1/7/09

PRM & MOO BRICK 2 emails within 48 hours

Within the last 48 hours I've received two email from different parts of the country about the PRM &MOO NO. 1 BRICK. One came from Wisconsin, the other is from (I'm assuming) New Orleans. Does anyone here have info to share with Scott and Nick?

Salamander Brickworks, abandoned gold mine, Black Hills, SD

Menomonee river, Milwaukee

Boiler, abandoned gold mine, Black hills, SD

Boiler

The brick photos above are by Scott. I love the photo of the brick under clear water. I may like seeing clear water best.

The first is an email exchange with Scott with a funny subject line: I have a brick to show you

Hi,
I stumbled across your blog while trying to identify a brick, it helped a lot. This brick was found in the Menomonee river in Milwaukee - right next to Miller Park baseball stadium. What are now the huge parking lots to the East of stadium used to be the Milwaukee Railroad yards. I sometimes go fishing for steelhead in the fall in this river and found this brick in a few inches of water. I left it there but when I returned the next time, I couldn't find it. I attached a photo, it's actually a nice one. I have another cream, half brick that says prm&m No. 1. I think I found it in the river too. I also attached a photo of a brick I found at an abandoned mine site in the Black Hills of SD. It is from the Salamander Fire Brick company in NJ. I'm sure it was used to surround the boiler that they used to run the machines. Please tell me the age of my river brick - if you know.

Hi Scott,
WOW, fabulous photos! May I post them on my post along with your email?

I don't know the age of your bricks, I am guessing early 19th century and that they were use as pavers. Some people who read my blog may have an answer and respond. I am only an amateur. People collect bricks. I encourage you to grab them and sell them on Ebay; they will go to caring collections. I've bought bricks on ebay and others do also.

What is that construction in the first photo, it looks like it was used for fire and mining for what?


Sure you can post it, I'd be honored. The fire bricks were used to concentrate the heat around the boiler, I think they just had a fire under it in the open space. You have bricks, I have abandoned mines in the Black Hills.

Mine entrance?

Old Mill Building


This second email included the photo below.

I saw a brick on your blog, and it says "PRM & MOO NO. 1 BRICK". On new years day I went on a tour of a plantation in New Orleans Lousiana, and went into an old slave quarters. The brick around the fire place was the PRM & M CO type as well, but these say Bullhead. I think the No. 1 is actually N.O. L as in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the brick is PRM & M Co. See the attached picture of the bricks on the fire place.

Originally I took a picture of the brick so that I could do some research on the brick company in order to find out if the domicile was authentic. I haven't found any info on the company. If you know anything about it, let me know.

Thanks,
Nick

9 comments:

Lynn Josse said...

Parker Russell of course was the company built on the clay deposits of TGS (located under the clay deposits of TGS, I belive?) They were mostly known as a fire brick manufacturer. The factory complex was located on the south side of McDonald and the east side of MorganFord. The building was at MF, but the yard extended to Bent (the site of McDonald park).

Unknown said...

I have a number of old bricks that are stamped that I'm trying to research. Does anyone know of a website that I can access to find out more about them?

Anonymous said...

Around 6pm this evening(3-21-22) I was finishing up Excavating on my property and hit what thought was a buried stump. After scratching around I believe I unearthed an old foundation. It seems to be a brick floor made from PRM&M Co. There's B XXX and St.Louis under the PRM&M Co. It got dark and I had to call it quits for today and it's going to rain like hell for the next couple days. Don't know when I can get back to this excavation but it's got my interest. 100 bricks or maybe 1000, who knows. I think it's cool and my wife seems to think we won't be buying landscape bricks for a while.

Christian Herman said...

Fascinating!
Are you located in STL? If you've a Historical Society near you I suggest you tell them of your find.

Anonymous said...

Location is West Frankfort, IL. I'm surrounded by abandoned coal mine property and sit on top of an abandoned coal mine. I believe this place was a farm. Previous owners gave me virtually no back story other than what I've investigated already. I have deep historical interest so I won't ignore this.

Unknown said...

I returned to excavating this foundation I've unearthed. There are multiple sizes of bricks. Some with 3 stars, some with XXX and still more with No.1 on them. All PRMM. I don't know how to send pics though. It's a lot of bricks.

Anonymous said...

Appleton, WI
I found a PRM & M CO brick near the foundation of a house built late 1800's. It has No 1 underneath. Interestingly enough it is dark blue or black. It doesn't seem to be painted because I can't scratch the blue/black off. But I could be wrong.

Anonymous said...

Hello everyone!! I am from North Dakota and I have bricks in my backyard that have PRM & MOO CHECKER on them. Is there any history on these?

Anonymous said...

Parker Russell Mining and Manufacturing Company made bricks from about 1866 to 1930. Number 1 brick is made from silicious clays coming from the Missouri District. These bricks were produced both by hand and machine pressed methods. They were burned hard in manufacture and have a fusion point at 3000 degrees F. Number 1 bricks were used for general work such as low pressure boiler settings, hot stoves, furnace linings, lime kilns and the outer walls of all types of high heat furnaces.