Recently, Donald Missimer, Catherine Bogarosh and David Altrichter of Slatington forwarded me some rare photographs and certificates of the early cement industry.

The first photograph of quarry workers was taken in 1926 at Plant 6 of the Penn Dixie Cement Company in Bath. The photograph shows John Bogarosh and two 14-year-old boys in the quarry. Many times quarry boys carried water and other materials to the men.

Safety was lacking! No helmets or glasses protected the men from falling rock. In the early years, quarries operated 24 hours a day. Some men we could identify in the photo were Stanley Gondek, Mike Filonge, Frank Bruce, Frank Maseppi, Chit Dobroski, Frank Polachik, Thomas Temos, Charles Manning, Pete Suranofsky, John Bogarosh and Fred Manning.

The second photo shows early packhouse men at the Atlas Portland Cement Company. Note the cloth bags that were made in the old bag factory, the former community center.

The Allentown Cement Company was organized in 1909 in Evansville, Berks County. The president was J. W. Fuller from Catasauqua. The historic company and family had an office in Catasauqua. The stock certificate I viewed is dated March 10, 1927. One of these certificates is displayed at the Atlas Cement Memorial Museum. The Evansville plant is currently owned by Lehigh Heidelberg.