Meeker Sugar Refinery Gears

Meeker Sugar Refinery Gears. . , These solid iron gears were moved here from the old sugar refinery at Meeker, LA during the mid-1980s. The old sugar mill was built in 1912 and closed in 1981. It was a cooperative enterprise with various local farmers as its shared owners. For various financial reasons at the time it was decided it was economically cheaper to close the sugar mill and transport local sugar cane to existing mills in south Louisiana. In the early 1990s the mill was sold to a company which converted the mill by adding new equipment to make additives for soap products. They stopped production around 2010 and the mill was closed since that time. The current owners made the decision to clear the entire forty acres from all the old and new buildings and equipment. During the late part of 2021 and the early part of 2022 the mill was completely demolished and all the bricks and equipment was hauled off and sold.