DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker says about this place — so let's go back to the beginning. You're driving through Bexar County right now, and the ground underneath you has a story that stretches all the way to the United States Capitol's little brother down in Austin. This is the site of the first Portland Cement Plant west of the Mississippi River.
Let that land for a second. The first one. West of the Mississippi.
And not just that — it was only the second such plant in the entire United States. Only one other place in this country beat San Antonio to that particular punch. On January 15, 1880, the company was incorporated under the name Alamo Roman and Portland Cement Company, and the operation that grew out of that incorporation would leave its mark — literally — on the Texas State Capitol building in Austin.
The cement manufactured right here on this ground went into building that capitol. Think about that next time you look up at that dome. Now, here's a detail the marker gives us that deserves its own moment of quiet appreciation.
On October 28, 1880, Mrs. Charles Baumberger, Sr. became connected with this company. And she didn't just show up — she took charge of the business, and she stayed in charge until the very end.
That end came in 1907, when the material at this site was exhausted and the operations of the plant were discontinued. The ground gave what it had, and when it was done, it was done. What's left is the story — and a marker erected by the city of San Antonio in 1944, with Mayor Gus B.
Mauermann, Alfred Callaghan, Paul E. Steffler, Henry F. Hein, and P.
L. Anderson seeing to it that nobody forgot. Some places put their mark on history.
This one mixed the very cement to do it.
What the marker says
This is the site of the first Portland Cement Plant west of Mississippi River and the second plant in the United States. The company was incorporated January 15, 1880, under the name of Alamo Roman and Portland Cement Company. Cement manufactured here was used in building the State Capitol in Austin, the material at this site was exhausted and the operations of the plant discontinued in 1907. Mrs. Charles Baumberger, Sr. became connected with this company on October 28, 1880, and was in charge of the business until its close. Erected by the city of San Antonio 1944. Gus B. Mauermann, Mayor Alfred Callaghan-Paul E. Steffler. Henry F. Hein-P.L. Anderson Commissioners.