James Heller and Family

Medora Brick Plant
Medora, Indiana
Indiana 425 southwest of Medora in Jackson County
                                           

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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.