On 8 March 1910, the Darlingford Brick and Tile Company Limited received its charter of incorporation via Letters Patent under the Manitoba Joint Stock Companies Act. Its headquarters were located at Darlingford, with the founding partnership comprised of several local residents, including grain buyer Albert Lawson, farmer Lewis Cook, farmer John C. Smith, agent E. H. Stevens, cattle buyer Martin Nichol, gentleman Ferris Bolton, and merchant Richard A. Fines. The initial capital stock was $5,000 with all but Fines serving as the first directors. Cook was hired to be the manager of the facility.
At the end of June 1910, the plant was producing 10,000 bricks per day. By August, it had 90,000 bricks on site with local orders to manufacture 200,000 more bricks. In 1911, the company shareholders placed unsold company stock for sale on the market and a group of men, most notably the local Member of Parliament, bought shares. It was at this time that W. H. Vosper of Winnipeg was brought in as manager of the yard with C. E. Martin as the site salesman. The company also had agents appointed throughout the Gretna and Deloraine areas.
Hanbury Manufacturing of Brandon purchased 120,000 bricks from the company, while contractors from Winnipeg had ordered 1,000,000 bricks from it. Local historians claim the Darlingford School and the Presbyterian Manse at Darlingford were built using Darlingford Brick and Tile Company bricks.
Its incorporation was cancelled in 1915.
Manitoba Brick Yards by Randy Rostecki, Manitoba Historic Resources Branch Report, May 2010.
Companies Office corporation documents (CCA 0059), 88D - Darlingford Brick & Tile Company Limited, GR6427, Archives of Manitoba.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 9 May 2020
Manitoba Bricks and Blocks
A history of the manufacture of bricks and concrete blocks in Manitoba, based on research by Randy Rostecki for the Manitoba Historic Resources Branch and supplemented by information compiled by Gordon Goldsborough of the Manitoba Historical Society. .
Bricks | Blocks | People | Glossary
We thank Hugh Arklie, Gordon McDiarmid, and Heather Bertnick for their help in the development of this online guide. Financial support of the Thomas Sill Foundation is gratefully acknowledged. Additional information was provided by Ina Bramadat, David Butterfield, Neil Christoffersen, Frank Korvemaker, Ed Ledohowski, Ken Storie, Lynette Stow, and Tracey Winthrop-Meyers.
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Randy Rostecki, Manitoba Historic Resources Branch, Gordon Goldsborough, and Manitoba Historical Society.
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