An 1880’s Lime Kiln near Kiel Wisconsin

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Records of lime kiln operation prior to the 1880’s when larger, industrial plants formed in part due to the presence of railroad shipping, are not very common. Not many of these small kilns remain today. Even more uncommon are pictures of them, and even rarer are images of them in operation.

C. Muloch Lime Kiln 1882

Here is an image of an early lime production at a small family enterprise near Rockville in far western Manitowoc County. It is a fascinating image, taken in 1882, of kilns operated by C Muloch. This tells the full story of anb operation. First, note that these are single fire pot kilns. There are at least two of them.It is likely that the man standing on the roof in the left center is C. Mulroch. In front of his sits a block of limestone (probably ‘uncooked’). Above his is a team of horses and a wagon loaded with limestone from a nearby ready to be loaded into the top of the kilns. At the base of one of the structures is another horse drawn wagonb carrying a load of wood used to fire the kiln. On the far right hand of the image is another team of horses with what appears to be the burnt lime. In front of it all are two well dressed women, possibly spouses. In the center is a young child in a wagon being held by what would appear to be th mother.

On the upper left is a barn, likely used to house the horses (and possibly finished product ready for shipment. To the left is a log cabin which may be a house. I feel sorry for anyone living this close to a firing kiln, especially when hanging wash to dry.

There are two pot kilns, with logs used to support the stone work. Notice that the kiln on the ar right has a roof. This was necessary to keep the lime as dry as possible to prevent it from slaking. The kiln in the middle does not have a roof for some reason, but the opening for removing the cooked lime is clearly visible. The opening is plugged with a wooden door. When firing the kiln, this door was removed, and it was temporarily replaced with rocks or brick to contain the heat and fire.

So how old is this operation. This clearly shows the plant in operation by 1882. In 1878 the property is shown to belong to a J.No kilns were shown on an 1878 plat map, but no lime kiln is listed. In 1892 the plat maps show a kiln at this location on the “Cedar Grove Farm” on land owned by John Rosenbauer. After 1892 no maps show the lime kiln.

1878 Plat Map showing Muloch parcel

1892 Plat Map showing lime kiln location

So it would appear that this kiln began operation between 1878 and 1882, probably to supply lime for the fast growing town Kiel (just to the west of Rockville). The kilns might in have been in operation in 1892, but probably not under the ownership of the Muloch’s. By the mid 1890’s the railroad had come through Kiel, probably halting operation. Lime could be obtained by nearby plants in Valders or Quarry, where product could be shipped by rail.

As far as I know nothing remains of this kiln, but a trip to the area is planned in the near future.

New Mexico Spanish Missions: Quarai

The mission and convento at Quarai is the northern most of the three missions that make up the Salinas Missions National Monument.  It is located about 8 miles north of the present day town of Mountanair, New Mexico.

Quarai Mission looking east

Quarai consists of a 17th century Spanish mission and convento, plus the remains of a large pueblo complex that was first occupied around 1300 AD and was finally abandoned when the mission was deserted.  The 200 or so remaining families at Quarai in 1675 eventually migrated to the Rio Grande valley south of Albuquerque.

The first mention of the pueblos at Quarai comes from late 16th century Spanish documents.  These documents referred to these as the villages of the “Cuarac.”

Missionary activities began at Quarai when the first Franciscan priests arrived in 1626.  Construction of the mission “Nuestra Senora de la Purisma Concepcion de Quarai” began shortly after their arrival and was completed in 1632.  Archeological research at Quarai indicates a small chapel was built and in service while the main structure was under construction.

The main mission at Quarai is believed to be the largest example of a wall and beam structure in North America.  Walls range in thickness from three to six feet, and the height of the mission is estimated to be at least 40 feet.  After abandonment, the mission remained remarkably well preserved for over a century. The building’s roof remained intact into the very early nineteenth century.  

Quarai was the last of the missions to be abandoned in 1675. The causes of the abandonment were many.  There was considerable “civil and ecclesiastic unrest” in the region, compounded by continuous Apache raids.  

