Recognize the place in the old photograph? It is the lime kiln on East Third Street, just before the overpass going from Sheetz to Super 8 motel. Well, only the stonework remains. This kiln was used to bake limestone rock into lime powder for use on farm fields and as mortar for building. The limestone was created by dead critters and plants sinking to the bottom of an ocean floor about 300 million years ago. Yep, we were located near the equator, then. Today, my munchkins investigated their own homemade limestone. We froze our sample and then baked it. Although we did not make lime -- that would take 8 hours in an 800-degree Fahrenheit oven, some sample did begin to crumble. Where Sheetz is today, was once a rock quarry for limestone. Carl McDaniel, of Loyalsock, submitted several photos of that quarry to the Sun-Gazette's CU Galleries. Those galleries are really neat to view. Anyway, the old kiln is falling into disrepair. Since it is a historical place it could not be removed to make way for I-180. However, 30 years of traffic vibrating through that area has damaged the old kiln. I told my cherubs that little piece of Loyalsock history may soon succumb to the ravages of man's technology. Too bad, we have so very little left to call our heritage.
Have a great night, folks. Don't forget yesterday was mighty grand, as well.
2 comments:
Wow! That is really cool. I remember you saying something about that last year, but I didn't see a picture. Mrs. Walls' class is doing a project on Lycoming County history in February. We went to the library today and are going to make a radio spot at Penn College when we are done. :D
Thanks for the hstory info. Matt has been asking what that stone struture was and used for. He now knows.
Joanie
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