OkilO, BOONE, and Walsh XX

Anonymous said...
Recently found 3 bricks. OkilO, BOONE, and Walsh XX. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks

29 comments:

  1. I dont know if this helps but these bricks were found near a old WW1 military site called camp sherman. The OkilO looks as if it may be a fire brick.

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  2. In "Brick Brands of the United States" Jim Graves of the IBCA lists OkilO as being a brand of the A.P. Green Fire Brick Company in Oak Hill, Ohio (thus: "OkilOhio"). He also lists Pyro Clay Products Co in Oak Hill.
    BOONE was made by Boone Brick, Tile and Paving in Boone, IA. If it's a Fire Brick it was made by Harbison-Walker Ref. Co in Olive Hill, KY.
    Walsh XX is associated with the Walsh Fire Clay Company in Vandalia and St Louis, MO.

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    1. I have several WALSH XX bricks, as well as WALSH T and WALSH with a dot bricks, all found at the Round Rock White Lime Company site in central Texas, founded by William Walsh. I always assumed that the bricks were produced at his Austin or Round Rock operations. Please clarify for me, since I see on the website that the WALSH XX was produced in St. Louis. Round Rock White Lime sold firebrick and also used a lot of it in the kilns.

      I see that the RR Lime Company was recognized as the "World's Best Lime" at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. A coincidence or a connection? Trying to determine whether the firebrick was produced in Texas or simply bought from the Walsh Company in St. Louis/Vandalia and resold.

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    2. I have of lot of them. Fireplace in the garage. Indiana
      300 or so?

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    3. No t sure what to do with them. Building a patio with them now.

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  3. I have a brick path in my back yard that is comprised of alternating bricks etched with 'WALSH XX' and 'STAR'. The house (and presumably the brick path) was constructed in the mid 1930's in Monroe, LA. This link,
    http://www.ranews.info/feat_art/2000/fano00b.pdf
    ,shows the timeline of the formation of Star Fire Brick Co (1865), its merger into Harbison Walker (1902) and then HW's merger into Walsh Fire Clay Products (1927). Not sure if that's why some are etched as WALSH XX and others as STAR, but it seems plausible.

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  4. I have a path in my backyard that consists of the Walsh XX bricks. The pattern of the bricks alternates between bricks etched wtih 'Walsh XX' and other bricks etched with 'STAR'. My house was built in mid 1930's, so I guess the brick pathway was built around the same time. This is in Monroe, LA.

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  5. We're filling in a pond in the yard and discovered some old bricks. I'm not sure what they're from--the house was supposedly built in the 1940's, but looks much older.
    One of the bricks is from STAR, I read the link that GW thoughtfully shared, and am trying to figure out where STAR brick was manufactured. I live in Chester, PA.
    Thanks in advance for your help with this!

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  6. I am pretty sure STAR Fire Brick was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ---
    "The Harbison-Walker Refractories Company was organized in 1865 by J. K. Lemon and originally operated under the name of the Star Fire Brick Company. With a capitalization of $8,000 the venture was financed by ten partners who had no knowledge of brickmaking. The first plant utilized raw materials from clay mines at Bolivar, Pennsylvania, which went into the making of Star brand fireclay brick. In 1875 the original partnership became known as Harbison and Walker, and was later reorganized into the Harbison-Walker Refractories Company in 1902.
    (from this website:)
    http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/HarbisonWalker-Refractories-Company-Company-History.html

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  7. Here's more info on STAR Fire Brick:
    "The W. H. Haws Fire Brick Company built the first refractory plant in America designed exclusively to make silica brick (or refractories). Silica brick was used to line coke ovens, steel furnaces, steamship and locomotive boilers, and fireboxes of all sorts.