Severe droughts, starting in the 1660’s in New Mexico in general and the Salinas area in particular also took its toll on the native and Spanish populations.  Juan Bernal, the New Mexico agent for the Inquisition stationed at Quarai wrote in 1669:

“…that in the past three years, since 1666, no harvests had been reaped, and that at the Pueblo de las Humanas (Gran Quiovera), in the past year, 1668, a great many Indians perished of hunger, lying dead along the roads, in the ravines, and in their huts. There were pueblos (as instance Humanas) where more than 450 died of hunger. The same calamity still prevails, for because of lack of mony, there is not a fanega of corn or of wheat in the whole kingdom, so that for two years the food of Spaniards, men and women alike, has been the hides of cattle which they had in their houses.

The mission at Gran Quivera was the first to be permanently abandoned, followed by the mission at Abo.  A steady supply of water from a spring at Quarai lessened the impact of the drought for while, but finally, in 1675, Quarai finally succumbed to the drought and strife, 

In some respects the unrest and hardships faced by the Salinas pueblos would be repeated in areas along the Rio Grande pueblos, leading to the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 that forced the Spanish out of New Mexico, and saw the destruction of Spanish missions across the area.  The Salinas missions of Abo, Gran Quivera, and Quarai are unique in that they escaped further destruction during the revolt, and  among the few remaining examples of 17th century missions buildings in New Mexico. 

Aerial view of Quarai

New Mexico Spanish Missions-Gran Quivera

Gran Quivira: Spanish Mission at the Pueblo of Las Humanas

On the southern edge of the  Estancia Basin, about 20 miles south of the present day town of Mountainair, New Mexico, lies the Gran Quivera unit of the Salina National Monument.  Here, between the Manzano mountains on the west that separate the basin from the pueblos along the Rio Grande, and Great Plains to the east, ancestral pueblo people began settling the area after 1300.  The largest of these pueblos was named Las Humanas by the band of Spanish pioneers led by Don Juan Onate in 1598.  At its peak, Las Humanas was a 250 room pueblo complete with plazas and kivas. 

First mission. San Isidro. The pueblo of Las Humanas in background. Excavated rooms on left end of Pueblo is likely area where missionaries took up residence.

Spanish missionaries of  the Franciscan Order of the Holy Catholic Church  quickly followed this initial entrada.  By 1629 the first Spanish supply train arrived at Las Humanas.  Building of the first church, San Isidro quickly began.  Fray Francisco Letrado kept his residence and small chapel in the nearby Las Humanas pueblo during construction of San Isidro. This small mission church was soon abandoned as the population of Las Humanas declined due to drought, Apache raids, and disease.

San Buenaventura.

As the population rebounded a few years efforts began to build a larger mission at Las Humanas. Construction of a new convento (San Buenaventure) to replace San Isidro commenced in the 1650’s. This new convento was named San 

Buenaventure,  Renewed drought and Apache raids resulted in the near abandonment of Las Humanas and the mission in 1669. An Apache raid in 1670 destroyed the original San Isidro church ands its contents.  San Buenaventure was not completed at the time of the 1670 raid, and was not touched. 

San Buenaventure convento.

In 1671 the community and convento was completely abandoned.  The surviving members moved 25 miles north to the to the mission at Abo where a steady water supply from a nearby stream provided temporary relief for the drought stricken and raid weary migrants from Las Humanas. 

The Krebs House: A Unique Fachwerk House Near Watertown, WI

Along a stretch of county road “EM” northeast of Watertown, Wisconsin, there is an amazing collection of rare mid-19th century German immigrant Fachwerk (half timber) structures readily visible from the highway.

One of the more unusual structures is the Kreb’s house. It consists of a small, well made hand-hewn log cabin, build in 1844 , to which a fachwerk style addition was added ah,round 1849, It is the oldest surviving house in the Town of Lebanon.

Chuck Werth, historian for the Lebanon Historical society has kindly allowed me to post an email conversation we had about this structure:

THE OLDEST SURVIVING HOUSE IN LEBANON

The Krebs House is the oldest surviving house in Lebanon. The log portion was constructed about 1844. The Fachwerk addition was added four or five years later.

This specimen is an historic treasure because it illustrates a variety of techniques as well as portraying the evolution of construction from log to Fachwerk. The log portion of the house is a soundly constructed log cabin of timbers stripped of their bark and shaped with adz and draw-knife. When the Fachwerk addition was constructed, the log portion was raised about 12 inches and a single tamarack timber was laid beneath the log portion extending out the full length of the Fachwerk addition, forming a united foundation plate for both structures.

