Waverly in Bremer County, Iowa — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Rock Crusher

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 28, 2021

1. Rock Crusher Marker

Inscription.
Single Roll • Weight – 18 Tons
Will crush a rock the size of a 30-gallon barrel
Purchased as a used machine for $2800 at Reading, PA.
Installed at the Schield Lime Quarry in 1941

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1941.

Location. 42° 43.168′ N, 92° 26.717′ W. Marker is in Waverly, Iowa, in Bremer County. It is on East Bremer Avenue (State Highway 3) 0.3 miles west of Cedar River Parkway, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2018 East Bremer Avenue, Waverly IA 50677, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Iowa. It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Bremer County Civil War Memorial (approx.

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1.1 miles away); Bremer County Korean & Vietnam War Memorial (approx. 1.1 miles away); Replica of the Statue of Liberty (approx. 1.1 miles away); Bremer County World War Memorial (approx. 1.1 miles away); Bremer County Courthouse (approx. 1.1 miles away); Railroad Memories (approx. 1.4 miles away); Ira & Asenath Sturdevant House (approx. 1.4 miles away); Rock Island Railroad (approx. 1.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Waverly.

Also see . . . Vern L. Schield, cofounder of Schield Bantam Company (Biographical Dictionary of Iowa).

Excerpt: In 1930 Schield and his brother Wilbur acquired the machinery of a nearby limestone quarry and sold crushed lime to farmers to improve their soil. Keeping rundown equipment functioning and finding new ways to use machinery to boost productivity at the quarry challenged and honed Schield's mechanical genius. He saw the advantages of having a small dragline — a crane with a bucket that scoops with a dredging action that could fill trucks delivering lime. Using parts from a variety of machines, in 1942 Schield created such a dragline mounted on a truck. Requests
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 28, 2021

2. Rock Crusher Marker
from other quarry owners for similar machines convinced Schield of the opportunities available in producing equipment suitably sized for small operators.
In 1943 the Schields began producing truck-mounted cranes, dubbed Bantams. Shortages of labor and materials during World War II hampered the business, but the war's end brought an economic boom in which it prospered. In 1946 the firm moved to a new plant built in Waverly and incorporated as the Schield Bantam Company. The Bantam served a critical need in the postwar construction boom by providing excavating equipment small contractors could afford. Vern's mechanical abilities and Wilbur's business savvy served the company well. By 1956 annual domestic and international sales figures topped $10 million, and Bantams dominated the market for similarly sized machines.

(Submitted on December 13, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Rock Crusher image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 28, 2021

3. Rock Crusher

Credits. This page was last revised on December 13, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 13, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 49 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 13, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.