Throwback photos: Madison's Oscar Mayer plant over the years
More than 100 years ago, Oscar Mayer bought a meat processing plant in Madison and started a longtime relationship with the city, which for many years was its corporate headquarters. The company announced plans to move the operations to Chicago in 2015, and the final production shift here ended in June 2017. Here’s a look back at Oscar Mayer's history in Madison.
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Packing "Variety Pack" Meats, Jul. 23, 1975.
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An Oscar Mayer delivery truck at a grocery store, possibly in the Chicago area during the 1960s.
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"New $2 million hot dog highway" Jul. 9, 1975.
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Oscar Mayer Foods Assembly Line, 1986.
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Women are at work in the casing department of the Oscar Mayer plant in Madison on Oct. 17, 1939. This photo was taken by Angus McVicar. Pictures from the past.
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Elaine Maloney and Gladys St. Louis (L to R) a the One Pound Sliced Bacon Line, Feb. 1, 1983.
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Packing bacon, Jul. 23, 1975.
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Jul. 19, 1982.
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Sept. 19, 1979.
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7 yr. old Sam Garcia belts out the Oscar Mayer weiner song.
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Oscar Mayer sign outside of the Kraft, Oscar Mayer plant buildings on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 in Madison.
OSCAR MAYER
Oscar Mayer Foods, shown here looking south from the west side of Packers Avenue.
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1980.
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Sept. 19, 1979.
OSCAR MAYER ICE TRUCK
Oscar Mayer's new International Harvester ice delivery van from 1940.
Oscar Mayer-Madison
Oscar Meyer "hotdoggers" Kelly Goldthorpe, left, hailing from the University of Missouri, and Eliot Pattee, a UW-Madison alumnus, wash their Wienermobile at the 4 Seasons Car Wash on East Washington Avenue in Madison, Wis., Wednesday afternoon, May 22, 2013. Between the two of them, they have traveled to 22 states. They arrived in town on Monday, and were washing up their rig for an appearance at Brat Fest. "We got a lot of bugs on the way [from Kansas City]," said Pattee. "Nobody likes a dirty dog," said Goldthorpe.
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Tricia White, left, vice president or research, development and quality at Oscar Mayer and Randy Glynn, senior engineer, work in the then-newly created POP (proof of principle) room where R&D projects are create on a much smaller scale than the pilot plant allows. Photo Feb. 20, 2013.
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Exterior of Oscar Mayer Foods in Madison, WI.
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Oscar Mayer workers jam the lobby of the Holiday Inn waiting to get in to vote on Sept. 29, 1984.
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Oscar Mayer & Co. Madison Plant - 1947.
Looking North-West by North. Sherman Park addition has started to expand. Four stories have been added to the manufacturing building.
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Ashly Daino proudly shows off her prize she received for singing the Oscar Mayer weiner song (PUBLISHED 8/21/98).
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Oscar Mayer workers at the end of a work shift (Published 2/3/96).
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Dennis Ryan, manufacturing manager at Oscar Mayer, monitors hot dog production at the Madison plant Feb. 20, 2013.
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By the 1920s, Oscar Mayer had introduced several innovations in food processing, including pre-sliced bacon and skinless wieners. Iceman Lewis Poster, left, is seen in this 1923 photo with two unidentified employees.
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Oscar Mayer & Co. Madison Plant - 1947
Looking North-West by North. Sherman Park Addition has started to expand. Four stories have been added to the manufacturing building.
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Oscar Mayer employed 30 percent of Madison Manufacturing work force in 1951.
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Oscar Mayer office in April, 1926. In the back there were two smaller offices about 16' x 16', a vault, and a small toilet room.
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Woman on the Oscar Mayer production line, 1954.
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Oscar Mayer & Co. Madison Plant - 1941
Looking parallel to Packers Ave. First section of the garage has been completed.
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Oscar Mayer & Co. Madison Plant - 1974.
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Oscar Mayer.
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Oscar Mayer & Co. Madison Plant - 1954.
Sherman Park Addition has been greatly expanded, two additional sections have been added to the garage and the new office building is nearing completion.
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Oscar Mayer & Co. Madison Plant - 1931.
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Oscar Mayer & Co. Madison Plant - 1938.
Looking North-West. Sherman Avenue was sparsely populated at this time.
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Tricia White, left, vice president or research, development and quality at Oscar Mayer and Randy Glynn, senior engineer, work in the then-newly created POP (proof of principle) room where R&D projects are create on a much smaller scale than the pilot plant allows. Photo Feb. 20, 2013.
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Kraft Heinz announced Wednesday it would close its Madison Oscar Mayer plant and transfer corporate headquarters to Chicago. When production ends in 2016, it will close out a history in Madison that dates back to 1919. Women work in the casing department of the Oscar Mayer plant in Madison on Oct. 17, 1939. This photo was taken by Angus McVicar.
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Oscar Mayer quality systems manager Ray Ladell checks on hot dogs as they smoke in the cooker.
