When the MKT left Emporia in the mid 50s, the Santa Fe took over the few industries on their tracks. The spur entering that industrial site left the west main opposite of where the Howard District left the east main to head south.

The largest industry is a soybean mill. Jack Delano took the photo below of the Kansas Soybean Mill, Inc. in March, 1943, as seen from the ATSF main. The plant processed soybeans for oil and feed. They became Cook Industries by 1977 and became the Bunge Corp. by 1983 and remains Bunge today.

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, LC-USW3-019801-E

2001 from the same location.

This plant had two doors and a pit, a scale track, and a rack for soybean oil. The same facilites have been improved and expanded. One interesting operating detail: the tail track for switching this industry (north end) only has a capacity for an engine and 4 modern or 5 40' cars. This industry requires frequent switching. Bunge does have a road-railer for moving cars within the plant. For more photos, click here. For more on soybean plant operations, click here.

Also on the Katy was Smith / Mark II Lumber. They had two spots, one for unloading cement and one for unloading lumber according to the 1977 and 83 CLIC books. Their main office was on the south side of 6th Street with some storage facilities by the Smith Spur. In the mid 80s, Bunge purchased this property and Mark II moved a block east to new facilities with no rail service.

One of the attached photos shows a Texaco bulk oil dealer on the old Katy main. I have not found any information on this dealer as yet.

One final industry is east of Emporia Junction on the Ottawa Cutoff. That is Sauder Industries. They are custom steel fabricators who got their start in wooden oilfield tanks in Madison. They have constructed many large water tanks for municipalities as well equipment for the Interstate Bakery. They have one spot for unloading sand and materials and also shipping out their products. The spur is entered from the north track and is switched from the west.