The Future of Construction in Lynden
A local factory is revolutionizing building materials by cutting curing times from a month to a week.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Lynden's cement factory is growing to be quite an institution and about as busy as any place in town. F. M. Smith has recently made an addition that not only greatly increases its capacity, but enables him to furnish the product in a much shorter time. The new addition is a steam curing plant in a building 18 by 32 feet. Heretofore, after the cement bricks, tile, or blocks were molded, they had to lay in the yard for a period of about 30 days, curing, before they were ready to use. Now they can be placed in the curing room and in 7 days are turned to stone. Mr. Smith is at present turning out the foundation for the Holland school building.
“Now they can be placed in the curing room and in 7 days are turned to stone.”
Technological advancements in building materials have always shaped the physical growth of Lynden. This transition from natural air-curing to steam-curing reflects the rapid industrialization of small-town construction during the early 20th century.
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