Early Years of Johnson, Arkansas

There was a time when Johnson, Ark., was noted for its rich lime deposits which were mined, processed and shipped out all over the nation in barrels manufactured right on the site. The operation was known as the Ozark White Lime Company. Many fond memories of that illustrious era are evoked after a visit to the abandoned quarries.

The company operated during the early 1900s and continued to run until about 25 years ago, when its lime mines were depleted.

Al Luper of Johnson recalls when the operation was one of the biggest industries in the area. Luper, who has worked on the UA campus for 23 years, and is presently employed at President Dr. David Mullins' residence as a maintenance man, recalls that there were two lime plants operating at the time, with three kilns at one, and two at the other. The kilns burned the rock that was processed into lime.

The kilns were powered by cord wood. The wood was bought and hauled to the plant. Six teams of mules of various colors--white, bay and black-- hauled the wood to the kilns to provide power. Wood was gradually shipped in by railroad, and the mules began to haul the cargo from the cars to the kilns.

Luper remembers that the kilns could burn enough rock to produce approximately 400 barrels of lime daily. The firemen who were in charge of the kilns would draw out as many as 30-35 barrels of burned lime rock every five or six hours. The kilns were red hot.

A giant jug describes the way kilns were constructed. The rock was cooked at the bottom. The kilns were operated day and night, and would never stop burning unless they needed to be relined with brick. Luper said that if they ever did burn out, some lime would be ruined.

After the rock was baked at the bottom of the kilns for several hours, it was eventually drawn out of the heated pit. The cooked rock had to be hauled to a brick floor on which it was spread and lay for several hours to cool. After it cooled, the big chunks were broken up into fine pieces into lime and shoveled into barrels for shipping. The lime manufactured at the plant was sold to markets all over the United States.

In order to extract lime rock, workers had to tunnel under a bluff. The venture was risky business because of the continuous rockslides. Whenever it rained, it was dangerous to go into the caves," Luper recounted his experience. He commented that when a load of rock was hauled by tramway cars from the caves, the rock would sometimes break loose and smash into the ground near the workers. Sliding rock on the face of the bluff was a constant menace.

There were two sites where lime was manufactured, known as the upper and lower kilns, located near the town about one-fourth mile, and the other about one-half mile.

Mrs. Luper, who is 75, especially remembers those early days because her father, Andy Cardwell, was superintendant of the plant. Cardwell and F.O. Gully were responsible for overseeing the entire operation.

An average of around 100 men worked at the kilns and quarries the year round. There were more employees if both kilns were operated simulaneously. "Breaking up rock was extremely hard work," Luper admitted, and there "was a lot of heavy lifting involved."

Another hazard of the work was that the lime irritated the skin of the workers. "It would take the hide right off of you," Luper frowned. Working conditions were extremely rough during the summer when sweating would make the lime sticky and uncomfortable.

Recalling that he spent around five years off and on working at the plant, Luper decided to get out of the business because work was too strenuous and the hours too long. So he turned his talents to the cooperage (barrel-making) trade. He also indulged in farming for his livelihood. In 1946 he started to work at the University of Arkansas as a maintenance and handy man. He worked there for over 20 years.

The Johnson pioneer recalls that when lime was burned it would be red-hot after being removed from the kilns. One day when Clear Creek was overflowing its banks due to heavy rains, he noticed that the swift-moving stream was engulfed with flames. What he actually saw were several patches of burning lime that had been swept loose from the mills and carried down the creek. It was an unusual sight, he admitted.

During the time when the company was in operation, Johnson had three stores, two blacksmith shops, a railroad depot and a strawberry shed. These businesses catered to the trade of the workers and their families. It also provided the necessary credit to those who needed it.

The most harrowing experience Luper recalls while working at the plant involved a load of rock he let get away from him while hauling it to the kiln on the tramway. "I was supposed to have hooked a cable on the loaded car," he grimaced, "but somehow I didn't get it hooked in time and the load went bounding down the tramway track and barely missed a steam driller's helper who popped up hear the tracks." The car finally jumped the tracks and slammed into the walls of the tunnel. "Imade sure after the mishap that I would never let it happen again!"

The lime company had its own coopers who manufactured barrels for storing lime. Luper found the cooper's trade more lucrative than crushing rock. He sold his barrels to the company for six cents apiece. He also made apple barrels for which he got seven center and later on was paid 12 1/2 cents. Lime barrels were made to withstand severe punishment. Four steel hoops reinforced them, with each barrel holding 200 pounds of lime.

A pulley system transported the loaded cars to the kilns. The rock was dumped sideways into the kiln, where it was burned down to the bottom. Afterwards, the rock was removed from the bottom and hauled off to cool. After cooling, the lumpy rock was crushed by big hammers. Drawing out the rock was a perpetual process. When one batch was removed, another would burn down to take its place. The kilns burned day and night.

The company gradually switched to gas to power the kilns in later years.

Some 4,000-6,000 cords of wood burned each year at the plant, Luper estimated. However, gas replaced wood becaus eit was cheaper to burn.

Luper and his wife have lived in the Johnson community for the past 52 years and have seen a lot of history unforld during that span of time. He remembers that the plant's personnel worked at a "frantic Pace." He shrugged and injected that "I wouldn't want to see those hard times again."

Luper, who is 77 but belies his age, remarked that the old lime mines have since caved in and have grown over with weeds.