A HISTORY OF NICOL SAND COMPANY. By Cynthia Gale July. 1981

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2 r A HISTORY OF NICOL SAND COMPANY By Cynthia Gae Juy. 1981

3 BACKGROUND To understand the work done by Nico Sand Company over the years, it is necessary to have some knowedge of their products. Their three main products were natura-bonded moding sand, core sand and I-11 sand. During the company's 57 year history, natura-bonded moding sand was their main product unti the ast decade of business. Natura-bonded moding sand (sand grains naturay encrusted with cay) is used for casting, which is the process of producing a meta object of a desired shape by pouring moten meta into a mod amd aowing it to coo and harden. Core sand is aso used for casting, but it is mixed with cay or other bonding agents. It is used in making hoow castings ike an engine bock for an exampe. The heat of the casting destroys the bonding agent, eaving a "free-fowing" sand to be voided from the finished casting. I-11 sand is a fine sand used in asphat paving of streets and highways. In the eary years of the company, Gustav Nico, Sr. shipped sand to the foundries just as it came from the ground. He wasn't asked to do any mixing. Within a few years though, the foundries began asking for a more refined product. Nico Sand Company began mixing their sand to have a more uniform grain size. In ater years, the sand was run through a series of screens to remove roots and contro grain size, but this was after Gustav's time. By the ate 1930's the foundries were demanding a very specific product that required testing for grain size, moisture, permeabiity, ime content, cay content and green strength. Sand used for casting had to be of a certain grain size and cay content to aow permeabiity, that is, to aow gases that are formed when the moten meta is poured

4 2 r I r r into the sand to escape through the sides of the mod. This is aso the reason moisture content must be controed. When the moten meta hits the sand, the moisture turns to steam. If there is too much steam, it cannot escape through the side of the mod in any way except to bow a hoe in the mod, causing the moten meta to spi out. If the sand used for casting contained ime (or any other vegetabe or minera substance with a meting point beow that of the meta being cast) the sand woud form a gaze, and the resut woud be a ruined casting. The gases woud have nowhere to escape and woud, ike the steam, put a hoe in the side of the mod. For this reason, Nico Sand Company ran tests for ime content by pouring acid on the sand sampe. If it boied up, there was ime in the sand. Athough this sand coud not be used for casting, sand with ime was acceptabe for I-11 sand. Cay content in the sand usuay ran from ten to forty percent. A sand with ten percent cay coud be mixed 0r bended with a sand containing forty percent cay to meet foundry specifications for cay content. The test for green strength was reated to this. The test determined how we the sand stayed together. A bisquit of sand was tested to measure how much pressure it coud take before breaking down. If needed, cay or other additives coud be added to increase the strength. At their many ocations, Nico Sand Company mined severa kinds of moding sand. Their coarsest sand was from Greenvie, Iinois. This was used for arge castings using a meta with a high meting point. This kind of casting woud generate a ot of gases, and required a greater degree of permeabiity than a smaer object made from a meta such as auminum that has a ower meting point.

5 3 r 1 A skein, which is the cast iron hub of a wooden wagon whee, is a good exampe of the type castings made from the coarse Greenvie sand. Smaer, ighter objects woud be cast with a very fine sand. This sand, primariy from the Savanna pant, was used for casting things ike carburetors or auminum washtubs. It was aso used to make B-29 gun turrets during Word War II. Athough the demand for natura-bonded moding sand is a but nonexistent today, it was an important infuence for the Nico famiy. This genera information on the nature of the sand product shoud make it easier for the reader to understand the migrations of the Nico famiy and Nico Sand Company as they moved wherever they coud find the best deposits of natura-bonded moding sand.

6 4 HISTORY OF NICOL SAND COMPANY Gustav Nico, Sr. & his wife, Mary, on their wedding day in Gustav was the founder of Nico Sand Company. Athough Nico Sand Company1 didn't come into existence unti 190J, it's founder, Gustav Nico, Sr., was in the sand business for severa years prior to this time. In 1897, just after the birth of his fifth chid, Abert, Gustav and his famiy returned to Iinois after a financiay disasterous venture in Arkansas. Famiy egend says he went to Arkansas from Beevie, Iinois with a train car of furniture and three chidren. He returned four years ater with "five kids and five doars'" Gustav had aways been a farmer, so upon his return from Arkasas, he eased a farm on Bou's Hi in French Viage, Iinois. The famiy's home was a og cabin on the farm. The main cabin had a dirt foor and was suitabe ony for storage and washing, so the famiy ived in an addition that was buit on the side of the cabin. The addition consisted of four rooms& a bedroom and 1 The company wi be referred to as Nico Sand Company throughout this paper even though it aso used the names Gust Nico Sand Company and Arenzvie Moding Sand Company.

7 5 kitchen downstairs, and two bedrooms upstairs. Gustav, his wife, Mary, and five chidren shared these sma rooms. Later, there was a sixth chid, Roy, and often Mary's brother, Ed Tribout, stayed with them aso. Besides the crowded iving conditions, Gustav had other probems. When he returned from Arkansas, he had to borrow money to purchase a team of horses and a wagon. With these he was abe to farm his and and hau rais for the St. Louis and O'Faon Rairoad, but he was aso in debt. Under these circumstances, Gustav was ooking for new opportunities. In 1898, a man named Meier from Beevie, Iinois approached him about a job oading sand. Gustav accepted. Gustav oaded sand for Meier unti 1903, when he formed his own business. Gustav's odest son, Irvin Nico, remembers when his father decided to go into business for himsef. ''We hitched up the wagon and went to Coinsvie a aong the buff ooking for sand. And he come to the sand cut down here 2 and found just what he wanted. So, he started seing sand for himsef then. He eased them his down there for three doars a car oad.~ He received eight doars per car oad when he sod it in Unti 1905, Gustav oaded sand the same way Meier had. The overburden of dirt and vegetabe matter was stripped away to expose the sand. Then the sand was oaded into wagons and taken to the rairoad spur nearby, where it was oaded into train cars in the same form as it came from the ground. Today, using trucks and heavy equipment, this woud not be a difficut task. But, in those days, a the oading and unoading was done by hand with a pick and shove. 2 The sand cut is ocated on Route 157 in Coinsvie, Iinois. That site is presenty part of Coinsvie Coa and Ice Company.

