In 1878, John P. Cahoon began manufacturing bricks on an old homestead at 4th West and 53rd South in Murray, Utah, and as demand grew he moved to a better location when the Salt Lake Pressed Brick Co., founded by Cahoon, purchased land from Edward Potter Hemsley on January 6, 1891, placing the company nearer larger clay deposits, the railroad line, and its market. Through the years it became the largest brick manufacturing company in the west, and this was the beginning of the Brickyard later known as Brickyard Plaza. In its early days, bricks were dry pressed by Boyd Presses and removed by hand, but the process was gradually mechanized and automated as clay was mixed and pulverized, moved by conveyor belts to bins where moisture was added, kneaded in pug mills, extruded through dies, cut by wire cutters, and then fired in coal-burning kilns. With improvements and expansion, the plant reached production of 60,000 bricks per day before operations on the site ended on November 28, 1972, when the plant was shut down and dismantled and the company moved to West Jordan, Utah. The chimney on the site was built in 1902 and was called the Smith Kiln Chimney. Edward Potter Hemsley, the first property owner, was born on April 23, 1839, in Ditchling Parish, Sussex, England, and emigrated to America with his sister Ellen Potter Hemsley on May 5, 1862, joining a pioneer company led by Captain Miller for the journey west to join their older brother Richard in Salt Lake City. After arriving, Edward married Miriam Simonds, who had also been in Captain Miller's company, and they settled in Sugar House, where they built a home at 1923 South 1200 East; because of Miriam's poor health, Margaret Brown was hired to help care for her, and at Miriam's invitation Margaret married Edward in the Salt Lake Endowment House on March 17, 1866. Miriam died on February 24, 1878, after having three children, while Margaret had twenty-three. Edward farmed his land and served as a doctor in the Sugar House area, treating mental and physical ailments, pulling teeth, preparing a widely used salve, helping lead the early Sunday School in the Sugar House Ward, transporting children by horse and wagon, sponsoring dancing and amusements, and playing the accordion, and in later years he was appointed warden of the state prison. He also purchased a tract of land in Mill Creek that he called the Brickyard, and with his brother Job manufactured bricks used in early homes, businesses, church meetinghouses, and the first schoolhouse in Sugar House. The business was considered so important that Brigham Young rescinded Edward's mission call so he could continue making bricks, and different clay levels produced different brick colors. Edward Hemsley died on July 22, 1910, at the age of seventy-one.