The Home News Your Local News
JULY 17-23, 2025
50 cents
Looking by Back Ed Pany
Crews return to Cobblestone Lane fire
Penn Dixie Cement: Part 2 of 6
Raymond Houser; contributed photo In this second column, we are remembering the Penn Dixie Cement Company when the Company operated three plants in the Bath and Nazareth area. The Penn Dixie provided employment for local residents for many years. One of the former employees was the late Raymond Houser of Bath who spent over 50 years at the plant. Young Raymond started at the plant at age 15 tying cloth cement bags for $3 a day. When I interviewed Raymond in 2002, he recalled, “There were a dozen boys tying bags on the gang. There were no windows, and it was so dusty it’s lucky we didn’t turn into concrete. You had to really scrub to get clean. I met William Gano, the plant chemist and asked him if there were any jobs in the lab. He said he would let me know. Mr. Gano, from Nazareth was the chief chemist at the Penn Dixie.” Mr. Houser relates, “A few weeks later, I was called to the laboratory and given the job as a sample boy. I worked six 10-hour days, and I can still see the money in the pay envelope, we were paid in cash. It contained $70 for the month, I felt liked a millionaire.” Mr. Houser continued, “As a sample boy, every two hours I went through the plant and collected samples of stone, coal, clinker, cement and anything they wanted to test. When I went into the lab
I was very interested in the testing and would help the men between Photo by Jack Mehlbaum UNFD 54 sample rounds. I learned many lab fundamentals from Mr. George On July 9 shortly before 10 p.m., multiple emergency crews returned to the residence in the 200 block and Mr. Hock. The lab tested ce- of Cobblestone Lane in Lower Nazareth Township for a dwelling fire, the same residence from the night ment from our three plants num- before. bers 4, 5, and 6. We also tested cement from our southern plants number 1,2, and 3.” Raymond loved his job at the Penn Dixie, but cement dust was replaced with wedding bells on June 21, 1930. Arlene Siegfried a Penn Street Bath neighbor became Mrs. Raymond Houser. They were married for 69 years. The Siegfrieds can trace their heritage to In May, the township issued a Colonel John Siegfried one of the By KERI LINDENMUTH notice of zoning violation against area’s most famous Revolutionary During their July 8 meeting, the company, which they say has War soldiers. the Allen Township Board of SuThe Housers started married life pervisors approved the appoint- been acting outside of the propduring the Great Depression. He ment of two special counsels to erty’s allowed use. The property recalled, “Work was tight for evrepresent the township in a legal is zoned for recycling center use; eryone. Many men weren’t workbattle against a Willowbrook however, residents have called By SAVANNNAH BROWN the property a “junkyard” and ing at all. The Penn Dixie and The Bath Borough Council Road waste disposal site that have complained of disturbing other cement plants were full of cehas been causing headaches and ment they could not sell. I worked met informally on Monday, July frustration for neighboring resi- noises, odors, rodents and traffic at the property. two weeks on two weeks off. My 14, as the absence of a quorum dents. American Disposal, which has salary was $108 dollars a month prevented the body from conTownship supervisors unaniand was cut to $54 a month which ducting official business or vot- mously voted to appoint Saul was more than many people had. ing on agenda items. Despite the Ewing LLP out of Philadelphia Continued on page 2 When I was short, my mother procedural limitations, several as special environmental counsel 84th Year, Issue No. 29 helped us out.” Houser said some community updates and public and Eckert Seamans Cherin & concerns were addressed during local businesses were generous. “I Mellott LLC out of Harrisburg www.homenewspa.com bought a ton of coal at $6 a ton on the session. During the "Courtesy of the as special land use counsel. They credit but asked me to pay them will represent the township in from my next paycheck. Most of Floor" portion of the meeting, upcoming legal action against one resident voiced frustrations the local stores extended credit to American Disposal at 1438 WilContinued on page 5 Continued on page 2 lowbrook Road. USPS 248-700
Bath Allen Township hires Borough Special counsel for legal Council holds Action against Willowbrook Informal Road disposal company Meeting due To lack of Quorum
To do right by women, you have to get it.
We get it.