In this third column, I am “remembering” the Penn Dixie Cement Company, when it was one of the largest cement plants in the area. Its three plants in Bath and Nazareth provided employment for many cement workers. The late Raymond Houser, who, with his father, William, jointly served the company for more than a century. In past columns, Raymond recalled the company’s glory days.

Raymond started in the bag house at age 15. By hard work, he would become the plant’s chief chemist. In 1932, Penn Dixie added a research department to the laboratory. Its mission was to improve the quality of its cement and develop new uses. Mr. Houser was assigned to the new unit. The company received notice that New York City was planning a massive water project.

They were to construct an aqueduct from the Catskills in upper New York State to New York City, but the company that wanted to bid had to prove they could meet the city’s stringent specifications. One can only imagine the competition for such a lucrative contract. At one time, 30 cement companies called the Lehigh Valley home.

Mr. Houser was given the task to meet these standards. Talk about pressure on the job! The late Mr. Houser recalled, “General Manager Fred Newhard came to me and said Penn Dixie had six months to conform to the city’s request. He knew we could do it. He said, ‘Ray, get on it right away.’ New York City sent an inspector who watched our every move. I worked long hours — going to work in the morning, coming home for supper, going back to the lab and some nights sleeping on one of the desks.”

Mr. Houser continued, “I checked the stone, clinker, kilns and conducted hundreds of tests. Sometimes, it was very frustrating, but we had to meet the deadline. Three weeks before the deadline, I told Mr. Newhard, ‘I think we have it.’ After working alone for almost six months, it was a wonderful feeling to be successful.”

Penn Dixie could now bid on the project. Its bid was approved by the city of New York. The Bath plants produced cement for years for the gargantuan project. The aqueduct was so large you could drive an automobile through it. Each day, a string of bulk railroad cars left Bath for New York. This provided much-needed employment for area workers. The aqueduct continues to serve the residents of New York City with high-quality water.

I wonder how many folks realized the scope of the project and the role of the Penn Dixie Cement Company. It certainly was a project to be proud of. The water still flows to New York City, but the hardy cement workers who labored there and the company they worked for are gone, as are many of our other companies.

We will continue the Penn Dixie story in two weeks. See you then!