From Concrete Blocks to Breaking News
The news that The Warren County Way is now operating at 605 Morrison Street has stirred memories of when McMinnville Concrete Block Company was a thriving business at that location.
McMinnville Concrete Block Company was a major employer in our town with a workforce of 40 in McMinnville and total workforce of 62 when including its branches in Woodbury, Smithville, and Sparta.
Cement mixers filled the property and activity was rampant.
The Block Company was started on Morrison Street by Brown Neal and Billy Whitson in 1951 or 1952. Brown oversaw much of the hands-on work, while Billy was the man behind the desk.
Just as the Block Company was getting its start, Neal and Whitson showed their generosity by selling a portion of their property for just $1 to Westwood Church of Christ.
The block machine was constantly in use and could make three blocks at once. It was such an efficient machine, a delegation from Portland, Oregon traveled to McMinnville to see the block machine in operation.
There was such a high demand for block in the early 1950s, Billy Whitson wrote a letter to the president requesting an allocation of more steel to accommodate the post-World War II housing boom.
Many notable McMinnville residents worked at the Block Company, including Charles Smith, Fred Greene, Bobby Terry, and Barry King.
Barry had the privilege of working at the Block Company and its sand plant, which was located atop the mountain in the Skymont area between Hillsboro and Pelham. Barry said the sand plant was crucial to the Block Company – and the entire region – because sand was a key ingredient for the concrete blocks and the mortar mix for masonry work.
“They drilled, blasted, and crushed the sandstone,” said Barry. “That was happening on top of the mountain. The real trick was getting it down the mountain. Brown designed a flume line where sand was washed down a flume that was 12 inches wide and 12 inches tall. The sand was pulled uphill at the end to help it dry.”
When General Shale eventually bought McMinnville Concrete Block Company and the sand plant in 1967, engineers were sent to see if they could improve the method developed by Brown Neal of sending sand down the mountain.
“They said they could see no way of improving the system Mr. Neal had set up,” said Barry. “He was a self-taught engineer. He had no formal schooling for it. But he was a nuts-and-bolts type guy who could figure things out.”
General Shale operated on Morrison Street for some 50 years before closing the local branch around 2017. The property has been largely vacant since.
The Warren County Way hopes to build new history at that location. The company was founded earlier this year by legendary WCHS boys basketball coach Chris Sullens, who has become a popular media personality.
