Abandoned

There is a part of the city I live in where an old paper mill used to operate along the falls in the river that cuts through town.  I remember getting a tour of it as a young child as part of a class field trip.  The paper mill closed in 2011 with nothing taking its place.  The mill sits empty.

This particular area of the city is rich with history, beginning before any settlers came along.  Local Native Americans used the falls as a gathering place.  Then throughout the 1800s, the falls was used for generating energy for early industries and cities.

After purchasing the abandoned lot in May this year, a developer plans to turn the rotting buildings into something new the city can enjoy.  So far we can only speculate as to the future of the site, but rumors lean toward apartments, shops, restaurants and a nature trail.  While I'm excited for what will be coming within the next couple of years, I am somewhat sad to see the mill torn down.  I decided to photograph the mill recently so I can look back on what it used to be.  Weather hadn't been the greatest, so I only liked one of the photos, which happened to be right as the sun peaked out for about 10 seconds.

Across the river is the locks and what I believe is a water treatment plant.  The locks are necessary to get watercraft up and down the falls.  Quite a feat of engineering.