G. F. Rhodes, of Kasson, makes brick from a reddish washed clay obtained from a bank in the village of Mantorville. He makes about 600,000 brick per year. A kiln contains 120,000 and takes 40 cords of wood at a cost of $4.00 per cord. The brick sell at $7.00 per thousand. No sand is put in the clay, and the brick are machine pressed. The brick are tender, like others made from washed clay, except when the burn is exactly right. The clay in the bed used by Mr. Rhodes varies in the amount of alumina. From the richest clay he has made a batch of drain tiles. They are tough and have the characteristic color of such tiles. He makes three sizes which he sells as follows: 2 inch bore at…$15.00 per thousand, 3 inch bore at…$17.50 per thousand, 4 inch bore at…$20.00 per thousand. (The Geological and Natural History Survey of Minnesota, The Fourth Annual Report, For The Year 1875, N. H. Winchell & M. W. Harrington, The Pioneer-Press Company, St. Paul, 1876, Page 106)
A large business was also done for several years in brick burning at Kasson, the clay being taken from the side of the hill in Sec.21, a half-mile southeast of Mantorville village. Excellent drain tiles were also manufactured from this clay. (History of Winona, Olmsted, and Dodge Counties Together with Biographical Matter, Statistics, Etc., H. H. Hill and Company, Chicago, IL, 1884, Page 776)
At Kasson are made brick and drain tiles, for which, however, the clay is obtained at Mantorville. (The Geological and Natural History Survey of Minnesota, Volume I, 1872-1882, N. H. Winchell and Warren Upham, Johnson, Smith & Harrison, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1884, Page 375)