The structure you refer to is one of three underground resovoirs, for Elmhurst's water supply. There is that one at 290 and York Street, another at Elmhurst College tennis courts (next to the tracks), and the third is in Butterfield Park, under the soccer field. Thet are all just giant concrete water tanks that would not protect against a blast. On the other hand they would be good fallout shelters (except no one would have any water).
The Elmhurst Historical Museum has researched this site and found that the city did indeed intend to use this as a CD headquarters. Through interviews with former city workers we learned that the door was installed, lighting was installed and steps down to the floor of the interior. Inside is quite large, appox. 20 ft. from floor to ceiling. Plans were developed but unfortunately never implemented. A fire in the 60s burned the interior. It has remained unaltered & it was never used as a shelter.
According to two former City of Elmhurst employees, early in 1957 the initial phase (and ultimately the only phase) of re-construction was completed which included the entry access door we see as well as stairs down to the floor of the reservoir tank as well as electrical lighting. One of the employees was the electrician who did the wiring of the "bunker" and the other was a former emergency services director who had first hand knowledge of City's Civil Defense shelters throughout the city.
I learned something and now am curious about something else... What were the other "City Civil Defense shelters throughout the city?" And a big Thank-You for obtaining and listing all of this great history!!!
The City of Elmhurst maintained many Civil Defense shelters throughout the city during the cold war, sites included lower level areas of elementary schools, the post office, retail locations as well as a 200 bed emergency hospital equipped to treat radiation exposure below York HS. Please come to our upcoming cold war exhibit "Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow" which opens January 24 and you'll learn even more.
I remember the emergency hospital up at York. It was stored in a large room just a few feet from the basement track. That track was the filthiest place in the school. I'm glad they never had to use it! I'm looking forward to seeing the Cold War exhibit at the museum!!!
You are thinking logically in a sometimes illogical town. In the late sixties, Elmhurst still did things on the cheap. I think that would explain this structure if we can ever prove the legend. Now, the city does have a adequate command center under one of the fire stations. It would never survive a nuclear event but it would definitely operate through a F5 tornado. Of course, we've been getting more floods than tornadoes....
In the event of a crisis, they'd want to pile more dirt on the roof. that roof gives the minimal protection from fallout, and another 2 of 3 feet on top of the roof would make that an excellent shelter from the minimal one it is now. Kinda small for city g though. But a nice reuse of old infrastructure.
The door is welded shut and has dirt piled against it. Pretty impossible to get inside. It is probably not a good idea anyway. Repeated floodings have filled it with all sorts of filth.
@ipfeldspar is it tac-welded or is there a steady bead ? why not just use a shovel to remove the dirt from in front of it and use a plasma cutter to open the door ?
i lived near there about 30 years ago. i could be wrong, but i think there was a fallout shelter sign on the door back then. we also would sled there or just ride our bikes down the hill.
This is actually an old water storage facility before they built the water tower. You are nuts dude. I live in Elmhurst. How are you going to run a town when there has been a nuclear bomb blast. LOL.
This was built in the 20's and when the water tower went up in early 50's they sealed this. Get your facts straight.
Nope, they welded the door shut then piled some dirt in front of the door. Some time ago the Park District opened it up for a one day thing, I missed that, it would have been neat to document the inside.
So far all I have is two former Elmhurst employees who kind of remember it having some sort of Civil Defense designation. There is also the secondary source from the Park District that gives a one line reference to it being a fallout/civil defense headquarters. If there is anything left inside it would be a sodden mass of decayed garbage. there has been at least one major flood, and several smaller floods. Anything in there would have been submerged and destroyed.
its still pretty cool though. i have a Fallout Shelter a plan C shelter and im getting it fixed up and fully stocked like they where in the 50s so i like to take a look intside these things. its sad to see them abandoned. great vid!
Libertytreeradio for more videos on youtube. Note: do a satalite image review of Nagasaki and Hiroshima at ground zero. Hypo center of the Nukes that hit there. Is there a big ring of "Nothing grows and nothing is built" in that image? Hmmm, not only built up but lived in. Check to see how soon AFTER the nuke attacks they began to rebuild.
Get a gas mask for full NBC defense which includes radiological. Any system will do. Mainemilitarydotcom for what you need. Mark Gregory,, Koernke
As you can see from the written information posted to the video I am very dubious as to the survivability of anyone inside the bunker. However one needs to keep in mind that at the time this bunker was established the throw-weight of the nukes and their aiming capability was nowhere as lethal as it is now. This is not to say they would not wipe out millions of people, but it does indicate that a missile aimed at the Loop might end up in Rockford. Then...... you work with whatever is left.
