A visually and cartographically explicit narrative blog about Tampa's built history and development.
(Above banner created from photo in the Burgert Brothers Photographic Collection)



Friday, November 12, 2010

Oh, that old Infrastructure!

Well it's been awhile since I've last posted, and as inspiration is lacking I'll pull a post from the archives of unpublished thoughts.  So here it is a look at kooky bits of infrastructure from Tampa's past, or things that just look plain crazy to our modern eyes.  These are all things that were built to help the growing city flow, literally.

1.  WASTE WATER TREATMENT FIT FOR A KING!
City sewage disposal plant, septic tank building, on northwest corner of Twiggs and Twelfth Streets: Tampa, Fla
In what is now the channelside district, near the seaboard square apartments.

2.  INCINERATORS
This one was at 211 N. Rome Ave., taken 1924 - closer to the then city limits in the warehousing district.

The view of City Sanitary Department Cremating Plant Number 1; Tampa, Fla.

3.  WASHINGTON STREET VIADUCT
Most cities had "viaducts" to divert pedestrian, buggy and car traffic over large rail yards.  This was Tampa's first attempt to cross the rail yard that was East of downtown in today's Channelside area.  It's no wonder that the city decided to build a more direct bridge a few blocks North on Lafayette Street (now Kennedy Blvd.).

Washington Street Viaduct view northwest of spectators at accident aftermath showing broken guardrail from ground: Tampa, Fla.
Sadly road bridges aren't made to T at their apex today, I wonder why?
 

2 comments:

  1. Hi I am interested in the old incinerator. Do you have any more information about it other than the old photos?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Photos and locations, what other kind of information are you looking for?

    ReplyDelete