The tunnel on the left led to a seven story tall chimney that was shared with four other beehive kiln.
What Cheer Iowa was originally a coal mining town. Under the coal seam there was a beautiful layer of Stoneware Clay. Between 1920's and the late 1960's What Cheer sent sewer tile around the world. The Factory consisted of 22 beehive kilns, several large smoke stacks, power plant, tile pipe factory, and a clay processing building. The clay and Coal was all brought in by rail.