forward volunteers, generous donors, City Public Works, and the Sangamon County Department of Public Health coordinated efforts to address this important Public Health issue from day one. Many dumpster loads of fly-dumped garbage were removed within the first few weeks of MPF ownership last spring. Today, the community is benefiting from a greatly improved chronic public health issue that had existed at the site for many years. This was the first major victory for the Pillsbury Project!

News

Site Progress: The propane shed and fenced area at the SW corner of the Administration building came down last week. The metal was recycled. Another step forward for the Pillsbury Project. MPF continues setting the stage for large-scale remediation and demolition activities later this year.

Upcoming Tour Dates & Times: Ground Level Tours at 10:00 am and Noon are scheduled this Saturday, April 22nd, and Saturday, April 29th. The walking tours last about 1 hour. An exhibit of collected tools and memorabilia will be on display. Donations are accepted but not required.

Volunteer Opportunities: MPF is looking to expand our volunteer base. If you are interested in volunteering for research, exhibits, oral history project, tour guide, and site maintenance work activities please contact us at:

Timecards: We have a good supply of new in-the-box Pillsbury timecards (2000) found in the plant office storeroom. MPF is making them available to former Pillsbury employees and their families. Just write in your favorite employee’s name. They are great scrapbook keepsakes!

Pillsbury Employee Gathering: In conjunction with our Noon tour on April 29th, we would like to invite former employees for a group photo. We anticipate taking the photo in the front yard (plant in background) at Noon. Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the day! We hope to do several interviews for our oral history project as a part of the activities.

Thank you for being a part of the Pillsbury Project!

Chris / Polly / Tony

Friends,

March has been another active month for the Pillsbury Project. We have news to share.

The Doughboy research continues. We are now looking carefully at the control panel with the “Bicep Doughboy”. We dusted off a manufacturing tag on the back and hope to know more soon. If there is anyone who has information on early doughboy images (i.e. photos in scrapbooks, old-timer stories, or a signed “Wilky” image) please contact us at:

We struck a deal with All American Reclaim to purchase a portion of the Warehouse #4 lumber this month. Two Semi-Trailer loads (20,000 board feet) of Pillsbury reclaimed lumber headed to their shop on March 22nd. It will be available soon to anyone with interest. AllAmericanReclaim.com/updates-and-new-products/

Spring Tour Dates: Saturday Ground Level Tours at 10:00 am and Noon are now scheduled for:

• April 15th
• April 22nd, and
• April 29th.

The walking tours last about 1 hour. Donations are accepted but not required.

Download MPF News for 2023.03.31… (PDF)

Volunteer Opportunities: MPF is looking to expand our volunteer base. If you are interested in volunteering for research, exhibits, oral history project, tour guide, and site maintenance work activities please contact us at:

Timecards. We have a good supply of Pillsbury timecards (2000) found in the plant office storeroom. MPF is making them available to former Pillsbury employees and their families. They are great scrapbook keepsakes!

Pillsbury Employee Gathering: In conjunction with our Noon tour on April 29, 2023, we would like to invite former employees for a group photo. We anticipate taking the photo in the front yard (plant in background) at Noon. Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the day! We hope to do several interviews for our oral history project as a part of the activities.

Thank you for being a part of the Pillsbury Project!

Chris / Polly / Tony