NATIONAL LEAD

The National Lead Company operated a secondary lead smelting facility on the former site of Monitor Drill at 3715 Monitor Street:  south of Highway 7 and bounded by Lake Street, Hampshire and Monitor Avenues. In 1971 the address was listed as 3650 Hampshire Ave.  The plant operated from about 1934 to 1981.

At first it was known as Northwestern Metal Works. National Lead had many factories around the country, producing solders, plumber’s lead, lead pipe, and lead-based Dutch Boy Paint. National Lead owned the Minnesota Linseed Oil plant in Minneapolis, which was also used for paint. National Lead had a major facility in St. Paul, but began moving certain functions to St. Louis Park, perhaps as early as 1933-34. This plant was said to have been owned by the Schroeders. 

Sources of lead (lead plates, old car batteries, and lead containers) were melted down, impurities removed, and then poured into 5" by 5" by 24" "pigs" of lead. Smoke and residue were filtered through 20-foot long vacuum-cleaner-like bags, and then released through a 200 ft. smoke stack that became an area landmark. Other residue was dumped on the site, polluting the ground with lead.

A telling note was in 1949, when Stoge Williams complained of the odor from National Lead. Other complaints streamed in in 1948.

A description from 1970 indicated that it produced type metals, battery lead, ingots, solder, and warehousing paints. At that point it was a branch of National Lead of New York. Roger Anderson was in charge of metal sales. There were 40 employees.

From a 1971 promotional brochure:  Meeting the worldwide needs of the chemicals, metals, nuclear, petroleum, automotive, and aerospace industries, National Lead Company is prod to be part of the St. Louis Park community.  Even the fashion industry - whose designers demand more vinyl- and urethane-coated fabrics - has created a major new market for National Lead's plastic stabilizers and titanium pigments.  today its mines, plants and offices are in over 20 foreign countries. The little Dutch Boy from Dutch Boy paint was prominent in its logo in those years before the perils of lead-based paint were known. 

These pictures are from 1954.

On August 22, 1979, the National Lead property was sold to Taracorp, Inc. an Atlanta-based company headed by James Taratoot. Although there were concerns about lead levels, runoff, etc., the City issued a permit. The site was first investigated by the EPA in 1980 for contamination of the site and ground water. The plant ceased operations in 1981.  The Goldens closed their lot on November 24, 1982, although the family has continued to own the lot. In 2001, part of the property was still classified “Contamination A” by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. In 1983 it became a Federal-designated Superfund site.

In December 1984, workers secured the property from trespassers and vandals who apparently were not afraid of lead poisoning. The City had to pay the cost, as Taracorp was in bankruptcy.

Under a consent order, NL Industries cleaned up the site between 1985 and 1988, and was required to remediate the soil, cap the site with asphalt, and establish long-term ground water monitoring.

It was also required to investigate the level of lead that may have blown from the site onto nearby residential land. One yard was found to have an elevated level of lead, and although it was not found to be attributable to the National Lead site, the company agreed to clean it up.

The site remains under review by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in partnership with the U.S. EPA.

Lions Field was also part of the Taracorp parcel. In 1979, soil tests showed a high level of lead. The ball field was closed down in April 1981.

There is a memoir about National Lead written by George Rye in Something in the Water.

REVITALIZATION

In 2006, Developer Real Estate Recycling built an 80,000 square ft. office and showroom building.  To treat the capped-but-untreated soil, the developer mixed a chemical into the soil to stabilize the lead and hold it in place.  It was then covered with a thicker cap. 

Of the $19.3 million the project cost, $1 million came from the Metropolitan Council, $1.9 million from the State, and almost $5 million from the Hennepin County Environmental Response Fund.  St. Louis Park contributed $2.4 million in TIF funding. 

 

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.