Monolith: a place in history

Pat Gracey.

The dawn of the 20th century saw many changes in the Tehachapi area.

In 1909, the Los Angeles Cement Company was established four miles east of town and brought welcome employment to local men. The City of Los Angeles had established the plant to provide cement for a giant aqueduct to carry water from the Owens Valley to their city which had everything except an abundance of water.

To accomplish this huge endeavor, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, as early as 1904, began to purchase through much litigation, thousands of acres of Owens Valley land, including water rights. The gigantic undertaking was the brain child of William Mulholland, an Irishman who came to Los Angeles when it was a city of but 7,000 souls. That monumental accomplishment still brings 75% of their water to L.A. through the famous aqueduct.

To this day, 98% of the Owens Valley land is owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Department of Forestry and the Department of Fish and game. The physical make up of the Owens Valley would be permanently changed because of this action which took much underground water as well as causing Owens Lake to become dry.

When the aqueduct was finished there was no need for the cement plant to continue and it was shut down for a time. By 1920, the U.S. Potash company functioned for a short while, but by 1921, the Monolith-Portland Cement Company was born. Coy Burnett, a young, successful attorney, became president, an office he filled until shortly before his death.

With the new business and a new name came a working atmosphere that had not existed before. The small company town, first called Aqueduct during the Los Angeles Cement Company time, was revived and came to life complete with a general store and post office (first run by A. R. White), grammar school, gas station and housing for the employees. A company town to be renamed Monolith. Later, Ed Tompkins took over as proprietor of the business complex. The only contract ever made between the two men, Burnett and Tompkins, was a handshake. A gentleman's agreement. Ed Tompkins, for whom Tompkins Elementary is named, is remembered as a generous business man who ran a fair store. Across the highway from the little town was Monolith Portland Cement Company, a place of employment for the residents of Monolith and Tehachapi for many years to come.

Burnett's interest in his employees extended in many directions. He did not believe a man should be forced into retirement. As long as an employee was able and willing to work he was allowed to stay on the payroll. His own father had died only a few months after his retirement. Years later in 1952, with the comings of the unions, Burnett was required to sign retirement agreements for the employees. It is ironic to note that after his own retirement he lived a mere four months.

The children of employees were often playmates with the four Burnett children when they were in town. In fact, from the early 1930s until the beginning of World War II, each child of Monolith employees from ages 7 to 18 were eligible for a week long trip to Catalina Island at the expense of the company. Upwards of 200 children and 30 adults were known to go. There was a cafeteria set up with food, plus safe lodging and supervision to keep the young people safe. Childhood memories to last a lifetime.

In 1939, the junior and senior class of Tehachapi High School were going to the World's Fair in San Francisco. They were to ride a late night train, sitting up in the coach fare section. Although his son, Coy Barnett, Jr., attended school in the southland, his father wanted him to join the students on the trip. Not wanting his son to sit up all night, he decided to buy Pullman sleep berths for the whole class. A pretty class act.

A quote from a memorial tribute to Burnett, Joan Johnson's Tehachapi News column Over The Back Fence, December 1971, shows that the "big boss" could take it as well as dish it out.

"The President of Monolith greatly respected a job well done as much as he disliked an order poorly executed. The story is still going around about an electrician named Scotty who was called out to do repair work on a downed kiln. While he was working Mr. Burnett appeared on the scene and kept looking over his shoulder and generally getting in the way. In no uncertain terms the electrician finally told the 'stranger' to get out of his way! Mr. Burnett said, 'My name is Coy Burnett, president of this plant.' A quick reply followed when the worker told him, 'My name is Scotty and I am the one who will get this kiln running if you will stand out of my way!' From that time on Mr. Burnett made it a point to stop for a chat with Scotty each time he was in town."

To be remembered kindly by a community of people is a great accomplishment.

In Joan's final quote from her column: "As a town, we remove our hard hats in respect to him."

1. The town of Monolith is completely gone now but the cement plant lives on with a number of different owners, the latest being Tehachapi Cement, LLC (UNACEM - PERU). Some four generations of Tehachapi families have earned their livelihood from a cement plant that has had many names but still seems to retain its original: Monolith.

2. Coy Burnett, Jr. was killed in World War II.