Butterfield Park has an underground water tank that does look a lot like some sort of shelter. There are three in town, Butterfield Park, along the railroad tracks by the college tennis courts, and up at York Rd and 290.
i know where this is, i live on spring, my grandmother lives very close to this, and my dad grew up playing on that hill. when i was about 3-6 i always came here. Very nice to know what this is.
Where I live,we have something pretty much like this.The only thing is it is right in a ravine.There is some sort of line on it's own bridge that crosses this ravine.The city has sealed it up and wants to use it as a Cold War museum or rip it out.
A lot of folks have asked about that mystery hill. I remember it from the early 1970s when in theory it could have been put in use. Now it has been sealed off but inside it must be very nasty. There have been several floods and when you think about the raw sewage in the flood water one must assume that that it got into the bunker.
do you know anything about the bunker looking structure at york road and 290? i always wondered about that place. there's a helipad on top of it.
27dcx 2 months ago
The structure you refer to is one of three underground resovoirs, for Elmhurst's water supply. There is that one at 290 and York Street, another at Elmhurst College tennis courts (next to the tracks), and the third is in Butterfield Park, under the soccer field. Thet are all just giant concrete water tanks that would not protect against a blast. On the other hand they would be good fallout shelters (except no one would have any water).
ipfeldspar 2 months ago
The Elmhurst Historical Museum has researched this site and found that the city did indeed intend to use this as a CD headquarters. Through interviews with former city workers we learned that the door was installed, lighting was installed and steps down to the floor of the interior. Inside is quite large, appox. 20 ft. from floor to ceiling. Plans were developed but unfortunately never implemented. A fire in the 60s burned the interior. It has remained unaltered & it was never used as a shelter.
ElmhurstHistory 3 months ago
Any chance we can get the dates when this transpired? Also, where exactly did you find the references?
ipfeldspar 2 months ago
According to two former City of Elmhurst employees, early in 1957 the initial phase (and ultimately the only phase) of re-construction was completed which included the entry access door we see as well as stairs down to the floor of the reservoir tank as well as electrical lighting. One of the employees was the electrician who did the wiring of the "bunker" and the other was a former emergency services director who had first hand knowledge of City's Civil Defense shelters throughout the city.
ElmhurstHistory 2 months ago
I learned something and now am curious about something else... What were the other "City Civil Defense shelters throughout the city?" And a big Thank-You for obtaining and listing all of this great history!!!
ipfeldspar 2 months ago
The City of Elmhurst maintained many Civil Defense shelters throughout the city during the cold war, sites included lower level areas of elementary schools, the post office, retail locations as well as a 200 bed emergency hospital equipped to treat radiation exposure below York HS. Please come to our upcoming cold war exhibit "Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow" which opens January 24 and you'll learn even more.
ElmhurstHistory 2 months ago
I remember the emergency hospital up at York. It was stored in a large room just a few feet from the basement track. That track was the filthiest place in the school. I'm glad they never had to use it! I'm looking forward to seeing the Cold War exhibit at the museum!!!
ipfeldspar 2 months ago
the one near me will have 5000 hippies trying to break in if the SHTF
pyramonitor 6 months ago
I loved the hippy comment! Yup, peace and love until it comes time to protect themselves!
ipfeldspar 6 months ago
Would it have made more sense to build it underneath the city hall, fire station, or police dpartment ?
Petemonster62 7 months ago
You are thinking logically in a sometimes illogical town. In the late sixties, Elmhurst still did things on the cheap. I think that would explain this structure if we can ever prove the legend. Now, the city does have a adequate command center under one of the fire stations. It would never survive a nuclear event but it would definitely operate through a F5 tornado. Of course, we've been getting more floods than tornadoes....
ipfeldspar 7 months ago
In the event of a crisis, they'd want to pile more dirt on the roof. that roof gives the minimal protection from fallout, and another 2 of 3 feet on top of the roof would make that an excellent shelter from the minimal one it is now. Kinda small for city g though. But a nice reuse of old infrastructure.
TalksWithDirt 9 months ago
did you try to go inside the bunker?
harrychestwigg 1 year ago
The door is welded shut and has dirt piled against it. Pretty impossible to get inside. It is probably not a good idea anyway. Repeated floodings have filled it with all sorts of filth.
ipfeldspar 1 year ago
@ipfeldspar is it tac-welded or is there a steady bead ? why not just use a shovel to remove the dirt from in front of it and use a plasma cutter to open the door ?
sr71ablackbird 2 months ago
there is a small hole next to the door where you can see inside, that is if you have a flash light
alexcubs25 1 year ago
nice video! i'd love to see an inside tour
mashersmasher 1 year ago
i lived near there about 30 years ago. i could be wrong, but i think there was a fallout shelter sign on the door back then. we also would sled there or just ride our bikes down the hill.
fabrmade 2 years ago
looks like a good place for the kids to have Partys
Ezlife2 2 years ago
All I remember was sledding down from the top of this thing circa 1961 and we could sled the whole way down and onto the creek if it was frozen!
tunelover1 2 years ago
This is actually an old water storage facility before they built the water tower. You are nuts dude. I live in Elmhurst. How are you going to run a town when there has been a nuclear bomb blast. LOL.