8 6 In 1905, Gustav buit a mixing pant to break up the sand in order to have a more uniform product. In ater years, Gustav's son Abert had a aboratory for testing and measuring sand to meet foundry specifications, but bending of the sand was the ony change Gustav ever made in his product. r Coinsvie mixing pant for Nico Sand Company around Pictured eft to right are: Ed Hartman, Ed Nico, Herman Schurman, Gustav Nico, Sr., Irvin Nico, and Henry Hartman. There was aways a high turnover of empoyees in the sand business. Besides the hard abor, the work was sporadic, resuting in ay-offs between orders. During his thirteen years in Coinsvie, Gustav hired dozens of men, most of whom eft a short time ater. Some of the men who worked with some reguarity were Henry Hartman, Ed Hartman, Henry Rademeyer, Herman Schurman and Water Bonnt In addition, Gustav's sons, Ed and Irvin, both worked for him from the time they were young boys. Jwater Bonn and Wiiam Grese(who wi be mentioned ater) were both son-in-aws of Gustav Nico, Sr.

9 7 [ r A the time Gustav was mining sand in Coinsvie, he was aware that sand deposits are eventuay depeted, so he was constanty ooking for new deposits. One of the first he found and worked was in Coumbia, Iinois. Ed and Irvin Nico were sent to work this pit 4, whie Gustav remained in Coinsvie. The Coumbia deposit was worked for two years, in 1913 and Prior to this time, Gustav traded orders with a sand man from Greenvie, Iinois named Chares "Sandy" Varenhod (Speing may be incorrect). The sand in Greenvie was a very coarse sand, so when Gustav got an order for coarse sand, he gave it t o Varenhod. In return, Varenhod gave Gustav his orders f or the finer Coinsvie sand. After 1914 hgwever, this arr angement no onger existed, since it was at this time t hat Gustav expanded his business and began easing and in Greenvie from Ed Dresser and Jim Mier. Now when an order came in for coarse sand, Irvin Nico woud catch the train to Greenvie and oad the sand. By 1916, Irvin had moved to Greenvie, and they had a permanent operation going there. The year 1916 brought other changes for the business. The office of Nico Sa~d Company remained in Gustav's home at 817 W. Cay Street in Coinsvie,5 but mining operations in Coinsvie were discontinued. At the same time, they started mining a arge deposit of sand that extended irreguary some two mies north from Arenzvie, Iinois aong the ower sopes of the vaey wa. In a short famiy history written by Ida Nico in the 1960's, she tod about the discovery of sand in Arenzvie. "One 4 Ed Nico's ife was infuenced by the Sand Company's work in Coumbia, since he met his first wife whie working there. 5The office was ocated in a garage at the back of their yard. Roy Nico kept the books most of the time, but Louise Nico heped out when she became od enough.

10 8 [ r day when his father (Abert Nico's father) was ceaning out a boxcar a hobo tod him that there were sand his between Beardstown and Arenzvie, I. His father took a trip by train to investigate the hobo's story and through the train windows he noticed some beautifu sand his near Arenzvie. So, on the way back, he stopped to investigate those sand (his), and found them to be good mouding sand. Later he started a good mouding sand business in Arenzvie." (Athough this story sounds amost too charming to be true, it has been verified by severa famiy members who were around when the discovery was made,) Irvin was sent north to start the Arenzvie operation, but after a few weeks, he was needed in Greenvie, so Ed Nico became the manager at Arenzvie. About a year ater, Ed joined the army (~w I) and Abert Nico entered the sand business for the first time. At the young age of 20 he became manager of the Arenzvie branch of Nico Sand Company.6 During these eary years in the sand business there was ony one serious Back row (1 to r)a Henry Hartman accident. The accident and Ed Nico; Front row: Abert Nico and unknown man occured at the Greenvie 6 one of the first things Abert did when he arrived in Arenzvie was to find a room. He found a wife at the same time when he rented a room from Frederick Nobis and ater married his daughter, Ida.

11 9 [ f pit on January J, 1918 when Water Fie of Greenvie was injured when a sand bank coapsed. Mr. Fie, aong with severa other men, was oading a wagon when a bank of sand they thoug~was frozen suddeny began to side. According to a newspaper a count at the time, (Greenvie Advocate, 4 Feb 1918, Page 1) Fie was ''struck in the groin with a arge piece of frozen dirt." A doctor was caed immediatey and Fie was taken to his home in Greenvie. The doctor was forced to drive sowy because of Fie's injuries, so by the time they reached the warmth of a fire, Fie was suffering from both shock and exposure. Athough he at first seemed to be recovering, Fie's condition suddeny deteriorated and he died that same evening. Death was attributed to the effects of the shock as we as a heart condition. Fortunatey, accidents in the sand business were rare, and there was never another that resuted in oss of ife. The years during Word J'Jar I and immediatey afterward brought success to the Nico business. The days of og cabin iving had been gone for severa years. Gustav's daughter Louise remembers, "When I was confirmed in 1920, that was some of the best years my father had. He took in $50,000 that year.'' That was a ot of money for the time but argey due to poor investments, Gustav was unabe to save any of this money. It's easier to see how the business was run in those days by ooking at each part of the operation separatey. Gustav Nico, Sr. ran the office in Coinsvie and did some saes work, athough most of their orders were through sand brokers ike Maney Sand Co., Carpenter Brothers Sand Company or Warren Sand Company. There were aways two pits in operation after the move to Arenzvie in Abert and Irvin were the pant managers. 7sand was aso mined in Muberry Grove and Kinderhook, I, but not in significant amounts. Aso, in 1912 sand was found in Wanda Iinois & Gustav purchased a 99 year ease on 20 acres of ground for $3000. The sand proved worthess.

