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Major Brick Yards of Detroit’s West Side Polonia

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Major Brick Yards of Detroit’s West Side Polonia And Their Founders

The history of brick making in America dates back to around 1612.  Bricks were molded by hand prior to the invention of steam-driven machinery in the mid-1800s, which dramatically changed the industry and allowed for mass production of bricks.

Bricks are made primarily from clay.  They were in great demand in Detroit during the late 1800s, when construction was at a peak.  In the 1890s, two dozen brick yards were operating in or around Detroit.  But the heart of brick making was in Springwells Township, and specifically in the area around Michigan Avenue and Lonyo, as there was an abundance of blue clay in that region.  Some types of clay are better than others for making bricks, and the most desirable clay is that which is low in sediment, debris, and limestone.  It appears that the clay reserves in Springwells Township had the ideal composition for brick making.

Some of the prominent brick yards in Southwest Detroit from 1880 to 1910 were the Lonyo Brick Company, Lonyo Brothers Brick Yard on Lonyo and Michigan Avenue, Andrew Lonyo, the Hall Brick Company located on Lonyo, Greusel Brickmaking Company, J. S. Haggerty, Springwells Township Brick Yards (which encompassed an expansive area from Michigan Avenue to Lonyo and from John Kronk to Livernois), Larkins Brick Yard, J. A. Mercier, Mercier & Larkins, the Mercier-Bryan-Larkins Brick Company with a yard office at Lonyo and the Michigan Central Railroad, Conrad Clippert & Sons, Jacob Daniel Brick Company, Clippert & Daniel Brick Yard on Michigan Avenue in Springwells (with an office at 143 Griswold Street), G. H. Clippert and Brothers, W. Clippert, and the Clippert Brick Company at Southern Street (later called Kronk) near Dewey Street.

In 1927, the Mercier-Bryan-Larkins Brick Company was located on Miller Road at Michigan Avenue in Detroit.  By June of 1932, one source lists the Mercier-Bryan-Larkins Brick Company on Miller Road at Michigan Avenue in what was then Dearborn; John A. Mercier Brick Company at 3895 Roulo Street near Dix and Lonyo, in what today is Dearborn; Walter & Frank Brick Company at 8810 Dix Avenue near Lonyo; Jacob Daniel Brick Company on Wyoming south of Michigan Avenue; Porath Brothers Brick Company at 19501 Michigan Avenue near Evergreen Road in Dearborn; William Clippert Brick Manufacturers on Western and the Michigan Central Railroad; Clippert Brick Company on Western and Southern Avenues; and John S. Haggerty at 10450 Michigan Avenue at Wyoming in Dearborn.

Louis Lonyo Sr. (August 9, 1815 – October 4, 1884) was the first brick manufacturer in Michigan.  He was married to Angeline (née Read) Lonyo (January 19, 1823 – April 27, 1887).  Louis and Angeline had three sons.  Albert C. Lonyo (August 9, 1855 – December 19, 1918) and Louis Lonyo Jr. (born November 27, 1859) took over their father’s business, and eventually their brother, Andrew Warren Lonyo (July 28, 1850 – February 4, 1925), joined them as a co-partner.

In November of 1887, Andrew, Albert, and Louis dissolved the co-partnership, and Albert and Louis formed a new partnership, which they continued to operate under the name Lonyo Brothers.  Andrew branched off and formed a new firm, which he operated under his own name.

Louis Sr. and Angeline also had four daughters:  Betsey Lonyo (born before 1850; died in 1851 in Wales, Erie, New York); Lucy Lonyo (September 17, 1854 – January 24, 1887); Orissa Lonyo (1857 – August 16, 1874); and Julia Lonyo (April 22, 1864 – 1954).

Julia was married to Charles Harrison Bryan (November 4, 1865 – May 25, 1927), an owner of the Mercier-Bryan-Larkins Brick Company, one of Southwest Detroit’s largest brick makers.  Charles was born in Saint Thomas, Franklin County, Pennsylvania.  Harrison and Julia had two children, son Wasson Joseph Bryan (April 16, 1892 – January 10, 1959), and daughter Clara Bryan (August 1893 – 1982).

On April 18, 1924, Charles H. Bryan was serving as president of the Mercier-Bryan-Larkins Brick Company, according to an ad in the Passover edition of the Detroit Jewish Chronicle.  Also in 1924, Wasson Bryan was serving as secretary of the company.  The company had a solid business relationship with Detroit’s Jewish community, for whom they undoubtedly built many properties in the Detroit area.