The Fachwerk addition does not follow the traditional timber framing conventions used in Pomerania. The undersized timbers and irregular arrangement suggest the family lacked the resources or expertise to construct a more sophisticated structure. The brick was made on-site from local clay. The bricks illustrate cream brick and vermillion brick, often called Hustisford Brick. It can be assumed that the brick was laid by an amateur mason. Like the Braasch House, the work is experimental and unique.

Krebs Fachwerk and Log House, Town of Lebanon. Original log structure was built in 1844 and the fachwerk addition was added around 1849,

Oldest Surviving House in Town of Lebanon, View from County Road EM looking northeast,.

Early 20th Century Lime Production in Oakfield Wisconsin

Around the turn of the 19th century there were three lime kiln operations in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin.   These include Marblehead (still in production), Hamilton, and Oakfield, All these plants were located along the Niagara Escarpment, south of Fond cu Lac, which provided a seemingly unending supply of limestone for the production of lime and related products.

Many residents of the the area will likely recall the Oakfield brick works which was in operation from around 1910 until the mid 1980’s.   Relatively few likely know much about the lime production that also occurred here.

The Standard Lime Company began producing lime sometime in the late 19th century.  Two lime kilns were operated by the Standard Lime Company. Shortly before 1910 two kilns were in operation.

In the first decade of the 20th century, it was discovered that the shale underlying the Niagara lime stone was easily accessible.  This shale, known to geologists as the Maquoketa formation, could be easily mined, and produced excellent bricks.

By 1910 production shifted from the production of lime to the production of brick.  Standard Lime moved their operations to the Nasbro area (Knowlton in Dodge County).  For a brief period of time lime operations continued under the name of Badger Lime. 

 The images posted here are Van Dyke brown prints made from images from Oakfield Historical society and from the archives of the Wisconsin Lime and Stone Industry.

 Oakfield Historical Society posted a Youtube Video lecture by former Oakfield teacher Al Nester. on the Oakfield Brick yard.

https://youtu.be/HWmY3RWl5Gc

Hayton Lime Production Crew, circa 1900

This image of the lime operations at Hayton, Wisconsin (Manitowoc County)  is one of my favorite.  Technically it is  a well composed, well lit image that would appear to have been made with an 8x10 camera.  The lack of motion blur would indicate that it was shot on dry glass plate negative.  The original image was likely printed as a silver gelatin print.  Whoever the photographer was, they had command of not only the technical aspects of photography, but also had a strong eye for composition.

The copy shown is here a hand printed Van Dyke brown copy.  Van Dyke brown is one of many historical processes  in use at the time the original was made.  Versions of Van Dyke brown formulas are also know as brown or sepia images.i 

My thanks to Joel Valle for allowing access to his vast collection of historic lime kiln pictures.  

The date of this image is not known, but likely somewhere around 1900.

While the technical aspects of this  image are interesting, what makes it stand out is the story it tells.  This tableau is very similar in nature to the images one often sees of late 19th century lumbering activities in Wisconsin.

This picture shows the crew of the Hayton plant outside the lime room where lime fired from the kilns (background), was then removed from the kiln and stored in barrels for eventual shipment by rail.

These kilns were wood fired, and on the far left we see the horse drawn wagons loaded with wood destined for the kiln.  The person driving the horses appears to be well dressed in a suit, and would likely be a manager or perhaps  owner of the lime operations.  Next to him is a small child, and on the nearby roof of a box car are several more children. One can speculate that the children are related to the person in the suit.

On ground level we see many of the workers accompanied by tools that likely reflect their role in the operation of the facility.  

A couple of the workers appear to be wearing (leather) aprons, possibly indicating protection from the heat of  firing the kilns or removing the cooked lime.

Two workers are holding shovels, probably used to scoop the cooked lime from the kilns into wood barrels for shipment.  The wood barrels were moved on hand carts as depicted here,

A couple of the workers appear to be holding large mallets which were probably used to crush either raw lime stone into more uniform pieces for firing, or perhaps to crush larger pieces before placing into barrels.

There is likely a lot more information that can be gleaned from close examination of this picture  What really draws me to this image is the story it tells about the workers who toiled in these plants.  Their stories and images tell us just as much, if not more, that any photograph of an abandoned lime kiln ever could.

