People of Medora Brick Plant



Medora, Indiana
Indiana 425 southwest of Medora in Jackson County

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Names and information presented is what is believed to be true BUT without  guarantee.  Historical references used to compile this list can be inaccurate or incomplete. 

Please give correcting feedback email  Thank you for helping to get this correct.

 

A

 

B Barkman, Chalmer laborer as per 1940 census
  Beavers, Elzia brick wheeler as per 1950 census
  Beavers, Loyd machine operator as per 1950 census
  Blair,Price as per 1930 census
  Bowling, Alfred laborer
  Branaman, Alva yard man ("laborer"?)
  Branaman, Damon brick setter as per 1950 census
  Branaman, William T.

Founding Board of Directors 1904; third largest stockholder at that time.

  Branaman, Truman hacker as per 1950 census
  Brown, Bee/Ber lacker as per 1950 census
  Brown, Carl lacker as per 1950 census
  Brown, Cecil truck driver at the plant as per 1940 census
Brown, Frank laborer as per 1930 & 1940 census
 

Brown, Harry

machinist in 1930

C Callaway, Therman brick wheeler as per 1950 census
 

Chapman, Charles

burner at brick plant in 1915; wife Delia A.

 

Clark, Howard

Superintendent of the plant in 1930 at the age of 58. Resided with wife Clennia at 162 Main St. in Medora

D

Darkis, Troy L.

former owner of the Medora Brick Plant site after it closed. Worked at the plant as a young man. Donated much of the site in Dec. 2017 to non-profit group - Medora Brick Plant and Historical Sites, Inc

  Davis, Ansell laborer as per 1930 census
  Davis, Donald truck driver as per 1950 census
  Dixon, Alva laborer as per 1930 census; Superintendent as per 1940 census
  Dixon, Harold

laborer as per 1930 census

  Dixon, Howard mechanic as per 1940 & 1950 census
  Dixon, Howard Jr. brick setter as per 1950 census
  Durham, Gilbert as per 1930 census
  Durham, Perry as per 1940 census, brick wheeler as per 1950 census
E Eglen, Winfield truck driver as per 1940 census
  Earl, Franklin laborer
Eastin, Herbert kiln fireman as per 1950 census
F

 

 

G Gallion, Stclair laborer as per 1930 census
 

Gray, Bernard A.

Superintendent of plant from 1968-1992. Began working at the plant in 1946 as a high school student then full time in 1951. 

  Gray, Ralph

Worked at the plant beginning in 1925 as a laborer and later (after 1940 sometime) became Surperintendent. Wife was Doris. Father of Bernard A. Gray and Erridine Gray.

  Gray, Erridine

Brick plant salesman as per 1950 census, salesman at the plant for 23 years son of Ralph Gray, brother of Bernard A. Gray d. age 44 1969

  Greathouse, Alonzo laborer as per 1940 & brick setter as per 1950 census
  Greathouse, Clifford as per 1930 census
  Greathouse, Helen laborer as per 1940 census
Greathouse, Lester laborer as per 1940 census
  Greathouse, Lonns as per 1930 census
H Hall, John pieces work as per 1950 census
  Hamilton, Isaac laborer as per 1950 census, married to Gertrude Darkis
  Heller, John W.

Purchased the Medora Plant in 1925.  His son James P. Heller followed as President of the company beginning in about 1946.

  Heller, James P.
 

President of Medora Brick Plant and the Jackson Brick & Hollowware Co. 1946 through 1970's when the Jackson Co. was still operating and then Medora until its closing in Jan. 31, 1992.  James Heller (1909-1999).

 

Heller, Mildred Inez Gossman

Wife of James P. Heller.   Passed in 2011 in Brownstown. (1910-2011)

  Hill, Edwin Ross brick tosser as per 1950 census
  Hill, Ross laborer as per 1940 census
  Hook, Fred N.

brick burner in 1915; wife Ella

  Hubbard, Clarence fireman (brick burner?) as per 1950 census
  Hubbard, Roy laborer as per 1930 census, brick wheeler as per 1950 census

Hughes, D.M. 

occupation farmer/ investor who was the largest stockholder at the plants founding in 1904.  Board member in 1908.

  Hughes, Delbert truck driver as per 1950 census
  Hughes, Emerson brick wheeler as per 1950 census
  Hughes, John laborer as per 1940 census
  Hughes, Nin (Nineva) laborer as per 1940 census
  Hughes, Oscar laborer as per 1940 census
  Hunsaker, Doyle truck driver as per 1940 census
 

Hunsucker, Josiah L.

Founding Board of Directors 1904.  Board member in 1908.

  Hunsucker, Henry S. laborer as per 1930 & 1940 census  Son of Robert below
  Hunsucker, Robert H. laborer as per 1930 & 1940 census; worked at plant 27 years, died. at 73 in 1952
I

 

 

J

Jackson, Curtis

perhaps he worked at the plant - listed as a  'brick maker'

K

James Keiser

25 years there
Johnson, Carl truck driver as per 1950 census
  Johnson, Melvin truck driver as per 1950 census
L Lambert, Certus ( Lambret?) brick setter as per 1950 census
  Lambert, Hubert laborer as per 1940 census
  Lane, Clauselle kiln fireman as per 1950 census
  Lane, Everett laborer as per 1940 census
  Lane, Herbert hacker as per 1950 census
 

Lockman, Erastus

laborer as per 1930 census

  Lonsberry, Henry as per 1910 census
  Lonsberry, Johnas laborer as per 1940 census
  Lonsberry, Robert laborer as per 1940 census
  Lutes, Ford laborer as per 1940 census
M

Medora Shale Brick Company

The original name of the company operating the Medora Brick Plant.

