In looking through my endless volumes of cement history, I found a photograph that will bring back memories to our loyal readers.

This is a flashback to the famous Dragon Cement Company. The plant anchored the former village of Siegfried, now Northampton’s first ward. What an era it was!

At one time, you were in walking distance to the Atlas Portland Cement Company Plants 2, 3 and 4, Whitehall Cement, Dragon, Coplay, Lehigh Portland in West Coplay, Giant, Egypt and Lehigh Portland in Ormrod. Thousands of men and women supported their families by working at the plants.

When this writer was employed at the Universal Atlas, there were still 7,000 employees in Lehigh Valley plants. The closing of the Dragon in 1983 ended the Northampton era of cement. Will a plant ever return to the cement borough? I guess we all know the answer!

I knew many of the men in the Dragon photograph. Many have relatives in our readership area. The photo was provided by Mrs. Mamie Newhard, whose daughter Linda and her brothers were all students of this writer.

Linda still recalls her father, Granville, and her uncles telling their family about their work days at the plant. These men had pride in their jobs and lamented the day when they saw the historic plant close.

Fortunately, five local cement companies operate in the Valley, continuing the legacy and heritage of the cement industry.