Grey Cloud Lime Kiln, Minnesota

For well over a decade, I have extensively photographed Wisconsin lime kiln locations in Wisconsin.  Since travels for work (pre-Covid days) took me to states in the midwest and Rocky Mountain region I often   researched remnants of lime kilns on my itinerary, often resulting in locating and photographing structures in Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Utah, and Colorado.  This is not an exhaustive documentation of these kiln site, rather they are sites my travels permitted me to visit.

One of the kilns I visited back in 2010 was known as the Grey Cloud kiln on a backwater of the Mississippi River near Cottage Grove, Minnesota.  The kiln on Grey Cloud Island was operated by William B. Cowan from about 1873 until 1902.  It was a single shaft perpetual kiln.  

Historical documentation suggests that lime operations may have been in operation here starting in the mid-1850’s.  The kiln was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Unfortunately the kiln collapsed in 2014.  As reported in the Star Tribune,  historic flood waters reached the bottom level of the kiln causing it to collapse. As a result, the kiln may lose its place on the National Register.

I have not revisited the site since the kiln collapsed, but on any upcoming trip to Minnesota I hope to return to see what remains after the flooding seven years ago

Front of Grey Cloud Kiln. Daniel Seurer photo.

Back of Grey Cloud Kiln. Photo by Daniel Seurer

Grey Cloud Kiln After Collapse

Star Tribune Photo

Late 20th century Cchanges in lime production at Marblehead, Wisconsin

The 1970’s and 1980’s witnessed major changes in lime production and the companies that produced lime.  Major consolidations, such as the one that formed by the consolidation of several companies into Western Lime had already taken place (in the 1920’s), and by the 1970’s operations were reduced to a few plants.  Western Lime was down to three operating plants in the 1970’s.  These included operations in Green Bay, Knowles (Nasbro), and Eden (Marblehead).  In the 1980’s Western Lime closed the Nasbro plant, moving staff and operations to Marblehead.

At one time, several companies, including Western Lime were in operation in the Marblehead area.  Western Lime and Union Lime were the only surviving operations in the mid-1900’s.  In the 1970’s the Union facilities, including the crusher, hydration plant, and kilns were removed, leaving only the Western Lime facility in operation.  In the 1980’s Western Lime’s stone kilns were removed as lime was produced in more efficient rotary kilns that remain in operation to this day.

The photographs shown here were made in the winter of 1976/77 while I was still living in Fond du Lac.  In the 1960’s my  brother and several friends often biked from Fond du Lac to Marblehead.  I clearly remember the crushing plant was still standing,  but I do not remember the lime kilns or other buildings.  On one trip we stopped at a store in town, and had the owner sign his name to our atlas to prove we made it there.  I do not remember the name of the person or the store, but he was a bit amused at the request,

The images here show the dilapidated lime kilns and cement chimney along with the crushing mechanism from the crushing plant.  In the distance the lime kilns from Western Lime were still in operation.

Today, very little remains of the of the extensive lime operations that occurred here for over 160 years.  All that remain are a few old kilns on nearby private property. and in the memories of those who lived and worked here.

Crusher Mechanism among the debris from the torn down crusher plant, 1977

Union Lime Plant Kilns, Marblehead Wisconsin 1977

Union Lime Plant location (foreground) with Western Lime Kilns in background. 1977.

Building interior from Union Lime Plant., 1977

Tunnel. Marblehead, Wisconsin.

Lime Industry and the Railroad at Marblehead, Wisconsin

Lime Production and the Railroads

Rail cars awaiting loading at Marblehead spur, January 2011,

Railroads were the life blood of industrial expansion in the United States in the last half of the 19th and well into the 20th Century.  The lime industry in Wisconsin and elsewhere was certainly no exception, relying on railroads to ship their products to far flung markets.

Access to railroads for lime product shipment to local and regional customers was critical to starting a business, and for remaining competitive.  In this blog post we will examine how this played out at one of Wisconsin’s largest lime producing regions—the plants at Marblehead just south and east of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Kilns were producing lime in the Marblehead area by the mid 1860’s and possibly earlier.  The first recorded lime operation was a single pot kiln operated by Joseph Foxen in the mid-1860’s.  At this time, the Nast family immigrated from Mecklenburg Germany, stopping first in the Taychedah area, and then establishing a farm in what was to become Marblehead.

The Nast Brothers, August and William, assisted Joseph Foxen in the production in lime, and soon took over the operation of the single pot kiln.  This was the first step in what was to become one of the major producers of lime and limestone products with the establishment of the Nast Brothers Lime and Stone company in 1872 and ultimately the Western Lime and Stone company in 1886.