12 10 The Gustav Nico home and headquarters for Nico Sand Company unti the 19JO's. Famiy members are standing on porch.! During the 1920's the Greenvie and Arenzvie operations became very different. In Greenvie, which was managed by Irvin Nico, the biggest change was in the method of mining sand. Greenvie had purchased some arge Armeder trucks in 1918 that turned out to be very expensive faiures. The trucks were too heavy to move on sand. Their big soid tires dug into the sand or sipped. By 1920, these were traded in for ighter, ton and a haf Ford trucks which worked very we. Aso during the 1920's they began experimenting with mechanica shoves. The first they tried was a steam shove which proved as disasterous as the Armeder trucks. Men coud be hired to do the work for ess than it cost to run that shove. Next, in 1924, they tried a gasoine powered shove which was a big success. Athough Irvin Nico was manager of this branch throughout the 1920's, the ocation of the pit did not remain the same. Unti 1922, they worked a pit near the Cathoic Cemetery in Greenvie. Then, from they worked a

13 11 Both of these pictures, athough taken in Arenzvie, show equipment primariy used in Greenvie. In the photo above Irvin Nico is shown operating his gas shove which was brought up from Greenvie especiay to hep mine road rock for cemetery hi road in Arenzvie. He caused quite a sensation when he brought his "machine" to town. Beow is one of the i-fated Armeder trucks. The men have been identified as (1 to r) Bob Hamm, Henry Hartman(?), Bi Dufemeier, and Leo Jones.

14 12 sand deposit about 1t mies east of Tamaco, Iinois in Bond County. After 1926, he returned to Greenvie, but worked a new area near the present day Greenvie hospita. v After Irvin got the gasoine powered shove, ess physica abor was needed to oad the sand, so few of the workers names are remembered. Two known workers from this time were Ed Nico, who went back and forth between Arenzvie and Greenvie, and Water Bonn. Whie Greenvie was making a these advances, Abert was sti oading sand with pick and shove in Arenzvie. The mechanica shove worked we on Greenvie's thick uniform veins of sand, but the Arenzvie sand ay in narrower strata. During the 1920's and 1930's, there just was no machine with the precision to pick up one ayer of sand and eave the unwanted ayers aone. Arenzvie was aso behind Greenvie in getting trucks, but by the eary 1920's, the horses were gone. This was when Henry Hartman, who had been with the company since the beginning, retired. Henry had aways taken care of the horses, Abert Nico so when Abert's brotherin-aw, Juius Nobis, purchased the horses, Henry went aong with them and became a farmhand the rest of his ife.

15 1J As in the other sand operations, there were many empoyees in Arenzvie during the 1920's. Besides Henry Hartman, there were Otto Lovekamp, Bob Hamm, Bi Lovekamp, Leo Jones, and Bi Dufemeier, to name a few. Ed Nico aso returned to Arenzvie to work for a short time. There were many others, but their names have been forgotten over the years. On November 19, 1927, Gust Nico Sand Company became an Iinois Corporation. (Iinois Certificate # 31627) The object of the corporation was isted as "the oading, shipping, and seing of sand." Their assets incuded easehods, oading stations and equipment in Arenzvie and Greenvie, Iinois. One hundred and fifty shares of no par, common stock were issued at $1000 per share. These shares were a purchased by famiy members. Gustav Nico, Sr. Nico famiy portrait taken in Pictured in front row (eft to right): Howard Nico, Gustav Nico, Sr., Mary Tribout Nico, Gustav Nico, Jr. Back rows Emer Nico, Ama Nico Grese, Roy Nico, Ida Nico Bonn, Abert Nico, Sr., Esie Nico Michae, Irvin Nico, Louise Nico Meier, Edward Nico

16 14 owned 60 shares, and the foowing of his chidren and sons-in-aw each owned ten sharesa Edward Nico, Roy Nico, Irvin Nico, Abert Nico, Wiiam Grese, Water Bonn, Louise M. Nico, Howard Nico, and Esie Nico. The ast three names on this ist were sti iving at home when the corporation was formed, so it is assumed Gustav paid for their shares since they had no money of their own. The first board of directors aso consisted of a famiy members. They werea Wiiam Grese, Gustav Nico, Sr., Abert Nico, Irvin Nico and Roy Nico. ADDRESS. I NUMBBU\AMOUNT AMOUNT NAME OF SUB- PAID NUMBER STREET CITY STATE SHARES. SCRIBED IN / ~7~ tr ii!t?r~~jt..i.d~... / d~o"'"" ' *it7<1t-.~ J'dua:?zd..~..... jf2()9l.. ~.. ~.~I/af!9:1:./t711iJ:.. ~ / "iftffiif~ ~d&;,zt~ai""a;!ll.. ti!?.~.~: )&cw.~ c-j)jk.../t.,~e,.~~ -.../ Wf~_/J/~t~~~~~-'-;. (k,'v-/. /CJ~q--~_,fcJP.Q,_~--- :.~.U.~ ~);'7 ~ ~4,.~.:?~,-- ~ ~:::~ f ;o;:~:c )2d ;J!.{! ~ f'... c-<... c~ ;,r~ar.... ~.~~M<J... 'U~ _ ~- _ ~ / e~~c:~:;z; ;fc!td~~~ f {'"~' ~:~~ ~,..... v.. 2, ~... f/7 71.!A:<{./f._dt..~u-..t~,.LV~~~= c.. L.... 7t"=~.~A tnjf&j;u~~ft~'~: ~-= ~~ ~ ~ ~ nj!et~!jt.(}dt~j!!!/.:1~... /ff:?ce/n:r: j ' : I : i / I f I 0 O :_::_;: : :::_:_: : :_ ~- -u - : : uu uu ~ ~~~- ~ ~~u _ :]_~uuu The above signatures are taken from the corporation certificate dated November 19, 1927.

