7 replies to this topic

[Ricky]

I have another long shot, but you just never know who might know something. Some research on a house has led to more research on a Fort Worth Company.

I'm looking for more information on the "Hydraulic Building Stone Company" which was located at a place described as "north end Trinity River bridge", "north end Main Street bridge", "West First, corner Main, North of Bridge", and "North bank, Trinity River". R. H. McNatt and Jake F. Zurn were president and vice president. Thomas W. Slack was the secretary and treasurer, and J. F. Gardner was the early manager, later replaced by Henry O. Slack by 1907. The business apparently started up by 1905 or 1906, survived the flood of 1908, and made it to at least 1909 or 1910, after which it disappears from the City Directory. The business was probably at the end of the old iron bridge that crossed the Trinity before the Paddock Viaduct was built.

I'm looking for any type of information about the business. Mainly a photograph of it (even if it is in the background) or perhaps someone knows of particular structures (preferably significant) where the cement blocks they made were used.

Finally, a bit of interesting history deduced from a few sources.

Henry O. Slack first appears in 1905, working at Swift & Company and residing at the Stinson boarding house on North Jones. At that time, Thomas W. Slack (perhaps Henry's father?) was already the secretary / treasurer of the Hydraulic Building Stone Company. By 1907, Henry becomes a manager at the stone company and has moved to Lake Street in North Fort Worth. By 1909, Henry moved South of the river to Cactus Street, requiring a slightly longer trip to work. In 1910, Henry's role was significant enough in the company to be considered a proprietor, and the company gets an ad in the City Directory. It reads:

Hydraulic Building Stone Co.

H. O. Slack & Co., Proprietors

North End Trinity River Bridge
N. Main St.

Sw. Ph. 957-2 and 6780

Foundations, Chimney Caps,
Sills, Ornaments, Curbing, Etc.
We do not make the Cheapest
Cement Blocks, but the Best

Manufacturers of Cement Blocks
For All Building Purporses

And for the record, the same directory also lists Henry as:

SLACK HENRY O. (H. O. SLACK & Co.), mgr Hydraulic Bldg. Stone Co., r. 1015 Cactus. 4. Sw. ph. 6780
SLACK H. O. & CO. (Henry O. Slack, mgr). proprs Hydraulic Building Stone Co., mfrs cement blocks, foot of bridge, N. Main. Phones 957-2. See ad.

The "Directory of American Cement Industries", published in 1909, lists the Hydraulic Building Stone Company next to Kuhlman & Blue. I find this interesting because the lesser known partner of Kuhlman & Blue, George W. Blue, lived in the exact same house a few years before Henry Slack moved into it, and across the street from where Fred Kuhlman moved to in about 1920, as shown in the 1909-1910 City Directory.
http://books.google....M...6&lpg=PA466

This company seems to have been the defendant in a lawsuit which was decided in May 1910.
http://books.google....Y...1&lpg=PA131

But even the lawsuit is interesting. Visit the Rotary Club of Fort Worth web page:
http://www.rotaryfor...nfo/history.htm

There, you'll find a photo and read about Jake F. Zurn, who was president of the aforementioned Hydraulic Building Stone Company. You'll also see a photo of J. E. Mitchell, who appears to be the plaintiff in the above lawsuit.

Yet, Mitchell was one of the founding members of the Rotary Club of Fort Worth, being named temporary chairman. Then, at the first official meeting, Jake F. Zurn was elected president.

Finally, Henry's wife was Alice Jane Angel and they had seven children. Two would have been born by the time Slack was running his concrete business. They were Henry and Wilbur. The remaining children were born by the time they left Fort Worth and are Mary, Harold, Ruth, Courtney and Thomas.

[John T Roberts]

Check the Jack White Collection of Fort Worth Photos from the University of Texas at Arlington within this web site. I think there are a couple shots of the old bridge.

[Ricky]

Thanks! I've looked through some of the iron bridge photos in "Historic Photos of Fort Worth" and in a few other books and have now gone through the photos on the page you mentioned. I can see the north side of the bridge, but can't really tell if there was a building stone business there or not. Since the business was only there for a few years, I didn't have high hopes of finding a photo. I was hoping at least someone recognized the business name and perhaps knew something more about it, or where their stones were used.

[bhudson]

What exactly is/was hydraulic stone?

Does it refer to a particular style, or was it a turn-of-the-century term for any kind of man-made "stone".

[Ricky]

I've wondered about "Hydraulic" also. As far as I can tell, the company only made concrete "stones" / building blocks. Not something I would refer to as a unique style. Perhaps the name was used just to make the product sound good?

[gdvanc]

http://dictionary.re...rch?q=hydraulic


a couple of the definitions for "hydraulic" from different sources cited:

-- hardening under water, as a cement.
-- Able to set and harden under water, as Portland cement.

[Ricky]

Thank you. That company did indeed manufacture building blocks made from Portland Cement.

[Ricky]

Months later, I finally noticed in Quentin McGown's book, Historic Photos of Fort Worth, that page 90 shows the old suspension bridge for Main Street filled with people looking out over the Trinity in the flood of 1908. The Hydraulic Building Stone Company would have been in business at that time. In the foreground is the northeast short of the Trinity River at the bridge, where the ads for the company state they are located.

There are some wooden "forms" on the ground and against the bridge. If there's anyone here that can confirm or deny that these could be forms for cement building blocks that the company made, I would really appreciate some feedback. Or perhaps there may be other traces of the Hydraulic Building Stone Company in this photo that I don't know to look for.

Ricky