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Encyclopedia Dubuque

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BRICK MANUFACTURING: Difference between revisions

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BRICK MANUFACTURING. In the late nineteenth century, most brick works were similar. Soak pits were used to prepare and mix clay. Clay was mixed with water and soaked overnight for softening so that it could be shaped into bricks using wooden forms. Once technology began to take over, molding the bricks into the proper shapes became easier by using a soft-mud brick machine. The machine automatically shaped the pieces of clay into the form of bricks. A talented brick maker could produce about 4,000 bricks per day by hand. By the 1890s, some brick machines could even produce up to 5,000 bricks per hour.
[[Image:brick.jpg|left|thumb|500px|A typical brick manufacturing operation in the 1800s.]]
[[Image:brickyard.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Heim brickyard c.1900. Photo courtesy: Bob Reding]]BRICK MANUFACTURING. An announcement was made in November, 1855 that at least one brick-making machine might be brought to the city the following spring. The [[EXPRESS AND HERALD]] declared such an occurrence would be necessary if the city was to house its growing population. (1)


The next step was drying the bricks to make them hard and durable. Brick-makers would put the soft bricks into a steam-heated drying room. The drying room was usually the largest area of a brick works facility because they had to handle such a large amount of bricks at a time. Towards the end of the existence of the brick works, the companies used a drying tunnel which allowed the bricks to move through the drying room by a conveyor belt with steam heat blown on them. By using a drying tunnel a much higher quantity of bricks could be dried and finished at a time, achieving higher sales and saved labor. Before the technology of drying rooms and tunnels, brick-makers had to lay bricks outside to dry naturally in the sun.
In 1891 clay from the farm of [[STEWART, Robert W.|Robert W. STEWART]] was shipped to a brick manufacturer in Philadelphia. Its return in the form of high quality pavement brick indicated the beginning of a new industry for Dubuque. (2) In the late nineteenth century, most brick works were similar. Soak pits were used to prepare and mix clay with water. This was soaked overnight for softening so that it could be shaped into bricks using wooden forms. (3)


The last process was to fire the clay in kilns to cook the clay before it went through a final drying process. By cooking the clay, all of the finer elements were fused with one another to create a stronger, more durable, solid mass.
In the early days, the drying process called "edging" required that the bricks be placed on their sides. Children earned ten cents an hour helping the turn the bricks. (4)


Longer drying periods of up to three weeks occurred in "alleys." When the bricks were dry enough, they were placed in kilns to be burned--a process from which they got their red color. "Mobile kilns" were taken to the construction sites for brick making with cooks accompanying the workers on out-of-town jobs. (5) The kilning process took from two to three days and then varying times to cool. Bricks closest to the fire were called "maroon bricks." A dark red color, these bricks were used on outside walls. Bricks furthest away from the fire were called "soakers" because they absorbed water. These were used in the construction of inside brick walls. (6)
Once technology began to take over, molding the bricks into the proper shapes became easier by using a soft-mud brick machine. The machine automatically shaped the pieces of clay into the form of bricks. A talented brick maker could produce about 4,000 bricks per day by hand. By the 1890s, some brick machines could produce up to 5,000 bricks per hour.
Brick making in Dubuque declined as a major industry during the [[GREAT DEPRESSION]].
See: [[HEIM BRICK COMPANY]]
---
Source:
1. "The Prospects of Dubuque," ''Express & Herald'', November 27, 1855, p. 2
2. "Paving Brick in Dubuque," ''Dubuque Herald'', January 1, 1891, p. 4
3. Thran, Sally. "Foundation for Early Dubuque," ''Telegraph Herald'', July 16, 1961, (Dubuque News) p. 1
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Thompson, Bob. '''Born on a Mountaintop'''. New York: Crown Trade Group, 2012, p. 46
7. "Caught on the Fly," ''The Daily Herald'', February 9, 1876, p. 4
8. "Changed His Base," The Daily Herald, December 1, 1878, p. 4
9. "Caught on the Fly," ''The Dubuque Herald'', May 2, 1885, p. 4
10. "Death of W. E. Bentley," ''The Herald'', September 5, 1891, p. 4
[[Image:imp940.jpg|left|thumb|150px|Photo courtesy: Bob Reding]]
[[Image:imp941.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Photo courtesy: Bob Reding]]
[[Image:MBC.jpg|left|thumb|150px|Photo courtesy: Bob Reding]]
'''Historic Brick Manufacturers of Dubuque'''


1859
1859
Line 16: Line 57:
John Behrens Division near Lake
John Behrens Division near Lake


Caleb Knapp head of Third
Caleb Knapp [[KNAPP BRICKYARD]] head of Third


1868-1869
1868-1869
Line 32: Line 73:
A. Knapp southwest corner of Julien Ave. and Nevada
A. Knapp southwest corner of Julien Ave. and Nevada


Bernard J. O'Neill west side of Hill between Fifth and Pine
Bernard J. O'Neill west side of Hill between Fifth and Pine. In 1876 he purchased 1.5 acres once owned by Brown & Hedley for brick
making giving him six acres "of the best material for brick making in the city." (7) In the winter, O'Neill became a grain buyer. (8)


1873-1874
1873-1874
Line 40: Line 82:
Hildebrand & Ham on Division
Hildebrand & Ham on Division


August Rober Eagle Point
August Roeber Eagle Point


1874-1875
1874-1875
Line 48: Line 90:
Platz & Dietrich Division
Platz & Dietrich Division