The first lime kilns, like the pot kiln operated by Joseph Foxen, produced lime for use in the local area. At this time many towns and settlements had their own small operation, mostly with a single kiln meeting their needs.  By the 1870’s, shaft kilns became more common, and produced a larger quantity of lime.  The Nast Brothers, like others at this time, produced lime for mostly local use, though they did make shipments to customers as far away as Oshkosh.

Sometime after the completion of a railway line between Fond du Lac and Milwaukee in the 1850’s, lime products shipments by rail had begun.  By the end of the 19th century, lime producers were constructing larger facilities, producing greater quantities of lime to serve a regional customers  As these operations could supply a wider area with less expensive product most small community lime production became uneconomical and ceased business.

Rail shipments from Union Lime Plant 1901, High Cliff, Wisconsin

Getting access to  and controlling access to the railroads gave companies a major economic advantage over other producers.  In Marblehead a railspur from the nearby Chicago and Northwestern line served several producers, including the Nast Brothers operation and the Union Lime company.

When Herman Nast, the son of William Nast, decided to open his own plant (Eden Independent Lime) around 1909, it was necessary for him to petition the railroad to allow access to this railspur.  The railroad commission conducted hearings on the matter, with the Union Lime  and the Nast Brother’s operation objecting to granting access and connection to this spur.  Their claim was that they owned the trackage, and therefore had a say in who could be given access.

After the hearings, the railroad commission determined that the Chicago Northwestern railroad actually paid for the construction of the spur, not the lime companies.  The commission found in favor of Herman Nast and the Eden Independent Lime company, and access to the railroad was granted, and the short section of track laid.  The railroad commission’s report can be read at: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Opinions_and_Decisions_of_the_Railroad_C/lrpGAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=eden+independent+lime+and+stone&pg=PA233&printsec=frontcover

After all the legal wrangling, production of lime from the single shaft kiln built by Eden Independent was very short-lived.  In fact only one of the two planned kilns was built, and it only produced a single carload of lime before operations ceased.

By 2003, the rail line from from West Bend north to Eden was abandoned and the rails pulled.  In 2021, the Canadian National Railroad continues to operate the line from Fond du Lac to the Marblehead plant. Today, over one-half of all the production at the plant is shipped by rail, carrying on a tradition nearly a century and a half old.

Pictographs at Chaco Canyon Penasco Blanco

After learning about the pictograph image enhancer IDSTRETCH I decided to give it a try on the famous pictograph panel in Chaco Canyon at Penasco Blanco. And was I amazed. I expected it to enhance the little discussed circular image (and probably not noticed by the average viewer) below the crescent moon and star . And on this it did not disappoint. But what I was surprised to see is how well it Brought our petroglyphs as well. Take a look the cliff face just below the main panel and you will clearly see two sets 4 legged animals coming towards each other from different directions. I had never noticed these before. Also it seems as though there are some sort of images pecked the space that both sets of animals are walking towards. But that is just speculation on my part. This software opens up a whole new avenue of examination for me.

Pensado Blanco natural light

Enhanced with IDstretch

IDSTRETCH: A (not so) new Approach to Pictograph Images

I was just listening to a recent youtube video from the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center titled “The Archaeology of Rock Art” by Dr. Larry Loendorf. I strongly suggest anyone with interest in archeology in general and the southwest in particular check it out. https://youtu.be/__4oghKtDE8

If anything good can have come out of pandemic, I think it is the work dones by groups like this to continue with using technology (zoom, youtube) to provide fascinating and edcuational programming to a wider audience than ever. For this particular subject there were over 300+ in the audience, whereas if it were conducted in person there would only have been maybe 30-40 in attendance.

But now for the real reason for this post.

In this meeting, they were discussing a new way of imaging pictographs that really highlight what would normally be a very faint image. The program is called idstretch, and it is available on the apple and ipad. The app is not free, but for anyone interested in pictographs it is a must have. I am not sure if anyone in the upper midwest has seen this app (the concept has been around for nearly 14 years), but if you havent, take a look.

I downloaded it and made a first try, and wow!!!!was I impressed. I took an image I made of the pictographs and ran it through various option to see what it looked like. Take a look at the original image, and the enhanced image. I had no idea that these were the images.

