“This extensive plant was owned and operated for six years by Benjamin B. Griggs after moving his family here from Saline County in 1898. Ownership changed hands July 1, 1904 to his sons Sydney and Benjamin E. by buying out the father’s interest. It is located on East College St., near the Fair Grounds, and is the most extensive plant in the county. They have an inexhaustible bed of fine clay and a capacity of 20,000 bricks a day. They have an invested capital of about $10,000 and in the busy season employ on an average of 20 men and three teams (mule teams). They have two kilns with a capacity of 200,000 bricks each, seven drying sheds, holding 20,000 and run a 60 horsepower engine. They manufacture the red pressed brick, for which they use the Freese machine, and also make cement and sand blocks and moldings for facings and trimmings, for which they use the Horton-repress machine.

Their output is mostly disposed of at and near home, although they ship to Herrin, Carterville, Goreville, Creal Springs, Johnson City, West Frankfort, Denton and DeSoto. Their brick was used in many buildings in Marion including the Second Ward (Lincoln) School. They are now tilling an order for 300,000 bricks for Herrin. They have made and sold more than 2,000,000 bricks the year past and the output and demand is on the increase.” —-Article from 1905 Souvenir Book

This business was listed in the 1907 Business directory as located at 1200 E. College. It was at the intersection of East College and South Fair St. Benjamin B. owned 6 acres of land on the south side at the end of East College Street and the brick plant occupied the northeast 1.5 acres of it. (See map) Benjamin lived at 1001 E. College St., where S. Governor intersects College, which was part of his property. The house is still in existence as of this writing in 2013.

The business is shown in a 1918 city map, but by 1922 no listings were found on this business after this date. No houses occupied the 200 Block of S. Fair in this directory indicating the lot was probably still occupied by the brick plants buildings in 1922. By 1927, there were homes in this block. There was a second brick plant competing that operated on N. Granite St.

(Photos and some data from 1905 Souvenir book, google maps, business and street directories, 1918 East Marion map; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 01/08/2013)