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Midland Brick Company

Midland Brick Company

City/Town:
Location Class:
Built: 1904 | Abandoned: 1930's 20071930's 2007
Status: AbandonedPrivate Property
Photojournalist: Emily Cowan

Pearl (Peru) Brick Company

According to Sanborn maps, it was originally called Pearl Brick Company but throughout its lifespan and many different names, one always stuck. The Peru Brick Company was established in 1904 with the first few buildings being built with Coffeyville bricks which have evidently now started to crumble. As of 1905, the lead crew were: Mr. Allen Manager, B.F. Nichols Pitt Manager, H.L. Crocker Engineer, W. Robinson Timekeeper, and M.C. Sawtell Foreman. On average they were turning out around 21,000 bricks per week.

The Midland Brick Company

Midland Brick Company
Ad from June 10, 1910

It’s most notable era started in the summer of 1909 when The Midland Brick Company bought the brick factory. Almost immediately work commenced on making the factory the best in the country and bringing in new machinery and workers. A defect in the cut off wire caused the bricks to have a very sharp edge after being fired, this caused bricklayers and potential clients to discriminate against the Peru Brick Co., something Midland aimed to fix immediately. The plant began operation on July 13, 1910, with a crew of twenty-five men. A year later it shut down again for additions and improvements. Instead of being built with Coffeyville bricks, there was finally enough Midland Brick Company bricks produced to build the new structures keeping costs low.

A side track was put in for the Sante Fe railway to be able to make shipments directly from the plant. The plant had everything it needed right on the grounds, shale was brought down from the hill through tunnels, there was a mule barn, a timekeepers hut, a four-hole bricked outhouse, and a shower station. The showers were of most interest because back then running water was not readily available in households. The plant had provided its own natural gas water heater and a shower station so that men could get cleaned up before heading home. An office was arranged in the corner room over the bank. The first brick of The Midland Brick Co. after reopening was turned out on January 17, 1912. The plant at this time had a capacity of 40,000 bricks per day. Whistles blew at 6:45 a.m. to start the workday with a thirty-minute lunch break at noon and quitting time at five.

Mid-Continent Clay Company

Midland Brick Company
Midland Brick Company Construction ca. 1911

The next reign of the Peru Brick Plant came as Mid-Continent Clay Company. Putting Peru back on the map as one of the best manufacturers in brick and clay products. A completely new plant was being installed in 1921. A company of different trades they manufactured high-grade vitrified terra cotta roofing tiles, and face bricks in different colors and textures. By 1923 the company had decided to solely focus on the tile side of their business, giving up production of face bricks due to the rise in the tile business. Shortly after the company just could not stay afloat and it was sold to Coffeyville Ludowici-Celadon in June 1924. It would continue to be used as a tile plant until around the 1930s when demand would plummet and the plant would be shut down and sold.

Joslin Family

The Joslin family bought the property in 1943 including the plant and administrative building. Senora “Nora” Joslin and her husband Herbert H. Joslin were the new owners of the infamous brick plant of Peru. They moved into the administrative building of the brick plant and ran cattle on the rest of the property. Once Herbert passed away in 1967 Nora continued working the farm on the property and maintained ownership of it until her passing in March of 2007. The administrative office that was turned into a house was abandoned as well as the rest of the property after Nora’s passing. The property was passed down to grandson Greg Joslin who is currently the Mayor of Peru. Greg told me about the vandals and thieves he’s had to deal with since then “There has been about one break-in every week since 2007, they’ve stolen almost everything. The air conditioners are gone, furniture, I had two historical pictures of the brick plant blown up to big poster sizes and framed, those were stolen too.”

Battle in the Brickyard

Midland Brick Company
Provided

Scattered on the grounds of the compound were multitudes of shell casings, unused bullets and on one of two buildings left in decent shape the words “Cafe De Peru”. That is because for seventeen years (2003-present) the World War II Battle Reenactment has taken place at the abandoned Peru Brick Factory. It is typically a two-day event with sometimes up to three-hundred actors. It costs $20 with a hot breakfast and lunch provided and primitive camping on the grounds.




