By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com
When a former neighborhood landmark turns into an eyesore there’s only one thing to do and the city of Bucyrus did it on Thursday morning.
“It was something special in this neighborhood,” Rose Quaintance said.
Rose and her husband James were among the several people left only with their nostalgic memories of another era in Bucyrus as they watched as the former Brandt Potato Chip factory on the corner of Jump and West Mary streets was torn down.
“It didn’t take them long,” James said ruefully as he watched the clean-up of boards being done with machinery and trucks.
Like many Bucyrus resident of yesteryear, the Quaintances were frequent visitors to the old potato chip factory.
“I used to buy potato chips here,” Rose said.
James conceded the city was left with little choice other than to tear down the abandoned and derelict building.
“The animals had moved in,” James said.
Still, Rose insisted there was a time something could have been done to save the building.
“I would like to have seen them fixed it up. They just walked off and left it,” Rose said. “If they would have just gave it to somebody, you know. Say, ‘Here, take it. Just fix it up.’ It would’ve been something. I hate to see it torn down.”
She added that the building that represented so many youthful memories, like many others in town, are being torn down and along with them a part of the community’s history that will be forever gone.
“This place being torn down and so many other places – it’s like Bucyrus isn’t going to be Bucyrus.”