Western Algoma Brick Co.

Lake of the Woods Museum Newsletter
Vol. 17 No. 2 – Spring 2007

On July 31, 1894, the local newspaper, The Semi-Weekly Record, made this pronouncement… “The wooden era of our town is at an end and we have entered upon the brick and stone era.”

For the community of Rat Portage, whose existence was in a large part due to the lumbering industry, it was understandable that the primary building material was wood. Wooden frame-constructed buildings dominated the streetscape in the town’s nascent years. However, in the early 1890s, a new kid on the block made its appearance and in 1893 all the business buildings constructed in the downtown area that year were built of brick.

This change came about largely through the efforts of several local businessmen who saw the need for more durable and fire-resistant building materials particularly in a town whose first three firehalls had burned down! Not only was the need evident but the town contained within its boundaries an ideal location for the brick-making process.

In the spring of 1893 Russell Dowsett and Samuel C. McGimsie, owners of a local contracting firm, along with three other local businessmen, began operation of the Western Algoma Brick Company.

The brickyard was located on the Hudson’s Bay Company reserve, north of the CPR tracks, opposite Tenth Avenue South. In close proximity were all the raw materials required for brick-making. There was a rich bed of clay, a fine deposit of moulding sand, and an abundance of water. As well, its location in regards to the rail line was ideal for the shipment of bricks.

The brickyard was equipped with the latest machinery, specifically a Pott’s Patent Disintegrator and a Henry Martin brick machine. Power of the machinery was provided by a 16 h.p. fire-proof Champion steam engine that used cordwood for fuel and water from a nearby well.

The clay, once mined, was dumped into the disintegrator where it was pulverized and mixed. Large chunks were broken down and stones were removed ensuring that the clay was of uniform particle size. From there, the clay was fed into the brick machine and moulded into bricks. The Martin could output 25,000 bricks per ten-hour day when running at full capacity.

Because of the high water content of the freshly moulded bricks (ranging from 7-30% of the brick weight), they had to be dried first before they were placed in the kiln for burning. A large drying yard was built to accommodate this process and upwards of 50,000 bricks could be stored under the drying sheds.

When properly dried the “green” bricks were built up into a kiln for burning. Heat and humidity had to be carefully monitored to prevent cracking. Once fired, the bricks were cooled, removed from the kiln, and then were sorted and graded.

A considerable amount of experimentation was involved in perfecting a high-quality brick. The shakey, soft brick first produced eventually gave way to a superior red brick, touted as being as good or better in appearance and quality to anything being produced in Western Canada at the time.

Russell Dowsett managed the company but had experienced brickmen heading up the two stages of production. James MacDermott, who had gained his experience working in New Brunswick, was the foreman of the machine gang.

C.F. Czerwinskie from Eastern Ontario had the contract to dry, burn, and deliver the bricks. Working with them were nine other skilled brickmakers.

As well, one or two teamsters and teams were at hand for hauling and delivering.

Brick became the building material of choice whilethe brickyard was in operation. Many of the red brick buildings in the downtown area were built in the 1890s using local brick.

In 1897, Jacob Hose, a local hardware merchant and president of the Western Algoma Brick Company, undertook the construction of a new building to house his hardware business. He employed the services of local architect Edward Head, who designed the handsome three-storey red brick building on the southeast corner of Main and Second Streets (present site of Tilley’s Pharmasave). On December 15th of that year, Hose placed an order with the brick company for 150,000 bricks. At a price of $8.75/1000 bricks, his total cost came to $1,312.50.

While company officials admitted that the cost of a brick building was 18-20% more than for a similarly sized frame building, the benefits of the brick far and away justified an initial outlay of more money. The permanence, solidity, low maintenance, and fire resistance of brick were considered assets that were well worth the added cost.

Certainly the brick’s fire resistance played a part in the selection of the building material for Central School. In April of 1898, the original school burned to the ground. The school board, hoping to avoid a similar fate for the new building, decided to construct it of solid brick with fire-wall partitions. The red brick from the Western Algoma Brick Company was used.

The present City Hall, originally built as a Post Office, was also constructed of the locally made bricks as were many other commercial buildings and homes.

It seems that the brickyard was only in operation about five or six years.

In 1899, it was thought that production was ceased and the brickyard was just selling off the remaining bricks in stock.

Short-lived though the Western Algoma Brick Co. was, the legacy of its fine red brick is still present today in a number of hundred-year old buildings.