As most of my readers know, I have devoted many years of research and study writing about the history and lore of the Lehigh Valley cement industry and the daily lives of the cement workers. Each year I visit all of our local cement plants – Keystone, LaFarge, Essroc, Lehigh-Heidelburg and Hercules.

A recent visit to the Keystone Cement Company in Bath was both sad and nostalgic, as I learned my longtime friend Mr. Stephen Hayden had announced his retirement after 34 years of service at the landmark company.

Steve graciously opened his files of memories and donated them to the Atlas Cement Memorial Museum in Northampton. I could not leave the plant without sharing with you, my readers, memories of his family's cement odyssey.

Mr. Hayden's father also named Stephen, was a civil engineer who would rise to the presidency of Keystone. I asked about his father.

"My father graduated from Liberty High School," Steve said. "Uncle Sam called him in the draft and he was assigned to the U.S. Army Air Force as a radioman and gunner on a B-17 bomber. Their mission was to bomb German targets in Europe. He flew 20 missions and was shot down on two occasions. Fortunately, he and the crew were able to bail out over Allied-held territory."

His second rescue was more stressful.

"As he was descending, he saw a motorcycle with a side car in the distance. He pulled out his .45 revolver, pressed it against his chest, waiting for the unexpected. What a relief when [he saw] the men were Allied soldiers.

"We lived in Fountain Hill so it was a short walk to the Bethlehem Steel," Steve said. "Didn't everyone from the Hill work at the Steel?"

After a short period at the Steel, his father decided to enroll at Lehigh University, as he had a keen interest in anything mechanical.

"One day he walked up to Lehigh, went into the admissions office and met Admission Dean "Haps" Bender. He said, 'I would like to enroll in your engineering school under the G.I. Bill.' Bender replied, 'We have no openings, but take the admission test and we'll see what we can do.'"

Mr. Hayden passed the test. "You did very well," Haps told him. "We are filled up but I'll get you into Muhlenberg College for your freshmen year and then you can transfer over here to Lehigh."

So, after a year, Stephen was back at Lehigh where he would graduate with a B.S. in civil engineering.

He was immediately hired by Bethlehem Steel and assigned to their engineering department. The young engineer enjoyed his job but soon was looking for another challenge.

"I'm one of hundreds of engineers here," he said. "It will take a lifetime for any advancement."

Stephen was told a small cement plant in Bath was looking for an engineer. He drove over to the Keystone Cement Company and was hired by Vice President of Operations Paul Maurer who had been educated at Carnegie-Mellon in Pittsburgh.

The starting salary was $5,600, double what he was earning at the Steel.

Stephen accepted the position, much to the chagrin of his parents who had said leaving the Steel was a foolish move. Undeterred, he became the chief engineer of the Keystone Cement Company and started a rewarding career that spanned 34 years.

During his tenure at the plant, many improvements were made, enabling the one-plant company to survive recession and competition.

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In our next column we'll "Remember" the formation of the Keystone and share rare photographs from the plant's construction in 1928.