Bushnell, Illinois was once home to a well-known, Chicago- based company that processed meat products. Mickelberry Food Production Company operated at the west end of Davis Street in Bushnell, where Bushnell Tank exists today.
This writer did not find a wealth of information on the Mickelberry plant’s inner workings, but it is believed to have existed in Bushnell from 1940-1965. The Mickelberry company over the years was not the luckiest business in the world. The Chicago parent company experienced three devastating events over the years, the last of which led them to change their entire business plan.
The historic meat processing company, founded in Chicago in 1893, was known for old-fashioned, hickory-smoked hams and sausages, which were very popular in the midwest. The Mickelberry brand also had a famous Log Cabin restaurant (1933-1967) in Beverly, Illinois. The restaurant opened in 1933 at 2300 W. 95th St. in Chicago, and it was famous for southern-style recipes and was a staple for families until its closure in 1967. In 1964, the Log Cabin restaurant was heavily damaged in an unsolved bombing, suspected to be tied to organized crime.
In 1965, Mickelberry’s Bushnell, Illinois facility, being operated at that time by Ready Foods, caught fire and completely burned.
The owners did not rebuild.
