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Show THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, BOOT THE LEHl FREE PRESS, LEHI, UTAH 1957 ffiiura IF lltflSHA MOT AT PEUGAH Cedarstrom Family Looks Back on 32 Years Progress A fantastic rags-to-rich- with genial Roger Cedarstrom playing the part of legendary Horatio Alger lies behind the n dollar phenomenal development of a west the on Point Pelican at mining industry shore of Utah Lake. This true tale reads like a "Comstock Lode' adventure and the area may well be termed Utah County's "Comstock Lode." But the gold and silver connected with the once fabulously rich Virginia City has changed to calcite, onyx, clay and limestone in this saga. Roger Cedarstrom, owner and operator of central Utah holdings, is definitely the vast the leading character, but the story had its beginning years ago . . . As with much of Utah history the roots of mining at Pelican Point are tied up with the Mormon Pioneers. "Pear" Christofferson, a farmer and shoemaker not long from the Swedish countryside, upon conversion to the LDS faith, put his family in an oxcart in 1862 and trudged across the plains from St. Louis. Upon arrival in Salt Lake Valley, he promptly settled on the block where the city and county building now stands. From his small adobe house he supplied shoes to citizens of Utah territory. Early the following year he heeded the call of Brigham Young to colonize the west shore of Utah Lake. Despite the nearby water, "Pear" Christofferson (he later changed his name to Pearson) found a dry, lonely wilderness a sagebrush strip of rocky soil undulating undramatic-all- y from the water's edge up into equally barren foothills. At heart a farmer, Pearson tirelessly strived to make the desert blossom but was never too successful. His land was taken over by his Olaf Cedarstrom, who continued the back breaking labor. ' To Olaf's eldest son, Oliver, probably for the introduction of mining into the early wilderness. When searching the Lake hills for wood, Oliver came across some deposits of onyx: beautiful orange and chocolate streaked specimens for ages the showcase minerals of the world's nobility. For many years the Cedarstrom family developed the Utah onyx. It became famous when a replica of the Salt Lake Mormon Temple and a cover for a family bible, both carved in onyx by Olaf, captured first place prize at the World's Fair in Chicago. The Pelican Point onyx was eventually used in the interior of the city and county building in Salt Lake City. It was also used in tabletops, lamp stands, bookends and various other ornaments in homes and churches. Dropping in popularity during the turn of the century the onyx is again coming into its own and Roger Cedarstrom, Olaf's son, mines several hundred tons each year. Most of the brilliant mineral is exported to India charwhere it is prized for its statuette-makinacteristics. The Cedarstroms today display a small orange onyx goddess, carved in India bv a skilled craftsman and sent back to the family in appreciation. However, onyx is only a minor segment of the Cedarstrom enterprises. Today the magic word is calcite and its success belongs to Roger Cedarstrom. Roger, one of the rapidly dwindling mining veterans who is bridging the "savvy" of yesteryear with modern methods, doesn't look like the millionaire he is. Rough and ready in manners and appearance, he would much rather gallop over his endless mining tracts on one of his prize quarter horses or help repair a calcite crusher than lie would enjoy some of the fruits of his labors with fancy modern He still lives in the comfortable, unpretentious house his father built and where he was born. His. philosophy, taught to him by his mother and inpressed upon him by his early experiences of walking 12 miles a day to thin sugar multi-millio- cs son-in-la- goes-credi- t g "do-dads- ." "old-schoo- Family beets, receiving 50 cents for 12 hours, and then success story es Cedarstrom l" handing every cent over to augment the meager family income, still stick with him. In fact, one visiting him today is amazed by his business acumen and grasp of domestic and world problems and this despite his four short years of elementary school long ago in nearby Lehi, abruptly halted because he was needed at the farm This likeable man is one responsible for making Utah County synonymous with