Our Pick
Posted on @rawstates
The Batavia foundry that cast the Oscar
1872
Batavia, Illinois
Charles Shumway opened a foundry here in 1872 because Chicago had burned the year before and needed castings, starting with iron columns for buildings. The trade that made the name was smaller. From 1928 to 1982 the statuette handed out at the Academy Awards was cast in Batavia, and the shop also worked on the Emmy and the Vince Lombardi Trophy. It closed in 2002 as one of the oldest foundries in the country.
That was 1 of the hidden places.
Location: documented spot
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