Published May 22. 2024 11:53AM
by ED PANY Curator, Atlas Cement Company Memorial Museum
U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-7th, toured Atlas Cement Company Memorial Museum in Northampton April 26. Many of our readers do not know Wild serves on the Congressional Cement Caucus, a bipartisan committee.
This committee is very important to our local cement industry. Four companies and five plants in the Lehigh Valley produce quality cement. These companies are impacted by decisions considered by this committee.
The cement companies include Holcim, formerly Lafarge, with a cement history tracing back to 1899. This year, it will celebrate its 125th anniversary.
Keystone in Bath was founded in 1928 and is now owned by Elementia. Heidelberg Materials operates two plants, one in Nazareth and the other in Evansville, Berks County. Its history dates to 1898 and its founder was Gen. Harry Trexler, the great Lehigh Valley philanthropist. Located in Stockertown, Buzzi Unicem, formerly Hercules Cement, was founded in 1910.
During her visit, Wild was interested in the history and heritage of these local companies. The museum catalogs much of the local cement history. Wild viewed pay cards from 1920, when the annual wages were between $1,500 and $1,600 annually.
Also on display is the first Union flag of Whitehall Cement from 1938 as well as the original 1936 Nazareth Union Charter.
Wild hopes to bring other government officials to the museum. We thank Wild for her visit and interest in the local cement industry. Hopefully, our cement companies can continue to operate successfully and produce quality cement that has helped build America.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS During U.S. Rep. Susan Wild's April 26 visit to the Atlas Cement Company Memorial Museum, she got to see a Whitehall Cement Local 29 flag from 1938.
A pay stub shows how much cement workers made in 1943.