Herald Journal,
June 30, 2003
Millerbernd Manufacturing's pole standing tall for 30 years
By Julie Yurek
Millerbernd Manufacturing celebrated the 30th anniversary of erecting its 200-foot light pole June 20 with an afternoon picnic for employees.
More than 80 employees and their spouses were on hand to observe the anniversary, said Dave Millerbernd, company president.
The actual date of the installation of the pole was June 27,1973.
The 16-sided pole is constructed of five 40-foot sections and weighs 16 tons. It is made of ASTM-A588 Cor-Ten steel, which has five times the normal atmospheric corrosion resistance of regular steel.
The nylon United States flag that now is seen on holidays and special occasions wasn't added until May 22, Memorial Day weekend 1992.
The flag is raised for the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, and special occasions such as the Sept. 11 anniversary and Winstock, Millerbernd said.
During the ceremony 11 years ago, participants included Winsted Legion Post 407, Holy Trinity High School band, Mayor Don Guggemos, and McLeod County Commissioner Ray Bayerl.
It took about 15 Legion members 15 minutes to raise the flag that day.
Today it takes three to four people to raise it, Millerbernd said.
The flag does not need as many people to hold it as it once did because it is now inside a box and is raised directly from it, he said.
The idea to add the flag was thought of to promote the company's new line flag poles, Millerbernd said.
The flag is 30 feet by 50 feet. The stars are 14 1/2 inches wide across and the stripes are 27 inches wide.
The pole was designed to carry up to 24 lights. It can withstand winds up to 130 miles per hour. The deflection at that speed is approximately 20 feet.
At the pole's base, it is six feet in diameter and at the top it's seven inches wide. The pole is anchored into reinforced concrete with 24 12-foot long steel bolts.
On each corner of the square there are three 60-foot steel pilings. The estimated weight of the entire foundation is 170 tons.
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