In 1925, Clara married Mark Bruce Coonley (August 24, 1886 – 1965).  They divorced on the grounds that he deserted her in 1928.  Following their divorce, Clara lived with her brother Wasson and their parents.  Wasson and Clara are buried with their parents in Woodmere Cemetery.  There is a rather large, upright monument bearing the Bryan name near their gravestones.        Albert Lonyo was married to Mary A. (née Ternes) Lonyo (February 12, 1861 – February 10, 1942), and they had a son, Louis C. Lonyo (February 26, 1899 – October 8, 1918).  It appears that they also had a daughter, Martha Angeline Lonyo (March 30, 1899 – 1958).  The Ternes family was very prominent in Southwest Detroit.  They were involved primarily in the coal and lumber industries, but they had strong ties to the brick manufacturers.

Louis Lonyo Jr. was married to Jane A. (née Cragg) Lonyo (May 29, 1868 – June 1, 1949).  They had five children, Julia A. Lonyo (February 21, 1892 – October 2, 1903); Lillian Lonyo (June 24, 1894 – February 1987); Jeannette Lonyo Roberts (December 5, 1896 – March 22, 1978); Alice Louisa Lonyo (October 2, 1900– January 2, 1901); and Louis Lonyo (1905 – 1972).

Jeannette was married to James D. Roberts (1894 – June 1970), and her funeral was at Christ Episcopal Church at 960 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit.  At the time of his death in June of 1970, James D. Roberts was retired from Great Lakes Steel Company, where he had worked for 34 years as a quality control manager.  His funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Clare of Montefalco Catholic Church in Grosse Pointe Park.

Alice Louisa Lonyo died at three months of age and shares a stone with sister Julia, who died at age 11 from what appears to be pneumonia.

Albert Lonyo died in 1918. Louis Jr. died in 1912.  The entire family is buried in Woodmere Cemetery.

Louis Lonyo Sr. founded Detroit’s first brick yard during a time when farmlands and marshes were being replaced by houses, infrastructure, and skyscrapers, individual telephone numbers were being assigned to residents, and automobiles were on the horizon.  It was a time in which Detroit was experiencing a population surge and industrial renaissance.  Today’s revitalization can be compared, to some extent, to that period of Detroit’s history.  In the late 1800s, industrialists, innovators, business pioneers, and corporate magnates were fleshing out and patenting inventions and even collaborating on developments that would put Detroit on the map and change the course of history.

Men like Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Thomas Edison, and John Burroughs are known for their harmonious relationships.  Those four men took camping trips together, and Ford and Edison partnered on many projects.  Ford, a former employee of Edison’s, idolized Edison and respected his advice.  Their relationship grew throughout the years into a deep friendship that lasted until Firestone’s death on February 7, 1938, when he was said to have sent Ford a test tube containing his last breath.

Likewise, the men who created the literal building blocks of the city not only crossed paths but were also closely connected.  Some men manufactured bricks, while others were involved in the coal, lumber, and feed businesses, as in the 1800s, livestock powered the machinery that built the components of those businesses, and the animals that were the source of power naturally were dependent on feed.

In addition, there obviously was a need for capital to finance projects.  Thus, as is the case today, the business leaders were dependent on the banking industry.  Detroit’s entrepreneurs not only founded manufacturing facilities, but also banks, financial institutions such as savings and loan companies, and real estate firms.

One of the most prominent families in Southwest Detroit that was involved in many areas of the city’s development was the Ternes family.  The founders of the Ternes businesses were Albert Peter (“A.P.”) Ternes and his three sons, Arthur A. Ternes (October 13, 1901 – September 3, 1962), Howard A. Ternes (November 16, 1903 – February 1974), and Paul F. Ternes (b. 1909).

Albert was married to Maude (née Burke) Ternes.  She was born on October 31, 1876, and died on January 22, 1919.  She is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Southwest Detroit.  Albert and Maude also had a baby, who was born stillborn on June 18, 1918, and who is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery.

In 1920, Albert married Helen Marie Reeber (May 9, 1886 – June 10, 1971).  She and Albert are buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery on Detroit’s east side.

Arthur was married to Delia (“Del”) A. (née Reckinger) Ternes (April 8, 1916 – February 20, 1990).  She is buried in St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church Cemetery in Detroit, while Arthur is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Southwest Detroit.

Howard was married to Rosemary C. (née Roney) Ternes (May 27, 1906 – February 12, 1972).  They are both buried in Boca Raton Municipal Cemetery and Mausoleum in Boca Raton, Palm Beach County, Florida.

Very little is known about son Paul F. Ternes, other than his birth year of 1909.

Albert’s parents were Anthony Ternes (February 22, 1843 – February 28, 1909) and Mary Ann (née Horger) Ternes (May 17, 1846 – January 21, 1904).  Anthony was born in Germany, while Mary Ann was born in Dearborn.  Anthony, a resident of Springwells Township, was a well-respected trustee of St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church in Detroit and a principal of the Ternes Coal & Lumber Company of Detroit at the time of his death.  He was survived by his eight children, including Albert.

