A look back at the industry nearly 100 years ago

By |  July 7, 2014

The pages featuring the February 1918 issue of Pit & Quarry within our in-house archives are so old that their edges are crumbling and they’re barely bound to the book that contains them. But the 96-year-old pages still offer a window into the events of the industry’s past and a glimpse at the innovative equipment of the day through the black-and-white ads that appeared on those pages (see slideshow above for ads).

According to the February 1918 issue, the National Crushed Stone Association was formed in January 1918 when crushed stone producers from Alabama Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin gathered for a meeting in Columbus, Ohio. The meeting was reportedly arranged by telegraph so a national body could be formed that would be eligible for placement on the Highway Industries Association’s board of directors.

Also within the issue is a report about the Indiana Crushed Stone Association’s 1918 convention that was shortened to one day out of respect for the ongoing war. According to Pit & Quarry, “Patriotism pervaded every action [at the meeting] – not the blaring, melodramatic brand, but the kind which fills the souls of strong men whose emotions are reserved for a time when hard blows must be dealt and exacting sacrifices made with a grin.”

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Kevin Yanik

About the Author:

Kevin Yanik is editor-in-chief of Pit & Quarry. He can be reached at 216-706-3724 or kyanik@northcoastmedia.net.

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