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When
the railroad was being built southeast of Spokane in the late 1880's,
rich deposits of clay were discovered in several locations.
Responding to the building boom and the need for brick throughout
the Spokane area, brickyards were established in a number of locations.
Freeman, Valleyford, Rockford, Dishman, Chester and Mica all had
their potteries or brickyards. Most
didn't last for more than a decade.
The brickyard at Mica is the only one that has been in continuous
operation since its beginning.
In
1893, Charles P. Oudin and Martin L. Bergman organized the Oudin and
Bergman Fire Clay and Mfg. Co., located on the western side of the road
opposite the brickyard today. The
company lasted only a few years and finally dissolved when, according to
local stories, the two men had a falling out.
Bergman moved to nearby Chester to start another pottery around
1910.
Of
the many brick manufacturing companies built in the area around the turn
of the century, the brickyard at Mica is the only remaining company in
the Spokane area. Much of
the brick used in the buildings of Spokane, both now and in the past,
was fired in the kilns at Mica. The
brickyard was also responsible for the development of the Mica community
and continues to be a key factor in the economy of the area.
The
beehive kilns which still stand are among only a few in the country
dating back to the turn of the century.
Their unique architectural design gives us a rare glimpse of
early industrial technology. >Back to National Register Properties |