17 15 In 1927 when the corporation was formed, the company was sti doing we. The famiy wasn't rich, but they had everything they needed. Then came the stockmarket crash of According to Irvin, they oaded 660 cars of sand in Greenvie for the year In 1930 the fu force of the Depression was fet when they oaded ony 30 cars of sand. When the depression came the famiy was hit hard. Business dropped to practicay nothing, eaving them with many unpaid bis. Sometime between ate 1929 and 1930, Abert took over most of the debts in exchange for the Arenzvie operation. This heped the financia situation for the rest of the famiy, but even with these bis gone, Gustav had ost the house in Coinsvie by 1933 The Depression marked the end of the Greenvie operation. This branch remained on the books as an active corporation unti October 6, 1942, but they never oaded more than 45 cars a year after the stockmarket crashed. The famiy members who had invested in the corporation a ost their money. Irvin Nico, having a famiy to support, eft the company in 1930 to find work esewhere. Gustav, Sr. then ran what was eft of the company unti 1931 when Gustav, Jr. came to work for him. As Gustav, Jr. recaed, "When I started, there reay was no business eft. In fact, I worked from 1931 to 1934 and then went to work for the county because they didn't have enough work to support me. Grandpa (Gustav, Sr.) was paying me $15 a week whenever he coud. And sometimes I got it, and sometimes I didn't.'' Usuay, when there was an order to oad, Gustav, Jr. woud ca on two oca men, Bud Beims and Charie Wiman, to hep him oad, but there were times when they coudn't afford to hire anyone ese, and he woud find himsef oading

18 16 J I the sand aone. Other times, when there were orders to fi, peope ike Wiiam Grese or Water Bonn woud come over from Coinsvie to work a day or two. On summer vacations, Emer Nico might come to work with Frank Moore and some of his other friends. Aso, by the mid-1930's, Gustav, Sr. was iving in Greenvie and heped out when he coud. (Sometime during the eary 1930's Gustav, Sr. was injured when he was pinned between a truck and the sand bank. His injuries were not thought to be serious at the time, but there were effects ater on. He aso had a heart attack during the 1930's but it is uncear when this happened. At any rate, he was unabe to do much work with the business after this.) Roy Nico supervised the work in Greenvie after Gustav, Jr. eft in Roy had aways kept the books, so now when an order came in he woud contact Bud Beims or Charie Wiman, who woud fi the orders for him using Nico equipment. With Greenvie's operations a but cosed, Arenzvie was the ony going concern eft. During the 1930's, its business was terriby sow, Abert's odest son, Wibur, wrote, "During the Depression years ( ), Dad strugged to bring the Nico Sand Company from near bankruptcy to a soid financia business. I have many vivid memories of these, my teenage years. For exampe, going aong with Dad to Quincy or Litchfied on 'drumming trips' when he caed on foundries seing his sand. Dad aso put in a ot of physica work with pick and shove," There were few things the famiy had to buy during those Depression years, but sti the sand business aone wasn't enough to support the famiy, They ived with Abert's mother-in-aw, so there were no housing costs. Food was aways pentifu thanks to a arge garden, home butchering

19 17 r of hogs in winter, ra1s1ng their own chickens, hunting wid game, and fishing in the oca rivers and streams. They ony needed to buy stapes from Zuauf's store in Arenzvie, such as four, sugar and coffee, but even these were often purchased on credit. Wibur wrote, "We were just desperatey poor. The thing that made it bearabe was that everyone was in the same straits." The sand business was just not providing enough cash to provide for a famiy with seven chidren. Abert's odest daughter, Murie, wrote, "I can remember Dad going to the post office (Box 117) every day, hoping against hope that he might get an order. Usuay he didn't." When there were no orders, Abert tried to find other work. He tried seing insurance at one time, but wasn't too successfu with that. During the summers he woud hire out to farmers and hep cut and thrash grain. In the winters when there were no orders he woud cut wood with one of his workers, Roy McCoud. One day they woud cut for Abert, and the next day for Roy. Business never ceased competey during this period. According to Roy McCoud who worked for Abert from 1930 to 1941, they'd get an order, fi it, and then wait unti another came in. Sometimes that coud be a week or more. It usuay took six men to oad a J0-40 ton car of sand in a day in the eary thirties. (In the ate thirties, before automation, it took about 10 men to oad three fifty ton cars in a day.) If the men worked a fu six day week, they were paid $ In winter, they sometimes worked hours in a day to finish a car of sand. The reason it took onger in winter was because of the frozen ground. Murie wrote, "During the winter when they did have work, they often had to open the frozen banks by dynamiting the frost out of. the ground. Everytime they used dynamite, Dad

20 18 woud get terribe, terribe headaches. He aways thought it was the sme or smoke, because if he stayed competey away from it unti the sme and smoke were gone it was usuay OK. He didn't ike to have someone ese work with the dynamite because it was dangerous.'' In ater years they used ess dynamite when they earned to cover the ground during winter with three or four feet of straw to keep the frost at a minimum. Roy McCoud was ony one of many empoyees at Nico Sand Company during the 1930's. A few of the reguars were Wima Witte (secretary), Luther Lovekamp, Cyde Wheeer, George Newberry, Johnny Lutkhas, Edwin Lovekamp, Ray Cararon, Bob Roegge, Oaf Brockhouse and Chares Long 8 Many men in Arenzvie worked for Abert at one time or another, as he had a "primary source" of empoyment for the sma town. In those times, the an hour he was offering for wages was considered good money. Even with the work sowdown, the business continued to show progress. Up unti the mid-1930's, the sand was oaded into trucks, haued to the train, and then shoveed off the trucks into the train cars. A big improvement was made when they buit a dump on the hi above the tracks. With this addition, they were abe to back up the truck, dump the sand, and then et gravity move the sand down the chute into the train cars beow. Later, Abert fashioned a "mi" from some od threshing machine cyinders to improve his product by grinding the umps and bending. Foowing this 8 chares Long and Abert were invoved in an accident in the ate thirties. In the sand business at that time, keeping your toos sharp was very important, since it made the work easier. One day whie waiting for the truck to return, Chares was sharpening his shove and when he was finished he gave it a toss to show Abert how we it was done. Unfortunatey, the shove anded on Abert's foot and neary cut off his big toe. He was aid up for severa weeks due to the injury, but it eventuay heaed.

