PAGE 4 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - MAY 13, 2009
Jones and Morrison brickyard by Stanley Selin This article is based on the booklet “Past Industries of the Grantsburg Area,” by Alton C. Jensen, with permission from the Grantsburg Area Historical Society. There were many clay deposits in the western part of Burnett County, which were suitable for making bricks. The largest of these was located on the north side of Wood River west of the presentday dam on Memory Lake. The clay found in this deposit was on the western part of the Hickerson Roller Mill property. It was purchased from Joel Hickerson by the Jones and
Collected by
Russ Hanson
River Road
Ramblings Morrison Company, and was known as Brickyard Pond. The clay was dug with hand labor from a pit over 70 feet deep. It was transported on a narrow-gauge track and then hauled across the river for molding. The clay was dumped into a mixing machine and then pressed and shaped into bricks. The bricks were
This photo of two of the four kilns was taken in 1906. One man recalled cutting all the poles used for fuel in the four kilns, for which he was paid 1-1/4 cents for each pole. – Photo from “Strolling Through a Century.”
The crew of workers pose for a photo at the brick drying yard. The factory made millions of bricks over many years. - Photo from the book “Strolling Through a Century.” slowly dried in open-air sheds, but sheltered from the sun and rain until the drying process was completed. The dried bricks were placed in four woodfired kilns for the firing process. The first firing that was done was in 1902 and produced 100,000 bricks. About this time, Jones and Morrison sold their factory to the Minneapolis Terra Cotta Factory, which was owned by the Minneapolis Brick Company. MBC built an office along the road between the Hickerson Roller Mill and the brickyard. A resident manager was placed in charge of production and sales.
When there were sufficient dried bricks for a firing, they sent a representative there to help oversee the operation. When the bricks in the kiln had cooled, the workers would take them out and sort them according to style and condition, and then stack them to be sold later. The former Burnett County Abstract Company building was constructed of MBC bricks, as well as several other buildings. Many homes in the outlying areas, such as in Trade Lake, had chimneys built of these locally made bricks in the early 1900s.
A brick made at the Grantsburg brickyard. Some bricks had the letters “MBC” on the top of the brick. Photo from Selin collection.
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