People
1926 or so Medora Brick Plant employees including Robertson - far right
Jim and Mildred Heller
Sparksville rail section crew with plant and switch in the background. Perhaps foreman Elmer Rudder on the left who also was a supervisor at the plant in 1914.
Plant Manager Ralph Gray, Bernard's father at the office entrance 1939. He began at the plant in about 1925.
~ 1950 from left: Ab Murphin, Elza Beavers, Clarence Williams, Roy Hubbard.
Thanksgiving meal the day before Thanksgiving meal at Medora Brick Plant 1952
~1950 sitting on a low brick wall next to the plant office (since gone). From left: child, Erridine Gray, Francis Trueblood, Ralph Gray, and unknown man.
1958 from left: front-Jack Hughes, Jennings Turney. Back from left: Ray Greathouse, Ernie Reynolds inside kiln.
1968 Bernard Gray as Plant Superintendent plant office and Brick Plant Rd in the background.
Randy Phillips tossing to a setter to fill the kiln in the 1980s.
Names and information presented believed to be accurate and drawn largely from the U.S. Census. In that there were brick plants operating in both Brownstown and Medora and workers who lived in one area may have worked in the other area/plant - some below may be inaccurate. Clarifying feedback is welcome. Please email and thank you for helping to get this correct.
| A | ||
| B | Barkman, Chalmer | laborer as per 1940 census |
| Baughman, Russell | 1929 | |
| Beavers, Elzia | brick wheeler as per 1950 census | |
| Beavers, Loyd | machine operator as per 1950 census | |
| Bennett, Chester | ||
| Blair,Price | as per 1930 census | |
| Booker, William | 1917 | |
| Bowling, Alfred | laborer | |
| Branaman, Alva | yard man ("laborer"?) | |
| Branaman, Damon | bricksetter 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 | stacker as per 1950 census | |
| Brown, Carl | stacker 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 1929-30 | |
| C | Callaway, Therman | brick wheeler as per 1950 census |
| Chapman, Charles | burner at brick plant in 1915; wife Delia A. | |
| Clark, Walter | 1930 | |
| Clark, Howard | Superintendent of the plant in 1930 at the age of 58. Resided with Clennia @ 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 6 acres of the property 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/ 1930 census; Superintendent/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, Elbert | 1925-1940 foreman | |
| Durham, Gilbert | as per 1930 census | |
| Durham, John | fireman 1915 | |
| Durham, Perry | as per 1940 census, brick wheeler as per 1950 census | |
| Durham, Sam | 1927 In charge of the plant with John Heller | |
| Duvall, A.M. | Superintendent 1929 | |
| 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 |
| Gorbett, Daniel | ||
| 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 Superintendent. 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 | |
| Greathouse, William | 1930 | |
| Gutherie, - | Laborer 1911 | |
| 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) | |
| Henderson, Russell | 1929 | |
| 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, the largest stockholder at plant’s founding in 1904. Board member in 1908. | |
| Hughes, Ida | 1926 | |
| 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. | laborer as per 1930 & 1940 census Son of Robert below | |
| Hunsucker, Robert | 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 | brick setter as per 1950 census |
| Lambert, Hubert | laborer as per 1940 census | |
| Lane, Clauselle | kiln fireman as per 1950 census | |
| Lane, Everett | laborer 1929, 1938, and as per 1940 census | |
| Lane, Herbert | hacker as per 1950 census | |
| Lawson, Michael | ||
| 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 | Martin, Rollie | 1918 |
| Medora Shale Brick Company |
Name of the company operating the Medora Brick Plant 1904-1923. ‘Shale’ denoting higher quality material used for paving brick | |
| Medora Brick Company |
Name of the company operating the Medora Brick Plant 1923-1992 | |
| McMillan, C.C. | Board Member in 1908; bookkeeper for the plant as per 1910 census | |
| McMillan, Roland | laborer as per 1910 & 1930 census, nephew of Clyde? | |
| Moore, Gerald | 1984 | |
| N | ||
| O | ||
| P | Parker, Samuel | the Superintendent of Brick Plant in 1910 at the age of 30 |
| 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 | 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 | |
| Reynolds, Marvin | ||
| Robertson, Jonathan | 1929 | |
| 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. - daughter Carolyn born in ~1921. | |
| Rudder, Elmer E. | A foreman at the plant in 1914; again in 1920, perhaps other years in between. Sparksville based railroad section crew foreman. Maternal great grandfather to this website's creator and historical marker applicant, Steve Graves. | |
| Russell, John | Moved from Seymour to work at the plant in March 1909. |
|
| S | Shepard, Charlie W. | laborer as per 1940 & 1950 census; worked there 1920s-1950s |
| Shepard, George "Oss" | 1920 & a foreman as per 1930 & 1940 census | |
| Shepard, Harold | laborer as per 1940 census | |
| Shepard, Harry K. | 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 1940, hacker in 1950 census; a John Shelton appears in the 1910 census as working | |
| 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, James “Ray” | ||
| 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 27/1910, engineer – kept equipment running | |
| Sutton, John H. | Founding Board of Directors 1904 | |
| T | Taylor, George | feet and ankles crushed at plant - Nov. 6 1916 |
| 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. N.V. Trautman ? 1908 Board. | |
| Trueblood, Daniel | 1922 | |
| Trueblood, Francis | truck driver as per 1940 & 1950 census | |
| Trueblood, Virgil | as per 1910 census | |
| U | Underwood, Timothy | 1988 |
| V | ||
| W | Waggoner, Asa | |
| Waskom, Jason | built a new stack 1923 | |
| 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 |
|
| Wayman, William | ||
| Weaver, Carroll | as per 1930 census | |
| Weddle, Henry | laborer / 1930 census, brick burner 1940 & 1950 census | |
| Weddle, William | 1910 census kiln fireman at brick plant in 1915; wife Laura | |
| Weddle, Victor | kiln fireman at the plant as per 1940 & 1950 census | |
| Williams, Arthur | 1941 | |
| Williams, Charlie | laborer as per 1910 census | |
| Williams, Clarence | brick wheeler 1930 census onward | |
| Williams, William S. | laborer as per 1930 census | |
| Williams, Wm/Willie | 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 | Ziko, Jacob | Fireman 1914 |
| Zollman, George W. | Founding Board of Directors 1904 |