Farmers' Warehouse comes crashing down

Wednesday, September 21, 2005
The old Farmers' Warehouse was pulled down last week by demolition crews.

A Mountain Home landmark was reduced to rubble last week as the old Farmers' Warehouse came tumbling down as a demolition crew went to work.

A handful of spectators were on hand to watch as in a matter of seconds a piece of the town's history collapsed with a loud crash and a huge cloud of dust.

Those few seconds belied the amount of time the entire demolition project will actually consume. Before the structure could be taken down, hours were spent in preparation. The siding was removed as well as the interior walls, doors and the windows, leaving only the uprights in place. Careful calculations were made to determine exactly where and how the cables should be rigged to make the project go as smoothly and safely as possible. Even after the backhoe moved into place to tighten the cables and pull the main structure down, the work continues. The debris must be cleared and the second portion of the structure with the tall grain tower will be removed, following much the same process.

The future of the property owned by the Union Pacific Railroad is undetermined at this time. The city has expressed an interest to lease the property in much the same way as its current lease for the Railroad Park.

"We have told them of our interest, and they haven't expressed objections," said Mayor Joe B. McNeal. The city would like to make the area available for downtown parking.

The mayor explained the site extends all the way from American Legion Boulevard to Jackson Street. If it were to become city parking, it would mean anyone could park only a block away from the entire downtown area, he said.

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