ABANDONDED BEFORE IT OPENED! Elizalde Cement Plant Nye County Nevada Carrara White Marble

In November 1940, the Carrara Portland Cement Company was incorporated with John Lewis as president, and Angel M. Elizalde, member of a prominent Spanish business family in the Philippines, as director and major investor. Plans were set for constructing a cutting-edge cement plant in this remote area of the Mojave Desert, adjacent to the Carrara quarry nearby. The quarry would supply the raw materials for two types of cement: the standard gray Portland cement, and a special “white variety” made from the local Carrara marble and clay. Construction commenced in April 1941, with 45 workers laying foundations for the plant's machinery.
The marble would be crushed at the quarry, then transported to the plant's massive 150’ x 10’ rotary kiln. Afterwards, it would be cooled in a second rotary cylinder then sent through a final mill to complete the process. The entire operation was to be powered by a 1100 horsepower diesel engine... one that would later become the plant's 'Achilles Heel'. Construction was estimated to cost around half a million dollars (about $11 million in today’s money!) with a completion date of August 1941. A "Grand Fiesta” was even planned for its completion, and all of southern Nevada was invited to attend!
By May 1941, Angel Elizalde had assumed the role of president and manager, with ambitious plans for the company’s operation. Using a state-of-the-art process, he claimed his plant would be able to produce an estimated 80 tons of cement daily. Tragedy struck just one month before completion though... In July 1941, a FIRE ravaged through the complex, destroying it's key facilities including the machine shop, blacksmith shop, storehouse, & field office. Within a month, it was announced the plant was closing after experiencing difficulty finding replacement parts for those lost in the fire.
Despite efforts to revive the plant construction, the onset of World War II, particularly fuel rationing in May 1942, sealed the fate of the plant for good. There would not be enough diesel available, especially in this remote part of the desert, to feed the thirsty engine. The Carrara Portland Cement Company, amidst its abandoned foundations, never fulfilled its promise, leaving behind a curious landscape of ruins and graffiti art in the desert…
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[@tzadik36]

Thank you for this video!
Ruins of a cementless cement factory! Kind of sad.

[@Mojo-Adventures]

You bet! Seems like it would have been a good venture too... the white marble looks so nice