Acme Limestone

Although not located in the Alderson community, Acme Limestone Company has, since it began operating in March, 1916, played a vital role in the economic life of the town. Acme’s big quarry is at Snow- flake on the river about live miles east of town. The company was organized by J. J. and Frank A. Prince of Prince, West Virginia, T. J. Lilly and R. F. Dunlap of Hinton, J. Albert Rigg and E. Chase Bare of Alderson. (Frank Prince, aged 92, is the only living organizer.)

Since 1916, more than 18,000,000 tons of limestone products have been sold. Acme produces 425 tons of stone per hour.

For years, J. Albert Rigg, long one of Alderson’s best known businessmen, was vice—president and general manager, and the company steadily expanded. Mr. Rigg died in 1959 and had been president of the company several years. Succeeding Mr. Rigg, A. W. McThenia, an Alderson resident and employee of the company since 1928, became president and general manager.

Acme Limestone is not only an open pit quarry but it is also a mining operation. Acme operates a grinding plant using stone from a huge underground seam of high calcium carbonate content. This pulverized limestone is shipped for rock dust for coal mines, agricultural, chemical and metallurgical uses. Its customers are railroads, contractors, chemical plants, steel mills, mines, glass makers and road builders. The biggest single order was for one million tons of crushed stone for building Bluestone Dam.

Acme is a very progressive, well organized, prosperous business with about one hundred employees, of whom about forty live in Alderson. The company has no lay-offs in the winter. It is then that new building is done and improvements are made, so the Acme’s steady employment attracts good workers. Nearly all have more than fifteen years service.

As Acme’s stone reserves are unlimited, it will be an economic bulwark to Alderson for the years to come.
Ref: Mr. A. W. McThenia, President, Acme Limestone Company

Next: Lumber

The contents contained in this series is copyrighted and the sole property of The Greenbrier Historical Society - Lewisburg, WV
Used by permission - November 18, 2008