Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-11-13
CEMENT PLANT
aids BUILDING
VALLEY
} !ermanence Char a C.
terizes L Hiding and
Road Construction
/ Throughout Valley

II any single word can be said 20
eoaracterize the building Of the
Ts~ealley"-that word IL permanence.
eete look at the buildings, the homes,
tds roads, the streets, the bridges,
re various irrigation projects, inn
t,%ediately leaves the impression of
.nermanence.
d, In this program Of permanent con-
.e.ruction, the San Antonio Portland
Aiement has played a prominent part.
u his company was among the first
Sid realize the importance and poten-
10 alities Of the Valley. Accordingly,
ta- has. since the very beginning Of
stevelopment, in this section. invested
atoth its money and its energy large
" to the Valley.
The early history OF the San An
honio Portland Cement Company is
1t every point closely Identified with
she construction progress Of the
Southwest. The early struggles Of
that company are a romance not un-
like the Valleys. A year after the
Z Southern Pacific built its first tracks
into the village Of San Antonio,
which, incidentally, was the first
railroad serving the city, an Eng
lishman who had some experience In
cement making in his native country,
while hunting in what Ia now the
city Of San Antonio, discovered some
rock he believed suitable for the
making or a true Portland cement.
With the assistance Of an engineer
and . chemist verious experiments
were made which finally eliminated
IN the formation Of the Alamo Port
land and Roman Cement Company.
The capital stock Of the company was
only $500 and its charter was
issued N January i4th. 1850. giving
II the distinction Of being the second
cement plant in the United States
and the first west Of the Mississippi
river.
10-Barrels a Day Capacity
II was just about this time that
the !. a q. \. X. K. laid its first
tracks in the city OF san Antonio.
Southwest Texas in those days was
an undevelUrrd frontier and little or
no Thought was given to the use Of
Portland ccment outside the village
Of San Antonio. Thus the 10 barrels
per day capacity Of the original plant
more than supplied the market. The
plant was, at that time, located near
the county Poor House" and the or
ganizers OF the company were en-
couraged BY their FRIENDS By their
friends with the suggestion that
when they We're through they would
not shave far 70 20"
To make both ends meet the kilns
used for burning the cement were
also used for burning lime and by
the sale Of these two commodities as
well as building stone the company
was able 90 slowly grow.
When the sales 81 Alamo Cement
reached 1000 barrels a year, en-
thusiasm supplanted anxiety and the
owners felt that they had success
fully passed the embroyo stage and
were well on the way toward estab-
fishing q big industry. The capacity
uf the plant was materially increased
in 1859 and an upright kiln was in
stalled. The site Of this original
plant now forms the beautiful Japan
ese Gardens Of Breckenridge Park. In
1897 the plant was moved from its or
iginnl site and located shout five miles
from the city and q rotary kiln, very
similar to those being used today,
was used. and later in 1901 when oil
was MArAttNA@0 an AAA8of - was r1A~ 4
stituted for coal and at the present
both oil and natural gas are used.
Bays Patent Rights
In an effort TO stimulate the use
OF Alamo Cement the company pur-
chased the Sehilling patent rights
for the state Of Texas for s 1000. Few
today. familiar as the public is with
cement and ats uses, realize that in
those days there was n patent for
laying sidewalks and that no piece
al concrete could be blocked off as
sidewalks now are, except by per-
mission OF the owners Of the Sehill-
ing patent. The legality Of this
psfent was carried to the highest
court and that body ruled IL was
valid and properly issued. Under
this patent and with the eompany's
rnarnntea. ID wal necessary nc this
fime 20 convince : skepsical public.
manv sidewalks we're put down and
nsax ~ ed esmg posk soma pt