My Chicago Rant

Urban Legend Alert

1950s deactivated Elmhurst Illinois Atomic fallout/blast bunker.

Information for this video was compiled from a number of anecdotal accounts. So far there is only one secondary source which is the book, “Elmhurst Parks And Recreation 1920-1990″. This Elmhurst Park District Publication states, in Apendix C on pp 81; “abandoned reservoir used as Civil Defense headquarters which serves as a small sledding hill”. The book is at the Elmhurst Public Library ( H 352.73 JOH Non-Circulating ).

In the 1950s Elmhurst had a Civil Defense orginazation which was formed around city government. In April of 1953 the City Council passed a CD ordinance based upon the State model. The Council payed for city employees to travel to CD seminars and at one point the council even had a geiger counter demonstrated in/near the old city building (Glos Mansion).

Other area CD preperations included a 100 man emergency hospital located in the basement of York High School (the old basement track). The Chicago metropolitan area even had Nike Surface to Air (SAM) missiles located in over a dozen sites around the region. One of the radar/launch sites was in Addison (RT 53 & Army Trail RD).

We are trying to get as much information on this as possible. The site is indeed an old concrete water tank but close examination reveals that the entrance was rebuilt for a purpose other than storing water. In fact this modification would prevent water storage. It is possible that it was meant to be converted into a storage unit but one must wonder why the entrance was rebuilt with so much concrete?

In terms of a blast shelter it “might” protect you in the event of a Hiroshima size device being dropped on the Loop. However if a thermonuclear bomb/missile (Hydrogen H-Bomb) detonated anywhere within ten miles it is very doubtful that this reconditioned water tank would be much protection. Additionally the resulting firestorm would suck all the air out the shelter smothering anyone inside (who might have lived through the blast). In terms of a “Fallout Shelter” this place would have good protection, from the Gamma Wave radiation, with something like 12″ concrete all around and dirt banked up against the walls.

We invite anyone with information on this structure to contact either this page or the Elmhurst Historical Museum. Any and all contributions are appreciated be they pro or con.

Duration : 0:2:40

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