Blue Clay and Blacktop: Springville Lessons

The Route 240 rebuild reveals financial strain, surprise audits, and marks the company’s entry into paving and dirt work.

In 1966, George was successful in bidding Route 240 from Glenwood to East Concord. This was a total rebuild, with sections of new alignment. As anyone who travels that area knows, the glacial till is abundant. My memories of this project include Dad worrying about it more than I ever saw before and hearing countless tales of “that damn blue clay”.
I can’t imagine this project made any money, but it taught some fine life lessons. To add fuel to the fire, I was working on the concrete crew during the summers at that time. One day, we were eating lunch, and a gent came along talking to the guys. Sleeping in the shade seemed more important than listening to the chat they were having. Eventually, he got to me and said, “So how much are they paying you, kid?”

I’m guessing the rate was about $2.50 to $3.00 an hour back then. With the old man paying me $1/hr at 16 years old, that was big money, and I was proud to brag about it. Well, Phil (you remember Phil) started laughing. At what, I have no idea, but I knew I screwed up. When Bart returned, the crew couldn’t wait to tell the story. Once again, I got the “you dumb bastard” stare that Bart was famous for and was told to keep my trap shut to strangers.

When I got home that night, I was ready for the ass-chewing to begin. But instead, the old man handed me a bank account with a bunch of money. Turns out the gent worked for the Department of Labor and was in the office that afternoon writing citations. I don’t know how, but the old man created this bank account to prove he was paying me the rate, but setting it aside to keep me from blowing it. To save his own ass, he agreed to give it to me and started paying me properly on the check. A few months later, my first car was paid in full.

Along with Route 240 came Route 39 in Springville, Waverly Street to Route 219 was widened with new drainage, curbs, gutters, and sidewalks. From Route 219 to a half mile east of Trevett Road was new alignment with some large cast-in-place culverts. This section had some big cuts and fills that were subbed to Pendleton Contractors. They also did Kennedy, Frewsburg, and Route 240 for us.

The job started in late fall with pipework in the village. When spring came, the IRS showed up to confiscate Pendleton’s dirt spread. There wasn’t much left, but they took what was there. Around that time, George decided to have a go at it himself. He immediately hired the good people who had been with Miles and Pendleton and found Fritz Nowak to run the operation. Springville was a good-sized job, and Fritz did well.

At the same time, our paving sub went under. Not wanting to go through the same problems as the dirt guys, George bought out Vogtli Equipment, hired the crew, and went into the paving business.