The Fertilizer Plant in Punta Gorda 1903

The Fertilizer Plant in Punta Gorda 1903. . In 1902 town founder, Isaac Trabue, convinced a group of Philadelphia investors to build the town’s third ice factory, the Consolidated Ice Manufacturing, Refrigerating and Fish Company. Their plan was to furnish cheaper ice to fishermen and also process “trash fish” into fuel oil and fertilizer., A huge four-story ice factory was constructed west of town on Berry Street and was touted to be the largest ice and freezing plant in the country at a cost of $400,000. The accompanying large fertilizer plant was built at this location, just offshore on the bay and three blocks from the ice factory. Extensive dredging created several acres of land for the construction site and a deep-water channel. The ice factory began producing test runs of 6,000-pound ice plates in the fall of 1902. Construction continued on the fertilizer plant and the exterior was painted yellow. Ultimately the company went bankrupt in 1904 with neither facility ever having gone into production., Dubbed the “yellow building” by locals, the fertilizer plant was left abandoned and deteriorating before being torn down as a public hazard many years later. The large coquina-covered piling and foundation blocks remained along the shoreline with local children often using them as part of a play area., In 1961 the Punta Gorda Boat Club built their Clubhouse here on the fertilizer plant site making use of the large foundation blocks for the seawall. Several blocks remain throughout the Club property., (captions) , Fertilizer plant during construction, Foundation blocks remain today , Fisherman's Village shown in background