Pinhook Loses Lime Works

HURST, POFF, NICKERSON

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 10/3/2007 at 21:14:36

Maquoketa Excelsior
December 20, 1912

PINHOOK LOSES LIME WORKS
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Hurst Lime Burning Industry West of Town Closed.
Concentrated at Hurstville.
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With the closing of the lime burning season of 1912, the kilns at Pinhook will be closed down permanently.

Wishing to concentrate his business to one shipping point, this action was taken; hence the closing of this branch of the A. Hurst Lime Co.

In the early sixties Pinhook was a thriving community, boasting of a store and a flour and a woolen mill. The mills burned in the late sixties and in their stead Messrs. Poff and Nickerson inaugurated a lime business. This prospered exceedingly, as the stone from the Pinhook quarry was recognized as the best limestone in this section of the country. Later Mr. Nickerson acquired Poff’s interest in the business and experimented with burning oil instead of wood in the manufacture of lime. This was a failure and was soon abandoned. Alfred Hurst later acquired the property and has been conducting it ever since.

The closing of the plant is a matter of regret as the employment given by its existence will be a thing of yesterday.

All that remains of the industries of this hamlet is the dam, which is now used to further the ice supply. “And Caesar dead and turned to clay might stop a hole to keep the wind away.”