Safety First!

I met this guy Joe on MySpace. Actually, he circuitously knows me through someone who is friends with someone I know, sort of. It turned out me, him, and Jeff all have a lot in common. We're bass playing misanthropes with a penchant for Rickenbackers, no-wave bands, vegetarian food, and industrial decay. As you found out in the section he contributed to this issue, Joe is originally from the Warren/Youngstown area. One weekend he was bored, and decided to introduce us to some of the "local color."

CSC, Warren, Ohio

Joe was nice enough to drive me and Jeff all the way from Cleveland to Warren, where we first took some shots of this semi-abandoned steel mill. Part of it is obviously still in use, but a lot of it looks like it isn't. I couldn't really get any good pictures that show the scale of this place, but it's really freaking huge.

More of CSC

Aside from at least two huge steel mills, there was a lot of random industrial decay to photograph in Warren. We didn't get more than a fraction of it, because it's everywhere.

Random Decay

Here's a tiny part of WCI Steel across the Mahoning river from the really freaking huge (even more freaking huge than CSC) part. There's a water treatment plant, and a tiny blast furnace.

Part of WCI.

Here's the only shot we got of the really freaking huge part. We couldn't really figure out how to get over there at the time, but maybe we'll go back. The thing goes on for at least a mile. You can check it out on the satellite view of Google Maps -- look up 1040 Pine Avenue SE, Warren, Ohio 44483-6528.

A Bad Shot of a Big Thing

After these shots we headed for Youngstown, which was once home to a total of 16 steel mills -- most of which have been demolished by now. We managed to find "Steel Street" and though we were on the right path -- but realized we were above a big empty valley which probably used to contain the steel mills we were looking for. We got confused and pissed off, and went to an Aladdin's out in the suburbs to get lunch. At least we got to see this cool art-deco building first.

U-Deco

We were heading out of Youngstown on the Interstate, when we finally noticed an actual decaying steel mill! Actually, just part of one. This abandoned sinter is one of the most picturesque places around, and you can get fairly close without attracting anyone's attention. You can download two seperate panoramic shots: here and a kind of messed up one here.

Youngstown Sinter

It doesn't get much better than an abandoned steel mill that looks like it's made entirely out of rust.

Next: Things That Don't Fit Anywhere Else

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