The Milton Brick Company 1914 - 1940

1914 Advertisement From The Milton Brick Company

On October 5th 1914, the first brick was taken from the kiln at the Milton Brick Plant.  In October of 1918, with many local men off to war, the Milton plant was employing women, and it was going well - but the company had to reduce their hours to a 9 hour work day, as women were only allowed to work 54 hours a week.  In 1921 the company dissolved, and was taken over by the Fiske Company, which lead to an amusing exchange between the Watsontown and Milton newspapers.

Milton Brick Company Location:

1918 Sanborn Map Showing The Brickyard

 The Sanborn Fire Maps show the brickyard to have been located between 9th and 10th street along North Front Street.

At N. Front Street, between 9th & 10th streets, current day

1918, June - John Walsh of the Milton Brick Co. has received word from the War Dept that his son Corp. John R. Walsh was seriously wounded in action in France on May 28.  John Walsh had been a superintendent of the Milton Brick Plant for the past year.

Milton Brick Co. Employs Women, Reduces Work Day to 9 Hours

1918, October 3 - "The Milton Brick Company, who have been employing women at their plant for some time past have found the experiment to be a success, and have further decided to reduce the working schedule to a nine hour day.  This is made necessary by reason that women may not be employed more than 54 hours a week.  While this will slightly reduce the daily output, the management expects to make this up through better cooperation among the workers, in a short time."

Milton Brick Company Dissolved

1921, March - "A petition for an order of the court dissolving the Milton brick company was filed in the court house in Sunbury...  the petition states that the capitol of the Company had been increased from $25,000 to $200,000, bur that at a recent meeting of the stock holders it was voted to ask for a dissolution of the corporation and to distribute it's assets among the shareholders."  The company had been doing big business, but the paving brick business was not in a slump as the wider use of concrete and other forms of cheaper paving became popular.

Brick Company Assumed by Fiske, Editorial Jabs Between Watsontown & Milton

1921, April - The old Milton brick company, located near Riverside Park between Watsontown and Milton, was dissolved.  The Company was taken over by Fiske and Company, who cleaned up, repaired, and put the plant in order.  "It will shortly resume operations of the Star Five Plant of Fiske and Company, whose main office is at this place, and operate three other large brick plants - Ridgway at this place, Ridgway at Ridgway, and Darlington at Darlington." The plant was being operated by  F.T. Owens, C.F. Teft, and others.  The Watsontown Record and Star reported:

"Quite natural that Milton will not give credit to anything that belongs to Watsontown, anyway, something that is worth while, but if something happens that is detrimental to the town it's papers are only too glad to give it publicity.  Always one sided, like he umpires they employed at the ball games last summer."

The Miltonian ran the entire column from the Watsontown Star and Record in their own paper, with additional comments.

"It takes imagination such as only the 'Top' seems to possess to get the angle he delights to assume.  Milton is not, and never will be jealous of Watsontown.  Why should it be jealous of a town less than one-fourth our size and a borough which has gained only 255 souls in twenty years.  It will take many Milton Brick companies like the one in Turbot Twp to make us peeves, and we are generous enough to wish the new proprietors the success they anticipate and deserve.  Milton is always pleased to learn when any of the small outlying suburbs have a boom."

1923, January - "Walter A. Godchales has begun the excavation for an undergrade crossing under the Pennsylvania Railroad at the Ferro Brick Company property below Watsontown.  The new undergrade crossing will be reinforced concrete and when completed will five this progressive company an outlet at grade from it's plant to the main highway above the property of the Milton Brick Co."

1926, October - "The Milton Brick Company has under construction on it's farm above the park three fine double brick residences.  This plant is rushed with orders and booked ahead.  The scarcity of labor in the loading sheds is handicapping the company somewhat.  The building brick now being made here are of the highest quality and are in great demand, especially in New York City and vicinity."

1940, November - The Fiske Brick and Granule company, Milton RD, was sold at public sale for $34,000.  It was sold under foreclosure proceedings.

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W.E. Fries Brick Yard on 1914 Map