[Facepiece cushion for a respirator used in mining]

[Facepiece cushion for a respirator used in mining]

Year: 1900

A facepiece cushion and strap, along with the box it came in, that would hold a respirator worn by employees of the Dewey-Portland Cement Plant. They were manufactured by the Mine Safety Appliances Company in Pittsburg, PA. The back of the box shows directions for replacing the new cushion onto a respirator. The Dewey-Portland Cement Plant was built along Highway 22 near Buffalo, IA and opened in 1927. According to the book Buffalo, Then and Now, it brought the modern age to Buffalo in the form of mass production. By 1951 the majority of the working population of Buffalo was employed at Dewey-Portland. In 1957 the land it is on was annexed by the town. In 1962, Dewey-Portland was bought out by Martin-Marietta and in 1983 Martin-Marietta was bought out by Cementia. The plant is currently owned by Continental Cement. NOTE: The physical item can be found at the Buffalo Historical Museum at 409 3rd St. in Buffalo, IA.