Archeology at the Imperial Refinery Site

The Sugar Land Heritage Foundation's scope of interest includes local archeology, as well as other historical matters.  As we go through the archives, we are finding photographic evidence of what lies under the ground.  Here are a few samples of these items, all of which appeared in issues of the Imperial Crown over the years.

This first set of pictures shows the 19th century foundations of the old finishing house.  I'm still unclear where this building was located.  It may have sat near the old Wash Plant, which was located behind the Char House, or it may have sat near the old Sugar Mill and Sugar House.  (Actually, it may be an alternate name for the Sugar House.  I hope to clear this up in the future.)  These buildings were located in the refinery complex across from the Main Street bridge.

 

T. C. Rozelle's annotations identifying the photo.

T. C. Rozelle's annotations identifying the photo.

    

This next picture shows a pair of melters (which liquified raw sugar) buried near the old Wash Plant.  Note T. C.'s comments regarding Claude Douglas.  He went back to a real old-timer for help with identifying them.

(Update) I got a note from Bruce Edwards, Jr. pointing out the man in the hole is Mr. Boozer.   I don't know if I ever heard his first name; everyone referred to him as Boozer, as I recall.  He was the site foreman for the construction company Imperial used for jobs like this.  (Was it called Southwest Construction?  I'll have to look it up.)  Bruce said he worked on this project in the summer of '67.  He may be one of the guys sitting on the bench in front of the Char House. (See upper left.)
  

T. C. Rozelle's annotations identifying the photo.

 These last two photos show underground channels (flumes) for discharging refinery waste water into Oyster Creek. They are in the ground where the old Sugar Mill and Sugar House were located (across from the Main Street bridge).  Work crews uncovered them in 1969.  Former Imperial employees think they may still be in tact.

They are made of handmade bricks.  I presume they date from the 1880s, which means convicts on the prison farm made the bricks locally.  They may have worked on the underground construction, as well.  We hope to learn more with additional research.