Greenville in Bond County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
De La Vergne Steam Engine
Armour Meatpacking Plant
| | East St. Louis, Illinois | |
Photographed by Thomas Smith, January 4, 2026
1. De La Vergne Steam Engine Marker
This Steam Engine was installed at the National Stockyards in the Armour Meatpacking Plant in 1908 by the De La Vergne Refrigeration Company. The engine is a Horizontal Corliss Steam that is powering a 250 ton double acting compressor that was the refrigeration system that cooled the plant. At the top of the engine on the A-frames are two Ammonia Compressors that forced the refrigeration throughout the plant. The two horizontal cylinders are the steam pistons that ran the engine. There was also a large steam boiler at the plant which provided the steam to run the engine. The engine stands 25 feet tall, in the plant it would have been about 4 feet shorter since the flywheels tracked down below ground. The flywheels are 12 feet in diameter and total weight is 74 tons.
Erected by American Farm Heritage Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1908.
Location. 38° 52.421′ N, 89° 22.566′ W. Marker is in Greenville, Illinois, in Bond County. It is on Museum Avenue 0.3 miles east of Illinois Route 127, on the right when traveling
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Regionally, this marker is in Greater St. Louis. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Defense of Hill's Fort (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Hill's Fort (about 600 feet away); Vandalia Railroad Depot (approx. 2.1 miles away); Third Street Jail (approx. 2.3 miles away); State Bank of Hoiles & Sons (approx. 2.3 miles away); Ronald Reagan (approx. 2.4 miles away); Bulkley-Buie Store (approx. 2.4 miles away); Bond County Civil War Memorial (approx. 2.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Greenville.
Photographed by Thomas Smith, January 4, 2026
2. De La Vergne Steam Engine Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 6, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 5, 2026, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. This page has been viewed 45 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 5, 2026, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Verification of the geocoordinates • Can you help?
