B&M Baked Beans Looses It's Iconic Smoke Stack

I've always found old, tall, brick smoke stacks rather fascinating.   They once spewed various emissions that today would be frowned upon, but they also are a symbol of what America once was... a manufacturing powerhouse.

Through August 2021, the B&M Baked Bean factory in Portland Maine lost its brick smokestack.

Built in 1956 by the Burnham & Morrill Company, the stack measured 145 feet tall and 14 feet at the base.  The company stated that the reason for it's removal was safety, having stood unused for over 20 years by the Atlantic Ocean.  

Now, I myself have only seen it a handful of times from I-295.  That doesn't mean I won't miss it.  It is bad enough the rail bridge that once carried the Grand Trunk RR across Casco Bay past the plant has been out of service, and barely standing, for years.  Add insult to injury the fact ALL rail service to the plant ended recently as well. 

Hopefully we will at least have the 1913 factory itself to remind us of a time when New England used to actually manufacture useful (and yummy) things for the world to enjoy.  

According to the B&M website:

1867 - Burnham & Morrill Company is founded by George Burnham and Charles S. Morrill. Burnham brought meat and fish packing experience from his days with Rumery and Burnham, a company he helped establish earlier... B&M’s first products included canned meats, vegetables and fish. Their offerings included canned roast beef, mutton, pork, lamb, roast chicken, roast turkey, carrots, turnips, corn and other vegetables, plus herring, clams and lobsters.

1920 Ad showing the original smokestack location

UPDATE:  Unbeknownst to me, B&M beans ceased being made in Portland at the end of 2021.  A true end of an era for Maine, and New England...