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Brooklyn Cooperage Company Site
Brooklyn Cooperage Company Site
The largest producer of barrel staves in the United States, which built its own railroad line to transport timber.
Did You Know?
Brooklyn Cooperage Company built the entire Butler County Railroad line just to transport timber to its plant - a testament to the scale and economic power of the operation.
The Story
The Brooklyn Cooperage Company operated on the east side of Poplar Bluff from approximately 1900 to 1927. At its peak, it was described as the largest producer of barrel staves in the United States, making it a nationally significant industrial operation.
One of the company's most remarkable achievements was the construction of the Butler County Railroad line, built specifically to haul timber from logging operations to the cooperage plant. This demonstrated both the scale of the operation and the company's vertical integration - controlling not just manufacturing but also transportation infrastructure.
The cooperage employed hundreds of workers and was a major economic driver for the region during the height of the timber boom. The plant operated until 1927, when the combination of depleted timber resources and the devastating May 9, 1927 tornado brought an end to its operations.
Source: 'A View of A Growing Town', compiled by Richard L. Metcalfe, The Poplar Bluff Citizen, 1884.
Additional Source References
Mentions of this site found in historical sources. These excerpts are auto-extracted and unverified — presented for research purposes until an editor confirms them.
An industrial firm that operated on the east side of town and built the Butler County Railroad.
“Another leading firm in the industry was the Brooklyn Cooperage Company, which operated on the east side of Poplar Bluff from around 1900 to 1927.”
A large plant that built a railroad to Piggott, Arkansas, for timber transport.
“Later the Brooklyn Cooperage Company established a large plant in the east part of Poplar Bluff, acquiring thousands of acres of virgin timber in Butler county and Clay county, Arkansas.”
A large industrial facility specializing in cooperage.
“The Brooklyn Cooperage Company has what has been declared the largest cooperage works in the world”
A massive barrel factory and subsidiary of the American Sugar Refining Company, known for shipping staves to refineries.
“In January, 1910, the plant began operating as the Brooklyn Cooperage Company. By the time of Poplar Bluff's Golden Jubilee celebration in June, 1911, the Daily Republican called it "the largest barrel factory in the land."”
What's There Now
The exact current use of this location is unknown, though the east side of Poplar Bluff has seen various industrial and commercial development over the decades.
1927 Tornado Impact
May 9, 1927
The Brooklyn Cooperage Company closed in 1927, the same year as the devastating tornado. The combination of depleted timber resources and potential tornado damage marked the end of this major industrial operation.
Learn more about the 1927 tornadoPeople Connected to This Site
Businesses Connected to This Site
Brooklyn Cooperage Company
Active 1900s
Primary occupant and operator; manufacturer of barrel staves at Brooklyn Cooperage Company Site Notable event: Closure of Operations (1927) — The plant closed in 1927 due to the combination of depleted timber resources and the devastating May 9, 1927 tornado, ending its major industrial operation. Notable event: Construction of Butler County Railroad (circa 1900s) — Brooklyn Cooperage Company constructed the entire Butler County Railroad line specifically to haul timber from logging operations to the cooperage plant, demonstrating vertical integration of manufacturing and transportation.
Butler County Railroad
Active 1900s
Transportation infrastructure built and operated by Brooklyn Cooperage Company to haul timber to the plant at Brooklyn Cooperage Company Site Notable event: Construction of Railroad Line (circa 1900s) — The Butler County Railroad was built entirely by the Brooklyn Cooperage Company to transport timber from logging operations to its cooperage plant, reflecting the scale and economic power of the operation.
City Directory Listings
This address appears in the following historic city directory listings.
Butler County Railroad
Poplar Bluff, MO., City Directory 1908
Butler County Railroad
ne of city
Dunham Directory Co.'s Poplar Bluff Missouri City Directory for 1909-1910
Butler County Railroad
ne of city
Dunham Directory Co.'s Poplar Bluff Missouri City Directory for 1909-1910
Quick Facts
Era
1900s
Year Built
1900
Year Demolished
1927
Area
Other
Where It Was
East side of Poplar Bluff
Historic Documents
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Community Contributions
Jonas Lady
Brooklyn Cooperage was located on Palmer Slough. The property extended to approximately where the twin towers are now. The company owned railroad brought the logs in and dumped them into Palmer Slough to remove dirt and debris. They were then winched out and sent to the mill. Prior to this the logs were floated down Black River and then pulled into Palmer Slough when it was still connected to Black River. After the mill closed the railroad became Butler County Railroad, then it was purchased by the Frisco. The railroad right of way can still be traced from Palmer Slough to Brosely on Google Earth. Brooklyn Cooperage started in Quilin. When the mill in Poplar Bluff closed they moved to South Carolina.