In the spring of 1904, Robert Myers installed a brick-making machine on a half section of land three or four miles from Millwood. By the summer of 1905, he built a kiln to burn the thousands of bricks his machinery was producing. In the early autumn of 1907, a serious mishap at the yard site injured a young Englishman when a kiln collapsed during construction. The yard was taken over by Charles H. Farrend for a very short period of time in 1907; however, W. B. Davis began making brick at the yard by 1908. The yard was managed by Harry Safe, a well-known and experienced brick maker from Manitoba and the yard was serviced with power by a steam traction engine. However, Davis found a new site with superior clay on Hugh Farthing’s farm, so he transferred his machinery to this site in July 1908. By mid-August, Davis built a second kiln at this site but, by mid-December, he was unable to keep his brick-making business going. The brick plant was sold by auction at the end of July 1909.
Manitoba Brick Yards by Randy Rostecki, Manitoba Historic Resources Branch Report, May 2010.
This page was prepared by 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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