Albert, the industrial tycoon, was president of Ternes Coal & Lumber Company.  He was born in Springwells and educated in German parochial schools and in the Greenfield district schools.  In 1900, he entered the retail coal and feed business with Joseph H. Schulte.

In 1833, Greenfield Township was established and was added to Springwells, which was established in 1827, and which was an original Wayne County township.

Springwells derived its name from its numerous springs.  It became a village in 1919.  It was renamed Fordson in 1925 and was consolidated with Dearborn in 1928.  Today, there is a neighborhood district in Detroit named Springwells, which is bordered by Fort Street and John Kronk on the north and south, and Woodmere and Waterman Streets on the east and west.

On January 10, 1905, Albert became president and general manager of Ternes Coal & Lumber Company.  He was also a partner of Ternes & Yatzek, a real estate business; a director of the Springwells State Bank; and proprietor of the Ternes Livestock Farms, breeders of registered Percheron horses and English Berkshire swine.  Percherons are an intelligent and muscular breed of work horse.  It appears that Albert had an affinity for that particular breed of horse.

Albert was a member of the Detroit Board of Commerce and the Builders and Traders Exchange.  A Roman Catholic, he was a member of the Knights of St. John.  His recreational activities included farming and fancy stock raising.  His office was located at 1730 Michigan Avenue at 11th Street in Springwells Township.  He resided at 791 West Grand Boulevard near Michigan Avenue and Scotten.

Ternes is a company focused on supply chain services.  It started out as an umbrella organization consisting of divisions in the coal, lumber, livestock, real estate, and savings and loan business sectors—companies all founded and built by Albert and his three sons.  It moved to packaging, distribution, warehousing, inventory and quality control, and the like, to meet the growing demands of the automotive industry—specifically those of the Ford Motor Company—when Howard Ternes Packaging became a third party supplier to Ford.

Throughout the years, Ternes has kept pace with the shifting needs of the automotive industry.  The company continues to strengthen and build its partnerships with many automobile manufacturers.

From 1975 to 2013, Howard Ternes Packaging was located in Redford Township.  In 2013, the company’s headquarters moved to Livonia, and its management team looks forward to continued growth.

The name Clippert is one of the most highly recognizable names in brick manufacturing for those with roots in Southwest Detroit.  Not only is there a street named Clippert in the heart of our west side Polonia territory, but some of those who grew up in the neighborhoods and who even relocated eventually to the suburbs have memories of digging up bricks in their back yards with the name “Clippert” molded into their surfaces.  The name denoted the brick yard from which the bricks came, but even more:  It symbolized the name of the founder and visionary who brought the company to life, and who would go on to be memorialized not only in cured clay, but also in a street named in his honor.

George Heinrich Clippert (March 24, 1860 – May 2, 1925) was head of the Clippert Brick Company (operating as George H. Clippert & Brothers Brick Company until 1922).  He was the son of Conrad Julius Clippert Sr. (February 14, 1834 – January 5, 1901) and Christine (or Christina) Friederike (or Fredericka) (née Pfeifle) Clippert (August 23, 1840 – May 3, 1918).  Both Conrad and Christine were born in Germany but died in Springwells.  Conrad and Christine are buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit.  George is buried in Detroit’s Woodlawn Cemetery.

George was married to Flora (née Lyon) Clippert (September 28, 1865 – November 20, 1941), and the couple had five children:  Edna Hattie Clippert (June 27, 1887 – November 21, 1946), Harrison Frank Clippert (December 8, 1889 – May 16, 1972), Phyllis Marie Clippert (January 12, 1893 – December 15, 1965), Helen Christine Clippert (May 16, 1898 – August 18, 1967), and George Frederick Clippert (January 31, 1900 – December 3, 1988).  Both Harrison F. Clippert and George F. Clippert worked for the Clippert Brick Company, according to the to the February 16, 1942, draft registration.

George’s siblings were Dr. Frederick J. Clippert(August 20, 1866 – March 26, 1944), Charles F. Clippert (January 6, 1869 – October 30, 1939), Conrad Clippert Jr. (December 4, 1871 – March 13, 1891), William C. Clippert (April 4, 1874 – July 12, 1929), Dr. Julius Casper Clippert (June 27, 1876 – October 16, 1960), and Hattie Frederica Clippert (April 2, 1879 – 1963).

George H. Clippert was born in Detroit and attended Detroit public schools and the Goldsmith & Bryant’s Business College.  An automobile enthusiast, he was a lifelong resident of Detroit and a brick industry tycoon.

Clippert resided and had his office at 1920 Michigan Avenue and then later lived at 743 Virginia Park Street.  He served on the board of the Wayne County & Home Savings Bank and was also a board member of the Wayne County Home Savings Bank of Springwells.  At one time, he also served on the board of control of the Industrial Home for Girls in Adrian, Michigan, and was once chairman of the Wayne County Republican Club.