So now I am going through my photo library of pictograph sites in the midwest and elsewhere to see what other amazing images can be made.

Original Image of Roche-a-Cri Pictograph

Processed with idstretch

Social Distancing on a Frozen Rock Lake

This pretty much captures the essence of ice fishing. An ice fisherman (usually men, but not always) sitting on the bucket jigging for fish. At a nearby hole, the tipup is poised to alert everyone that a fish has taken the bait (usually a northern here). And next to that the ice bucket with bait at the ready. Or just as likely the remains of a six pack.

But the quiet, solitude of ice fishing is a perfect way to social distance while your mind wonders aimlessly or with intent.

Rock Lake. Lake Mills, Wisconsin January 2021

Early Lime Production in Marblehead, Wisconsin

Marblehead, in Eden Township, Fond du Lac County Wisconsin was a major source of lime and limestone products from the late 19th century onward to the present day.  The beginnings of lime production dates back to at least 1863, and probably earlier.  The earliest known lime operator was Joseph Foxen, who began operating a pot kiln in Marblehead sometime prior to 1863.

The Nast family, founders of the Western Lime Company, immigrated to Wisconsin from Mecklenburg Germany in 1861, settling in the Taychedah, Wisconsin (just east of Fond du Lac on the south side of Lake Winnebago). In 1863 the Nast family settled their homestead in Marblehead.The Nast brothers, William and August, began assisting Foxen’s operations around 1863.  The Nast brothers worked the family farm as well as helping Foxen at his pot kiln.

By 1871 the Nast’s opened their first quarry and lime kiln in Marblehead. William was just 19 years old, and August 17 years old at the time.  Products from this operation where sold mostly to local consumers, but were shipped as far as Ripon and Oshkosh.  It would be another 8 years before the Chicago Northwestern railroad completed the line from Chicago to Green Bay, enabling lime products to be shipped to broader markets.

The two lime kilns shown here are amongst the earliest kilns in use in Marblehead, and amongst the last surviving in a location that at one time hosted over numerous lime operations  from multiple companies.  One of the kilns (shown here) was an older pot kiln, the other is a single shaft kiln (also shown here).  Interestingly these kilns are located on or adjacent to the original  Nast homestead property.  It is entirely possible, though not proven, that these might represent the first shaft kiln built by the Nast’s, and possibly the Joseph Foxen pot kiln.

The Nast brothers prospered and in 1904 incorporated into the Nast Brothers LIme and Stone company, adding plants in Knowles (Nasbro) and Kewaunee to their operations.  In 1921 they merged with other Wisconsin producers forming the largest lime operations in the State—The Western Lime and Cement Company.

Marblehead Wisconsin: 150 years of Lime operations in Fond du Lac County

One of the last Wisconsin lime operations we will review over the next series of posts includes the vast operations at what was known as Marblehead.  Marblehead is located in Fond du Lac County a few miles south east of the City of Fond du Lac and a short distance Northwest of the present day village of Eden.

Western LIme Eden Plant (Marblehead). 2010.

A lot has changed at Marblehead since this picture was taken in 2010.  Western Lime is no more, It was acquired by Graymont Corporation in 2012.  Sadly, the lime kilns shown in the background were removed shortly after.

Over the years a number of companies had lime operations in the Marblehead vicinity.  The earliest operations began in the early 1870’s.  In 1872 Wilhelm Nast and his two sons August and (George) William formed the Nast Brothers Lime and Stone Company.  The Nast Brothers were prominent in the Wisconsin lime industry, starting operations in two other locations we previously visited—the operations at Nasbro and Crusher.

In 1886 the Western Lime and Cement company was incorporated.  In 1921 there was a major consolidation of operations, with the merger of Western Lime several companies including the Nast Brother’s operation.   William Nast was named General Manager, with V.F. Nast serving as secretary and August on board of directors.

Western Lime continued operations through the Great Depression, though only the plants at Brillion, Marblehead, High Cliff, and Nasbro remained in operation after the 1930’s.

Western Lime itself was purchased by the Graymont Corporation, a global leader in the production of lime and limestone products.  After 92 years of operation by six generations of family ownership, Western Lime ceased to exist.

