The Faces of Industry

The Faces of Industry. . , A legacy of hard work and dedicated workers , When operating, the smelter ran 24 hours a day. Work was physically demanding and often tedious, but the men were proud of their accomplishments. , Many smelter workers and their families lived near the plant in the town of Kortz, named for the president of the Ohio-Colorado Smelting and Refining Company. The name was never popular, and the unofficial moniker “Smeltertown” is still used except on legal documents. , In addition to about 50 small houses, Smeltertown boasted several saloons, boarding houses, grocery stores, meat markets, and supply stores. The descendants of some of those business proprietors are still active in Chaffee County. , Brick by Brick , Local brick from A. J. Rogers' brickyard on the south bank of the South Arkansas River was used to construct the original plant buildings and the smaller smokestacks, but engineers deemed it too soft for the construction requirements of the tall stack. Bricks and mortar for the tall stack were contracted from Colorado Springs or Pueblo. , [photo captions] , . Arthur Thomson, smelter assistant superintendent, and Emil Bruderlin, structural engineer, perch on the lip of the new smokestack during the topping-out ceremony. The large bucket and one leg of the hoisting windlass show how materials reached the top. The wooden platform for workers moved up the stack as work progressed and at this time plugged the 17-foot diameter mouth. Bruderlin sits on a stack of bricks used for the last course of masonry. , . Unidentified workers who built the 365-foot smokestack grin as they pose with their boss, assistant superintendent Arthur Thomson, atop the stack November 14, 1917. Thomson placed a silver dollar in the wet mortar of the last few bricks. City clerk Bertie Roney, the first woman to ascend the stack, was hoisted in the materials bucket. Because she isn't in any of the photos taken that day and the shadow of a woman's hat is, Miss Roney was likely the photographer. Four or five negatives were later given to Arthur Thomson, who passed them to his son, Frank, of Poncha Springs. , . A.B. Stein went to work at the Salida smelter as a boilermaker's helper in 1909. By 1915, Stein was the master mechanic, overseeing most mechanical details for the tall stack. Over his right shoulder are two of the five powerhouse chimneys. , . A.B. Stein was promoted to Master Mechanic and moved his family to a corrugated iron house on the smelter grounds. He is pictured with his family in front of their house in about 1918. From left: Walter, age 10; Alfred, age 8; Martin, age 6; Mrs. Emma Stein; Frances, age 2; and Mr. Stein. , . Robert Martin Stein, age 7, in front of “My Rock” looks east and smiles the happy smile of a young man in his first suit of clothes (home-made). 1919. , . Brick for the entire 1902 smelter construction, including the first 150- and 85-foot smokestacks, was produced in brick yards similar to this one on the South Arkansas River near Salida. The horse-operated mixer combined clay, sand and water which was packed into forms, sun dried and then fired. , . Brick making was often a family business that included children and parents and maybe a hired hand or two. Sun-dried bricks were stacked 20,000-50,000 at a time, creating their own kiln.