Gone In A Cloud of Dust – 224 foot stack
And Gone In A Cloud Of Dust
A 51-year-old Missoula landmark, well known to area pilots especially, came down Thursday with a flare that only a 250-ton, 224-foot high structure could provide. Dropped was the stack at the American Crystal Sugar Co. plant, which was closed in 1965. The property is now owned by the Northern Pacific. The demolition work was done by Schmidt Construction Co., owned by H. J. “Smitty” Schmidt, on a subcontract from Dr. Earl Pruyn, who has the contract for the salvage work at the plant. Dynamite used to demolish the stack was placed by Chuck R. Wright of Missoula and his charges were well placed. Shortly before noon Thursday the third blast of the morning went off and the stack fell exactly on the spot cleared for it, much to the expressed relief of the principals involved. (Staff Photos by Gaylord T. Guenin)
The caption above appeared in The Missoulian on October 27, 1967.