calcite in the national livestock and building trades. The mountain of calcite found near his home at Pelican Point was first noticed by his father, Olaf, who gathered a few crystab In 1902 and sent them to Professor James E. of the University of Utah who used them in his geology classes. But it wasn't until 1923 that Roger, fresh stint in the navy, three years from a four-yemill in practices, a wife (the formining study mer Lorene Eisaman of Mercur) and two children, decided to keep the wolves away from his door by cashing in on the calite deposits near his home. With several crystals in hand he approached Professor Alder of the Utah State Agricultural College who agreed to run a test to determine whether calcite would be a suitable mineral to feed poultry and livestock. After an apprehensive two years calcite proved to be much better than the oyster shells being shipped from the Texas coast at that time. Professor Alder alerted the Utah farmers to the discovery and Cedarstrom was in business. Labratory tests assayed the calcite at 99.04 per cent calcium, one of the purest forms and excellent as a livestock mineral supplement. Today, more than 20 tons a day are shipped to feed companies and distributors a far cry from the few pounds shipped to Professor Talmadge. It is calculated that Cedarstrom's discovery has saved western poultry and livestock men more than four million dollars over the past 32 years. The principal savings come in freight costs which it takes to ship oyster shells from the gulf area. Not. only does calcite do a better job long freight hauls have been eliminated. But calcite is not limited to feeding. The building trade has found multitudinous uses for it and it's standing the test. Cedarstrom's farsightedness didn't stop with calcite. Remembering the vast reserves of almost pure limestone upon his holdings, he impressed the new Geneva Steel Plant with the puritv of his product. (The first limestone burned at Pelican Point was used by Brigham Young for the construction of the Lion House in Salt Lake City. The limestone was burned with cedar wood and was pulled across Utah Lake on a raft and from there by ox team to Salt Lake City). Encouraged by Cedarstrom a burning mill 3oon supplied hydrated lime for building and mortar in addition to lump lime for steel production and lime rock dust for explosion prevention in coal mines. This success would be enough for most people but not for Roger Cedarstrom. From e his mountains of clay, he daily ships hundreds of tons for use in brick making and utilization in the steel industry. And he is presently mulling over the idea of producing dry ice from the carbon dioxide given off in the process. He figures he can easily make two tons a day. "The credit belongs to Mother Earth," the unassuming Cedarstrom says and he continues: "We have the best calcite, clay, onyx and limestone in the United States right here in our own back yard Utah county. No other state can beat these minerals. The people using these materials are realizing this. It's not going to be long before this area becomes 'a little Pennsylvania' thanks to our natural products!" And if Roger Cedarstrom has anything to sav and do about it Look out Pennsvlvania! two-ye- lime-burnin- H.Vr f t The Cedarstrom success story has been a family affair from the beginning and it's no different today. Production of the vital calcite, limestone anl clay started out 32 years ago as a cooperative family venture and remains so. The support and understanding of Lorene Eisaman Cedartsrom, herself the daughter of a miner from Mercur, Utah, has alwrays been important to Roger Cedarstrom. They were married in 1919 in Pioche, Nevada where Roger was studying mine mi'ling. Their first child and present director of the high-grad- e clay excavations, Ernest, was born there as was Thelma, now Mrs. Van Barnes of Lehi, present secretary of the Calcite Company. Roger, born in the farm house which his father Oliver, bu.t as a homesteader, lives with his wife cs, VJA l 41 ., j 1 O 2Sr I V ar 1 tf ; I ffc I l A. '.