Grand Trunk Cold Storage is located in the heart of the Milwaukee Junction area. Ghost signs on the south and north sides of the building state “Division of Beatrice Foods Co.”. The east loading docks were demolished in late 2006. This resulted in a partial collapse in the northern side of the east section. Exploring the interior is similar to being in the midst of a wind tunnel with no lights. The first floor is a stark arrangement of concrete columns’ and empty space.   The view from the roof was memorable… after the noxious smell, which intensified in the upper floors.

Beatrice Foods Cold Storage Warehouse Research

Niel Gazels’s book “ Beatrice: From Buildup Through Breakup (*1)” verified that Beatrice was likely responsible for building the cold storage site in Detroit. His book chronicles Beatrice Foods dairy research and expansion during the 1930’s. The same chapter also covers warehouse development as he explains “Cold-Storage warehouses were essential to Beatrice’s operation… warehouse operations grew hand in hand with the dairy, egg and frozen food distribution business”.

A possible date for the Detroit warehouse is given with the quotes ”Chicago Cold Storage, built during World War 1… The general office was located in this building until 1944” and “The company also had warehouses in Detroit and Scranton as well as the Soo Terminal in Chicago”. Beatrice’s Detroit Cold Storage facility was likely built between 1944 and 1952. After 1952 Beatrice Foods constructed cold storage depots in other cities like Denver and Los Angeles, or purchased existing facilities run by other operations..

Reference

(*1) By Niel Gazel (Author), William G. Karnes (Designer), Beatrice: From Buildup Through Breakup (Hardcover), Publisher: Scholarly Book Services Inc (Jun 27 2002, ISBN-10 0252017293, ISBN-13: 978-0252017292), p24

A46-1 Archive