The Industrial Home for Girls was created by the Michigan Legislature in 1879.  It was similar to a reform school but was located in a rural setting where the girls lived in homelike cottages and where they were tasked with becoming proficient at domestic chores.  They also took courses in arts and crafts, cosmetology, growing plants and herbs in greenhouses, storage, and the like.

Clippert was also a former Wayne County Sheriff and was a member of the Masonic Order, the Detroit Athletic Club, the Harmonia Society, the Detroit Boat Club, and the Pine Lake Country Club.

George and his brothers owned several brick yards in Southwest Detroit, which were in the vicinity of the Michigan Central Railroad near what today is the Dearborn-Detroit border at Wyoming and Southern.  The original brick yard office building was located at Southern Street and Wyoming.  The building is believed to be still standing today.

During the years 1897 – 1905, the Clippert Brick Yards were located on the southeast corner of Michigan Avenue and Central.

In 1899, George’s brother Charles F. Clippert took over as president of the Clippert Brick Company.  Charles also attended Detroit schools and was also a lifelong resident of the city.  Highly successful, he lived with his family in a sprawling Victorian mansion at 2060 West Boston Boulevard in Detroit’s prestigious Boston-Edison district.  Charles, like George, was a prominent member of the Republican party.  He was a member of the Detroit board of fire commissioners for 20 years and served as head of the board five times.  During several elections, he was a candidate for mayor of Detroit.  He was heavily involved in the business community and served as president of the Builders and Traders Exchange.  He also belonged to several fraternal lodges, country clubs, and boating clubs.

Charles died on October 30, 1939, at the age of 70 after a brief illness.  He had been serving as a director of the Dunn Sulphite Paper Company in Port Huron, a position he had held for 15 years, since its organization.  At that time, he was also a director of the People’s State Bank, Fordson, as well as a director of the American Trust Company, to which he had been elected chairman in 1920.

Charles is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit with his wife, Hermine (née Haass) Clippert (1874 – July 18, 1958).  A large, obelisk monument marks their family graves.

A June 1932 source shows the Clippert Brick Company on Western and Southern Avenues.  In addition to George’s brother Charles F. Clippert, George’s sons Harrison F. and George F. Clippert were also involved in the family business.  Also, George’s brother William C. Clippert was an early partner in the business.  The William Clippert Brick Manufacturers on Western and the Michigan Central Railroad is listed in the 1932 source.  In 1922, William C. Clippert branched off from George and Charles and became the proprietor and owner of the William Clippert Brick Manufacturers.

George H. Clippert died in his home of apoplexy on May 2, 1925.  Noteworthy is that among his pallbearers were John A. Mercier and Albert Ternes, both prominent Detroit industrialists.  The Clippert Brick Company was one of the oldest brick manufacturers in Detroit at the time of its dissolution in 1989.

But while it may appear that George H. Clippert put the Clippert Brick Company name on the map and made the Clippert name synonymous with bricks, it was actually his father who formed the company.  Conrad Julius Clippert, born on February 14, 1834, started out in the brick making business when he immigrated to Southwest Detroit from Germany in 1849 at the tender age of 15.  He made the journey to America from Ropperhausen, Kerhessen, Germany (then Prussia), and began working as a laborer in a Southwest Detroit brick yard in the area then known as Springwells.

Conrad worked for 22 years for Richard H. Hall, one of Detroit’s earliest brick makers.  He worked his way up to superintendent, a position he held for 15 years.  In 1875, he ventured out on his own and formed a highly successful brick making business.

In 1894, two of his sons joined the firm, which became Conrad Clippert & Sons.  Those two sons were George H. and Charles F. Clippert.

Conrad Clippert was a very respected member of the community.  He served as supervisor of Springwells for many years and was so popular and revered that he often ran unopposed for the position.  In 1880, he received the Republican nomination to the office of Wayne County Sheriff.  He received a majority of 1,500 votes in what was at the time a predominantly Democratic county.  In 1882, he was re-elected to the office.

In 1898, Conrad was elected vice president of the Central Savings Bank of Detroit, which was one of Detroit’s premier financial institutions.  He remained affiliated with the bank until he died on January 5, 1901.

Conrad J. Clippert came to this country presumably with very little, but he worked extremely hard for years to learn all aspects of the trade of brick making, to refine his supervisory skills, and to become a business owner himself.  He epitomized the American dream.  Brick making was one of the burgeoning industries at that time, but that did not mean that those who chose a career in that industry had an easy path.

