There has been a bit of a break between my posts here on the MN Bricks website. I have been very busy researching and putting together a book about the Chaska, Minnesota, brickyards. In regard to that topic, I have set up a new website at www.chaskabrick.com. In putting together the Chaska brick book, I have realized that a book just about the brickyards would probably be pretty boring for most people, so I have been expanding the book to include more about that historical time period in Minnesota. Being a history buff, it doesn’t take much to get me to venture off in different directions. However, I am trying to narrow my focus and get the book finished.
So what about the wider topic range that includes other Minnesota brickyards? I have never stopped looking for additional material; it just has not been added to the web site. I have encountered a couple of issues with that, the first being there were SO many brickyards. In researching my Chaska brick book, I have come across single sentences in newspapers that mentioned a new brickyard starting up in some small town. However, they are only a single sentence, and they mention nothing else, like who was starting it or where it was. Then, there is never another mention of it again. I was hoping to be somewhat thorough on this topic, but I am finding out that is not possible. So I just have to be happy to uncover what I can.
The second issue was my webmaster grew up. My webmaster was a relative, who worked cheap. That person has since grown up, and gone on to bigger and better things. So I did not have anyone to help me post new material. I also wanted to take a step back, to make sure I wasn’t giving away all my material for anyone else to use, especially if I wanted to do something with it too. I have put in countless hours researching this topic, and had been putting up all the material I found. Since then, I have found that numerous people or researchers have used my material, and not given me any credit. I am not looking for fame or fortune, but wouldn’t it bug you when someone else gets paid for using just your material? So, I am trying to find a blend in that realm that I am comfortable with as well.
Where do I go from here? First and foremost, I am looking to start regular posts again. I enjoy the feedback I get from people, who also provide me with additional pictures and stories. I hope that continues. Secondly, I am going to add a quarterly newsletter about the material I am finding. Sign up to have this newsletter automatically sent to you. I’m looking forward to you checking back with this web site often!
Virginia Winter Smith
Thank you for this wonderful geneology of Nic Weber, my paternal great-grandfather.
I discovered that he died at age 40, never known by my grandmother , an infant, and barely known by his youngest children.
Medical science was also in its infancy. Being from LeSueur, I got to visit the Mayo house, home of Dr. William Mayo who went on to found the famous Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
At the time I saw the doctor’s medical bag and equipment, the house was serving as the city Library, and we could go upstairs only accompanied by the Librarian. I saw the device used to bleed people, and mercury used as a diuretic. The pioneers had to be STRONG to SURVIVE!
Trish Short Lewis
I agree with you that hundreds of hours of research and writing is worth a lot and that being given credit is the LEAST that people should do for you. I write a local history blog called ST. VINCENT MEMORIES, and have put in thousands of hours for over 14 years so far. I try to give all proper credit for sources I reference in my blog. In addition, I write original work which I hope others credit me for. But when you post online, there isn’t much you can do to ensure it unless you want to spend time and money pursuing people legally, which I do not want to do. So I hope for the best. The other way to handle it is to do what you are doing and keep content offline and accumulate it into an eventual book. I commend you for that, and wish you the best of luck as you move towards publication. For me, my goal is to get the local history out there for as many people to know about as possible, so I share it freely here online, and hope it remains available for as long as possible. By the way, I think what you are doing is AMAZING, and I greatly look forward to your book! I love your new website, and I hope you continue posting online also…