A Long History in the California Cement Industry
Evidence of the limestone industry can be found scattered around the Antelope Canyon. Lime kilns and limestone extraction were common businesses in the late 1800s. The local limestone deposits are also an important ingredient in cement manufacturing. In 1909, the City of Los Angeles established a cement factory to produce materials for the growing LA aqueduct.
As production grew, the company town of Monolith grew with it to a population of around 350 with a railroad depot, company store, and school. Several generations lived and worked at the plant known as the Monolith Portland Cement Company.
The plant has changed hands several times since the 1980s and has most recently been acquired by UNACEM North America. The Peru-based company hopes to take advantage of the current spare capacity of Tehachapi Cement to ramp up production of type II/V portland cement and increase its market share in the Southwestern region.
