Found in Creston, British Columbia, Canada by Royal McKellar of Creston BC.
RM suggests the following regarding the find location – The brick is associated with the turn of the century metal mining industry near Creston. The Lead Silver ore was processed locally in a concentrating mill known as the Alice Mill. The concentrate was shipped from Creston via a sternwheeler 60 miles up the Kootenay Lake, where the product was trans-shipped by rail at Nelson BC, to the world-famous Comino Smelter in Trail BC.
I believe all power in the mill was generated by A 100 hp Steam boiler located in an adjoining structure known as the Boiler room annexe. The steam-powered a horizontal stationary steam engine which then transmitted power by rope drives throughout the mill by a system of interconnected overhead line shafts Electric power not yet developed in the area
The fire brick probably lined the firebox of the horizontal stationary locomotive steam boiler. Over time, long after the plant was dismantled about 1915, the bricks, which were not salvaged migrated to other areas of the property such as the mill plot where this one was found barely below the surface about 10 meters horizontally from the boiler room annexe
The Mill was erected 1903/04 having a scattered production run up to 1909 when the rich ore petered out and the economy dived. The land was converted to agriculture use as we see it today.
Below – Gartcraig – Gartcraig Fire Clay Works, By Millerston, Glasgow
Below – A photo of the find area, taken by Gerry Rehwald of Creston – Creston, BC, Canada.
The following bricks were found in Suriname, South America by Marnix (John) Visser. Marnix states – I have found several bricks on an old Scottish plantation in Suriname South America with the name Waterloo and located in Nickerie at the border with Guyana. James Balfour was the plantation owner. . . Below – Hurlford –…
Found by Hector Miguez in the area of Mendoza, Argentina. Prestongrange Brick, Tile and Fireclay Works, Prestonpans, East Lothian. . . . .
Found by Michèle Côté and Marc Trudel on the beach along the Gaspé shore of Percé, Québec Canada. The ‘Gartcraig’ brick is most definitely Scottish. It was found near to a brick stamped ‘Vulcan’ which may also be Scottish as ‘Vulcan’ is a trademark of Campbell & Co, Roughcastle Fireclay Works, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. (However, ‘Vulcan’…
Many thanks to Bruce MacDonald for the following photographs which were taken at The Sunbury Plantation House, St Philip Parish Barbados. All the bricks present were fire bricks and included English manufacturers such as Ruffors of Stourbridge, Cowen of Newcastle and Duddell of Fenton. 90% of the bricks present appear to have been stamped ‘Glenboig’….
Many thanks to Charlie Terry for the following photographs and information. Charlie states – My great-grandfather worked at the Beaconsfield and Lefroy gold mines in Tasmania. He was an assayer. Some of the bricks are still in their original boxes and have been stored in a shed for decades. Below – An example of one…
This brick is in the possession of John Hicks, West Monroe, Louisiana, USA. John is uncertain where the Docken brick was found in the USA as he picked it up at a brick swap meeting. James Dougall & Sons Ltd, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. Alternative brickworks include: Bonnyside Brickworks, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. .
Found by Joe Fletcher at “Turonville” in Tarana, NSW Australia. The property is a farm dating back to the 1850s. Gartcraig Fire Clay Works, By Millerston, Glasgow. . . . .
The following Scottish bricks were found by Tracie Perrie on the shore at Borden, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Below – ‘Glenboig’. Glenboig Union Fireclay Company, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Alternative brickworks include: Glenboig Star Fireclay Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Glenboig Fireclay Works, (Old Works) Glenboig, Lanarkshire Below – ‘Gartcraig Scotland Gaskil’. Gartcraig Fire Clay Works, By Millerston, Glasgow….
Found by Dr Ali Asghar Hemmati in an old building previously belonging to the Iranian oil company located in Haftgel City in the province of Khuzestan, Iran. James Dougall & Sons Ltd, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire Alternative brickworks include: Bonnyside Brickworks, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. . .
Found by Jeffrey Valli on the railroad tracks in Truro, Massachusetts, USA. Gartcraig Fire Clay Works, By Millerston, Glasgow. . . . .
