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#1 John Cirillo

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Posted 23 July 2009 - 09:56 AM

This has been bugging me for some time. Back in the early 70s when we passed by the Ranch Style factory that's located on Presidio Street near 287 and the downtown mixmaster, I am almost positive they used to have a water tower or something that had the name on it. The structure looked like it was shingled if my memory is correct. I think it was black with white letters saying Ranch Style Beans. Am I remembering correctly? I wrote to them asking for any information but the letter has gone ignored for a year. They now have a black square on their building that says Ranch Style, but that is not what I remember.
Thanks,

John


#2 djold1

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Posted 23 July 2009 - 03:01 PM

I'm pretty sure it had a water tower. I have a picture somewhere of the streetcar carbarn which was just across the street and it shows the factory building had a pretty big watertower as did the carbarn area itself. I was also told that Ranch Style Beans were made using water from a large artesian well on the property, so the tank makes sense.

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#3 John T Roberts

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Posted 23 July 2009 - 07:33 PM

The water tower was southeast of the portion of the building that houses the black square with the Ranch Style Sign. The water tower was demolished sometime in the 1980's when the building was expanded to the southeast. The section with the sign was added in the 1960's.

#4 John Cirillo

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Posted 27 July 2009 - 10:22 PM

QUOTE (John T Roberts @ Jul 23 2009, 07:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
The water tower was southeast of the portion of the building that houses the black square with the Ranch Style Sign. The water tower was demolished sometime in the 1980's when the building was expanded to the southeast. The section with the sign was added in the 1960's.


Well, thanks for helping me to remember it. I was starting to wonder if I was imagining things.
If anyone happens across a photo showing the water tower, I'd like to see it again.
It was sort of a landmark back then.

John


#5 Jamie

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Posted 29 July 2009 - 12:01 PM

QUOTE (John T Roberts @ Jul 23 2009, 08:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
The water tower was southeast of the portion of the building that houses the black square with the Ranch Style Sign. The water tower was demolished sometime in the 1980's when the building was expanded to the southeast. The section with the sign was added in the 1960's.


Thanks for the location. IIRC, it was painted to look like a giant can of beans. You can make out the top of it on HistoricAerials.com in the 1956-1979 images. By 1990 it's gone.


#6 Recyclican

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Posted 23 November 2009 - 11:16 PM

The Star Telegram has reported this evening of the factory's closing:

ConAgra to close iconic Ranch Style Beans plant
Full Article Here

QUOTE
When the last can rattles off the production line, the 96-year-old, 200,000-square-foot building with a six-story bean processing unit will be offered for sale. TAD values the property on East Lancaster near U.S. 287 at $3.9 million.


#7 John T Roberts

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Posted 24 November 2009 - 06:00 AM

Fort Worth is slowly losing its identity by corporate takeovers. It's really a shame.

#8 RD Milhollin

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Posted 24 November 2009 - 10:36 AM

QUOTE (John T Roberts @ Nov 24 2009, 06:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Fort Worth is slowly losing its identity by corporate takeovers. It's really a shame.


Yes, agreed. And Fort Worth isn't the only one. Corporate mergers have an homogenizing effect on products, and of course a monopololistic effect on pricing, but that is a federal issue I suppose. Are there precidents for local incubator/incentive programs for small business (non-tech) industry among US or even Texas cities. I know the SBA is out there and working within their funding resources, but what sort of matching local incentives are there if, for example, a group of local investors or a family wanted to put the bean plant back to use making a unique, local food product?

#9 gaspergou

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Posted 19 June 2010 - 06:32 PM

Was the "car barn" tower in the same photo as the Ranch style bean tower ? I thought the timing was different...If so, this blows my theory that the car barn one had been moved at some time to the ranch style bean plant. I had no basis for this theory, however, except for the similar appearance.

#10 Jamie

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Posted 20 June 2010 - 10:55 AM

QUOTE (gaspergou @ Jun 19 2010, 07:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Was the "car barn" tower in the same photo as the Ranch style bean tower ? I thought the timing was different...If so, this blows my theory that the car barn one had been moved at some time to the ranch style bean plant. I had no basis for this theory, however, except for the similar appearance.

If you look closely at each location in the 1956 historicaerials.com image, both towers appear to be standing at that time.

#11 gaspergou

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Posted 20 June 2010 - 04:58 PM

I see it in the 1956 ariel. Thanks

#12 Doohickie

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Posted 21 June 2010 - 07:52 PM

QUOTE (John T Roberts @ Nov 24 2009, 07:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Fort Worth is slowly losing its identity by corporate takeovers. It's really a shame.

smile.gif New life for the plant was reported in the Star-Telegram last month:

QUOTE
Iconic Ranch Style Beans plant is bought

The nearly century-old Ranch Style Beans plant off East Lancaster Avenue may soon become a vegetable canning operation for Arkansas-based Allens Canning Co., which could employ more than 100 workers at the idled facility.

Read more: http://www.star-tele...l#ixzz0rXi0JjEa


It looks like the City of Fort Worth is supporting the deal. And it looks like Allens completed the deal to buy the plant.
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#13 Birdland in Handley

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Posted 09 July 2010 - 12:50 AM

Ugh. Just read the link and none of those products are as tasty as Ranch Style Beans. Well, maybe the sweet potatoes. But Ranch Style Beans were so good that they were "Husband Pleasin'" if I recall old labels correctly.

#14 Doohickie

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Posted 09 July 2010 - 07:40 PM

Yeah, well, at least the plant is being used.
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#15 WestSide44

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Posted 27 August 2014 - 06:51 AM

I remember, as a child in the '50's, passing by that water tower and, with no knowledge to the contrary, thing that where Ranch Style Beans were stored. No idea why I still remember that little misconception.

#16 lcbrownz

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Posted 15 January 2016 - 11:42 AM

The Star Telegram has reported this evening of the factory's closing:

ConAgra to close iconic Ranch Style Beans plant
Full Article Here

QUOTE
When the last can rattles off the production line, the 96-year-old, 200,000-square-foot building with a six-story bean processing unit will be offered for sale. TAD values the property on East Lancaster near U.S. 287 at $3.9 million.

 

That link is gone.



#17 lcbrownz

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Posted 15 January 2016 - 11:45 AM

To the southeast of downtown was the Ranch Style Bean cannery building (owned by Great Western Foods, subsidiary of Waples-Platter). When you drove past the building on East Lancaster near the railroad underpass, (with the car windows down) you would notice an odor hat would be so bad you would hold your nose. My dad always said (as we passed the building) "that's where farts come from". That was the reason I would never eat those beans until I was an adult, and then discovered he was right.



#18 Doohickie

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Posted 15 January 2016 - 10:18 PM

...and then discovered he was right.

 

:lol:


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#19 gdvanc

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Posted 31 January 2016 - 11:37 AM

I didn't see this posted anywhere else, but it looks like the old bean cannery is becoming another local craft brewery: Wild Acre Brewing. It was announced early last year and I believe is expected to open early this year. Based on the list on the Rodeo City Steak House thread, perhaps we should start a beer thread.



#20 Austin55

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Posted 11 March 2016 - 02:00 PM

Looks like a lot of work is going on here. Seen several of those barrel things (idk what they're called) being moved in, and it looks like some sort of patio is being built.






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