Fast Firing

Wood fired shaft kilns produced lime products in Wisconsin for nearly 100 years.  In the latter years of their life span, operators of these plants looked for ways to increase production while saving costs.  The plant at Nasbro, Wisconsin was no exception.  The operational changes can be readily seen by close examination of two of the kilns at the Nasbro plant prior to its’ closure in the late 1980’s.

Wood was the primary fuel for these plants through most of their operating history.  At first, most of the wood was supplied by local sources, but as the nearby sources dwindled, most of the wood was shipped in from northern Wisconsin.

At Nasbro, wood was eventually replaced by gas for ‘cooking’ the lime.  Evidence of this can be seen by the addition of gas lines into the openings where wood was used to stoke the fires.

According to Duey Valle, a 25 year veteran of Western Lime, significant modifications were made to Nasbro kilns 1 and 2.   In the early 1970’s, covers were installed on these two kilns along with blowers to keep hot air circulating in the kiln.  These were known as ‘fast firing’ kilns.  The doors on the kiln tops (still visible) would keep the hot air in the shaft thereby speeding up the process of producing lime.  The workers would close the lids and start the blowers when not filing the kiln.

Instead of taking a lime ‘draw’ every four hours, these fast firing kilns reduced the time between draws to two hours.  The workers did not like these kilns because it was a lot more work putting in more stone and taking more frequent draws.

The exteriors of the two fast firing kilns bear more evidence in changes to how these kilns operated.  Additional exterior opening were added, either on the back side of the kiln, or in the place of one of the older wood firing doors. These tended to be smaller, metal lined openings with small exterior doors. The purpose of these opening is not clear.  It is possible that these were poke holes that the workers could use to help the lime rock through the firing zone. Or perhaps there were used to regulate the firing temperatures.

Eventually, the decision was made to cease operations at Nasbro in the late 1980’s..  Many of the workmen were relocated to the plant at nearby Marblehead where a new rotary kiln had begun operation. With the shutdown of the kiln operations, the small company town of Nasbro was gradually abandoned, leaving little trace of its existence.  

Nasbro Fast Fire Kiln

Kiln #1. Retrofitting for gas firing

Nasbro Kiln #2. Retrofitted for fast firing

Nasbro. Showing fast firing kiln on left.

Circa 1970’s

Aerial view of Nasbro kilns

Fast fire kilns on left.

Aerial view of Nasbro fast fire kilns

Circa 1970’s

Pacific Railroad Engine #6, 1855 Thomas Easterly Dageurreotype,

About the Engine:

The 1850’s were a bustling time in the City of Saint Louis, Missouri. Trans-continental railroad fever was high as the city tried to out do other midwestern towns for the starting point in railroad’s western expansion.  The Pacific Railroad, whose name clearly states the ambitions of the builders, was formed.

Construction began in 1851 on first leg west from Saint Louis.  The line reached Kirkwood in 1853 and the capital of Jefferson City in 1855.

The 4-4-0 steam engine Gasconade, was one of the new engines purchased for the Pacific Railroad.  The picture of No. 6 (shown here) was taken by daguerreotypist Thomas Easterly of Saint Louis, in 1855.  By all indications the engine as pictured here, had not seen much, if any work.  It looks shiny and new, with a well dressed man positioned in the fireman’s side of the cab.  

As we will learn in the next post, the name of this engine, Gasconade, and its name sake, the Gasconade River would play a significant, if disastrous role in the future of the fledgling Pacific Railroad.

About the Photograph.

This particular daguerrotype shows the immense skills of Thomas Easterly.  At a time when most daguerreotypes were portraits produced in a controlled studio setting, Easterly had command of the skills necessary to produce work outside of the studio.  This image shows a well composed and well lit image.  It also shows the clarity of this medium when compared to the newer wet plate collodion pictures coming into vogue.  During the 1860’s daguerreotypes were out of fashion.  Thomas Easterly stubbornly refused to adapt to the demand of the public for images made with wet plate collodion, believing that daguerrotypes were of much superior quality and sharpness (which was true).  He stated : “save your old daguerreotypes for you will never see their like again"

Nasbro Lime Plant

In the late 1980’s, one of the last operating shaft kiln operations in the state of Wisconsin ceased operation.    The lime plant at Nasbro was shut down as production moved to the east to the plant at Marblehead (Eden) where a new, modern rotary kiln operations was replacing production of the older shaft kilns. Most of the nearly two dozen homes in the small town of Nasbro were torn down, and only 5 limestone kilns stand today as a reminder of nearly a century of lime operations.  

