D'Hanis Brick and Tile Company

D'Hanis Brick and Tile Company. . The D'Hanis Brick and Tile Company was organized 1905, by Louis Carle, Sr., F.J. (Joe) Carle, Charles Wallrath, and Richard Wallrath of D'Hanis, Texas; and Gus Birkner, owner of the L&L Brickyard between Luling and Lockhart, Texas., The brick plant in D'Hanis went into operation due to a superior clay deposit discovered by Charles Wallrath near his home on the banks of the Seco Creek, one mile west of D'Hanis. The clay showed high deposits of iron, an excellent ingredient to bind a clay brick when fired in kilns. Wallrath was a brick mason by trade in Germany prior to immigrating to D'Hanis in the early 1870s. Initially, with Seco Creek clay, he made crude, but usable bricks dried in the sun. Later, he improved his technique with even better bricks made by hand in brick molds and dried in hand-dug pits fired by mesquite wood. , Gus Birkner arrived in D'Hanis in 1905 in search of a better clay deposit. The clay used in his L&L Brickyard was of poor quality and was producing a brick that was inferior. Birkner's search for a better material led first to Wallrath, then to an entrepreneur, Louis Carle, Sr., age 37, and his brother, F.J. Carle of D'Hanis. After Birkner successfully fired a wagon load of D'Hanis clay in his Luling kilns, he offered to sell his brick making equipment to the Carles for $15,000. Hence, the D'Hanis Brick Plant was established, with this meager beginning, the D'Hanis Brick and Tile Company was formed and over time grew into a modern brick and tile manufacturing facility with its brick being sold throughout the state of Texas, a 99-year lease was signed by Wallrath and the Carle brothers to mine and transport by rail the excellent clay material to the newly established brick plant in D'Hanis. , Originally, there were five kilns fired by mesquite wood sold to the Carles by local farmers and ranchers. Each kiln had a capacity of 350,000 bricks manufactured by the brick making equipment purchased from Birkner, the equipment consisted of one brick press making 20,000 brick a day, one 40 H.P. engine, two pumps, and one pulverizer. Within a few years, Louis Carle, Sr, and F.J, Carle acquired full ownership of the plant with Louis serving as its president., Notably, the brick plant survived two world wars, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, F.J. Carle died in an automobile accident in 1946. Louis Carle, Sr. died from natural causes in 1950, serving as president of the brick plant until his death. After more than 100 years, the D'Hanis Brick and Tile Company is still in operation.