The Iconic Morton Salt Warehouse On Elston Is Shutting Down

By Emma G. Gallegos in News on Sep 15, 2015 9:41PM

Morton Salt (Photo by Russell Mondy via the Creative Commons on Flickr)

That iconic Morton Salt warehouse that you can see from the Kennedy Expressway that has packaged and stored (and spilled) salt since the late 1920s will be shutting down next month.

A statement from the company said that after initiating a study a year ago, they found it would be "more efficient to serve customers from other sites in our network," according to the Tribune. The site on North Elston Avenue is used to package and store ice-melting salt and other kinds of bulk salts sold to business, according to ABC7. An office will remain at the site, while the warehouse is shut down. Twenty-three employees who work there will be affected by the closure.

"The Morton Salt facility on Elston Avenue has an iconic presence in Chicago," CEO Christian Herrmann said, in a statement. "That's why we will explore all possibilities related to the future of the property and the infrastructure upon it. Our company was founded in Chicago and we are committed to the long, rich history we have here."

Here is one of our favorite recent memories from the warehouse's rich history: