Pretty far piece from BG
That would be close to 70 miles from the pit.
Have clay pits all across MO, in this county alone are right at thirty active and some ten being researched for initial mining. The small pit we are hauling from is typical of these where clay has been located, mine opened by a local contractor and begins the excavation. Three to four years at most later the pit is closed. Larger pits to the north as in BG were open for decades as the volume was huge. Brick plants were constructed at Vandalia, Mexico, sites around Montgomery City west to Fulton and out past Columbia due to the volumes in those localized pits.
The clay was abundant and close to surface where easily removed. St Louis had some of the earliest clay mining in MO in the 19th century when much of the old brick buildings went up.
90% is called Fire Clay, not the lawn and garden variety where is white or deep red to grey, dirt clay tends to be brown to orange and very plastic where fire clays can be hydraulic as Bentonite or pasty for make up, abrasives and Fullers Earth type materials.
Are few private property owners that retain their mineral rights as the original findings of clay or other minerals were bought up in the 1920’s to 1950’s around here.