English: In 1870, Alfred Hurst came to the area, having heard of the limestone formations along the banks of the Maquoketa River. He then found what he considered the best quality limestone rock to produce the whitest, purest, and most adhesive lime in the marketplace. He constructed a small pot kiln and started producing powder lime. He then erected the first draw kiln in 1871, with the other 3 following soon after. In the 1st year, production reached 100 barrels a week, with a total of 3200 barrels for the year. At the company’s peak, the kilns would produce 8000 barrels of lime a day.