One of the original letterheads from Easterday Construction's early days when our main offices were on the second floor of the State Exchange Bank Building, now First Farmers Bank, at the corner of Main and Jefferson Streets, downtown Culver.  Notice the three digit phone number!

Easterday Construction Co., Inc. has its early origins in the 1920's as a subsidiary of James I. Barnes Construction of Logansport, Indiana.  Barnes Construction was working extensively for the Culver Military Academy and Russell Easterday was a foreman for the Company.  Offices were opened on the second floor of the State Exchange Bank Building in downtown Culver.  Materials and equipment were stored at the family farm at the edge of town on Slate Street, the current location of our main offices.  Visit our offices and you will still see the "Pony Barn" which is still used for storage on site.

 

Early records are sketchy.  Our earliest project record is cast in concrete on the south side of the Culver Elementary School Gymnasium, where there is a concrete dedication plaque listing construction by R.L. Easterday Construction in 1929.  Family stories tell about Great Grandpa Easterday taking the train overnight to Washington D.C. to bid on Post Offices throughout the Midwest.  He would then take the train back to find a line of people waiting at the office doors to get in on the projects.  This was depression era work, so the wage rate records are fascinating reading.  The Culver Post Office was built by Easterday Construction and they have a collection of all the construction site documentation including photographs.