In the 1890s, the two dozen brick yards in the Michigan Avenue-Lonyo area of Springwells Township that became known as Claytown produced an astounding 100 million bricks per year.  The yards employed approximately 750 laborers, primarily German and Polish immigrants.  But the work was seasonal, and the laborers worked only from April to mid-October.  The conditions and pay were so horrendous that the State of Michigan surmised that inmates confined to prisons enjoyed better provisions and ate better than the brick makers.  Essentially, the brick makers lived in poverty.

In 1876, Conrad Clippert and Jacob Daniel were in business together as Clippert & Daniel.  The first mention of Clippert & Daniel in the Detroit city directories was in 1877.  At that time, their brick yard was on the northwest corner of Markey and Michigan Avenue in Springwells.  Their office was located at 143 Griswold Street.

Jacob Daniel appears to have been born in 1835.  He immigrated to the United States from Germany (then Prussia) at the age of 17, in approximately 1852.  He died on December 31, 1890, at the age of 56.  His occupation at that time was brickmaker.  The cause of death was listed as dropsy, or edema.  His parents’ names were unknown, but they appear to have been residing in Detroit.  At that time, Jacob was married, and it appears that he was married to Mary Daniel.  They had a son, Konstanta Daniel, who was born in Hungary in approximately 1884.

Advertising from the late 1870s indicates us that Conrad Clippert and Jacob Daniel were partners in the brick making business.  Ads indicate that in 1878, Clippert & Daniel were producing pressed, common, and stock brick.  Common brick, which may contain more irregularities than the pressed variety, is typically less expensive.  It may also contain larger aggregate particles, which are additives such as compositions of crushed stones, rock sand, or gravel, giving it a rougher texture and appearance than pressed brick.  By contrast, pressed brick usually has a more finished and even surface or texture.  Often, it is smoother to the touch.   For these reasons, its desired use is in areas that are more visible, such as on building façades or where appearance is especially important.

Stock brick was the most commonly used brick during Victorian times, or the period between 1837 – 1901.  It was called stock brick because the bricks of this type were produced on a stock board, which was a block of wood with an iron facing that was attached to the surface of the brick molder’s work bench.  The brick mold fit securely over the stock.  The laborer filled the mold with prepared clay and used a wire level to remove any excess clay at the top of the mold.  He then turned out the bricks onto a drying and firing pallet.  Then the bricks were moved to the drying shed to be dried.  A photo of laborers in the Clippert Brick Company brick drying shed is shown above.

After the bricks were dried, they were moved to large industrial kilns where they were fired at an extremely high temperature to achieve strength and durability and to impart their color.  Finally, they were cooled and then prepared for shipping.

In the 1880 – 1890 time frame, the Clippert & Daniel Brick Yard was located on Michigan Avenue and Springwells, and their office was at 143 Griswold Street.  As stated earlier, Jacob Daniel was one of Detroit’s earliest brick makers.  It appears that his company either existed simultaneously with Clippert & Daniel, that he was a sole proprietor prior to his affiliation with Conrad Clippert, or that he partnered with Clippert and then broke off from the relationship to form his own company called the Daniel Jacob Brick Company.  The exact timeline and sequence of events are not clear.

What is clear is that Jacob Daniel was an exceptional and highly successful businessman, and that he was one of the Springwells area’s premier brick makers.  Above, there is an image printed of a brick bearing the “Daniel” name, ca. 1907, which was taken from Detroit’s Corktown Tavern at 1716 Michigan Avenue near 11th Street.  The historic Corktown district is the oldest neighborhood still in existence in Detroit.  Originally an area consisting of predominantly Irish immigrants in the 1840s following the Irish Potato Famine, it became primarily a German neighborhood in the late 1840s when many Germans fled to America during the revolutions in that country in 1848 and 1849.

The Corktown district is probably best known for its distinctive red bricks, which pave a significant portion of Michigan Avenue and from which many of its historic buildings were constructed.

Jacob Daniel arrived in Detroit in 1852 at the age of 17, so he would have started in his brick business at 29 years of age.  Presumably, he gained experience by working at another brick yard before going into business for himself.  In the late 1870s, he partnered with Conrad Clippert.  On December 31, 1890, at age 56, he died of edema.  A 1925 source lists the Jacob Daniel Brick Company at 2213 Atkinson Avenue, near 14th Street and Clairmount.

A History of the Jacob Daniel Brick Company:  1864 – 1953 by Gail Patricia Silverman (Detroit:  1968) (a copy of which was unavailable at the time of this writing) would suggest that the Jacob Daniel Brick Company was operational from 1864 to 1953.  Thus, presumably, Jacob’s heirs took over the management of the business following his death.

Jacob Daniel’s estate was probated in the Wayne County Probate Court.  The probate inventory revealed just how successful he was.  Real estate that he left included a homestead consisting of nine acres of land valued at $16,500 less mortgage and interest of $4,120.  His brick yard consisted of nine acres of land, west of and adjoining Clippert Avenue and south of Michigan Avenue in Springwells Township, valued at $9,000.  His personal estate, including brick on hand; six horses; an engine, boiler, and machinery; household furniture; and a buggy and harness, were valued at $5,000.  The total value of his estate, before disbursements, was $26,280.  Today, his estate would be worth over one million dollars.