 Lime operations in the iimmediate Nasbro area data back a decade or more prior to the Nast Brother’s kiln operations. The Happe Brothers of nearby Knowleton operated a quarry and single lime kiln the area around 1890.

Another operation, Andrae Lime Works also built and operated two shaft kilns in the 1890’s. These two shaft kilns were part of an operation that would become the Standard Lime company (described in previous posts) commenced sometime around or before 1890 under the name of Andrae Lime Works.  

In 1897 the Nast Brothers, who operated a lime plant in Marblehead, purchased the Happe Brothers lime and quarry operation and began operations in Nasbro. A single shaft kiln was built in 1897 and the remaining 4 shaft kilns build by 1900.  Production at the plant averaged 10 to 13 tons of lime per shaft per day. These are the lime kilns that stand sentinel today.

The Western Lime Company was formed in 1921 from the consolidation of the Nasbro Brother’s Lime and Cement Company  and other several lime producing companies in east central Wisconsin.  

The plant at Nasbro was one of a few lime production facilities that survived the economic downturn of the Great Depression.  The nearby Standard Lime plant struggled to remain in business.  Ultimately it succumbed to the downturn of business from the Great Depression. 

The Nasbro plant remained in operation until the late 1980’s.  Production was moved to the Western Lime plant at Marblehead.  All but the five stone kilns were demolished in 1988.

Remaining Nasbro Plant LIme Kilns

View of east face of lime kilns, looking north. Photo by Daniel M. Seurer. Van Dyke Brown print.

Nasbro Plant Demolition 1989

Demolition of lime production facility circa 1989. Photo courtesy of Joel Vallle.

Aerial View of Nasbro Plant

Aerial view of the Nasbro Plant in operation circa 1980..Photograph courtesy of Joel Valle.

Nasbro Plant 1911

View of Nasbro plant lime kilns looking sourth. 1911. Photograph courtesy of Joel Valle.

Thomas Easterly

LIfe is a journey with many side roads that beckon exploration. And so it is with some of my photography projects. Recently I reached out to the Missouri Historical Society in search of images of Big Mound in Saint Louis. I already knew of the daguerreotypes produced by photographer Thomas Easterly, but had no idea of his renown as a photographer or the extent of his body of work. Not only was he was a masterful portrait daguerereotypist, but most unusual for this process, he also made images outside the studio. Plus, his studio work included a number of notable Native Americans of the 1840’s including Chief Keokuk. More will be said about this body of work in a subsequent blog.

Easterly was born in Vermont in 1809. By 1844 he was photographing landscapes in his Vermont and New York. He travelled west and in the spring of 1847 opened the first permanent gallery in Saint Louis, Missouri. Though he is best known in the midwest, he was widely recognized as one of the best daguereotypists in the United States.

Easterly continued making daguerotypes well into the 1860’s. By this time daguerotypes were out of fashion, being replaced by processes like wet plate collodion and silver prints. His stubborn refusal to adopt to new photographic process led to a sharp decline in business. By the 1870’s with his business and health failing he toiled away in relative obscurity until his death in 1882.

More information on Thomas Easterly is available on the Missouri Historical Society web site:

https://mohistory.org/blog/thomas-easterly

Thomas Easterly and the Destruction of Big Mound, Saint Louis

The Missouri Historical Society has a unique collection of mid-19th century daguerreotypes by photographer Thomas Easterly who lived and ran a photography studio in Saint Louis from 1848 to the late 1870s. Unlike most daguerreotypists of the era who focused on portraiture, Easterly also extensively photographed landscapes and cityscapes, mostly of the St Louis area. In the late 1860’s he captured images of the destruction of the largest Mississippian mound in St Louis - referred to as the “Big Mound”. His photographs of the Big Mound’s demise is a stark and very sad reminder of the rapid destruction of these magnificent edifices in the 19th century.

Standard Lime Kilns, Nasbro Wisconsin

Just north of the small village of Knowles in Dodge County, Wisconsin, was a small company town called Nasbro. At Nasbro were two separate companies producting lime products. One of these companies was the Standard Lime and Stone Company. Pictured here are the remains of the 5 kilns that were in operation until the depression shuttered the plant. There was a brief attempt at restarting the plant, but in the end, it was uneconomical and soon closed for good in the mid 1930’s.