I was visiting Hegewisch for a bike ride in June when I came down Torrence and saw something I had never noticed before. Dilapidated buildings – a lot of them. My heart quickened, I knew I had to get inside. Naïve as I am, I assumed I was finding something special. I would later learn that for almost 20 years, people had been coming in and out of here. I decided not to go in that day, but I made plans to come back quickly. I took this photo of my bike leaning against the front door and moved on.
When I got home I couldn’t stop thinking about what I had seen. I started researching, trying to figure out what this place could be, or could have been. I didn’t even know the exact address so I was guessing, and dropping pins on Google Maps. I eventually looked at the satellite view and saw just how many buildings were back there. In the middle of June, the foliage is so high you can’t see very far and so much is hidden. I started taking screen caps from Google Street View and I started taking notes on the satellite view. When I went back I was going to explore. I had no idea how widely explored this place already was. I did not know its name, and without a name, you have nothing. If you need a pair of scissors, you can get them at Walgreens for $5. But if you don’t know what this handheld cutting device is called, how can you find it?