I just heard that the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) buildings are now being demolished. The river-front space in Schenectady will be developed into mixed commercial and residential space. During WWII Alco produced tanks and other weapons for the US War Department. They produce the majority of M-7 Priests, which was a secret weapon until their use by the British 8th Army during the 1942 battle of the El Alamein.
My grandfather was a welder at Alco. Chapter 2 of my book discusses how he and the rest of the Alco workers received the Army/Navy E-Award in 1942 and in 1943 they were honored by representatives of the British military. The photo below shows the factory in 1942.
There was an effort to save some of the buildings for an Alco museum, but I'm not sure if that succeeded. You can view an Albany News 10 video news clip about the demolition in progress. Click the "Schenectady in WWII" label below to see related posts on this blog.
There was an effort to save some of the buildings for an Alco museum, but I'm not sure if that succeeded. You can view an Albany News 10 video news clip about the demolition in progress. Click the "Schenectady in WWII" label below to see related posts on this blog.
i think that it should not be torn down. and ill tell u why. see schenectady has great history that reflects the city it once was before crime started going up. u tear that down and what will we have to show for? i mean we know of the history that happened there but that still doesnt change the fact that this is still a downed economy. youll end up spending millions of dollars jus to destroy whats there. then on top of that, youll spend millions more builing it! listen,im all for the fact that people will have a place to stay, but i think it will be better off a factory or foundery. i personally would work there.(even though im only 17) lets not forget that the main building was the worlds lonest buildings. now thats a milestone to be proud of!
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