With the Lehigh Valley being one of the main suppliers for the entire country at one point, the cement industry is one of the largest pieces of Easton history.
It's a piece that many don't know about, or forget about, or don't care about. But not Easton-native Dave Drinkhouse.
Drinkhouse, 88, grew up on College Hill and has had a passion for history his entire life. After he retired from his engineering company, Drinkhouse Engineering, in 1995, he kept himself busy with various projects, one of which is the book he is currently working on.
The book traces the history of the Alpha Portland Cement Company, which was founded in 1895. Drinkhouse worked for the company for four years in the 1950s and refuses to let it be forgotten.
He has collected everything he could find about the company -- news articles, photographs of workers and the various plants, biographies of the presidents, maps and more -- and compiled them into a book that details the rise, personnel and demise of Alpha.
The company's headquarters were originally across the Delaware River in Alpha when it was founded on April 8, 1895. But when there was an abundance of the rock needed to make cement found in the Lehigh Valley, headquarters were moved to the Drake Building in Easton in 1901.
"The Lehigh Valley (is) recognized as the starting point of the American Cement Industry," read a page from Drinkhouse's book.
It wasn't always smooth sailing for the company, however. One year after Alpha purchased the cement plant in the Martins Creek section of Lower Mount Bethel Township in 1902, the plant barely survived the Delaware River's worst flood in reported history. This flood was the catalyst of the plant's bankruptcy.
The plant simultaneously expanded, as a nearby competitor plant could not withstand the flood's damage, ultimately selling to Alpha in 1904. Alpha completed their plant in 1908 and contributed to the cement used for the construction of the first concrete highway in New Jersey, built in 1912.
In 1918, Alpha ceased production in Jersey altogether, with Pennsylvania being its main source of revenue. Around the same time, Lehigh Portland Cement Company was on the rise, which ultimately ended up surpassing Alpha in size.
In 1946, Alpha bought the First National Bank Building and renamed it The Alpha Building. The company was forced to sell the building in 1971.
The building is touted as the largest in Downtown Easton and went on the house city hall until 2015. Currently, lehighvalleylive.com and Lafayette College lease parts of the building.
In 1955, Hurricane Diane sent 600 million gallons of water into the Martins Creek plant, and in 1964 the plant closed.
The demise of the company followed. In 1982, Alpha discontinued its cement and aggregates division. The Stabler Development Company purchased Martins Creek and Portland lands from Alpha in 1983 and, in 1985, Alpha became Slattery Group, Inc.
Drinkhouse said that the cement companies are all owned by foreign businesses today.
Drinkhouse visited 170 cement plants during his lifetime. Even after all he's seen, Alpha still impresses him. The company thrived for 90 years, even with five other competitors.
All that the book needs is finishing touches, and Drinkhouse is hopeful about its completion.
"It's a big part of Easton's history. They were the biggest company around for a long time. They deserve a book," Drinkhouse said.
Alyssa Mursch may be reached at amursch@lehighvalleylive.com. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.