The Claybank Pits

The Claybank Pits. . , The growth of vegetation, home, construction and landscaping makes it difficult for the visitor of today to envision that the surrounding area was once used for the mining of clay. The pottery industry, that had its founding with John Paul, was made possible when the surrounding area was purchased for the purpose of suppling the necessary clay., The clay was found at a depth of four feet and continued down to twenty-five feet or more. There were three grades of clay. Number 1 which was gray in color, had no impurities and was limited in quantity. No. 2, also gray in color, was the most commonly found; and No. 3, a brown colored clay, with small amounts of sand, shale and gray clay which was used for the production of sewer pipe. , Mining involved clearing the topsoil, digging out the clay and loading it by hand; this was eventually replaced by the use of steam powered drag-lines. The clay was at first hauled by horse and wagon to Red Wing and then a rail spur was laid to the pits. Built by the Duluth Red Wing and Southern Railroad Company, the line was operated from 1892 until it was abandoned in 1936. Thousands of car loads of clay were transported to Red Wing for the production of stoneware and sewer pipe. , Over the following years the pits closed and reopened. Pits were opened in other bear-by areas, diesel replaced the steam powered equipment and trucks replaced the trains. By the 1970s mining and pottery operations had ceased. What had been an industry that employed many men and women over the years, had provided many newly arrived emigrants, mostly Scandinavian, their first jobs during the early industrial development of the county, and had brough recognition and fortune to the area, is now just a memory.