A few years after Jacob Daniel died, Conrad Clippert died, on January 5, 1901.  He, too, left a legacy in Southwest Detroit.  He died just as the Victorian Era was ending and the Edwardian period was being ushered in.  This era is often referred to as the “golden age” as it was marked by great wealth and lavish parties, especially among the elite classes.  It most certainly was a time of change. The industrial explosion that took place during the Victorian era led to demands for social change by the poor and working classes, who found themselves integrating with the higher classes as urban populations bourgeoned and social boundaries shifted.

Conrad left his company in the capable hands of his heirs, especially two of his sons, George H. and Charles F. Clippert, both of whom continued to expand the company, to become esteemed members of the community, and to reap the benefits of their successes.

Southwest Detroit’s brick making industrialists built dynasties, the evidence of which is visible over a hundred years later in the pavers that line the city streets, in the dwellings that Detroiters still reside in today, and in the skyscrapers that rise toward the heavens.  Clay, molded into shape, stamped, and fired to perfection, became bricks that formed the building blocks of the city and also built the legacies of hundreds of hard working immigrants who left their mark on the industry and on Southwest Detroit.

Some of the more prominent brick yards during the period from 1880 to 1910 were listed at the beginning of this article.  In fact, that there were dozens of  brick yards and brick manufacturers in the Springwells area of Southwest Detroit during that period.  Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, more brick yards were established in the region.  The clay was so ideal for brick making that the area attracted dozens of brick manufacturing entrepreneurs, a great number of whom were German immigrants.

Numerous brick yards that were not listed at the beginning of this article were in existence in the Springwells area from as far back as the late 1800s.  While their names may not be as readily recognizable, they were nonetheless as noteworthy.  The Francis Hyns Brick Yard, pictured on the map above, was in existence since at least 1884.  The Walker & Frank Brick Company was located at 8810 Dix Avenue near Lonyo.

Fred. C. Wolf was affiliated with at least two brick manufacturing companies.  He was born in Helena, Minnesota, on July 30, 1870, and he learned the brick making trade from his father, Fred H. Wolf.  His mother was Mary (née Cocash) Wolf.  Fred attended Detroit public schools and Detroit Business University.  He was married to Emma (née Zimmerman) Wolf.  He resided at 1449 Central.

From 1885 to 1899, Fred worked in his father’s brick yard where he learned all about the brick making business.  He then branched out on his own.  He became a director of H. Wolf Brick Company and was affiliated with Wolf & Die.  One 1910 source also lists an F. W. Wolf brick making company, which may be an affiliation.  Fred’s office was at 40 29th Street.

Fred, a Presbyterian, was a member of the Builders and Traders Exchange, a member of the Republican party, and a member of the Masonic Order.

One of the more industrious brick makers was John C. McDonald.  Born in Springwells on November 29, 1834, McDonald started out as a farmer and in the business of agricultural implements in Wayne, Michigan.  In 1882, he began manufacturing brick and drain tile in Springwells.  His company was J. C. McDonald & Son.  He continued to operate his 100-acre farm in Wayne while managing two brick and drain tile plants on 45 acres in Springwells.  He simultaneously developed Cherry Beach near Marine City, a tract of nine acres of land that he developed in preparation for resort cottages for Detroit residents.

McDonald, a Methodist, served as treasurer of Springwells.  He was a member of the board of public works and poor commissioner of Wayne County, and a member of the Detroit Builders and Traders Exchange.  He was an associate member of the Detroit post, Grand Army of the Republic, and a member of the Republican party.

McDonald’s office was at 211 Hammond Building.  His residence was on West Warren Avenue.

Henry Houghten, born May 21, 1850, started out in the building supply business in 1877.  He dealt as a  wholesaler, retailer, and manufacturer of building  stone, lime, cement, sand, plaster and hair (horse, pig, and cow hair, or sometimes vegetable fibers, were used in plaster as binding agents), sewer pipe, tile, and all types of brick, including fire brick, clay, pressed, ornamental, paving, and common brick.  He maintained four yards and two mills.

Henry’s parents were John and Margaret (née Gothney) Houghten.  He received his education in schools in Roseville, Michigan.  He married Amine Hetchler in Detroit in 1876.  The following year, he started in the building supply business.

Houghten’s office was at 806 Hammond Building.  He resided at 101 21st Street.

It appears that in the 1800s, several of the brick makers had offices in the Hammond Building, which was located on the corner of Griswold and West Fort Streets in the financial district.  When it was erected, the building was the tallest in the state.  It is deemed to be Detroit’s first skyscraper.  The building was razed in 1956 when the National Bank of Detroit headquarters building was constructed.