    "After a year, the Harbison-Walker Company of Pittsburgh bought out H. W. Haws. At the time, Harbison-Walker was the largest refractory maker in the world, controlling 33 plants. Founded in 1865 as the Star Fire Brick Company, it had become the primary supplier of Andrew Carnegie's iron mills through the 1870s and 1880s."
    More:
    http://www.livingplaces.com/PA/Huntingdon_County/Mount_Union_Borough/Mount_Union_Historic_District.html

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  8. IS IT POSSIBLE THOSE STAR FIRE BRICKS WERE MADE BY A COMPANY CALLED Star Clay Products, a firebrick factory OUT OF ELMENDORF TEXAS BACK IN THE LATE 1800'S?

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  9. I have several Walsh XX bricks, as well as Walsh T and Walsh with a dot bricks, all found at the Round Rock White Lime Company in Texas, founded by William Walsh. Always assumed the bricks were produced at his operations in Austin or Round Rock. They certainly sold fire brick and also used alot in building the kilns. Please clarify for me. I see that the lime company received the award for World's Best Lime at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. A coincidence or connection?

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  10. My wife found a WALSH XX at Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba Canada. We have it on display in our kitchen
    Darryl A. Walsh
    Winnipeg, MB Canada

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  11. My father was an engineer for Walsh CE Refractories in Saint Louis. They made fire brick for use in the construction of glass kilns. I would love to have a Walsh brick. Any spares out there?
    Kim Wechling
    July 30, 2013.

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    1. I have been looking about the firebricks and came upon your reply. Do you have any idea what they are worth? I have seen different amounts. Sorry that my question is about 3 yrs late. I hope we can still talk about these. I live in the St Louis area.

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  12. I found several WALSH XX and a NECK bricks in Madison Indiana...so what have I got. the bricks are wedge shaped and cream in color.
    Sharon
    April 8, 2015

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  13. If you really still want one, I torn down an old barbecue and had about 60 of them in it. I just build a new fireplace using them and some other new fire brick, I would be happy to send you one. I have a few left over.

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  14. I have several of them from an old barbecue I torn down, if you want one send me and email, I will send you one. pdbangert@att.net

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  15. I found "WALSH REF. CORP" also with "MULLITEX" on them. They are larger than modern bricks and are grey in color. Any idea of the era ?

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  16. I found "WALSH REF. CORP" also with "MULLITEX" on them. They are larger than modern bricks and are grey in color. Any idea of the era ?

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    1. Hello - did you ever get a response to your question regading Walsh Ref Mullitex bricks?- I have these in an old log cabin fireplace. The cabin was built in the 1860s - not sure when the fireplace was built or updated so am also interested in their vintage. Thanks. Mike Laros michaellaros@gmail.com

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    2. Hello - did you ever get a response to your question regading Walsh Ref Mullitex bricks?- I have these in an old log cabin fireplace. The cabin was built in the 1860s - not sure when the fireplace was built or updated so am also interested in their vintage. Thanks. Mike Laros michaellaros@gmail.com

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  17. I found a pile of broken walsh xx bricks at an old abandoned site near Dyer, Nevada. Some were stamped just walsh xx, others walsh xx 120 129. The area is known for its silica-rich (hydrothermal) rocks. Could this have been a walsh brick production plant?




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  18. Possibly in use for a smelter? Were they circular segment bricks?

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  19. I found a foundation in Augusta Georgia. It’s about 16 x20. In my back yard. The bricks are large and at stamped WALSH CX CR6. IMG_1281.HEIC my home was built in 1930 but this was buried u detabout 4” of soil.

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  20. I found some of these imprinted bricks in Northern Ontario, Canada. Old mine site area.
    One had WALSH XX and the other had WOODLAND 1.
    Does anyone have info on the second brick?

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  21. We have several Walsh fire bricks,different sizes
    Came from Hegeler Zinc Company in Danville, Illinois

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  22. We have several Walsh fire bricks,different sizes
    Came from Hegeler Zinc Company in Danville, Illinois

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  23. Found an unusual shaped lighter colored brick with this inscription buried in our garden in West Seattle, WA. House built in 1910 and renovated extensively in 1981.
    Detrick
    SPF 2
    Walsh XX

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