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Tom Monto

Cloverdale brickyard historic notes

Updated: Dec 6, 2022

Here is recent research on two brickyards that operated in Edmonton about a hundred years ago. They were located at east end of Cloverdale - Gallagher Flats, near the river valley wall not too far from the North Saskatchewan River.


Pressed Brick Limited 1907-1912 Hardstone Brick 1912-1915 A historical plaque on site of the old plant at base of Cloverdale Road, offers these few words: "Camel Humps At the turn of the century our river valley was an ideal location for industry. Between 1907 and 1915 the Hardstone Brick Company made bricks at this site using sand from the river bank. They piled the waste, mainly clay, into huge mounds. Nature quickly took root in the organic waste and has reclaimed this industrial site as its own. Today the tree-covered piles are locally known as the Camel Humps and are recognized as an environmentally sensitive area." Photos next to the text are totally bleached out. One, from the Provincial Archives of Alberta (PAA), is said to show "men posed beside the first batch of bricks produced at this site May 8, 1908" [which date is confirmed in historical notes below) [The exact number of this photo at the PAA is unknown]


For my proper write-up on the Camel Humps, see

https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2022/02/10/the-camel-humps-a-special-little-corner-of-edmonton/ ======================================================= [Manson's Bricks of Alberta book does not offer any more information than is found here.] Tingley and Bunner's Cloverdale history has some information on the Hardstone business - page 57-58, 59 - including photo of the plant, recorded as PAA B-1352 ========================================================== Pressed Brick Limited - notes on its history (not to be confused with Edmonton Pressed Brick Works belonging to Peter Anderson (as mentioned in April 4, 1908 EB). See separate file for info on this man and his plant.) 1907 group of local capitalists organized a company (Pressed Brick Limited) for the manufacture of pressed bricks by the Berg process. "By the Berg process, which is used extensively in the U.S. and Eastern Canada, an excellent brick is turned out, that is 94 percent sand and 6 percent lime." Among its officers were D.R. Fraser, Charles May, J.H. Gariepy and Cornelius Gallagher. (EB, June 15, 1907, p. 1) more information published on the new sand-lime brick - "produced by chemical action of high-grade lime and pure sand under high steam pressure." much more on its production and durability under various conditions. (EB, June 18, 1907) Plant to soon be connected to EY&P line by new railway spurline running from plant to main line. Production to start as soon as November 1907. (Strathcona Chronicle, Aug. 7, 1907) Pressed Brick is to produce 5M bricks more than any other company operating in Edmonton (EB, March 12, 1908) Other brickyards were P. Anderson, Jas. Little, Pollard Bros., Edmonton Brick Co, and Acme Brick on CNR line between Edmonton and St. Albert. This last, like Press Brick, was just getting going in early 1908. Acme Brick Co. in operation as of June 1908. comparison of old and new methods of brickmaking (EB, June 27, 1908) first sample bricks produced in May 1908. plant located several hundred yards downstream of Low Level Bridge. expecting to make 20,000 bricks per day. [plant fully described in EB, May 30, 1908.] I have found no newspaper mention of the company from 1908 until 1911.


In 1911, I found this item: "Sand-lime brick plant for sale property consists of 11 1/2 acres, the necessary building and plant, said to be capable of manufacturing 20,00 bricks per day of 10 hours... The body of sand has been tested to a depth of more than 35 feet." (Edmonton Bulletin (EB), May 29, 1911) ====================================================== Hardstone Brick Company - notes on its history 1912 Hardstone Brick Company being formed to take over the defunct Pressed Brick Company - its sand-pit, real estate, entire plant and buildings. (Saturday News, Jan. 27, 1912) Hardstone promotion ad in Saturday News, Jan. 27, 1912: Cornelius Gallagher, John Walter, Thomas Bellamy, MLA P.E. Lessard were early investors in the company. Promising 30 percent dividend on first year’s operation, in 7.5M bricks will be manufactured. Optimism arises from importation of Magdeburg (Germany) sand-lime brick-making machinery and trained personnel to operate it. This was to be the first plant of its kind in Canada. Sample of local sand had been sent to Germany and experts said it was perfectly suited to the making of sand-lime bricks. These are better than usual clay bricks -being fireproof, waterproof, frostproof, frost only making them harder. Being water-proof they can be submerged in water so can be used as foundation in any kind of soil, wet or dry. (EB, May 8, 1912) [the camel humps must be the natural ground left high next to the excavations made in the sand-pits] The company was formed, incorporated on March 9. Cornelius Gallagher is president, C.S. Stevens, formerly of BC, is managing director. (EB, May 8, 1912) Machinery already on way apparently, as within a couple months, bricks were to be ready. Near to plant was a large boarding house and large stable, which was large enough to be a business on its own: to house horses used to pull freight wagons or as a livery stable where horse-owners could rent space and horses loaned out. [mentioned in a couple places.] In May the company advertized that it had sand for sale and expected to have bricks for sale by late June (EB, May 6, 1912) The sand-lime bricks were to be manufactured all year round, summer and winter, and ten hours from the time the sand is taken out of the ground, it will be in brick ready for building. 30,000 bricks produced each day, or 60,000 if working a double crew. City providing electricity to allow double crew to work. An electric motor and steam boilers also in use. [a stable is mentioned so horse power as well apparently.] (EB, May 8, 1912) Nov. 3, 1913 Hardstone Brick Company closed its downtown offices and moved staff to offices at the plant, pending the plant’s re-opening in the spring. (EB, Nov. 3, 1913) Ad in March newspaper: 120 horsepower engine, with 12-foot flywheel with 22-inch face, for sale. Boarding house and stable available for rent. (EB, March 20, 1914) Frank Blake, president of the Alberta Bricklayers, Masons and Plasterers of America International Union, put pressure on the Builder’s Exchange for higher wages for its union members. Builder’s Exchange member, the Hardstone Brick Company, was mentioned. (EB, April 21, 1914) Edmonton Exhibition included a large display of the Hardstone Brick Company. A 40-foot wall with an arch, made of the several varieties of brick produced by the company, arranged in a very pleasing colour scheme. (EB, Aug. 14, 1914) Hardstone Brick Co. in liquidation according to newspaper ad in late 1915. (EB, Dec. 13, 1915) =============================================================================




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