Publication Volume 29 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1920 Excerpt: ...Cement Co. erected a plant at Bronson, Branch County and next year the Coldwater Cement Co., now the Wolverine Portland Cement Co., built plants at Coldwater and Quincy, also in Branch County. The period between 1899 and 1901 was the "boom" years of the industry, twenty companies being organized in this period for the manufacture of Portland cement from marl and clay or shale. Extensive investigations of marl and clay deposits and elaborate plans were made by many of the companies. Only ten reached the productive stage and but five of" these are still in operation. Since 1896, thirty-five different cement plants have been projected or built in Michigan. Eleven were in operation in 1918. Michigan shared with other States the general decrease in output due to War conditions. Of the ten operating plants one was closed nearly all the year and two others part of the year. Operators reported from 30 percent to 56 percent decrease in production. The New Egyptian Portland Cement Company in April 1918 was obliged to close its plant near Fenton because of shortage of coal, scarcity of labor and government restrictions. Operation of the plant has now (July, 1919) been resumed by a syndicate which acquired the property from the Security Trust Co., receivers. The new company will manufacture cement from the marl obtained from the company's holdings of 800 acres of marl land. A new company, the Petoskey Portland Cement Co., has been organized at Petoskey; docks are being built but the plant will probably not be in operation until late in 1920. The principal raw materials used in Michigan in the manufacture of Portland cement are marl or limestone and clay or shale, though the lime refuse from a soda ash plant near Detroit is also being utilized. The early ...