Show history of devils slide plant takes i spotlight in june issue of magazine the devils slide plant of the ideal cement company held top spot in the june issue of the ideal cement mixer a magazine published by ideal company employees history of the local plant was published as the fourth in a series of stories about company plants the article which follows is published with permission of devils slide plant authorities the sign of red devil a familiar liar sight in the he utah territory construction of the devils slide plant was begun in by the union portland cement company a local company stock of which was owned by the citizens of ogden utah with a few exceptions the church subscribed to worth of stock there was also some stock purchased by carl leonardt leonard of silt salt lake city and others mr air charles boettcher purchased some stock the plant was to use the dry process coal to be used for burning the area where the plant is located was a meadowland known as the beesley farm lost creek flowed through the center and had to be diverted to the east side of the valley and the land drained the foundation of the plant building was made of sandstone hauled from a quarry opened up nearby the construction workers lived in in tents and sheep wagons later a village was built for the employees PY mr dutcher who was the consulting engineer at the plants completion become the plants first superintendent the capacity at the time was about 1 aioo barrels per day later a fourth kiln was added to bring production up to 2000 barrels daily the first shipment of red devil cement in hand filled burlap bags was made in 1907 the first large contract for cement was for use on the milliner dam in in idaho in 1907 1 07 a mr air bartholomew became su superintendent p erin replacing mr air dutcher ile he in turn was replaced by mr A F krable in the year during mr air grabbed Gr abbes I 1 in the year 11 ml the concrete storage bins were started at the old they were completed in 1912 mr brabbee was succeeded by mr air alex V jensen who became superintendent in september 1913 and he remained until january when mr air robert R dorland who was then the chief engineer became superintendent mr air dorland had bad had charge of all the electrical installation during the plant construction and when the plane began op elating and the steam power plant was completed he became chief engineer this position he occupied until be became plant superintendent in 1915 i the power plant was discontinued in A substation was built and power was pur chased directly from the utah power and light company from that time on upon the retirement of mr air dorland in 1942 he was succeeded by mr air V T williams as superintendent in july i mr williams was transferred to the denver office and he be was succeeded by mr air james G connell as superintendent construction of the new pack it use began in and was completed in 1947 1047 mr air connell was succeed succeeded ded by mr air A W hooton in september ims 10 IS who is the present plant manager during the years 1019 19 to 1933 3 the devils slide plant shipped approximately barrells of red devil cement for use on the hoover dam many miles of utah and idaho roads were constructed with red devil cement and also a great number of large buildings during the years 1040 1940 1911 I 1 11 1942 1943 1941 and 1914 cement was shipped to carious various defense plant installations namely the naval supply depot clearfield de alfield utah hill field air base hill weld utah utah general depot at ogden utah ogden arsenal at ogden and several federal housing projects the new wet process plant construction st ruction of which was started in 1947 made the first clinker in september the plant was wholly completed early in this plant built at a cost of over seven million dollars had two traylor rotary 10 ft x ft kilns kalns with a capacity of ako barrels each daily coal is used for burning the grinding of finished cement is done by two trailer 3 compartment mills with a combined capacity of SO barrels per hour seven types of cement including masonry are produced the adjoining of twelve storage silos has a storage capacity of lt barrels barrels can be stored in the old plant in the new all types of cement can be shipped by either rail or truck in november 1950 a paving project was completed around the new plant all open spaces have been seeded in grass tre trees es have been planted which in a few years will add to the appearance of the plant site the townsite consisting of fifty cottages a st store ore building emergency nier mer gency hospital and hotel which is built adjacent to the main line of the union I 1 pacific railroad company about one half mile from the plant site was first named croydon when the construction got underway the railroad renamed the station devils slide after the rock formation kno known wit as the devils slide this particular formation is a stones throw from the townsite the first mercantile store and U S post office ce were opened about 1901 by norton and thomas merchants of ogden they later sold their interest in the cement company and the mercantile store was renamed the red devil store company the company operated this store until 1921 when it was sold to private interests among the old timers still employed at the plant with 25 years or more of service are the following john P r hopkin 42 years dan sommers mers 38 years F E bray 38 years L S bell 37 years C W nielsen 34 years jack back sommers 32 years J E wright wl ight 32 years J L wilde 32 12 years A matue 32 22 years H winters 31 years bert dickson 31 years J F jaques 21 years william A redden 2 21 years J W ovard 28 23 years D lynn brooks as years J 1 I campbell as 4 years C R wilde wild e 1 28 years J C irwin sr 28 yeat years james C orr 28 years R E jones 2 27 ai years L T porter 27 years R B robinson 27 years V D rollins 27 years william keyes 25 years R D johnston 27 23 years 1 G T ovard 25 years R D campbell 25 years E L K ashton 25 2 years |