-- ' J f1 - f I i m y v iir- - J I I - - f in the builiing, pursuing the activities of ranching and mining which mean so much newly-renovat- ROGER CEDARSTROM, HIS WIFE, LOREXE, AND SOX, ERXEST epitomize 95 years of progress in the mining, processing and distribution of products at Pelican Point, Utah, 12 miles southwest of Lehi on the west shore of Utah Lake. Mrs. Thelma Barnes, daughter of Roger and Lorene and secretary of the Roger Cedarstrom Calcite Company is not pictured. non-metall- ic I to him. Ernest Cedarstrom is married to the former Pauline Grant and they have two children, Craig, seven and Grant, four. 9 1 MINERAL SI PPLEMENTS FOR AND BUILDING PRODUCTS are in the making at this calcite open face mine. Manning the caterpillar is Robert Jacobs, Lehi, while calcite mine foreman, Frank Gordon of American Fork, uses the shovel. Open face pit is worked in summer and men move below into tunnels during winter cold. ANIMALS 4t 1 If f v - - . mm 4 g x v H 1V" sanl v d VV" high-grad- H4 ..V vtV; f ar s 1 v A Tal-mad- Many Purposes Served By Mammoth Calcite Deposits; Saves Farmers Millions I 1 (.v V Success Remains Cooperative Family Venture The calcite reserves at Pelican Point, said to be the largest anywhere in the United States, are enough to last for at least 100 years. For the past 32 years the Roger Cedarstrom Calcite Company, under owner and manager Roger Cedarstrom, has been hauling and the valuable mineral crushing from the deposit which surveys show to be 30 feet wide, 500 feet deep and at least three miles long. More than 150 tons a week of the vital rock is mined, crushed and shipped to feed processors and builders each week -- and at tremendous saving to consumers. New-useare constantly being developed for the mineral which make (or easier and happier living. The multi-us- e calcite is already being utilized in dozens of ways. Naturally it is most valuable as a mineral supplement for poultry and livestock. In this form it has n saved raisers more than four dollars during the past 32 years. Calcite not only is important for chickens in building bones and developing strong egg shells but is vital to all livestock in building strong bones. We find ample calcium in the local milk we drink-maibecause of the calcite added to the diet of Utah cows. The crystal formation of calcite can be ground to almost any size. Small pellets are fed to poultry and the finely ground material is mixed with feed for cattle. Not far behind the feed industry the building trade. The pure white crystals are now being used for roofs. When mixed with a chocolate colored onyx and blick marble it is used for terrazo, a hard surface material used for interiors, floors and table tops. Utah visitors to the depths of Hoover Dam will be surprised to learn that the terrazo used for the wall and floors of the tunnels was made from Cedarstrom's calcite. This versatile mineral also makes an exceptionally fine gravel for special cement mixtures and driveways. Modern stucco roofs and walls is calcite. When ground to a fine powder the tiny crystals are used by many paint manufacturers as a paint filler. Few other states can boast any calcite deposits at all but Utah and the rest of the West benefits from the 99.04 per cent pure form mined and crushed at Pelican Point. No longer need farmers and ranchers ship less effective oyster shells from the gulf coast. And the building industry shares the calcite boom. READY FOR SHIPMENT Roger Cedarstrom, left, and Don Proctor display sacks of calcite ready to be shipped to feed dealers and poultry and livestock producers through the western United States. More than 150 tons of the white mineral are mined and processed each week at the Pelican Point mill. :; s - are given a silvery sheen when plastered with a composition of m h WJM-- h J It 4 V.tf .'V. 1. r J mil-mio- i 4 ' JN!esrBpw.. 4 : . A try- - X I i.i nly NOT RESL'LT OF EARTHQUAKE BIT MAN MADE is this wide fissure which ha been emptied of its calcite. Reaching into the bowels of the earth for more than 800 feet, the calcite vein 1 producing the mineral which is helping to maintain healthy poultry and livestock throughout the western United States. 30-fo- ot PORTAL TO I NDERGROI ND CALCITE MINE leads down thru 800 feet of almost pure calc.it and then levels off in wide vein where digging takes place. Vein at bottom of ahaft is reported to be more than three miles long. Loaded cars are brought to surface here and taken to mill for processing;. 80-fo- ot CALCITE MILL GRINDS VITAL MINERAL FOr"vARIETY"oF I'SES Here different sizes are crusheiL craderf distribution to feed markets, paint manufacturers and builders. Huge silos hold calcite reserves. j . |