Grounded in Generations, Rocks, and Resiliency: The Story of Mayville Limestone, Inc. - Part 4

The following is a multipart historical piece on Mayville Limestone Incorporated. The information was compiled using these sources: “From Mayville to Milwaukee: The Visual Culture of the Iron and Steel Industry in Southeastern Wisconsin” by John H. Kopmeier, Jr., “Wisconsin Iron” by James C. Percival, “Lime Industry in Wisconsin” by the Wisconsin Historical Society, “Mayville’s Oldest Industry Celebrates 125 Years in Business” by Mayville Limestone, Inc., The Dodge County Pionier, The Mayville News, Daniel Seurer, Mayville Limestone, Inc., and these books: “Fifty Years in Business: Golden Jubilee Souvenir of the Chas Ruedebusch Co. Mayville, Wis.” by Chas Ruedebusch, “When Iron was King in Dodge County, Wisconsin 1845-1928” by George G. Frederick, and “Kilns and Crushers Vol. 3: Dodge County WI” by Daniel Seurer and Joel Valle.
Like his father, Charles (Chas) Ruedebusch, Sr., Carl H. Ruedebusch gave all that he had to the Mayville White Lime Works. Instead of taking a behind-the-scenes role, Carl H. Ruedebusch and his son, Carl G. Ruedebusch, were actively involved on the floor of the lime works, but the floor can be a dangerous place. The Mayville White Lime Works has a history of safety, surprising within the industry that extends to today. Few accidents have occurred, and even fewer fatalities.
On October 13, 1942, “The Mayville News” reported, “Carl [G.] Ruedebusch had a narrow escape from death by suffocation when he fell into a lime bin at the Mayville White Lime Works and lime was dumped on him before anyone saw his predicament. When a trucker opened the bin, he saw Carl’s shoes sticking out from the agricultural limestone.”
Ruedebusch was rushed to the hospital unconscious, but otherwise suffered no injuries.
After the accident, the Ruedebusches continued their dedication to Mayville White Lime Works and the Mayville community. In 1954, the lime works donated limestone to the Mayville mayor for city construction purposes. The company has followed in their giving footsteps through the years, donating two tenor saxophones to Mayville High School in memory of its secretary-treasurer, Kurt Ruedebusch (the grandson of Emil Ruedebusch), in 1975, and providing limestone products to numerous community projects and organizations in recent years.

Along with sharing materials, Mayville White Lime Works has shared its expertise. In 1975, under the presidency of James (Jim) Smith (the husband of Carl H. Ruedebusch’s granddaughter, Ellen), the lime works welcomed Chairman Jose Stammel and Director of ISUI Cooperative Marino Tedesco of the University of Rio Grande do sul in Brazil to study its “agricultural limestone production, distribution systems and storage.”
The production and distribution others sought to learn about could have come to an end in 1979 when another fire threatened to bring an end to the over a century old family business.
“I was here the day that happened,” said current Mayville Limestone, Inc. president Tony Smith, the son of Jim Smith. “Had we all been 15 minutes later, I think we would have had a complete destruction. When I got to the upstairs, the entire place was on fire. The conveyor belts were burning. All of the wooden beams were on fire. Fortunately, the Iron Ridge Fire Department and Mayville [Fire Department] came.”
The lime works faced another potential fire in the mid-1980s when a propane tank was left on, but no fire spread from the initial flame.
Around the same time as the possible fire, another event occurred, causing tension that traveled through the roots of the family business. In 1983, the company changed its name from the Mayville White Lime Works to Mayville Limestone, Inc.
“That was controversial. Boy, my Grandma Ruedebusch [(wife of Carl G. Ruedebusch)] did not like that,” said Tony Smith. “My dad, Jim Smith, thought it was a more fitting name. We weren’t really supplying a white lime. Our product was more of a beige compared to some others that were more white.”
In 2011, to increase the tonnage capacity of “beige” lime production, Mayville Limestone, Inc. completed a plant expansion, including the addition of a five-deck screen and a KPI portable crusher. These expansions and others have allowed Mayville Limestone to crush roughly 500,000 tons of limestone per year, a feat Chas Ruedebusch likely couldn’t even imagine when he acquired the lime works 150 years ago. The adaptable resilience and familial grounding Chas displayed has passed through six generations and all 150 years of business.
“There is a sense of accomplishment and family dedication,” stated Mayville Limestone vice president Greg Smith.
“We are very proud,” added his brother Tony Smith. “We are happy that we had six generations to hand it over to.”
150 years is not the end for Mayville Limestone, Inc., only a milestone for celebrating its industry resiliency, family-grounded history, and valuing of the community and its people.
“Our goal is to continue to provide a reliable source of income for the community and for workers and to continue to expand our quarry operations,” stated general manager Elliott Smith, the sixth generation of the Ruedebusch-Smith family. “I would say that we’d like to be known for treating our employees very well. That’s kind of our legacy–being known for providing an extremely stable job to the community.”