Bibliography

“10 Jun 1910, 8 – The Citizen at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/420078436/?terms=pearl%2Bbrick%2Bcompany%2Bperu.

“11 Feb 1910, 1 – The Citizen at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/420078281.

“11 Jun 1909, 1 – The Citizen at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/420077803/?terms=midland%2Bbrick%2Bcompany%2Bbuilt%2Bperu.

“12 Jun 1924, 1 – The Sedan Times-Star at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/420096874/?terms=mid-continent%2Bclay%2Bcompany.

“15 Jul 1910, 1 – The Citizen at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/420078469/?terms=midland%2Bbrick%2Bcompany.

“17 Feb 1923, 2 – Kansas Construction News at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/518169532/?terms=mid-continent%2Bclay%2Bcompany.

“18 Jun 1910, 1 – The Peru Weekly Derrick: Peru Oil Gazette and Citizen at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/419400446/?terms=midland%2Bbrick%2Bcompany.

“20 Jan 1912, 8 – Peru Oil Gazette at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/420079088/?terms=peru%2Bbrick.

“20 Jan 1921, 1 – The Sedan Times-Star at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/420059217/?terms=peru%2Bbrick.

“28 Oct 1911, 1 – Peru Oil Gazette at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, newspapers.com/image/420078979/?terms=peru%2Bbrick.

“5 Jan 1922, 9 – The Sedan Times-Star at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, newspapers.com/image/420061933/?terms=peru%2Bbrick.

“8 Apr 1905, 1 – The Peru Weekly Derrick: Peru Oil Gazette and Citizen at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, newspapers.com/image/420291849/?terms=peru%2Bbrick.

“8 Jul 1922, 2 – Kansas Construction News at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/518168623/?terms=mid-continent%2Bclay%2Bcompany.

Hartung, Bob, and Erik Runge. “Battle in the Brickyard.” World War II History Center Foundation, wwiihistorycenter.org/wwiirc/events/peru.html.

“Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Peru, Chautauqua County, Kansas.” The Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/resource/g4204pm.g4204pm_g030581912/?r=-0.004,0.889,0.384,0.297,0.

Midland Brick Company
Emily Cowan

Emily is a three-time published author of "Abandoned Oklahoma: Vanishing History of the Sooner State" - "Abandoned Topeka: Psychiatric Capital of the World" and "Abandoned Kansas: Healthcare in the Heartland. With over two hundred published articles on our websites. Exploring since 2018 every aspect of this has become a passion for her. From educating, fighting to preserve, writing, and learning about history there is nothing she would rather do.

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Emily Cowan

Emily is a three-time published author of "Abandoned Oklahoma: Vanishing History of the Sooner State" - "Abandoned Topeka: Psychiatric Capital of the World" and "Abandoned Kansas: Healthcare in the Heartland. With over two hundred published articles on our websites. Exploring since 2018 every aspect of this has become a passion for her. From educating, fighting to preserve, writing, and learning about history there is nothing she would rather do.

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Kimberly
Kimberly
1 year ago

I drive by this beautiful building when I drive home. I’ve always been curious about what it was and why it was abandoned. It feels so sad and lonely. I hate seeing old historic buildings left behind to fall to the elements. Thanks for the article.

Brenda Artherton Jones
Brenda Artherton Jones
1 year ago

My Dad lived there as a young boy, told stories of him and his older brother climbing out upstairs onto the roof and fishing in the pond behind the house. My grandfather, Leo Artherton, was the foreman (?) at that time. My uncle, Richard, was born there in June, 1940.

Chris Cottrell
Chris Cottrell
1 year ago

Why would the Santa Fe Railroad serve the plant? Peru was on the Missouri Pacific line.

Debra Paton
Debra Paton
Reply to  Chris Cottrell
1 year ago

Chris Cottrell, are you of the Blackwell Cottrells? Mary Ann, Ruby, Dall?

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