21 19 Sand dump in Arenzvie, Iinois (19JO's) was the purchase of a sma Steadman Mi. Foundry technoogy by this time had advanced to demand the testing of sand for cay content, strength and permeabiity, so Abert set up a sma aboratory to do this work. Aso about this time (ate thirties), Abert made business connections with Maney Sand Company of Rockton, Iinois who were sand producers, but aso sand brokers in the tota foundry sand fied. As Abert's son, Wibur, wrote, "They came to depend on Dad to furnish their 'fine' sand ine. To Dad the advantage was to reieve himsef of the seing part of the business so that he coud concentrate on the production end. Aso, Dad coud through Maneys get such arge customers as Internationa Harvester, John Deere, etc." By 19J8-19J9, just as the economy was heating up on the threshod of Word War II, the sand deposits around Arenzvie were neary depeted. At the same time, the sand deposits in the Savanna, Iinois area were discovered

22 20 by one of the Maney brothers.9 Their strategic ocation near foundry centers and on two rairoad ines was recognized at once. Because of Abert's experience and abiity, Maney asked him to deveop these deposits for them. This photo, taken in front of the mi & bunkhouse in Savanna, Iinois in May of 1940, shows (L to R) Everette Carpenter, Abert Nico, Dwight Maney,? Carpenter, Lye Maney, and Wibur Nico. Athough Abert was actuay the manager, in his absence Wibur Nico was put in charge of the Savanna pant. Despite dwinding reserves of sand in Arenzvie, Abert was reuctant to move his famiy. He had strong ties to Arenzvie, and was particuary concerned that Savanna had no Lutheran schoo for his younger chidren. Abert began training 9M. S. Littefied wrote in his 1925 pubication Natura Bonded Moding Sand Resources in Iinois that.. no workabe deposits of natura-bonded moding sand were found in Carro County" which is where Savanna is ocated. That statement was proven fase.

23 r 21 Wibur to take over the Savanna pant so that he woud be abe to spend ess time on the road and more time with his famiy. Savanna's sand proved to be of exceent quaity and in great quantities. Wibur wrote in one etter, "We found some exceptionay fine sand on the Gridey property (site of Savanna s present Methodist Church). The Miwaukee Rairoad property where the mi was buit was aso a sizeabe deposit. Then we opened up the deposits on the Mamie Forian farm. 10 We aso mined some sand on the Ear Boothby property, site of the present city dump. The Savanna deposits were unique in that they varied in grain size from the very finest to medium coarse, thus giving us a product for the Smaest auminum and bronze castings to those for grey and maeabe iron." Word War II brought a big boost in the foundry sand business. Before the war, the sand business catered to customers such as Internationa Harvester, John Deere, J. I. Case, Ivaytag and many smaer firms. During the war they shipped excusivey to defense pants. Maytag, who manufactured B-29 gun turrets instead of washtubs during the war, at one time was caing for 3 car oads of sand per week from Nico Sand Company. Wibur Nico was given a draft deferment for two years because of the Maytag account. Athough the war heped business, it aso caused some probems. The Savanna Ordinance Depot was expanding because of the war and the rairoad and construction industries were aso expanding. The resut was a shortage of both manpower 10 About one and a haf mies from the junction of Buff and Wacker Roads, on the hiside above Buff Road, Indian graves were uncovered whie mining sand. (On the Forian Farm) The graves were covered again and they moved farther down the buff to continue m1ning. (See maps on next page for ocation of graves and mining sites.)

24 22 SAND DEPOSITS - SAVANNA, ILLINOIS M; I Wd.u. J<ee R"'; ro o..d Y... r.s M;w... k~e. I(.,.~ I...; II I I t t.~.. rn n nj I. 'i?>u.nk hou.se. 2. We. 0-P.fc:.e.j Lo..b 7. Ch....-1~10 Lo"j hou.se.. fd. w;bu.r N;c..,\ hou.~e. ~ot-;~n Fo..rm B\A., 1a;~~s ~ L. 1(. N\n C,.o.IDL Y \.):~ PRoPE~TY New Me..+~oc!;st C..~c.h :---_fl.u.'\ RIV'R "3" -s u ~ These sketches show some of the sand deposits in the Savanna, Iinois area that were mined between 1941 and Sketches were copies from a etter written by Wibur Nico (Juy 14, 1979).

25 23 I and housing in the Savanna area. This was one of the main reasons they decided to ''import" men from Arenzvie where the going wage was 25 an hour, compared to the an hour being paid in Savanna. They buit a shed-type bunkhouse to seep tweve men. There were three main areas in the bunkhouse: One end had bunkbeds for seeping, the center had kitchen faciities, and the far end was Abert's office. They sometimes had a cook, often the wives of some of their workers ike Neie Lewis or Ruth Spears, but other times they were eft to do their own cooking. The origina mi and bunkhouse in Savanna, Iinois. Buiding above these (in back) is garage buit in the ate 1940's) During the bunkhouse years, the men came to Savanna to work during the week, and drove home to Arenzvie on weekends. At one time, as many as sixteen men were commuting to work in Savanna, where they ived in the bunkhouse. A few of the men who ived in the bunkhouse during this time were Bob Roegge, Cyde Wheeer, Biy Charesworth, Charie Herbert, and Luther Lovekamp. Lee Nico aso worked in Savanna from his graduation in 1942 unti May, 1943 when he went into the army. He wrote, "There were a ot of kids ike me that worked there from graduation unti army time. Some that I can think of were Wayne Schone, Dean

26 24 BUNKHOUSE LIVING (1940) Bunkhouse iving had most of the necessities, but few of the uxuries of ife. Above, Luther Lovekamp washes up for the day. At right, Cyde Wheeer indicates the type bathroom faciities avaiabe. Beow, Abert Nico (eft) and Bi Charesworth take a turn at kitchen duty.

27 25 Zuauf, Chester Lutkehus, Marin Winkeman, Doc Hansmeyer, Gen Lovekamp and Red Peck. We a drove back and forth from Savanna to Arenzvie on weekends. As business increased, the commuting workers became more and more of a probem, but this was reieved somewhat with the purchase of a newy invented tractor end-oader. Mevin Musch, a farmboy with tractor experience, was hired to operate the first end-oader, which proved to be a good investment. For the first time, the sand coud be oaded with a power shove instead of being shoveed by hand, so the demand for abor was reduced. In 1943, Abert bought two houses in Savanna, one in Highand Park and the other in Chestnut Park, and persuaded Chares Long and Werner Lovekamp to move to Savanna with their famiies to work at the mi. By this time Wibur had married and had a home in Savanna and Luther Lovekamp was iving in Savanna, so they were abe to abandon the bunkhouse system. When Abert bought the new end-oader, he had probems finding drivers for it. In 1943, he asked his brother, Emer Nico, to come north to hep out. This was shorty after the bunkhouse system was discontinued, so Emer and his wife and chidren took up residence in the bunkhouse. Emer stayed ony a short time {9-10 months) before returning to Coinsvie. The bunkhouse was not an idea pace to raise a famiy. Things were going smoothy for the two pants unti. Wibur ost his deferment in October, For a short time, Abert tried to run both pants himsef, but it was physicay impossibe for one man to maintain two pants 190 mies apart. There were the added probems of finding avaiabe cars, gasoine and tires for the many trips back and forth between pants. Even with an "A" card aowing him to buy gasoine and tires without rationing restraints, there were just none to be found.