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Dennis Ryan, manufacturing manager at Oscar Mayer, monitors hot dog production at the Madison plant.
Oscar Mayer workers leaving, State Journal photo
The few remaining workers trickle out the door after finishing their shift at Madison's Oscar Mayer plant, 910 Mayer Ave. Production will cease on Thursday, union officials said.
Oscar Mayer exterior, 2017
A view of the exterior of the Kraft Foods Oscar Mayer plant. The site is expected to close July 31.
Oscar Mayer, preparing for auction, 2017
A prospective bidder walks by "small batch" scales and mixing equipment up for auction at the former Oscar Mayer plant beginning Wednesday.
Oscar Mayer, preparing for auction, 2017
Equipment that once worked 24 hours a day, making processed meats, now sits silent in half-empty rooms at Madison's Oscar Mayer plant. Luke Thur, a longtime maintenance supervisor at Oscar Mayer, is helping new owners Reich Brothers and Rabin Worldwide as they start to redevelop the property.
Oscar Mayer coal pile, 1974
A 1974 photo shows coal used to power the former Oscar Mayer plant on Madison's North Side. Plans to build low-income housing on land that was used to store coal has prompted concerns about exposure to arsenic and other toxic contaminants.
Oscar Mayer plant, 1919
Oscar Mayer & Co. Madison Plant - 1919.
Looking North From Commercial Ave.
Oscar Mayer
Oscar Mayer.
Oscar Mayer plant
Oscar Mayer, 1923
By the 1920s, Oscar Mayer had introduced several innovations in food processing, including pre-sliced bacon and skinless wieners. Iceman Lewis Poster, left, is seen in this 1923 photo with two unidentified employees.
Oscar Mayer, 1926
Oscar Mayer office in April, 1926. In the back there were two smaller offices about 16' x 16', a vault, and a small toilet room.
Oscar Mayer, 1931
Oscar Mayer & Co. Madison Plant - 1931.
Oscar Mayer, 1938
Oscar Mayer & Co. Madison Plant - 1938.
Looking North-West. Sherman Avenue was sparsely populated at this time.
Oscar Mayer, 1939
Kraft Heinz announced Wednesday it would close its Madison Oscar Mayer plant and transfer corporate headquarters to Chicago. When production ends in 2016, it will close out a history in Madison that dates back to 1919. Women work in the casing department of the Oscar Mayer plant in Madison on Oct. 17, 1939. This photo was taken by Angus McVicar.
Oscar Mayer, 1940
Oscar Mayer's new International Harvester ice delivery van from 1940.
Oscar Mayer, 1941
Oscar Mayer & Co. Madison Plant - 1941
Looking parallel to Packers Ave. First section of the garage has been completed.
Oscar Mayer plant
Meinhardt Raabe, the first "Little Oscar", late in his career with Oscar Mayer Foods Corp.
Oscar Mayer, 1947
Oscar Mayer & Co. Madison Plant - 1947.
Looking North-West by North. Sherman Park addition has started to expand. Four stories have been added to the manufacturing building.
Oscar Mayer, 1947
Oscar Mayer & Co. Madison Plant - 1947
Looking North-West by North. Sherman Park Addition has started to expand. Four stories have been added to the manufacturing building.
Oscar Mayer, 1951
Oscar Mayer employed 30 percent of Madison Manufacturing work force in 1951.
Oscar Mayer, 1954
Oscar Mayer & Co. Madison Plant - 1954.
Sherman Park Addition has been greatly expanded, two additional sections have been added to the garage and the new office building is nearing completion.
Oscar Mayer, 1954
Woman on the Oscar Mayer production line, 1954.
Oscar Mayer plant, 1960s
An Oscar Mayer delivery truck at a grocery store, possibly in the Chicago area during the 1960s.
Oscar Mayer plant, 1975
Packing "Variety Pack" Meats, Jul. 23, 1975.
Oscar Mayer, 1974
Oscar Mayer & Co. Madison Plant - 1974.
Oscar Mayer plant, 1975
"New $2 million hot dog highway" Jul. 9, 1975.
Oscar Mayer plant, 1975
Packing bacon, Jul. 23, 1975.
Oscar Mayer plant, 1979
Sept. 19, 1979.
Oscar Mayer, 1979
Sept. 19, 1979.
Oscar Mayer plant, 1980
The 2400 block of Coolidge Street in Madison's Eken Park neighborhood in 1980. The neighborhood has traditionally housed many Oscar Mayer employees.
Oscar Mayer plant, 1980
1980.
Oscar Mayer plant, 1982
Jul. 19, 1982.
Oscar Mayer plant, 1983
Elaine Maloney and Gladys St. Louis (L to R) a the One Pound Sliced Bacon Line, Feb. 1, 1983.
Oscar Mayer, 1984
Oscar Mayer workers jam the lobby of the Holiday Inn waiting to get in to vote on Sept. 29, 1984.