This was built in the 20's and when the water tower went up in early 50's they sealed this. Get your facts straight.
dolphinron 2 years ago
Did you read the text? It looks like you did not. Read the text and comment again.
ipfeldspar 2 years ago
@dolphinron its a missile silo . get your facts straight.
johnxavierie 1 year ago
It's also at the eastern edge of one of the Cold War's great beer experimentation areas!
ipfeldspar 1 year ago
SWEET!!! can you get in it?
m15a1nv 2 years ago
Nope, they welded the door shut then piled some dirt in front of the door. Some time ago the Park District opened it up for a one day thing, I missed that, it would have been neat to document the inside.
ipfeldspar 2 years ago
do you know if it had supplies and all that good stuff in there?
m15a1nv 2 years ago
So far all I have is two former Elmhurst employees who kind of remember it having some sort of Civil Defense designation. There is also the secondary source from the Park District that gives a one line reference to it being a fallout/civil defense headquarters. If there is anything left inside it would be a sodden mass of decayed garbage. there has been at least one major flood, and several smaller floods. Anything in there would have been submerged and destroyed.
ipfeldspar 2 years ago
its still pretty cool though. i have a Fallout Shelter a plan C shelter and im getting it fixed up and fully stocked like they where in the 50s so i like to take a look intside these things. its sad to see them abandoned. great vid!
m15a1nv 2 years ago
@m15a1nv wheres your shelter? your yard or did you buy one somewhere else?
Pup1234567 1 year ago
@Pup1234567 its attached to my basement
m15a1nv 1 year ago
Libertytreeradio for more videos on youtube. Note: do a satalite image review of Nagasaki and Hiroshima at ground zero. Hypo center of the Nukes that hit there. Is there a big ring of "Nothing grows and nothing is built" in that image? Hmmm, not only built up but lived in. Check to see how soon AFTER the nuke attacks they began to rebuild.
Get a gas mask for full NBC defense which includes radiological. Any system will do. Mainemilitarydotcom for what you need. Mark Gregory,, Koernke
Libertytreeradio 2 years ago
Oh yeah a bomb shelter was going to make all the difference in a NUCLEAR WAR.. Sure you might have survive the initial attack.. But what then...
hollywoodhottie19 2 years ago
As you can see from the written information posted to the video I am very dubious as to the survivability of anyone inside the bunker. However one needs to keep in mind that at the time this bunker was established the throw-weight of the nukes and their aiming capability was nowhere as lethal as it is now. This is not to say they would not wipe out millions of people, but it does indicate that a missile aimed at the Loop might end up in Rockford. Then...... you work with whatever is left.
ipfeldspar 2 years ago
Also, i think butterfield park has a fallout shelter, you should research it.
TGulley2012 2 years ago
Butterfield Park has an underground water tank that does look a lot like some sort of shelter. There are three in town, Butterfield Park, along the railroad tracks by the college tennis courts, and up at York Rd and 290.
ipfeldspar 2 years ago
i know where this is, i live on spring, my grandmother lives very close to this, and my dad grew up playing on that hill. when i was about 3-6 i always came here. Very nice to know what this is.
Thankyou!
TGulley2012 2 years ago
is that on york?
WhereMightWaldoB 2 years ago
No, the little park just North of the Prairie Path and on the East bank of Salt Creek.
ipfeldspar 2 years ago
Huh, i wonder if there's any of these in Naperville?
poopskinTheLiar 3 years ago
Naperville used to have a Nike surface to air missile site (Nike Park). Wheaton has a decent bunker over by the County Complex.
ipfeldspar 3 years ago
really, i used to ride my bike past this all the time.
chistyle30 3 years ago
Where I live,we have something pretty much like this.The only thing is it is right in a ravine.There is some sort of line on it's own bridge that crosses this ravine.The city has sealed it up and wants to use it as a Cold War museum or rip it out.
Edward903 3 years ago
Sounds like you have a great subject for a video!
ipfeldspar 3 years ago
A lot of folks have asked about that mystery hill. I remember it from the early 1970s when in theory it could have been put in use. Now it has been sealed off but inside it must be very nasty. There have been several floods and when you think about the raw sewage in the flood water one must assume that that it got into the bunker.
ipfeldspar 3 years ago
i always wondered what that thing was!
graceannk 3 years ago
There probably wouldn't be much left to command... at least the mayor would be safe lol.
MattExzy 3 years ago
i live near here
italianstallion522 3 years ago
damn thats by my house always wondered wtf that was makes a great sled hill
rotnrollhunter 3 years ago