28 26 It was about this time that Harod Buck entered the sand busihess. 11 About a week before Harod married Abert's daughter, Murie, Abert approached him about moving to Savanna to work for him. Murie said of those times, "Dad needed hep desperatey and Buck was (cassified) 4-F since he is deaf in one ear. So, our pans changed and we moved to Savanna in January of Murie went on to describe their first few months in Savanna. "The town was overfowing with peope and everyone, even the farmers who had empty rooms, or even a shed they coud empty, rented them out to SAD (Savanna Army Depot) empoyees and their famiies. Needess to say, there was no pace for Buck and I to rent, so we moved into the bunkhouse down by the sand mi, aong with Dad, Bob Roegge, and a coupe other workers." They sept, cooked, ate their meas, and tested sand, a in the same buiding. Murie took care of the office, as she had done for a whie in Arenzvie, unti August of 1945 when Abert hired Miriam Kreuder as secretary. Fortunatey, this arrangement didn't ast ong, In the Spring of 1945, Abert bought a house on Chicago Avenue and with great reuctance moved his famiy to Savanna. 12 Bob Roegge, who had been a reguar empoyee unti now, decided to quit rather than make a permanent move to Savanna, so for the remainder of the war, the main workers were Abert, Chares Long, Harod Buck, Luther Lovekamp, Jim Brown, and Werner Lovekamp. Abert's three sons that were od enough to work in the business were a in the service. 11 one of the first things that happened to Harod Buck in the sand business was an accident. They were working on the end-oader one day when a crowbar sipped out, few through the air and hit Harod in the head. He was ucky his ony injuries were broken teeth. As a resut, he's had fase teeth since he was 21 years od. 12 Harod and Murie aso ived at the house on Chicago Avenue for a whie, unti they moved out to the Forian farm where Harod began farming.

29 2? Abert Nico famiy in 1942, 3 years before they made the move to Savanna. Front Row (1 to r)s Shirey Nico (Ritchie), Abert Nico, Sr., Ida Nobis Nico, Dwight Nico Back Row1 Murie Nico (Buck), Wibur Nico, Leand Nico, Abert Nico, Jr., Joyce Nico (Goss) Abert bought two other pieces of property in Savanna in addition to the houses for Longs and Lovekamps, and his own home. After paying royaties of 15 a ton for severa years, he purchased the 80 acre Forian Farm and the 55 acres around his mi that were formery the property of the Miwaukee Rairoad. Another technoogica improvement, in addition to the end-oader, was made during the 1940's that is worth mentioning. About ), Abert bought a rotary dryer. Unti this time they had aways been at the mercy of the weather. On wet days they oaded wet sand and on dry days they oaded dry sand. The sand now went through a series of screens, which took the roots out, through the dryer, and out on a conveyor bet. This was one of the ast major changes in the moding sand production process. This isn't meant to

30 say that the od ways used by Gustav Nico in 1898 were not sti being used. Wibur Nico remembers an incident that demonstrates just how accurate these od fashioned methods coud be. The eary testing method for checking quaity contro of the sand was to fee it. They woud ook at it and rub it between their fingers to determine how much cay was in it or how coarse the sand was. By the eary 1940's they had tests for a these ~hings which coud, for the most part, be performed on the spot. There was one particuar test, however, that took a day or so to compete. One day when Wibur was working in Savanna, Abert came up from Arenzvie to make sure everything was running as it shoud. When he fet the sand Wibur was oading, he said it was too coarse. Wibur coudn't understand this since tests of sand oaded ony a day or two before had shown the sand was a right. Abert kept insisting the sand was too coarse, unti the test resuts came back a day or so ater, proving Wibur was right. They found eventuay that the difference in opinion came from the fact that Abert had just gotten new gasses with bifocas. Once he was adjusted to these, his judgement again became accurate. As Wibur said, uthat demonstrates the art of feeing sand.u After the war, business remained good, even without the work for defense pants. T)e Nico boys who were in service, Wibur, Abert, Jr., and Lee, a returned home and went to work for the sand company. Abert Nico, Jr. stayed ony a short time before moving away, eaving Wibur and Lee to work with Abert. In the years that foowed, Abert did some expanding. In 1948, Wibur and Pau Rury of Savanna buit a JO b~r 60 foot concrete buiding on the and above the pant. The buiding was to be used as a garage and repair shop.

31 29 Garage/Repair shop buit in 1948; Office buit in 1950 when the new pant was buit. 1 Shorty after it was buit, the whoe front end of the buiding was knocked out. Wibur Nico said, "This was when we had those Internationa tractors, and I had something go wrong with one of them out in the pit. And it was raining, (so, being in a hurry,) I put the toos in the dipper of the tractor. And I'm backing into the shed, ooking over my shouder, and never reai z.ed I had that dipper up too high. And I hooked the top of that door and tore the whoe front end of that buiding in. And I just got through buiding it. Oh, I coud have cried. I coudn't even go back and ook at it for a whie, but nothing rested unti I buit her back up again... J In Juy of 1949, Wibur decided to eave the sand business and start farming. Abert was very unhappy with Wibur's decision and it caused some hard feeings at the time, but Wibur fet there just wasn't room for so many Nicos in the sand business, It wasn't big enough. After 1 3The garage is presenty owned by Terry James of Savanna and is used as an auto body shop. The buiding ooks about the same now as it did when it was buit in Resuts :ef Wibur s accident can hardy be detected.

