Cement City Traditional Cache

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Hidden : 5/21/2012
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:


From the cache location you have a view of the site of the former Ideal Basic Industries cement plant to the south. All that remains are the bulk storage silos that cement is held in, then sent out via truck to local ready mix plants, but back in days of operation the plant could be seen for miles due to it's tall exhaust stack. Also back when everyone had a CB radio, Superior was referred to as the cement city, therefore the name of the cache. In 1909 local promoters began to talk of building a cement plant outside of Superior due to the nearby availabity of limestone south of the plant location. On Feb. 5 1910 articles of incorporation were filed for the Nebraska Portland Cement Co. with stockks issued and construction beginning that year.
In 1917 the company reorganized due lack stock investments and poor quality of the cement produce. Then in May of 1917 the company was aquired by Charles Boettcher and the plant had the capital it needed to finish the plant and produce a better quality product and the Portland was dropped from the name, now making it the Nebraska Cement Co. Boettcher also owend other cement plants under the name Ideal Cement Co. and in 1937 the Superior plant was combined with those plants. Starting in 1937 sacks of cement produced in Superior had the Ideal labeling on them.
In 1967 the name again changed to Ideal Basic Industries when a merger with the Potash Co. of America. That name held true until the mid 1980's when the Swedish company Holnam Inc. purchased Ideal shortly before the processing plant ceased operation.Holnam eventually changed it's name to Holcim and that is what name the terminal operates under today.The process of cement production remained much the same throughout the life of the plant with the main ingredient being limestone, with other additives such as% iron alumimium and silica added to produce different grades of cement. The mixture was then mixed with water to create a slury which wasrun through kilns at 2700 degrees to dry the mixture into clinkers. These clinkers were mixed with gypsum and ground to produce a fine powder and was ready to be bagged or placed in the large silos for loading onto semis trailers or railcar for shipment. From 1909 in its beginning to the end of cement production in 1986 many employees relied on Ideal for work with employ 20numbers reaching as high as about 160. This was a big loss to Superior economy. Today there is only 3 employees at the terminal."

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