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Many years ahead for production at U.S. gypsum plant at Heath
July 4, 1957
Feb 8, 1956 - Enough gypsum has already been "blocked out: at Heath to keep this area's biggest
industry going at the present rate for 65 more years.
This is just the known gypsum, "proven by test," so there is probably enough more to keep the U.s.
Gypsum company plant going longer than the lives of any babies born in the hospital at Lewistown
this year.
The past year was a record one for production at the Heath plant, yet 1956 is "expected to be the
equal or very slightly better than 1955", according to Bill Seeburger, works manager. Last year's
payroll was $550,000, and 125 people were employed at Heath.
FULL TIME
Central Montana's largest industry is being operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
It makes 17 different building products, and stocks 10 others for reshipment. Featured are Sheetrock,
Rocklath, Firecode, building plasters, agricultural gypsum, and a variety of specialty boards and
gypsum plasters. The equivalent of about 50 freight car loads a week are shipped from the plant via
rail and truck.
All of Montana, much of the two Dakotas, Wyoming, Idaho and the whole Pacific Northwest are in
the marketing area for the Central Montana plant.
There is a stable, year-around demand for the products of the U.s. Gypsum company plant at Heath,
making for steadiness of employment. This is assuring to people working there, and a balance wheel
to Lewistown. The plant's daily production is sufficient for finishing the interiors of about 80 houses.
BEITER PLANT
The company isn't just looking to the future by checking on supplies of gypsum in the nearby hills. It
is also steadily improving its mining facilities and plant at Heath. "In the past two years," Seeburger
said, "the company has added new equipment and expanded facilities to increase the production
capacity by 30 per cent." There is a long history behind the Heath operations 10 miles southeast of
Lewistown.
The plant is the successor to the Mackay Mill at Great Falls, which the company operated from 1911
to 1916. Rock for the Great Falls plant came from old Riceville in the Belt Mountains. Shortly before
World War I, the plant and mine were abandoned, largely because of exhaustion of the mineral
supply.
EARLY START
Exploration for gypsum was started near Heath, and findings were so promising that parts of the old
Great Falls mill were moved to the site. World War I came along, interrupting these plans, and a
Object Description
| Rating | |
| Title | Many years ahead for production at U.S. gypsum plant at Heath, Montana. |
| Creator | Lewistown Daily News. |
| Description | A newspaper article about the history of the U. S. Gypsum plant and its progress through the years. |
| Date Original | 1957-07-04 |
| Physical format | Typed manuscript |
| Genre | newspapers |
| Publisher (Original) | Lewistown Public Library, Lewistown, Montana |
| Subject (keyword) | U. S. Gypsum Co.; |
| Subject (AAT) | Gypsum; |
| Type | Text |
| Contributing Institution | Lewistown Public Library, Lewistown, Montana |
| Digitization Specifications | Canon MX310 300dpi |
| Geographic Coverage | Heath, Montana. Central Montana. |
| Digital Format | application/pdf |
| Rights Management | No copyright restrictions |
| Full text of this item | Many years ahead for production at U.S. gypsum plant at Heath July 4, 1957 Feb 8, 1956 – Enough gypsum has already been “blocked out: at Heath to keep this area’s biggest industry going at the present rate for 65 more years. This is just the known gypsum, “proven by test,” so there is probably enough more to keep the U.S. Gypsum company plant going longer than the lives of any babies born in the hospital at Lewistown this year. The past year was a record one for production at the Heath plant, yet 1956 is “expected to be the equal or very slightly better than 1955”, according to Bill Seeburger, works manager. Last year’s payroll was $550,000, and 125 people were employed at Heath. FULL TIME Central Montana’s largest industry is being operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It makes 17 different building products, and stocks 10 others for reshipment. Featured are Sheetrock, Rocklath, Firecode, building plasters, agricultural gypsum, and a variety of specialty boards and gypsum plasters. The equivalent of about 50 freight car loads a week are shipped from the plant via rail and truck. All of Montana, much of the two Dakotas, Wyoming, Idaho and the whole Pacific Northwest are in the marketing area for the Central Montana plant. There is a stable, year-around demand for the products of the U.S. Gypsum company plant at Heath, making for steadiness of employment. This is assuring to people working there, and a balance wheel to Lewistown. The plant’s daily production is sufficient for finishing the interiors of about 80 houses. BETTER PLANT The company isn’t just looking to the future by checking on supplies of gypsum in the nearby hills. It is also steadily improving its mining facilities and plant at Heath. “In the past two years,” Seeburger said, “the company has added new