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Cannon and Company

History

In 1918, the Cannon-Phillips Company purchased the property of the Sacramento Clay Products Company to manufacture face brick, fire brick, Roman brick, hollow tile, and interlocking tile. The plant was located at Ben Ali siding, 4 miles from Sacramento, near N. 13th St. and E. El Camino Ave., Sacramento. Dana A. Cannon was president and John B. Phillips was vice-president of the new company. The main office was at 920 Forum Building, Sacramento. In 1920, John B. Phillips had left the partnership and Dana A. Cannon renamed his company Cannon and Company. Dana Cannon was a native of Ohio, born in 1885.

Clay was obtained from Michigan Bar and on their property, 200 acres of yellowish brown sandy clay, red-burning, and hardpan under a layer of red sandy loam, 15-20 feet thick. This clay was mixed with white clay from Lincoln and Ione. The equipment included scrapers, steam shovel, auger feed, 2 dry pans, bucket elevator, Hum-Mer electric screen, storage bins, pugmills, stiff-mud machines, and four gas-fired, down-draft kilns. The company employed 35-40 workers.

Known for their unique shades of smooth face orange, brown, red, and yellow brick, they were quite popular with multicolored brickwork, such as can be seen in the railroad depot of the Southern Pacific Company in Stockton and the City Hall in Benicia. The "Italian Pink Face" brick can be seen in the California State Life Insurance Bldg. at 926 J St., Sacramento. Roman brick in variegated colors can be seen at Fremont and Newton schools in Sacramento. Their spotted gray brick face the Mark Hopkins Hotel on Nob Hill in San Francisco. The brand name "CANNON" or "CANNON & CO." was stamped on one of the sides of the brick. The Company's advertisements boasted "the finest face brick made in America." Cannon also made the Denison interlocking hollow building tile, which were used in the walls of many important buiidings in the Sacramento area.

Dana A. Cannon passed away on August 31, 1949 at the age of 64. His wife Claire L. Cannon continued to manage the company until 1956, when Mrs. Patricia C. Taylor and Mrs. Jeanne C. Lacy managed the brick works for a couple more years. The plant closed in 1957. In 1970, the plant site was condemned by the State.


Cannon and Company brick plant, Sacramento. From Cal. Div. Mines Bull. 99.


Cannon and Company brick in the Southern Pacific Depot, Sacramento.


Cannon Brick


Cannon and Company brick in the Southern Pacific Depot, Sacramento,
showing four shades of color.



Smooth Cannon and Company brick in the Southern Pacific Depot, Sacramento.


Face brick is yellow, orange, or red. Smooth surface texture. Straight sharp edges and corners. Extruded stiff-mud process. Fine transverse lines on the sides, with occasional grooves. Length 8 1/4, width 4, height 2 1/8 - 2 1/4.


Cannon and Company brick in the Sacramento High School, Sacramento.



Textured Cannon and Company brick in the Sacramento High School, Sacramento.



Cannon and Company roman brick in the wall of Fremont School, Sacramento, c. 1921.


Roman brick is red, yellow, or peach, with a rough face texture. Pits up to 1/4 inch across, subround black iron up to 1/4 inch across, and round red cinder up to 1/4 inch across are visible on the surface. In addition to these, can be seen in the interior of the clay body round gray pebbles up to 1/2 inch across. Longitudinal grooves are prominent on the sides and ends. Some ends display angled grooves or wire-cut marks. The face of the brick was not examined. Length 11 , width 3 1/8, thickness 2 1/2.


Cannon and Company face brick in five shades of color.


Source

California Division of Mines and Geology Report 15, p. 404.

California Division of Mines and Geology Report v. 51, no. 2, 1955, p. 125-129.

Dietrich, Waldemar F. "The Clay Resources and the Ceramic Industry of California." California State Mining Bureau Bulletin 99, 1928, p. 183-185.

Gurcke, Bricks and Brickmaking, 1987.

Sacramento City Directories, 1918-1958.

U.S. Bureau of Mines Minerals Yearbook 1970, v. 2, p. 136.


Copyright © 2004 Dan Mosier

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