Ohio’s native rocks and sediments have provided raw materials to industry since the earliest pioneers entered the state. Today, many of these same materials (coal, clay, limestone, salt, and sand, continue to contribute to the economy. One industry that used Ohio’s rich mineral resources has nearly faded from the landscape. If not for the durability of the products, the paving brick industry of Ohio would be easily forgotten. Today we can still see lasting reminders of this industry in the streets, alleys, and sidewalks of nearly every town and village in Ohio.
The paving brick industry flourished in Ohio from the 1800s until the 1930s. Miles and miles of roads in Ohio and the Midwest were paved with these heavy bricks. These bricks were so well suited for this purpose that many streets in use today are nearly the same as they were when the bricks were laid over 100 years ago.
We stumbled upon this Portsmouth Granite Block in an alley in Butchertown, one of Louisville's oldest neighborhoods. I enjoy finding references to Ohio when traveling.
Brick streets slow traffic better than speed bumps. I just booked a trip to Louisville - looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid growing up in Quincy Illinois, there were several streets in town that were paved in bricks. I can still hear the sound of cars driving over them. One such street was in front of my grade school and I loved hearing the shoes of all the kids walking across that street.
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