equipment and expanded facilities to increase the production capacity by 30 per cent.” There is a long history behind the Heath operations 10 miles southeast of Lewistown. The plant is the successor to the Mackay Mill at Great Falls, which the company operated from 1911 to 1916. Rock for the Great Falls plant came from old Riceville in the Belt Mountains. Shortly before World War I, the plant and mine were abandoned, largely because of exhaustion of the mineral supply. EARLY START Exploration for gypsum was started near Heath, and findings were so promising that parts of the old Great Falls mill were moved to the site. World War I came along, interrupting these plans, and a wooded mill manufacturing plaster and tile was later built on adjoining property by the Northwest Gypsum Products Company. In 1927, this plant was purchased by U. S. Gypsum and a comprehensive, long-range construction and improvement program was started. In 1936, a modern tile and steel board plant was built, and the new Heath plant was “on its way.” Just a few months later, fire destroyed the old wooden mill. A modern steel one rose in its place. The part this plant has played in this area through the years is portrayed by the surprising number of employees who have been with the U.S. Gypsum company for many years – largely at the Heath plant, though several have also built up time in the service of the company in some of its other 50 plants across the nation. 25 YEARS Five men at the Heath plant have been with the company for a quarter of a century or more, namely O. M. Newsum, William Freund, Robert Martin, Walter Smith and Paul Wartzenluft. Eleven more employees have been with the U.S. Gypsum company for 15 for more years, namely George Blotzer, Jay Noble, Car Hostetter, Victor Mohar, E. R. Nelson, Frank Jones, Carlyle Martin, Albert Grensten, E. H. Nelson, E. E. Fishburn and Phillip Rathbun. More than 90 per cent of the employees at Heath reside in Lewistown, so they will welcome the new, modern, surfaced highway which is scheduled to be built between the city and the plant by the State Highway department during the coming year. Fergus county commissioners have long been working with the state on the project. The other employees live at Heath and in the surrounding area. All use Lewistown as their marketing center. These people also play an important part in the civic, social, church, lodge and other activities here. |
| Local Identifier | SC 8.3 |
Description
| Title | Many years ahead 1 |
| Type | Text |
| Digitization Specifications | Canon MX310 300dpi |
| Digital Format | application/pdf |
| Full text of this item | Many years ahead for production at U.S. gypsum plant at Heath July 4, 1957 Feb 8, 1956 - Enough gypsum has already been "blocked out: at Heath to keep this area's biggest industry going at the present rate for 65 more years. This is just the known gypsum, "proven by test" so there is probably enough more to keep the U.s. Gypsum company plant going longer than the lives of any babies born in the hospital at Lewistown this year. The past year was a record one for production at the Heath plant, yet 1956 is "expected to be the equal or very slightly better than 1955", according to Bill Seeburger, works manager. Last year's payroll was $550,000, and 125 people were employed at Heath. FULL TIME Central Montana's largest industry is being operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It makes 17 different building products, and stocks 10 others for reshipment. Featured are Sheetrock, Rocklath, Firecode, building plasters, agricultural gypsum, and a variety of specialty boards and gypsum plasters. The equivalent of about 50 freight car loads a week are shipped from the plant via rail and truck. All of Montana, much of the two Dakotas, Wyoming, Idaho and the whole Pacific Northwest are in the marketing area for the Central Montana plant. There is a stable, year-around demand for the products of the U.s. Gypsum company plant at Heath, making for steadiness of employment. This is assuring to people working there, and a balance wheel to Lewistown. The plant's daily production is sufficient for finishing the interiors of about 80 houses. BEITER PLANT The company isn't just looking to the future by checking on supplies of gypsum in the nearby hills. It is also steadily improving its mining facilities and plant at Heath. "In the past two years" Seeburger said, "the company has added new equipment and expanded facilities to increase the production capacity by 30 per cent." There is a long history behind the Heath operations 10 miles southeast of Lewistown. The plant is the successor to the Mackay Mill at Great Falls, which the company operated from 1911 to 1916. Rock for the Great Falls plant came from old Riceville in the Belt Mountains. Shortly before World War I, the plant and mine were abandoned, largely because of exhaustion of the mineral supply. EARLY START Exploration for gypsum was started near Heath, and findings were so promising that parts of the old Great Falls mill were moved to the site. World War I came along, interrupting these plans, and a |
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