Rath Packing Administration Building in Waterloo Iowa

[jdrick]

Thanks for sharing... my parents/uncles were friends of the Raths. They owned Titus Mfg... having live here my entire 59+ years, I would love to gather more info/photos of the history of this great town... your video/photos are exactly the type of thing I want to gather and capture for history!

[wrenwick1]

I was delighted to find this video. John W. Rath is my mother's grandfather. I have been in this building and the rest of the plant both before and after it's unfortunate demise. I would love to connect with anybody who may have more pictures, videos or information about the comapny.

[edisonphonographfan]

just shows how america treats itself a privaledged generation who gets the fruits of there parents and grandparents labor lets things go over seas and forgets the little man america needs to change back to the time when things had quality and everyone mattered

[angelacooleymoore]

What a great video, my mom worked at Rath's for 28 years, her name was Berdean but everyone called her Deanie. We lived on Elm St, on the other side of Franklin St. thsoe are such wonderful childhood memories for me. I lost my mom in May of 2010, and I miss her everyday. My uncle worked there to his name was George Gilbert.....

[KingOChardon]

This is amazing. I live in a recently renovated building downtown Waterloo and I will say one thing,these old buildings make great rehabs and were really built to last. Any idea what the Admin building looks like inside now?

[DrCrandall]

Kathy...I remembered your name :o) And I'm pretty sure you spelled it with a 'K'. Now what was our supervisor's name? She was quite a gal!!

[DrCrandall]

One more LOL. If any of you read this please be in touch. I would love to know how you're all doing. And thanks to whoever posted this video...memories are sometimes all we have at this end of life. I'll check back if you post here or email me at dr_crandall@verizon.net.

[DrCrandall]

And to continue...I quit when I got pregnant and remember the HR woman telling me in all the years she'd worked there she never needed to ask a 5 month pregnant woman for a doctor's proof of pregnancy....oh I was such a skinny Minnie back then. And I worked with 2 women...oh please forgive me I can only remember the name of one...Norma...darn the other name is on the tip of my tongue. They came to visit me in Decorah after I had my son...I sure hope I told you how much that meant to me.

[DrCrandall]

OH wow, thanks for the memories...I get so nostalgic this time of year so Googled the Rath Packing Company. I worked there from 1966 to 1968 while my husband went to Northern Iowa College. I was a secretary to 2 salesmen...Floyd Nelson and Lee Schneider. I replaced Chery Knoop. They were all such nice people. I remember typing up sales orders for bellies and stomachs and to this day still wonder why the stomach orders were for only 10, 000 pounds and the belly orders were 40, 000+ pounds.

[TheSmatts]

@DrCrandall Did you know my grandpa, Ken Bloes? He worked in the administrative building from around 1948 to 1980.

[DrCrandall]

@TheSmatts I'm sorry...I don't think I did.

[mangolymon]

I grew up across the river and behind mama Nicks pizza. I still remember the smells coming from that place and it wasn't the smell of bacon being smoked.

I even had some high school buddies get hired before they closed down.

Glad they plan to save the building!

[coolranchdorito86]

My grandparents both worked there during the 40s, and 50s. I used to drive past this building on my way to their house. It is an amazing piece of architecture, and a staple in the history of Waterloo. Not many remnants of the past still around in Waterloo.

[wdempster]

John Rath was my great-grandfather. I've never seen this building before and it is both fascinating and heartbreaking to see it now in this condition. Things were never the same after my grandfather, Howard Rath, retired in 1964.

[reboot9580]

I have some pictures you would love to see of him. There pics of him and alot of the Rath family from the 40's. I will try to get them up this week. I was on a board to save this building. We found some developers to buy it and fix it up. They are just getting started on it this summer. They were suppost to start on it in 08 but better late than never. Keep in touch.

[reboot9580]

have some pictures you would love to see of him. There pics of him and alot of the Rath family from the 40's. I will try to get them up this week. I was on a board to save this building. We found some developers to buy it and fix it up. They are just getting started on it this summer. They were suppost to start on it in 08 but better late than never. Keep in touch.

[wdempster]

@reboot9580

Would love to see those pictures. Have you posted them? If so, not sure where to find them.

Thanks.

[hawkfanity]

Thanks for the memories. My Dad worked at Rath's in the 1930's and my Uncle and Aunt worked there from the 30's till their retirement in the 70's.

[tdrmcr05]

My Grandfather was a Rath Salesman...I have in my fridge, and am the third generation to keep, a Rath Canned Ham. My children think I'm nutz and I might be, but I look forward to passing it down to them :-)

[drewdown27]

the house i live in was owned by the rath family. its very intresting. to me it seems that they liked big places and things. :) i loved the video -kb

[ComingToBelieve]

Didn't some company buy this building like a year or two ago with plans to apply for grant money to try to fix it up?

[mwadevilg]

Iowa. Hmm.

[MrBuck65]

Great Video.....my Dad worked in the livestock yards and my Aunt worked in the Adminstration buidling. I loved going into this building and experiencing the people and sights. My favorite Rath memory is the smell throughout the entire town when they were smoking bacon. It was great! Too bad they can't find a way to use the building. Great memories and sad at the same time.

[MrToastyPoo]

dont go in their at night. it's scary. lol.

[ghostep66]

i live right across frome this place

[steelerman1974]

Nice photos. My Grandpa retired after 40 years there in 1982. He passed away this past June. Great memories from when I was a kid of living across from Lafayette park and meeting him walking home from work. Sounds cheesy, but every time I drive by there I think of those times and how busy of a neighborhood it used to be. The smell, the sounds of buzzers and bells ending shifts, the trucks and train traffic. Good old days, indeed!

[reboot9580]

It does not sound cheesy at all. I posted this video to hear stories just like what you told me. I live downtown Waterloo and love to hear stories about Waterloo the way it used to be........ Thank You

[liamnalb4]

I did the same thing like you did!! I grew up and lived in Lafayette area all my life.. I can remember meeting my uncle at night with my aunt , at the park to walk home . And the smell , the buzzers and bells ending shifts the trucks and train traffics whoa that really bring back the memories. Thank you ...

[Jensie2786]

the never even started the renovation. and with all the loss from the floods itll probably be another 20s before anything happens. if they dont tear it down first

[YYYYYYYYYYZZZZZZZZZZ]

What a wonderful part of our cities history. I have ALWAYS loved this building. I really hope they do something with it. It would be a shame to let it waste away even more.

[stfanboy]

So what about the renovation if it started in the spring i didn't hear anything about it

[briDGAF]

i love this place, i'm going to have to go in it before they start renovation.

[reboot9580]

I got permission from the city to go inside that. I wonder if they are allowing anyone to go through it now that they have a definate plan for it. Where is the waterloo bomb shelter you speak of? Are you speaking of the old Chamberlins?

[miananubis]

...and, not a moment too soon! This old wonderful building needs love.

[Moose007]

Great pictures, though the transitions are rather annoying. Would have been nice to hear some sound (some narration or even some music). Hope who ever is renovating this place has some money and lots of interest in the location.  Thanks for sharing!