James Heller and Family
Medora Brick Plant
Medora,
Indiana
Indiana 425 southwest of Medora in Jackson County
History Photos preservation BRickMaking People HOME
from a commemorative book on Jackson Co. published prior to Jim Heller's death.
note of explanation:
John Wesley Heller was a Civil War veteran and upon his return to Jackson
County
engaged in farming and also from 1879 in the manufacturing of brick and tile
said to be
centered at a little hollow at the southern foot of JW Wesley Heller's home
(mentioned
above) just south of Brownstown. (b. Aug. 27, 1843 and enlisted in the
Seventh Indiana
Battery serving three years and a month).
At some point there after...
(1) Two of his sons, Thornton and Victor became partners in the brick making
business.
(2) The Robertson family made agreement whereby the Heller's would no longer
make brick
and tile from the family home but instead to share in the making of brick and
tile at a new location along the railroad line north of what is now Ewing
(property owned by one of the
Heller's possibly) which became the Jackson Brick and Hollowware Company. Two
other
sons John and James, along with Jonathan and Joe (Joseph M.) Robertson became
partners in the
Brownstown plant. Jackson Brick and Holloware would in the mid 1920's
purchase at auction the Medora Shale Brick Co. which partner Joe (Joseph M.)
Robertson would
direct. James P. Heller would become the understudy of Joe (Joseph M.) Robertson
in the brick
making business and later take over the reins of the Medora plant.
Mildred Heller passed March, 2011 in Brownstown, In. at the age of 100.