Multiple sources say that the first bricks in Minnesota were made in 1849 in St. Paul, by Daniel F. Brawley. So what about Minneapolis? I have a source that says there was a brickyard in St. Anthony in 1854, and several sources that say Minneapolis had brickyards in 1854-55 as well.
As the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area grew over the years, there were numerous brickyards and a lot of turnover in owners and companies. All of the turnover really complicates tracking down the historical record, so I really haven’t spent much time on the Twin Cities' brick history. Smaller towns can be easier, because there may have only been one brick maker and one brickyard location.
Going back to Minneapolis, the few references I have say that there were several brickyards close to where the current downtown is located. The Minneapolis Brick Company had their brickyard at the corner of Kansas and Sixth. The Daniel Woodbury brickyard was near Lyndale and Seventh. As the city quickly grew, these brickyards were likely incorporated into the city. Newer brickyards were established north of Minneapolis, like the Swanson brickyard in Fridley, Minnesota. There were numerous brickyards across the Mississippi River from the Swanson brickyard, at Shingle Creek. The Minneapolis and St. Paul areas grew rapidly, and they used a lot of local Minnesota brick!
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