Washington Brick & Lime. The Company that made Clayton great and the people that made WB&L great

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The Boiler room was the first to be built. Here are the boilers. But what you are seeing are, the boilers the day they burned the plant in 1957 & they were turned to scrap metal but the day they shut the boilers down the plant ceased to exist. The heart of plant, the heart of the town and even the hearts of many of the people. Clayton was a Boom Town for more than 60 years. So here's to those glory years!

Here is our town, Clayton. Neat as a pin.

Here is our Brick Plant. Neat as a pin.

Here are two guys ready for a lark. Somebody had to build these tall stacks. But not these two. They are just playing.

In the beginning the plant was extensive. The town was sparse. Everything grew up strong and healthy.

An almost seperate enity, the Terra Cotta, and yet it wasn't. The men who manned it seemed seperate, but yet they weren't. It brought in a new type of individual. They were artisans, destined for a certain amount of acclaim. They were unheralded but proud, yet down to earth.

This must be what remained when the brick plant was totally cleared. They did a nice job but it's quite a scar that must heal.

There were massive pits in the surrounding area. The largest one surrounding the Plant itself. Two others that come to mind. One was on Bill Carpenter's farm just across Price Road from Emil Tobeck's farm in Big Foot Valley. There is a photo of such as of today, below left. Another called the Neafes Pit Northwest of the Garden Spot Grange. It has grown over and a nice grassland.

Here is the Carpenter Pit today. It was used for ice skating parties in the 1940s. A bon fire, snacks and lots of girls to decorate the snow covered terrain. Oh, and Jack Lewis doing a few select stunts, such as switching ends in mid air then picking himself up after a one point landing on his head.

Over the years under Mr. Neal Fosseen, there were more than a few bosses. None superior to Mr. Ben Renner. Reddish hair, some called him Pinky. He was a good boss.

Each Clayton Brickyard Day shows us the hallowed grounds of the long ago Brick Plant. Beautiful trees planted by Mother Nature make a picturesque background for the parade. There are still spring fed ponds here as well.

Here is the Brick Plant crew on a grand scale. If you can identify even one of these men, please let us know.

As the winter turned to early thaw and the streets turned to frost heaves and mud. Nothing looks particularly inviting until it turns green.

Some time in the earliest of brick making a precious few were fired. Perhaps for special a purpose such as for the Terra Cotta Building. Eddie Olson worked at the Plant from 1937 on and never saw a Brick of this nature. It is said that there are only 5 known to exist today. The owner of this paricular brick turned down a $5,000 cash offer from a collector. The owner is a very proud CLAYTONITE.

There were a number of different types of bricks fired at the Plant. Clinker, by accident kind of, Red Rug, Buff Rug, Red Roman, Buff Roman, Common and a very few uncommon. Here is an uncommon. Many more of these with Clayton bricks have been found. Ben Renner started working at the Plant in 1920. He never saw one of these made. A friend recently parted with one of his precious few. Here it is with a precast model Coupe. I never take notice without thinking of Mike Carrabell cruising slowly down the highway heading for Scotties Station.

Mr. & Mrs. Fred Shonfelt at their 50th wedding anniversary party. Fred was the Plant manager. He answered directly to Neal Fossene. Ben Renner and other Department bosses answered to Mr. Shonfelt.

A little Girl in a little town with a little bit of the Brick Plant a little ways back.

The 1896 Architechual concept of what the Plant was to be.

Fred Swanback. Another Boss. He heades up the setting crew. Kind of a Jack of all trades and master of all. Here is a man who could work and talk at the same time. As happy go lucky as they come. He also conducted over a happy crew. If he wasn't telling jokes he told about his life expieriences. He also had his own Dance band. Mostly Western. He played the Fiddle. Almost every Saturday night. From Springdale to Clayton, Loon Lake, Gardenspot, Williams Valley and many more. He was as good as they come. He always gave himself a special treat for every Holiday. He has his favorite Stool at the Clayton Tavern at the south end of the bar. The treat. A tall cold Glass of draft Beer with a raw egg in it. He also had a farm not far from the west edge of Deer Park.

Clayton began with Friendly fire, lived by Friendly fire and Ended with Friendly fire but in between it Died by unfriendly fire.

Bill Sebright captures a different season and a calm sedate setting of the Pond at the Clayton Clay pits.

So the dismantling of Clayton's life blood became a reality 3 years from closing.

Some of the smaller stacks were blated by Leno and his crew, Some were toppled by Lyle Nord and his Dozer. One way or another all were demolished and never the twain shall meet.

After a half century of firing the finest of Terra Cotta, a friendly fire finishes off the Terra Cotta plant.

Much is made of the loss at the closing of the Brick Plant and loss of the Mercantile during the 1957-58 period. But little is mentioned about the people who threw all caution to the wind to save the town from a repeat preformance of 1908. With Matt's Tavern less than 2 feet away they did the impossible by scaling to the Tavern roof and battled the unbearable heat to a stand still.

And soon thereafter the main plant was only ashes and rubble. The rubble moved to the claypits, covered with clay and disappeared forever. Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust.

50 fire tankers of water from the Harry Gettman irrigation pond to contain this disaster but they did it.

This is a very pleasent picture. All serene and well with the world.

A few years shy of 50 years later Clayton suffered another devastating loss due to an unfriendly fire at the Clayton Grange # 456. This fire crew and the local men & women pitched in and stopped it from spreading to Wilma Cailcoat's log home.

And then the walls came tumbling down.

As near as possible the date the main smoke stack fell was Apr. 24th 1961. Not only is the date somewhat illusive so was this photo so enjoy.