"Leaning tower' comes tumbling down

Osage City landmark being razed for railroad bridge

May 3, 2012 at 5:30 a.m. | Updated May 3, 2012 at 5:30 a.m.

Longtime "leaning tower" owner Soda Popp talks about the structure behind him, being demolished to make way for a second Union Pacific railroad bridge. Popp sold gasoline and refreshments to river users for a number of years. He said he holds a lot of memories from the old place and hated to see it go.
Longtime "leaning tower" owner Soda Popp talks about the structure behind him, being demolished to make way for a second Union Pacific railroad bridge. Popp sold gasoline and refreshments to river users for a number of years. He said he holds a lot of memories from the old place and hated to see it go.

The demolition of an Osage City landmark started Wednesday.

Crews with Hayden Wrecking began demolition of a five-story building on the same piece of land as what is known as the "Leaning Tower of Osage City," an old grain elevator. It's an early step in the process of building a $28 million second railroad bridge across the Osage River.

Troy Hughes, high speed rail project manager with Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), said crews began working late last week to remove a one-story building that has lead paint.

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