32 30 Wibur's departure, Abert and Lee were the ony famiy members eft in the sand company on a fu time basis. Abert's youngest son, Dwight, worked there part-time after schoo and during summer vacations during high schoo but not on a reguar basis. The year 1950 brought major changes to Nico Sand Company. The Miwaukee Rairoad decided to expand their yards, so the od pant and bunkhouse had to be torn down. Lee Nico tod how they were abe to stay in business whie moving their miing equipment. "The rairoad et us oad thirty cars of sand ahead and they put them on a side track so that we coud bi them as orders came in. We then tore the pant down and moved the machinery to the new ocation. We set the machinery and started moving sand. The buidings were buit around the machinery. It was just six weeks from the time we oaded the ast car oad of sand from the od pant ti we oaded the first car from the new pant. For the six weeks we were down we shipped the thirty cars that were oaded ahead and then trucked our sand to Maney's pant in Byron, Iinois and processed it there. We woud truck sand over a day whie they made their sand. When they shut down for the day, we woud run our sand through their pant At the same time, they aso buit a new 20 by 30 foot office and aboratory wher~ they coud run compete tests on every car of sand they shipped, incuding cay tests, screen tests, permeabiity tests, moisture tests, and green strength tests. In a 1964 tria transcript where Abert testified as an expert witness, Abert described the new pant. 1 ~ "It consisted of a meta buiding 40 by 120 feet ong. We had a 1 5state of Iinois vs. Bi Chadwick 14 Extra men were hired so they coud work 24 hours a day oading the train cars ahead of time. Two of the extra men were Spires Themas and one of the Kampus men.

33 31 dryer in there that was 40 feet ong and 6! feet in diameter. We had a vibrating screen in there. We had a Steadman mi in there. We had conveyors carrying sand directy from the dryer to the screens and the mi. We had feeds where we backed trucks in and dumped sand feeds that you coud reguate to put a certain amount of whatever grade you wanted to into the pant." 1 I I f I New sand mi buit in 1950 after the Miwaukee Rairoad decided to expand their yards. Around 1950, the business stepped up their production of sands other than natura-bonded moding sand. Now they began furnishing sand for backtop. It was a fine sand, used in the fina ayer of backtop. Lee wrote, "The first job that used our sand was Chicago Avenue in Savanna when it was widened and backtopped, and Route 64 between Mt. Carro, Iinois and Poo Junction, aso Mt. Morris (Iinois) to Rochee. We trucked sand to Freeport (Iinois) for streets in Freeport aso."

34 .32 1 \!! The sand business continued to operate successfuy during the 1950's with the main workers being Lee Nico, Chares Long, Luther Lovekamp, Robert "Barney" Phiamee, Bob Waker and Dave Truninger. Two of the secretaries during the 1950's were Norma Jean Simon and Sharon Byers. There were a few other workers during that time, but they turned over every year or so, and their names have been forgotten. As in the 1940's, two of their argest customers were sti Maytag and Internationa Harvester. They aso sod to Muskegon Piston Ring Company and Frank ' s Foundries. In January of 1960, Abert arranged a dea with Portage Maney Sand Company to se Nico Sand Company. Vaue was isted at $)5,000 for the buidings and 55 acres around the pant, pus $)0,000 for the roing equipment. There was a farm north of Savanna that Abert wanted to purchase that was avaiabe for the same price as he was asking for the pant and and around it, $)5,000. For tax purposes, Maney purchased this farm and traded it to Abert in exchange for the sand property and buidings. The money for the roing equipment was separate from this. The transaction aso didn't incude the Forian farm Abert purchased in 194). After the fina sae, Abert signed a contract with Maney to work in an advisory capacity and to assist in managing the Savanna pant. He aso agreed not to work for any other sand deaer during that time. When the Savanna pit was cosed in Pictured at eft are Abert Nico and his wife, Ida, shorty after his retirement.

35 33 r Juy of 1962, Abert became responsibe for upkeep of the property unti his contract expired in January of 1964 when he retired, The men working for Abert when the pant cosed were hired by Maney at their pant in Oregon, Iinois, but ony one, Lee Nico, stayed on for any ength of time. This marked the end of the Nico Sand Company, but there is sti evidence of its existence around today. Some of their strip mining can sti be seen. Athough most of this ground has been eveed, andscapes were changed. Severa generations of Nicos found their spouses and raised their chidren in towns they might never have known if it wasn't for the sand business. And finay, one Nico remains in the famiy tradition. Lee Nico is sti a "sand man" with Maney Sand Company near Stevensvie, Michigan. 1, j 1

36 34 THE NICOL FAMILY *Denotes famiy member who either worked for the sand company, or whose spouse worked in the sand business. *Gustav George Casper Nico married Mary Catherine Tribout ( ) ( ) Their Chidrens Emi Wiiam ( ) *Ama Catherine (Grese) ( ) *Ida Estee (Bonn) ( ) *Irvin Water (1893- ) *Edward Syvester (1895- ) *Abert Adoph ( ) *Roya James Lewis (1900- ) Theodore Arnod and twin sister ( ) Esie Pauine Liian (Michae) ( ) *Louise Margeurite (Meier) (1906- ) Car Wiiam Howard ( ) *Gustav Mevin (1911- ) *Emer Oscar ( )! 1 *Abert Adoph Nico married Ida Louise Nobis ( ) (1897- ) Their Chidrens *Wibur Chares (1920- ) *Murie Midred (buck) (1923- ) *Leand Water (1925- ) *Abert Arthur (1927- ) *Joyce Louise (Goss) (1929- ) Shirey May (Ritchie) (1933- ) *Dwight Leroy (1937- ) 1 Athough these ists show a the immediate famiy that worked in the business at one time or another, there were many more distant reatives that aso worked for the sand company, ike the Roegges and the Lovekamps. Aso, there were many, ike the Long famiy, that became as cose as famiy. (I remember one of the disapointments of my chidhood was finding out Charie and Betty Long were Not my aunt and unce. )

