A barge load of brick arrived from Dresbach a few days ago for Buffum’s Block, and work will be immediately commenced and prosecuted vigorously. (Winona Daily Republican, Saturday, July 6, 1867, Page 3)
The steamer Albany came up with a barge load of brick from Dresbach, and a lot of shingles from the Black river. (Winona Daily Republican, Saturday, June 20, 1868, Page 3)
Dresbach. From Mr. Geo. B. Dresbach, Jr., who was in town to-day, we learn that the season opens up in the village of Dresbach with a degree of activity and promise absolutely without parallel in the history of the place. For several years past Dresbach has been the principal site of brick manufacture in Southeastern Minnesota, and now it has added to this industry the production of a very superior quality of sandstone and freestone, which exists is large quantities, and the demand for which promises to be both large and wide-spread. There are now three brick yards in operation – two owned by Messrs. Sherwood & Johnson, and the third by the Northwestern Brick Company, of which Mr. Dresbach is a principal shareholder – while a fourth yard will be put in operation within a few weeks by the firm of Williams & Smith, who have removed thither from Red Wing, where they were formerly engaged in making brick. The combined product of these four concerns for the current year is estimated at upwards of 3,000,000. Three of the yards are provided with the latest improved steam machinery. In addition to the common brick, the Northwestern is preparing to manufacture pressed brick on a large scale. The specimens already turned out are pronounced by good judges to be equal to the well-known St. Louis pressed brick. The stone industry, as above noted, will be prosecuted on a large scale from this time forth. Three quarries have been opened, each of which will be provided with all the latest steam appliances for quarrying and dressing. Col. Dresbach, Sr., is now absent in Ohio engaging experienced stone workers, of whom some twenty-five or thirty will be employed by the company with which he is identified alone. The Winona County Mining Company are putting in a new engine and working a force of five men. They expect to begin quarrying sandstone early in May, when their force will be increased to ten men. The quarries promise well. Mr. Tostevin hoisted out on the 13th inst. a block of blue sandstone weighing 6,500 pounds. His force of fifteen men will shortly be increased to thirty. Messrs. Sherwood & Johnson have put a new engine in their brickyard, and are opening still another yard – working about thirty men in all. The yards will be able to turn out 35,000 brick per day. The new yard of Messrs. Dresbach & Moss is about completed, and will have a capacity of 20,000 brick per day. (Winona Daily Republican, Saturday, April 15, 1882, Page 3)
Owatonna’s newly finished school house will compare favorably with any building of its size in the State. The building is made of the best Dresbach brick; trimmed with cut stone, and furnished with modern appliances. There are seven pleasant and spacious rooms, and the entire cost, including steam heating apparatus, furniture, grading, etc., is about $27,000. Last Friday evening over 1,000 citizens gathered to inspect the examination papers, drawings, etc. The students rendered a pleasant musical and literary program. (Winona Daily Republican, Wednesday, March 5, 1884, Page 2)
The new bank building at Sleepy Eye – a fine structure – is faced with pressed brick from Dresbach, Winona county. (Winona Daily Republican, Monday, July 13, 1885, Page 2)
One of the brick yards at Dresbach is furnishing brick to be used in building a school house at Red Wing, Minnesota. One firm has contracted to furnish 400,000, and will probably have another order for 400,000 more. The Percy Swain is towing the barges upon which the brick is loaded. Brick making is an important business at Dresbach, furnishing employment to 100 men. (Winona Daily Republican, Wednesday, June 30, 1886, Page 3)
The new high school at Faribault is having its outside walls built of Dresbach pressed brick. (Winona Daily Republican, Friday, July 23, 1886, Page 2)
Winona County Geology. Conclusion of the Article by Prof. Winchell. Brick. Throughout the county the clays of the loess-loam make red brick. The brick yards at Dresbach are in active and flourishing condition and furnish a fine quality of red brick, some of them being a superior pressed brick, equal in texture and fineness to those from St. Louis. (Winona Daily Republican, Saturday, June 24, 1899, Page 6)