How Alpena became Cement City and home to Besser machines

Alpena’s Cement City story has both a historical record and a present-day version. Michigan’s 1957 mineral-industry report says Huron Portland Cement was founded in 1907 and operated the largest single cement mill in the world at Alpena. That is a dated description of the plant then, not its current ranking.

The current operator, Amrize, now calls Alpena one of North America’s largest cement plants. It reports five large kilns and annual production of about 2.7 million tons, with bulk cement leaving by Great Lakes vessel. That remains an enormous operation, but it is a narrower and more useful current claim than “among the biggest anywhere.”

The Besser story needs the same care. Besser Company’s history says Jesse Besser produced one of the first hand-tamp concrete-block machines in Alpena in 1904. It does not claim he was the only inventor of the concrete-block machine. The company remains headquartered in Alpena and says its equipment now works in more than 130 countries.

The Besser Museum traces its beginning to a 1964 gift from Jesse Besser and other contributors. It now includes an exhibit on Jesse and the company as well as a fossil park. Put the pieces together and the nickname makes sense: Alpena supplied cement on a huge scale, and an Alpena company helped builders turn concrete into blocks around the world.