Oscar Mayer plant, 1986
Oscar Mayer Foods Assembly Line, 1986.
Oscar Mayer, 1996
Oscar Mayer workers at the end of a work shift (Published 2/3/96).
Oscar Mayer, 1997
Oscar Mayer "hot dogger" and talent coordinator Michael Bluhm, left, coaxed an earnest Amy Kawleski, 3, into singing into the microphone as she auditioned for a chance to star in a new commercial. Amy, the daughter of Mike and Jeanne Kawleski of Cottage Grove, was one of about 25 youngsters who crooned their renditions of the Oscar Mayer wiener jingle at the Woodman's East parking lot Wednesday afternoon. Oscar Mayer Foods, based in Madison, is kicking off a nationwide talent search for children aged 3 to 12 (Published 6/19/97).
Oscar Mayer, 1998
7 yr. old Sam Garcia belts out the Oscar Mayer weiner song in 1998.
Oscar Mayer, 1998
Ashly Daino proudly shows off her prize she received for singing the Oscar Mayer weiner song (PUBLISHED 8/21/98).
Oscar Mayer plant, 2004
Oscar Mayer sign outside of the Kraft, Oscar Mayer plant buildings on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 in Madison.
Oscar Mayer, 2013
Tricia White, left, vice president or research, development and quality at Oscar Mayer and Randy Glynn, senior engineer, work in the then-newly created POP (proof of principle) room where R&D projects are create on a much smaller scale than the pilot plant allows. Photo Feb. 20, 2013.
Oscar Mayer, 2013
Dennis Ryan, manufacturing manager at Oscar Mayer, monitors hot dog production at the Madison plant Feb. 20, 2013.
Oscar Mayer, 2013
Oscar Mayer quality systems manager Ray Ladell checks on hot dogs as they smoke in the cooker.
Oscar Mayer, 2013
Dennis Ryan, manufacturing manager at Oscar Mayer, monitors hot dog production at the Madison plant.
Oscar Mayer, 2015
Exterior of Oscar Mayer Foods in Madison, WI.
Oscar Mayer plant, 2015
Oscar Mayer Foods, shown here looking south from the west side of Packers Avenue.
Oscar Mayer-Madison, 2015
Oscar Meyer "hotdoggers" Kelly Goldthorpe, left, hailing from the University of Missouri, and Eliot Pattee, a UW-Madison alumnus, wash their Wienermobile at the 4 Seasons Car Wash on East Washington Avenue in Madison, Wis., Wednesday afternoon, May 22, 2013. Between the two of them, they have traveled to 22 states. They arrived in town on Monday, and were washing up their rig for an appearance at Brat Fest. "We got a lot of bugs on the way [from Kansas City]," said Pattee. "Nobody likes a dirty dog," said Goldthorpe.
Oscar Mayer Rally, 2017
Linda Krugman, who worked at Madison's Oscar Mayer plant for nearly 44 years, says the company broke its deal with the union when it ended her job April 30 and replaced her with an employee with less seniority. The claim sparked a rally outside Oscar Mayer, 910 Mayer Ave., on Thursday. The factory is slated to close in July.
Oscar Mayer Ad, 2015
Oscar Mayer hot dog advertisement that's part of a major campaign launched by Kraft Foods.
Oscar Mayer, 2017
Workers from the final production shift in late June trickled out the door at Madison's Oscar Mayer plant, 910 Mayer Ave., in this recent photo. On Friday, the remaining 30 or so union-represented workers and all but a few salaried employees left the nearly-shuttered plant.
Oscar Mayer exterior, 2017
A view of the exterior of the Kraft Foods Oscar Mayer plant. The site is expected to close July 31.
Oscar Mayer, preparing for auction, 2017
Large slicing discs up for auction sit on pallets at the former Oscar Mayer plant in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. M.P. KING, STATE JOURNAL
Oscar Mayer, preparing for auction, 2017
A mural in a corridor at the former Oscar Mayer plant in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. M.P. KING, STATE JOURNAL
Oscar Mayer, preparing for auction, 2017
A prospective bidder walks by "small batch" scales and mixing equipment up for auction at the former Oscar Mayer plant beginning Wednesday.
Oscar Mayer, preparing for auction, 2017
Equipment that once worked 24 hours a day, making processed meats, now sits silent in half-empty rooms at Madison's Oscar Mayer plant. Luke Thur, a longtime maintenance supervisor at Oscar Mayer, is helping new owners Reich Brothers and Rabin Worldwide as they start to redevelop the property.
Oscar Mayer said the change is reflective of a hot dog recipe it will be releasing this summer.
Penned in 1974 by the company's vice president of marketing in Madison, the jingle helped tell the world how to spell "bologna."
Decades of industrial use have contaminated the soil and groundwater, raising concerns about whether or how the site can be made safe for habitation.
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“This was a lot more than Weinerville,” said one resident who hired an environmental law firm to report on potential contamination. “It’s a big evolution from a century ago when the Mayer brothers came up here from Chicago."