James Daniel Burns, born in Springwells on July 28, 1865, became Sheriff of Wayne County in 1895.  His parents were Peter and Hanorah (née Calaghan) Burns.  He was educated in the Detroit public schools and started his career in his father’s brick yards.  His two brothers were also involved in the brick manufacturing business.  The company name was Burns Brothers, and it was in existence from 1888 to 1904.

Burns, a Catholic, was a member of the Knights of Pythias, B.P.O.E.  He was a member of the Democratic party and president of the first American League baseball club in Detroit from 1900 to 1901.  His office was in the Wayne County Building.  His residence was listed as Sheriff’s Residence.

Stephen A. Pratt was another brick manufacturer who followed in his father’s footsteps.  Pratt, born on May 18, 1865, was the son of Stephen and Sarah J. (née Gregg) Pratt.  He was educated in Detroit’s public schools.  He married Effie M. Durkee in Detroit in 1896.

In 1881, Stephen started out in the brick making industry with his father.  When his father died in March of 1907, the younger Stephen took over Stephen Pratt’s Boiler Works and Brick Works in West Detroit.

Pratt, a Baptist, was a member of the Detroit Board of Commerce.  His office was at 160-168 Beecher Avenue.  He resided at 472 4th Avenue.

Some other Southwest Detroit brick manufacturers that were in existence in 1910 include Burke Brothers,  Detroit Brick and Tile Manufacturers, M. Downey, Michigan Pressed Brick, Rochester Sand & Brick, Sass Brothers & Stuve, Schneider, Springwell Brick Company, and Warren Brick and Tile Company.  These companies appear to have ceased operations by 1924.

Clearly, Southwest Detroit and the Springwells area were replete with brick yards and brick manufacturers in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  Throughout the years, many came and went.  But a few endured for decades.  The names of some of those that remained are recognizable in the streets that were named in their honor, with Lonyo, Larkins, Clippert, and Mercier probably being among the most familiar.  And the Detroit brick makers were a close-knit group whose businesses and families were interconnected.

Albert Lonyo’s daughter Julia married Charles Harison Bryan on June 4, 1891.  Charles was an owner of one of the largest brick manufacturing companies in Southwest Detroit.

One of Detroit’s most prominent and successful brick manufacturers was John Anthony Mercier (May 2, 1862 – October 2, 1944).  He was the son of John Baptiste Mercier (September 29, 1838 – January 1, 1917), who was born in Chatham, Kent, Ontario, Canada, and Rose Adeline (née DeMars) Mercier (August 12, 1841 – December 13, 1930).  Rose was from Michigan.  John was the third of 13 children.

John was married to Mathilda (née Husen) Mercier (August 29, 1860 – June 4, 1932).  Mathilda was born in Port Jervis, Orange, New York.  They had one daughter, Lillian J. Mercier (March 7, 1888 – March 8, 1946).

John’s affiliation with the Larkins Brick Yard appears to pre-date his partnership with Charles Harrison Bryan.  In fact, the Larkins Brick Yard was one of Detroit’s earliest brick manufacturers and possibly was established shortly after Louis Lonyo Sr. formed his brick company.  An October 25, 1837, Detroit Free Press ad indicates that the Larkins Brick Yard was operational at that time.

In 1924, John Mercier was in business in Detroit as J. A. Mercier and also operated two brick yards under the name Mercier & Larkins.  It is clear that his affiliation with the Larkins Brick Yard began as early as 1924.

The close relationship that the founders of the brick yards enjoyed was extraordinary.  There must have been competition among them, as there is in any industry.  Yet, not only did they produce the major building blocks of the city, but they also managed to cultivate and preserve strong bonds with one another that lasted throughout their lives.

Sources:

Photos:                                                                                                                                               

