Rothwell & Marriott and the Minnesota Brick Company. The extensively known firm of Rothwell & Marriott are credited with some of the biggest real estate deals that have taken place in this part of the State. There is no more active concern in Little Falls, the energy of these gentlemen being applied in the interests of the town as well as of their own, and their reputation for thorough reliability is well sustained. They have large holdings of property in Little Falls and vicinity, prominent among which is the Rothwell Addition, located two blocks from the Antlers Hotel – a most desirable locality. They are also the exclusive agents for the Clark and other properties. The Minnesota Brick Company is composed of E. Rothwell, N. L. Dargis and W. V. Robson. They own 100 acres of brick clay land, that produces an exceptionally fine article, the brick from which is of very superior quality. Some of the finest buildings in the Northwest are of this brick. The most desirable of the brick clay in this district is generally found in pockets of varying dimensions. The brick is free from all deleterious matter, such as magnesia, lime, alkali. The company makes chiefly a cream brick, but can, by the admixture of two qualities of clay – which they have in great abundance – produce a handsome pink, or a deep cherry red.
The surface stratum of brick clay gives a deep cream brick; but the under layer, which is blue, by mixing with the top, produces the pink and cherry colored article. It is claimed for the red brick that it stands fire better than the cream-colored, and is peculiarly adapted for all kinds of terra-cotta work, by reason of its non-shrinking quality. The Minnesota company is fortunate in having secured such an extensive tract of this clay, and the claim that the deposit on its land is inexhaustible is not unreasonable. The present output of their yards is three million brick annually. The company expect to rapidly increase their production until it is recognized as one of the greatest enterprises between Chicago and the PacificCoast. There is no visible reason why Little Falls should not supply all or nearly all the plain and pressed brick used in Northern Minnesota, North Dakota and Eastern Montana. The cities at the head of the lakes have shown their appreciation of the Little Falls article, and it is reasonable to assume that they will continue their patronage, inasmuch as they cannot do better. Little Falls is so situated that her yards can supply more quickly and cheaply than from any other point in the State, towns and cities within a radius of a hundred miles of more. (Northwest Magazine, November 1892, Page 30)