Alamo Portland and Roman Cement Works
historic place
In San Antonio, Bexar County, the Alamo Portland and Roman Cement Works marks a significant historic place. In 1879, Englishman William Loyd discovered a blue argillaceous limestone near this site. Chemist George H. Kalteyer confirmed its suitability for portland cement. Loyd and Kalteyer, with other investors, chartered the Alamo Portland and Roman Cement Company in January 1880. This became the first portland cement plant west of the Mississippi River. The plant began with one intermittent pot kiln. A second kiln was added in 1881, when the company name changed to Alamo Cement Company. By 1889, a tall stack Schoefer-type kiln was in operation. Cement from this plant contributed to the construction of the State Capitol and the Driskill Hotel in Austin. Charles Baumberger became president after Kalteyer's death in 1897. In 1908, the plant relocated to a new site, later known as Cementville. The original quarry transformed into the Japanese Sunken Gardens in Brackenridge Park. The kiln area was designated Baumberger Plaza in 1944. This site represents an early industrial development in Texas.