Some innovations are so effective in solving a problem that they become a foundation to a culture. However, in doing so they also become so common that we fail to notice, appreciate or understand their significance.
Such is the case with the humble Lawrence, Kansas brick.
Prior to the 1890s our sidewalks were wooden boards, if that. Our streets were dirt with crushed rock. When dry, they were rutted and terribly dusty. When wet, they were a muddy mess. Along came an improvement in brick manufacturing technology. The use of a downdraft kiln allowed bricks to fire at a higher, more even temperature thus creating a vitrified brick which was far less porous and far more durable. When our city fathers decided it was time to modernize our streets and sidewalks, a number of Lawrence businessmen founded the Lawrence Vitrified Brick and Tile company.
Beyond the kilns, steam engines and other infrastructure, a brick plant needs access to raw materials and inexpensive transportation. The brick plant was located on the current site of the Sandra Shaw Outside for a Better Inside Park, located just north and east of Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
The 8-acre park includes a 3-1/2 acre lake. That lake is the former hole dug by the brick plant to provide the necessary clay and shale for brickmaking.
It was estimated there was enough shale and clay to supply the plant for the next 200 years. With production peaking at 50,000 bricks per day and orders for 4 million more the hole kept getting bigger. That location was and still is adjacent to railroad tracks. So, they had access to raw materials, infrastructure, cheap transportation and a market for their product. What could go wrong?
Soon the Lawrence sidewalks and streets were lined with bricks. It was simply transformational. We became a modern city, a much cleaner city.
Alas, the brick plant did not last 200 years. The next innovation killed it. Concrete for streets and sidewalks could be used cheaper and faster. However, the Lawrence Kansas bricks possess quite a bit more charm and can be re-laid after tree roots buckle them. They just require more labor. Salvaged bricks can be found all over Lawrence in various home projects like patios, walls or fences. They have nostalgic value that a chunk of concrete cannot match. They have more of a human touch.
Despite the spectacular success of the Lawrence Vitrified Brick and Tile Company, all that remains is the hole in the ground. The walking trail through the old brick factory grounds leads you through a hardwood forest which curves around the hole. Background sounds of croaking frogs, chirping birds and flapping ducks provide the soundtrack. The trail's stated purpose is to improve both your physical health and mental health rather than a history lesson, but it can do all three.
Take a walk with Birkenstock.
