The American Cement Company
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Jim R. Brooks, of Millersville, MD, holds a brick found in the rubble near one of the old cement kilns.



"RITTER & SAYLOR
NO  1
ALLENTOWN, PA"



Under each vertical kiln, at ground level, there appears to have been a massive cylindrical support base.


Please click on the links below to view full-sized and uncropped images individually:

  • Hotel & Canal Barn
  • Cement Kilns
  • Ruins-1
  • Ruins-2
  • Ruins-3
  • Ruins-4
  • Ruins-5
  • Ruins-6
  • South Wall
  • Canal West
  • Canal East


    If you would like to share any photos or historic information pertaining to anything about California, New York, please do not hesitate to contact me:
    Cliff Williams
    • in old California, NY           1891-1916

  • Location

    • About mid-way between the Onondaga County villages of Jordan and Peru, in central New York State, and along the original Erie Canal, is a small area that was briefly referred to as "California, NY." To be precise, it's center was located at 43° 04.33'N - 076° 26.233'W, which are the coordinates of the spot where the horse and buggy are in the photo below.


    Charles L. TREXLER ~1920

  • Lehigh Valley Roots

    The American Cement Co. in California, NY was a spin-off of the Portland Cement Co. of Allentown, PA. One of it's employees, Mr. Charles L. Trexler, and his family, relocated to California, NY and served as the plants Operations Manager. Most of the workers were young men and boys who, like Lewis Pickard of Peru, NY, at the age of 14, would get to work by walking the towpath.


    • Lewis PICKARD ~1973

    The short lived cement plant provided jobs and...

    Hope

  • Verticle Intermittent Bottle Kilns   *

    • Operations had already ceased when this photo was taken of the plant's ex-manager, Charles L. Trexler, posing near the abandoned kilns.

  • Stop & Go Method

    • Pulverized stone was molded into brick like forms and then placed in the kilns at two different levels. When the kiln was full, these enterances were blocked up. This "Stop & Go" method became obsolete in 1904.

  • The Ruins

    • A frequent stop midway along the Erie Canal...

    Fades

  • The Boardinghouse & Bar   *

    • Less than 100 yards east of the kilns, along the towpath, was this boardinghouse owned by Samuel Knight who hosted a thriving bar in the basement.

  • Take Me To The Towpath!

    • April 22, 2007 - A perfect day to snoop around; after getting permission from property owners of course. This view is looking westward. The remnants of the cement plant are down there where the towpath begins to curve to the right.

  • The Towpath