April 14, 2021 – West Bend, WI – There’s heavy machinery in the 4700 block of Highway 33, in West Bend. The excavators are sitting just to the west of an old wooden barn sporting a pink rose barn quilt. Dave Johnson, president of West Bend Sand & Stone, said the quilt was made for his mother Rose Johnson.
“One of my nieces did the design work on the quilt,” said Johnson. “When the barn comes down we will relocate the quilt to my cousin’s barn on Highway 33 and County Highway Z.”
Johnson said the barn has been in a distressed state for a while now. “It was supposed to come down last fall but now that the south end has blown in I’m hoping it will come down in the next few weeks,” he said.
The barn belonged to Leroy Wilkomm. Johnson purchased the property about 15 years ago.
The parcel will be used by Johnson as a temporary borrow pit. “There won’t be any crushing or any activity like that but with the Highway 45 project and all the new Kwik Trips in town there’s been a lot of demand lately and we’re going to use that lot to supplement our operation down here,” said Johnson.
The 200-acre sand and gravel pit at 4246 WIS-33 W, was started by his grandfather, Aaron W. Johnson, in 1952.
Dave Johnson said the site on top of the hill will be excavated for about four years. “We’re going to truck the material down here (to WB Sand & Stone) during the off season,” he said.
Right now Johnson relies on one drag line to take the gravel out of the water at West Bend Sand & Stone and it is not as easy as it was 10 years ago. “We’re relying on one machine now, and if that ever breaks down we’re at the mercy of trying to get parts for it so we want to make sure our customers are supplied so the temporary borrow pit is our Plan B for now,” he said.
Johnson said West Bend Sand & Stone has about seven more years of resources available.
Below a photo of Horseshoe Hill, looking east towards West Bend. Click HERE for more history from Terry Becker and You Know You are from West Bend if…
