Abandoned factory in Owensville?

[Chris]

I used to go to Owensville, Missouri with my grandparents quite often. On the way into town, I remember there being an industrial complex with a large pipe high up between two buildings that appeared to rotate. I've seen setups like this before, but I forget what they were used for. Anyway, I remember the buildings appearing abandoned.

Anyone know what I'm talking about? It was awile since the last time I've been down there.

[Chris]

Here's a satellite photo of the area. It's just to the north of the Y-shaped intersection.

LINK!

[ropingk]

I used to go to Owensville, Missouri with my grandparents quite often. On the way into town, I remember there being an industrial complex with a large pipe high up between two buildings that appeared to rotate. I've seen setups like this before, but I forget what they were used for. Anyway, I remember the buildings appearing abandoned.

Anyone know what I'm talking about? It was awile since the last time I've been down there.

Well Chris,I hate to be the teller of woe but saddly it is gone---What it was was a Fire Brick Manufacturing plant, now I have no idea how it worked but i do know that the Owensville Quarry is just down the Y shaped intersection and somehow the two were conected
Anyway it has been torn down the complex is still there but the Big pipe that I think the heated mixture was in somehow moved it to the other side where is was formed into "Bricks" is gone they are using some of the other building for storage and there are some old oil tankes still there
I have lived in that area for a long time I can kinda remember it being in use but it was a long time ago,I can remember going throught Owensville at night and the big pipe would be glowing bright red
Not really anything there to see, there are a few older building in Owensville that are abandomed but i don't know much about them

[Chris]

I can remember going throught Owensville at night and the big pipe would be glowing bright red

That would be SO COOL. It's a shame I never got to see that.

Oh well, bad news is better than no news, I would've drove down there for nothing had you not posted. Of course, maybe I'll still head down there to scout the Rock Island line through the towns along highway 50.

[ropingk]

There is few places where the "new Highway" runs away fro the old path and I think there are a few tressles that you can get on a lot of the old rail road tracks have been covered up with blacktop but it is prety easy to se where it is
There are a lot of small towns along the way and i am sure all of them have some old buildings there is a old feed mill in Gerald that is not a bar and I have heard you can kinda just walk around in it
good luck
and yes it was prteey amazing to ride buy and see this huge red/orange pipe just out in the middle of nowhere

[RedRyder21]

There are a lot of small towns along the way and i am sure all of them have some old buildings there is a old feed mill in Gerald that is not a bar and I have heard you can kinda just walk around in it
good luck

I have heard from numerous reliable sources the old abandoned bar/restauraunt building in Beaufort is going to be torn down in the very near future. It sits in the intersection of 185 N. and Hwy 50. I had better go and snap some pictures before it is torn down.

[ropingk]

it looks like it could fall down but i think it is still used

[the_p0ssum]

Wow! I'm from the Beaufort area and can't believe the old North Star bar at 50/185 got mentioned!

Honestly, though, there's not much to see. I know the owner, and the guy who does odd jobs for him. The plan was to rehab the building into a bar/grill, but the county won't approve any permits. In fact, about all they'll permit, is it's demolition.

It's in pretty sad shape, and given it's proximity to Highway 50 [less than 5ft from the front door], and cops' penchant for hanging out at the Voss store across the street at night, there's a good chance of being spotted.

Years ago, the place was actually a general store, with a bar/restaurant on one side. It sort of evolved into a "shoot & stab" sort of joint, which closed down either in the late 80's or early 90's. Since then, some folks have lived in it, and it's been the scene of a few arrests.

[ropingk]

I was by there the other day and I really thought it was still in use a a bar resturant????? I do know for sure there were at least 10 cars in the lot??

[Chris]

Anything else to see along 50? When we used to go to Lake of the Ozarks we would get on 50 where it hits 44 in Union and take it all the way to Jefferson City.

[ropingk]

lots of little towns not much of any big intrest that i know of

[the_p0ssum]

Sorry, but the Northstar is definitely not a "going concern." Folks sometimes park in the lot next door, but they also get run off when the caretaker shows up.

As for cool stuff along Hwy 50, I'm afraid there's not much fare. Union has a few old abdandoned buildings -- located in a few spots along the railroad tracks -- but between there and Owensville, there's not much [Owensville is actually South on Hwy 28].

There are a few haunted spots -- including one in Union garnering national acclaim -- but not much to explore.

[the_p0ssum]

For those still interested, the North Star will be coming down at some point, probably this summer. The county won't let the owners do anything with it due to it's close proximity to Hwy 50. The roof over the addition on the east side of the building has collapsed, but the main building is still standing and access shouldn't be a problem.

If you go venturing, I'll caution that there aren't really any inconspicuous spots to park. You could maybe park in the Ken's Auto lot that right behind the North Star, acting like your car is there for service. And, you'd have to be careful of being seen inside as the Voss Market & houses across the street, along with the $0.25 carwash next to the North Star are fairly busy. But, it's doable, and I have no idea what you might find in there!

[Warped_Mind]

Wow, I can't believe you guys are talking about the North Star. My family has a farm thats not to far away from it and I pass by it when going to or from our farm (I take 50 to 185 almost every time). the_p0ssum is right on the money with "turned into a shoot & stab type of joint." It closed sometime in the early 90's if memory serves correct.

I've never been in the place myself but my dad did, once, for about 2 minutes. The parking lot was full of cars and noise was blaring out of the joint. So he walks in and there's nobody except for the bartender eying him trying to figure out if he's a narc or not. Hmm, something fishy going on here so my dad left. He later found out that the illegal gambling was downstairs and prostitution was upstairs and drugs all around. Your typical Mr. Rogers family joint.

Damn, come to think of it, I wounder which was more of a hell raiser joint: The North Star, Town Tavern in Gerald or the Oak Lodge (5-10 miles past Rosebud right on highway 50). I have jacked-up up stories on all of those joints and there eventual destruction.

As it has been pointed out already, there is quite a bit of activity right around where the North Star is located plus the front door is no more than 3-4 feet from highway 50. The building is in pretty bad shape and I can't imagine anything really cool being found there as I'm sure it would have been stolen/salvaged/burned/ or trashed by teenagers already, but knows?

[bobcat]

Is anyone familiar with these mines/quarries along Hwy 50, 1.5 miles west of Rosebud? I've often driven by them and wondered if they were mines or just simply water filled quarries.

The surrounding area seems devoid of vegetation, so I thought there might be some mining related phytotoxicity issues.

That being said, I don't think that Gasconade County ever had much in the way of mineralization.

Thanks,