E. Roeber north side of Lake east of 9th
[[ROEBER, August|August ROEBER]] north side of Lake east of 9th


1875-1876
1875-1876
Line 62: Line 104:
J. Platz Division
J. Platz Division


A. Reper head of Lake
A. Roeber head of Lake


1876
1876
Line 73: Line 115:


O.C. Knapp near corner Dodge and Grandview
O.C. Knapp near corner Dodge and Grandview
1885
Frank Chesterman (location unknown) employed up to eight men. (9)


1886-1887
1886-1887
Line 82: Line 128:
1889
1889


William Bentley 204 Delhi
William Bentley 204 Delhi. Operated this brickyard for two years. (10)


1899
1899
Line 101: Line 147:


John Heim Broadway Extension
John Heim Broadway Extension
[[Category: Industry]]

Latest revision as of 17:15, 23 February 2023

A typical brick manufacturing operation in the 1800s.
Heim brickyard c.1900. Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

BRICK MANUFACTURING. An announcement was made in November, 1855 that at least one brick-making machine might be brought to the city the following spring. The EXPRESS AND HERALD declared such an occurrence would be necessary if the city was to house its growing population. (1)

In 1891 clay from the farm of Robert W. STEWART was shipped to a brick manufacturer in Philadelphia. Its return in the form of high quality pavement brick indicated the beginning of a new industry for Dubuque. (2) In the late nineteenth century, most brick works were similar. Soak pits were used to prepare and mix clay with water. This was soaked overnight for softening so that it could be shaped into bricks using wooden forms. (3)

In the early days, the drying process called "edging" required that the bricks be placed on their sides. Children earned ten cents an hour helping the turn the bricks. (4)

Longer drying periods of up to three weeks occurred in "alleys." When the bricks were dry enough, they were placed in kilns to be burned--a process from which they got their red color. "Mobile kilns" were taken to the construction sites for brick making with cooks accompanying the workers on out-of-town jobs. (5) The kilning process took from two to three days and then varying times to cool. Bricks closest to the fire were called "maroon bricks." A dark red color, these bricks were used on outside walls. Bricks furthest away from the fire were called "soakers" because they absorbed water. These were used in the construction of inside brick walls. (6)

Once technology began to take over, molding the bricks into the proper shapes became easier by using a soft-mud brick machine. The machine automatically shaped the pieces of clay into the form of bricks. A talented brick maker could produce about 4,000 bricks per day by hand. By the 1890s, some brick machines could produce up to 5,000 bricks per hour.

Brick making in Dubuque declined as a major industry during the GREAT DEPRESSION.

See: HEIM BRICK COMPANY

---

Source:

1. "The Prospects of Dubuque," Express & Herald, November 27, 1855, p. 2

2. "Paving Brick in Dubuque," Dubuque Herald, January 1, 1891, p. 4

3. Thran, Sally. "Foundation for Early Dubuque," Telegraph Herald, July 16, 1961, (Dubuque News) p. 1

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid.

6. Thompson, Bob. Born on a Mountaintop. New York: Crown Trade Group, 2012, p. 46

7. "Caught on the Fly," The Daily Herald, February 9, 1876, p. 4

8. "Changed His Base," The Daily Herald, December 1, 1878, p. 4

9. "Caught on the Fly," The Dubuque Herald, May 2, 1885, p. 4

10. "Death of W. E. Bentley," The Herald, September 5, 1891, p. 4


Photo courtesy: Bob Reding
Photo courtesy: Bob Reding
Photo courtesy: Bob Reding


Historic Brick Manufacturers of Dubuque

1859

A. Graham corner of Hill and 5th Street

P.S. Wells corner of Hill and 5th Street

1867

John Behrens Division near Lake

Caleb Knapp KNAPP BRICKYARD head of Third

1868-1869

John Blake Mineral near Seventeenth

Anton Heeb south side of Eagle Point Ave. near Couler Ave.

Hughes & Hutton head of Third

Mrs. Harriet Wells north east corner of Fifth and Hill

1870-1871

A. Knapp southwest corner of Julien Ave. and Nevada

Bernard J. O'Neill west side of Hill between Fifth and Pine. In 1876 he purchased 1.5 acres once owned by Brown & Hedley for brick making giving him six acres "of the best material for brick making in the city." (7) In the winter, O'Neill became a grain buyer. (8)

1873-1874

John Heim Couler Ave. and 29th

Hildebrand & Ham on Division

August Roeber Eagle Point

1874-1875

T.B. Ham 740 High

Platz & Dietrich Division

August ROEBER north side of Lake east of 9th

1875-1876

Hutton & Curry 495 West 5th

A.J. Knapp West end West 3rd

C. Knapp corner of Grandview and Dodge

C.H. Mattox corner of Hill and 5th

J. Platz Division

A. Roeber head of Lake

1876

Graham corner of Hill and 5th

1878-1879

August Roeber west side Lake between 6th and 7th

O.C. Knapp near corner Dodge and Grandview

1885

Frank Chesterman (location unknown) employed up to eight men. (9)

1886-1887

John Dietrich 93 Lincoln

D. Maggenburg east side of Broadway north of Diagonal

1889

William Bentley 204 Delhi. Operated this brickyard for two years. (10)

1899

Dietrich Bros 1203 Lincoln

Eagle Point Lime Works Lime near Lincoln

Albert Gasser Grandview and Fremont, 307 Grandview

Mrs. Agatha Heim 3403 Couler Ave.

1909

Dietrich & Beutin yards on hill west of Lincoln and Ann

1911

John Heim Broadway Extension

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