What happened to the Allis Chalmers plant and a look back in time

[ruffdog]

This video just came up and I thought it was interesting, looking back what was and what is now. The Allis plant was huge and they made much more than just tractors. Some of the buildings were tore down and others were repurposed. My friend had worked in the machine shop for the bigger non-tractor manufacturing. Enjoy.

 

[Paystar]

I just stumbled across that and watched it last night too. I would have loved to see that back in the day.

So sad to see all these great manufacturers gone from the USA and Canada.

Allis was just like the White Motor Corporation....they made everything from electrical and power generation to crushers, milling machine, construction and farm equipment, truck engines, etc.

Even International Harvester when they were in Hamilton Ontario.....they basically had their own city. Housing for employees, their own fire department, schools for the kids, etc.

Hard to even comprehend how these companies even failed.

 

[dodge man]

There was a large International Harvestor plant just east of me in Canton Illinois. It shut down in 1983 a year before I moved to this area. It pretty much crushed that town. It still has 14,000 people so that town is still chugging along but I think a lot of the people work in Peoria.

 

[ruffdog]

Allis had 9700 workers in West Allis during 1937. The number ballooned to 20k during WWII and dropped to 15k after the war.

More facts and figures:

Allis-Chalmers Corporation - Encyclopedia of Milwaukee

 

[Hay Dude]

I just stumbled across that and watched it last night too. I would have loved to see that back in the day.

So sad to see all these great manufacturers gone from the USA and Canada.

Allis was just like the White Motor Corporation....they made everything from electrical and power generation to crushers, milling machine, construction and farm equipment, truck engines, etc.

Even International Harvester when they were in Hamilton Ontario.....they basically had their own city. Housing for employees, their own fire department, schools for the kids, etc.

Hard to even comprehend how these companies even failed.

Yes it’s really depressing. It could be anything from mismanagement to unions to competition.
I’m getting to the point where I’m looking around saying to myself “do we make anything anymore”?

 

[azbinder]

There was a large International Harvestor plant just east of me in Canton Illinois. It shut down in 1983 a year before I moved to this area. It pretty much crushed that town. It still has 14,000 people so that town is still chugging along but I think a lot of the people work in Peoria.

dodge man, back about '03-'04, I bought an IH R130 1 ton stake bed truck in Canton. Found on insurance card in the glove box made out to International Harvester. Also had a brass on the drivers door with " Canton " and a number. Truck ended up in Southern Arizona.

 

[KennyG]

Allis Chalmers even built three nuclear reactors.

 

[Alan W.]

My Grandfather worked for Allis before WW2 in Cincinnati.
I still have the letter they wrote releasing him to join the navy when the war started.

 

[lman]

I remember when the Laporte plant closed.

Allis-Chalmers rejects employees' offer, will close plant - UPI Archives

Allis-Chalmers Corp. Friday rejected an offer from an employee group to buy its LaPorte farm implement plant and said it will close the plant by the end of...

www.upi.com

 

[Hay Dude]

IH tractors were so cool back in the early 80’s I remember they were the first tractor to have a “computer”. It was just a digital readout of tractor functions like PTO speed, EGT’s, etc.
The ”snoopy” tractors were unique. The “Western” cabs were lights out.