SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - The first large structure to collapse at the former Pillsbury site was a smoke stack, built almost 100 years ago. Dozens of neighbors, former employees and volunteers of Moving Pillsbury Forward watched as a wrecking ball tore apart the smoke stack over several hours.
Among the onlookers was Herb Wilkinson, whose history with the site spanned generations.
"My dad worked there, my uncle worked there, I had a cousin who worked there, my brother-in-law worked there, my mother-in-law worked there, so did my father-in-law," Wilkinson said. "I know it has to come down, but it's sad to see."
That bittersweet sentiment was shared by many former employees, who got emotional watching the smokestack fall to the ground. It marks the beginning of a large-scale demolition project, set to be completed by summer 2026.
"Pillsbury meant a lot to Springfield," said Vic Fugnitti, who worked at the site for 21 years. "It gave a lot of people a good job ... it was a good place to work. I enjoyed working and made a lot of good friends."
No matter how many people worked at the facility at a time, everyone felt like family, according to former employees. People had nicknames, which were shared across shifts and generations.
Dave Kelly worked at Pillsbury for 20 years. He was able to visit the site a few years ago before it was torn down. He got to visit the old locker room, where he would start each shift next to his father.
"I changed clothes here the whole time next to my dad," Kelly said. "I hated to see the buildings in disarray, but I also hate to see it completely gone.
Kelly, Wilkinson and Fugnitti watched the demolition sitting next to each other. They passed the time sharing stories of former co-workers, inside jokes and memories inside the room that shared a wall with the same smoke stack that was demolished.
Moving Pillsbury Forward will continue demolitions in the coming months. They will maintain viewing areas for members of the public to use.
Related Stories:
Demolition to begin this month at Pillsbury site in Springfield
Full cleanup, demolition set for former Pillsbury Plant in Springfield
Pillsbury Mills site celebrates final days before demolition
Key Pillsbury artifacts recovered after devastating Springfield fire
Copyright 2025. WAND TV. All rights reserved.
