Chaska brick

Early brick makers in the 19th century thought the deposit to be limitless, but it turned out to be about 20 to 45 feet (6.1 to 13.7 m) deep.

[1] The existence of nearby rich wood sources to heat the brick-making kilns was another reason for the Chaska brick industry's success.

Chaska and Carver County are located in what was once the Big Woods of western Wisconsin and south-central Minnesota.

This large forest of oak, maple, basswood, elm, ash and white birch provided tons of wood to heat the kilns.

[1] Third, Chaska was settled by German and Scandinavian immigrants, who came from areas where brick was the favored building material.

Six brickyards employed around 600 men, 20% of the city population, making Chaska brick the leading source of jobs and money for the town.

Trouble between labor and management in the 1960s lowered Chaska brick's market price, interrupting the supply produced.