Lime Cement Plant (Closed)

This abandoned place in far eastern Oregon stood as a kind of modern ghost town, a relic of Cold-War-era industry that was abandoned in 1980 and quickly fell into disrepair. Joining the ranks of American ghost towns, it made an adventurous attraction near I-84 for those who enjoyed the aesthetic of ruin. As of July 2018, it was demolished by Northwest Demolition & Dismantling. The site no longer exists for exploration.

Lime, Oregon, is located along the Oregon Trail, and thus has a long history. It was first incorporated and received a post office in 1899. Known for the area's deposits of limestone, the town's main industry soon became lime production, and later plaster. In 1921, a cement company bought the plaster operation and converted it to make cement, some of which was used in the Owyhee Dam. Production accelerated and continued throughout the 1960s and 1970s, but eventually the limestone resource waned and depleted. Cement production moved to nearby Durkee, where it continues today.

The old Lime plant closed in 1980, the small town dissolved, and very little was ever demolished. The structures and machinery crumbled in almost-artful ways, and many surfaces were tagged with interesting graffiti. The site begged for exploration and compelling photography amid its many sharp edges, precarious walls and ceilings, and unstable floors, among many other hazards that lingered in this old factory.