37 \ I 1 I I t 1 35 EMPLOYEES The foowing ist was taken from a saary edger of 'Nico Sand Company covering the years NAME Beard, Gerad Brown, James David Buck, Harod Cyde Buck, Murie Midred Cox, Raph Goss, Darwin Hartman, Vernetta Beck Herbert, Chares Humme, George Kreuder, Miriam Long, Chares D. Long, Jess Lovekamp,Luther Lovekamp, Werner Mier, Lois Jeanne Morgan, Jim Musch, Mevin C. Nico, Abert A., Jr. Nico, Joyce Dawne Nico, Joyce Louise Nico, Leand W. Nico, Wibur c. Pau, Theodore Phiamee, Robert Ritter, Eieen Roegge, Robert P. Rury, Pau A. Schone, Phyis Maxine Schone, Wayne Spears, James Stinson, Irwin Tayor, James Thompson, Jeanne Trude, Donad L. Truninger, David L. DATES OF EMPLOYMENT Sept & Nov,1943 Sept, Dec,1949 Jan, Aug,1946 Feb-Apr, 1948 Oct, Apr,1949 Jan-Nov,1943 Aug,1944- Apr,1945 Jan-Mar, 1944 Ju & Aug, 1949 Oct, Dec,1949 Jan-Mar, 1943 Apri,1945 Juy, May,1946 Mar,1943- Dec,1949 Mar, 1945 Jan,1946-May,1947 Apr,1948-Dec,1949 Mar,1943-Mar,1946 May,1946-Dec,1947 Apri-Jun,1945 Mar,1943 & Part-time throughout 1944 March-Nov,1943 Jan-Dec, 1944 Sept,1946-Mar,1948 Nov,1948-Feb,1949 Sept,1946-Aug,1948 Jan,1948-May, 1948 Jan-May,1943 (Army) Jan~1946-Dec,1949 Jan,1943-Sept,1944 (army) Oct & Nov, 1944 Jun,1947-Dec,1949 Apr-Jun,1945 Jan,1943-May,1945 May,1947-Jan-1948 Apr & May, 1943 Jan, 1943 (Army) Jan,1943-Dec,1944 Jan,1943-Dec,1943 Oct,1948-Apr,1949 Ju,1948-Dec,1949 Oct,1946-May,1947 Oct,1946-Aug,1947

38 f r Nico Sand Company Empoyees, (cont.) NAivE Waker, Robert D. Wheaton, Esther Bernice Witte, Oga Marjorie Witte, Wima Zuauf, Macom Keith DATES OF EMPLOYMENT May,1947~Jan,1949 Oct & Nov, 1943 Nov,1943-Aug,1944 Jan-Mar, 1943 Sept-Oct, 1943 Mar, i

39 f 37 f r f ILLINOIS CITY LOCATIONS, 1. Coumbia 2. French Viage J. Coinsvie 4. Tarna co Greenvie 9. Springfied Muberry Grove 10. Moine Kinderhook 11. Savanna Arenzvie 12. Chicago

40 ( J8 L I f [ NAME INDEX Beard, Gerad.. J5 Beims, Bud. 15,16 Bonn, Ida Nico..., 1 J, J4 Bonn, Water ,12,14,16 Brockhouse, Oaf.. 18 Brown, James David 26,J5 Buck, Harod Cyde 26, J5 Buck, Murie Nico. 17,26-7,J4-5 By:ers, Sharon... )2 Carpenter,?. 20 Carpenter, Everette Cararon, Roy Charesworth, Bi.... 2)-4 Cox, Raph.... )5 Dresser, Ed Dufemei er, Bi.. 11, 1 J Fie, Water... 9 Goss, Darwin Goss, Joyce Nico... 27,)4-5 Grese, Ama Nico ,34 Grese, Wiiam.... 6,14,16 Hamm, Bob , 1 3 Hansmeyer, Doc Hartman, Ed Hartman, Henry.. 6,8,11-13 Hartman, Vernetta Beck.. J5 Herb~rt, Chares (Car) 23, 35 Humme, George James, Terry Jones, Leo.. 11,13 Kam.pus,? )1 Kreuder, Miriam.. 26,J5 Lewis, Neie. 2J Long, Chares D. 18, ,34-5 Long, Jess Lovekamp, Bi Lovekamp, Edwin Lovekamp, Gen. 25 Lovekamp, Luther 18,2J-26,J2,J5 Lovekamp, 0 tto. 13 Lovekamp, Werner ,35 Lutkhas, Johnny.. 18 Lutkehus, Chester.. 25 Maney, Dwi~ht.. 20 Maney, Lye. 20 McCoud, Roy Meier,?.. 5 Meier, Louise Nico 7,9,13-14,J4 Michae, Esie Nico J-14,34 M i 11 er, Jim Mier, Lois Jeane.. 35

41 39 INDEX r Moore, Frank.... o 16 Morgan, Jim.. o 35 Musch, Mevin... 25,35 Newberry, George Nico, Abert Adoph.4,6,8,9,12-34 Nico, Abert Arthur. 27-8,34-5 Nico, C.Wm.Howard. 13,14,34 Nico, Dwight... 27, 30, 34 Nico, Edward.. 6-8,12-14,34 Nico, Emer 13,16,25,34 N i co 1, Gustav G. C.... 1,4-10,13-16,28,34 Nico, Gustav M... 13,15-16,34 Nico, Ida Nobis.. 7-8,27,32,34 Nico, Irvin ,34 Nico, Joyce Dawne Beard.. 35 Nico, Leand.. 23,27,28,30-35 Nico, Mary Tribout... 4,5,13,34 Nico, Roy.. 5,7,13,14,16,34 Nico, Wibur ,19-22,25,27-30,34-5 Nobis, Frederick 8 Nobis, Juius Pau, Theodore. 35 Peck, Red Phiamee, Robert.. 32, 35 Rademeyer, Henry. 6 Ritchie, Shirey Nico. 27,34 Ritter, Eieen Roegge, Robert P. 18,23,26,35 Rury, Pau... 28, 35 Schone, Phyis Maxine.. 35 Schone, Wayne... 23,35 Schurman, Herman Simon, Norma Jean 32 Spears, James Spears, Ruth Stinson, Irvin Tayor, James Themas, Spires. 30 Thompson, Jeanne Tribout, Ed Trude, Donad L 35 Truninger, David. 32,35 Varenhod, Chares.... 7

42 40 INDEX 1 Waker, Robert J2,J6 Wheaton, Esther Bernice.. J6 Wheeer, Cyde 18,2),24 Wiman, Charie. 15,16 Winkeman, Marin. 25 Witte, Oga Marjorie.. J6 Wi ttie, Wima , 36 Zuauf, Dean. o 2), 25 Zuauf, Macom Keith.. J6 / t r f I t [