  1. The Lonyo Brothers Brick Yard in 1889 showing many members of the Lonyo family and some of the hired hands. The bricks can be seen stacked around the workers.  Printed on back:  “In buggy:  John Foster (grandfather of Ceramist), Eduth Lonyo died Sept. 11, 1896.  Standing right front:  Albert Lonyo, next Mary Ternes Lonyo, child Martha.  Julia Lonyo (Mrs. Charles H. Bryan).  Robert Shanks—foreman.  Lizzie—the hired girl.  The rest are workmen and members of their families.  Lonyo Bros. Brick yard, 1889.  Located on Lonyo and Michigan.  The business was started by Louis Lonyo, born in Detroit Aug. 9, 1815.  The Lonyo Bros., were Albert Lonyo, Aug. 9, 1856, and Louis Lonyo born Nov. 27, 1859. Louis Lonyo, Sr., was the first brick manufacturer in Michigan.”  Photo source:  Detroit Public Library, Burton Historical Digital Collections, Burton Historical Collections:  https://digitalcollections.detroitpubliclibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A149329.  Courtesy of Carla Reczek
  2. The Lonyo family monument in Woodmere Cemetery in Detroit. Photo source:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/182833399/albert_lonyo
  3. Gravestone of Louis Lonyo Sr., founder of the first brick yard in Detroit, which later became known as Lonyo Brothers. Photo source:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/228010326/louis-lonyo#view-photo=228879618
  4. An ancient brick from the Lonyo Brick Company. It’s not unusual to dig up random bricks from Detroit’s bygone brick manufacturers still today.  Photo source:  https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=882235722348995&set=pcb.882235755682325
  5. Albert Peter (“A. P.”) Ternes (October 7, 1871 – July 20, 1943), ca. 1920, Southwest Detroit entrepreneur who, along with his three sons, founded numerous businesses that were prominent from 1896 – 1943 and which still exist today. Photo source:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/111778865/albert_peter-ternes
  6. The Ternes family monument in Holy Cross Cemetery in Southwest Detroit. Photo source:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/111779011/helen_marie_ternes#view-photo=81657610
  7. Laborers in the Detroit facility of the Clippert Brick Company brick drying shed, ca. 1900 – 1910. Photo source:  Dearborn Historical Museum via Facebook, June 14, 2020:  https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=4480462115304634&set=pcb.4480471065303739
  8. A historic brick from the Clippert Brick Company in Southwest Detroit. Photo source:  https://detroitarchitectjournal.blogspot.com/2012/09/antique-brick-show.html
  9. George Heinrich Clippert of the George H. Clippert & Brothers Brick Company and, later, the Clippert Brick Company in Southwest Detroit, 1904. From an unidentified newspaper clipping.  Photo source:  Detroit Public Library, Burton Historical Collection.  Courtesy of Carla Reczek
  10. What is believed to be the original Clippert Brick Yard office building at Southern Street and Wyoming in Southwest Detroit in the area that became known as Claytown due to its abundance of rich clay. Photo source:  https://detroitarchitectjournal.blogspot.com/2012/09/antique-brick-show.html
  11. Grave marker of George H. Clippert, the industrial pioneer whose name, to many, is most associated with the Clippert Brick Company in Springwells in Southwest Detroit. He is buried in Woodmere Cemetery in Detroit.  Photo source:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/226851958/george_h-clippert/photo#view-photo=227779230
  12. The Clippert family monument marking the graves in Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit. Photo source:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/226851958/george_h-clippert/photo#view-photo=227779209
  13. Laborers at the Hall Brick Company, located on Lonyo Street in Detroit, in 1890, where Conrad J. Clippert got his start in 1849. The photo was taken after Conrad left the company in 1875 and started out on his own.  Photo source:  Detroit Public Library, Burton Historical Digital Collections, Burton Historical Collections:  https://digitalcollections.detroitpubliclibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A148702
  14. A brick mold from the Clippert Brick Company in Southwest Detroit, ca. 1880. Photo source:  https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=4480446715306174&set=pcb.4480471065303739
  15. A historic Daniel Brick, ca. 1907, taken from the Corktown Tavern in Detroit’s historic Corktown district. Source:  https://www.bing.com/images
  16. Charles F. Clippert, March 1, 1939. Charles was the son of Conrad J. Clippert and brother of George H. Clippert.  He was one of Southwest Detroit’s most prominent leaders in the brick making industry during the late 1800s and early 1900s.  Photo source:  City News, Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library.  Courtesy of Carla Reczek
  17. Map depicting the Jacob Daniels [sic] Brick Yard (on the right) and the Francis Hyns Brick Yard (on the left), south of Chicago Road (or Michigan) and west of Martin Street. From Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan.  Sanborn Map Company, Vol. 5, 1884.  Note the rather large kiln sheds on both properties.  Source:  https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/messages/62684/71657.html?1147962185
  18. 1934 Ternes Coal and Lumber Company ad. Albert Ternes and John A. Mercier were pallbearers at George H. Clippert’s funeral in May of 1925.  From the Chadsey Compass Yearbook, 1934.  WSDPAHS Archives, courtesy of Gary Plaskie
  19. John A. Mercier, ca. 1910, in Detroit. Mercier was president of the Mercier-Bryan-Larkins Brick Company.  Photo source:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/158772236/john_a-mercier#view-photo=136266300
  20. October 25, 1837, Detroit Free Press ad clipping mentioning Larkins Brick Yard. It is clear from this ad that the Larkins Brick Yard was one of Detroit’s first brick yards and may have been established soon after Louis Lonyo Sr. founded his company.  Courtesy of West Side Detroit Polish American Historical Society Director Valerie Koselka

 

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