 

McMillan, C.C.

Board Member in 1908; bookeeper for the plant as per 1910 census

  McMillan, Roland laborer as per 1930 census
N

 

 

O

 

 

P Parker, Samuel

Known to be the Superintendent of Brick Plant in 1910 at the age of 30. born ~1879 married for seven years with child, Florence age 4. He was from Ohio. Wife Eliza parents, 31, born in Ohio 1878 from England, Daughter

  Peck, Lew as per the 1910 census
  Perrin, Riley laborer as per 1940 census
Phillips, Earl kiln fireman as per 1950 census
  Phillips, Murrel machine operator as per 1940 census
  Plummer, Jerald (Jerry) truck driver for 15 years
  Poor, Ralph laborer as per 1930 census
  Pray, John laborer as per 1930 and 1940 census
Q

 

 

R Ray, Forrest coal hauler as per 1950 census
  Reynolds, Earnest brick wheeler as per 1950 census
  Reynolds, Ellis laborer as per 1940 census
  Robertson, Joseph

President of both the Medora Brick Co. and the Jackson Brick & Hollowware Co. of Brownstown ~1922-1940.  Purchased the Medora plant in partnership with John W. Heller in ~1922.  Joe would have been 44 in 1922. Wife Bessie B. and daughter Carolyn born in ~1921.

  Rudder, Elmer E.

a foreman at the plant in 1914; again in 1920 perhaps other years inbetween. Sparksville based railroad section crew forman. Maternal great grandfather to this website's creator, Steve Graves.

  Russell, John Moved from Seymour to work at the plant in March 1909.
S Shepard, Charlie laborer as per 1940 & 1950 census; worked there 1920s-1950s
 

Shepard, George Arthur "Oss"

a foreman as per 1930 & 1940 census

  Shepard, Harold laborer as per 1940 census
  Shepard, Harry Kenneth worked at the plant until 1942
  Shelton, Charles E. laborer as per 1940 census
  Shelton, Frank laborer as per 1940 census
  Shelton, Irvin hacker as per 1950 census
  Shelton, John W. laborer per 1940 & hacker in 1950 census; a John Shelton appears in the 1910 census
  Shelton, May laborer as per 1940 census
  Shelton, Virgil laborer as per 1940 census
  Sherrill, Jerome laborer as per 1940 census
  Sons, Nick 1910 census. Brother in law to Henry Lonsburry
  Sons, Alvie "Perk" laborer
  Sons, Frank as per 1930 census
  Sons, Willie laborer as per 1940 census
  Smith, Everett truck driver
  Smith, Frank

laborer as per 1930 census

 

Smith, H.M.

Board of Directors 1908

  Smith, Orville brick setter as per 1950 census
  Smith, Taft as per 1930 census
  Stegner, Hubert truck driver as per 1950 census
 

Sutherland, Alva

Age 27 in 1910 - engineer at the plant - keeping equipment running.

 

Sutton, John H.

Founding Board of Directors 1904

T Taylor, George feet and ankles crushed at plant - Nov. 6 1916 Seymour Tribune
  Temple, Albert brick wheeler as per 1940 & 1950 census
  Tomsberry, Henry laborer as per 1930 census
  Turney, Jennings brick wheeler as per 1950 census
  Trautman, Cornelius V.

Founding Board of Directors 1904 and second largest stockholder at that time. Occupation: miller.  Board member in 1908.

  Trueblood, Francis truck driver as per 1940 & 1950 census
  Trueblood, Virgil as per 1910 census
U

 

 

V

 

 

W Watts, Clarence

laborer as per 1930 & 1940 census

  Watts, James laborer as per 1930 & 1940 census
  Watts, Virgil truck driver as per 1940 census
  Wayman, Henry rock fell on him according to Mar 20, 1913 Seymour Tribune article
  Weaver, Carroll as per 1930 census
  Weddle, Henry laborer as per 1930 census, brick burner as per 1940 & 1950 census
 

Weddle, William

kiln fireman at brick plant in 1915; wife Laura

  Weddle, Victor kiln fireman at the plant as per 1940 & 1950 census
  Williams, Charlie (ey) laborer as per 1910 census
  Williams, Clarence brick wheeler 1930 census onward
  Williams, William S. laborer as per 1930 census
  Williams, Wm. (Willie) L. laborer as per 1930 census  son of Wm. S.
  Wineineger, Millard laborer as per 1930 census
  Wesner, Caroll R. laborer as per 1930 census
  Woods, Daniel W. laborer as per 1930 census
  Woods, David laborer as per 1910 census
  Woods, Gary laborer as per 1910 census
  Woods, Lewis laborer as per 1930 census
X

 

 

Y

 

 

Z

Zollman, George W.

Founding Board of Directors 1904

 

 

     Help get the story of the brick plant correct.

  • What do you know about the brick plant's history? 

  • And how do you know  it?  Have any photo images to share?

  • How are names or events mentioned here familiar to you?

How to help tell the story by sharing copies
of the images you have of the Medora Brick Plant