Flint Street Bricks

The Flint Paving Brick Company (often stamped “Flint Co”) was a major industrial manufacturer based in Des Moines, Iowa, operating from the 1890s until the mid-20th century. It was organized by William Brecht and H.B, Hedge in 1893 and was situated on 137 acres at 17th Street and Madison Ave. beside the Des Moines River. The plant was making 18 million bricks and supporting 175 families annually by the time it was purchased by O.P. Herrick in 1925. They were the only manufacturer making paving brick in Iowa at that time and it was estimated that enough shale lay on the property to last the plant 70 years. They manufactured highly durable, vitrified street pavers from ground shale, which became famous for being nearly as dense as granite and able to withstand brutal northern climates.