HISTORY OF THE NATURAL-CEMENT INDUSTRY. 287 



If this analysis be accepted as representative of the rock used, the 

 resulting cement would have a Cementation Index of 0.74, and at the 

 present day would be regarded as a hydraulic lime rather than as a 

 natural cement. 



The use of the Madison County cement on the canal stimulated search 

 for other deposits of cement rock. In Wright's letter he states that 

 this rock "is found in great abundance in the counties of Madison, Onon- 

 daga, and Cayuga". He thus outlined what has since been the natural- 

 cement district of central New York. Later in the same letter Wright 

 remarks: "I do not know that it is found in the counties west of Cayuga, 

 but presume from the geological character of that country it may be 

 found in all the country west to Niagara, and probably farther west." 

 Within a few years this proved to be a fact, cement rock being dis- 

 covered in Erie County, in the extreme western part of the State. 



The first natural cement manufactured in Erie County was made in 

 1824 at Williamsville, the quarry, kiln, and mill being near the creek. 

 In 1839 Jonathan Delano erected cement works at Falkirk, near Akron, 

 in which he made about 2000 barrels of cement the first year. lie 

 furnished the cement for the feeder dam at Tonawanda Creek and for 

 the Genesee Valley Canal. In 1843 the business passed into the 

 hands of James Montgomery, who increased the output to 10,000 barrels 

 a year. The business afterwards came into the possession of Enos 

 Newman, a partner of Montgomery, and has been in his family ever 

 since. 



In 1854, H. Cummings & Son established a natural-cement plant 

 at Akron, which was operated for several years. This plant was succeeded 

 by another, managed by sons of the founder. The Akron plant was 

 sold to the Akron Cement Company in 1871, and the Cummings brothers 

 erected another plant about two miles west of Akron. 



The first natural cement made within the present limits of Buffalo 

 was manufactured in 1850 by Warren Granger. His plant was located 

 near Scajaquada Creek, just below the Main Street bridge, in what is 

 now Forest Lawn Cemetery. In 1874 Lewis J. Bennett commenced 

 the manufacture of natural cement at Buffalo Plains, near Main Street. 

 This establishment, which has been carried on continuously under the 

 control of the Bennett family, is now incorporated as the Buffalo Cement 

 Company. 



In following out the history of the western New York cement in- 

 dustry from 1824 to the present time, we have necessarily passed by the 

 inauguration of manufacture in the greatest of all the natural-cement 

 districts the Rosendale region of eastern New York. Third among 



