Murray Refractories Co.

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This page was last updated on September 18, 2024.

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Overview

Refractory bricks are special bricks used in high temperature applications where high heat and continued heating and cooling do not weaken the bricks. These are used in smelter and steel furnaces and include a wide variety of special shapes that are needed to protect the furnaces. Among the special shapes as cast plugs for smelter and furnace tap holes whch when removed allow molten metal to flow in molds.

The location of Murray Refractories silica brick plant was origianlly where Utah Fire Clay company had built its own fire brick making plant in 1910, located at Murray to be close to the smelters in Murray and Midvale. The plant was built by the new company, Western Fire Clay company, which merged in 1910 with Utah Fire Clay as the Murray plant was being built. Utah Fire Clay continued operating at the Murray location until its own merger with

Murray Refractories was organized in 1947 as a company jointly owned by Gladding, McBean & Company, of Los Angeles, and Utah Fire Clay Company of Salt Lake City. Utah Fire Clay had two locations in Salt Lake City. The first was at about 1100 South on First (200) West, and filled the area between First West and the Union Pacific Provo Subdivision. The second location was at about 4200 South in Murray, located between the Union Pacific tracks and the D&RGW tracks, and just south of Big Cottonwood Creek.

(Read about Utah Fire Clay before 1947)

Murray Refractories took over the Utah Fire Clay fire brick yard in Murray and added improvements to make silica bricks for use by smelters and steel plants. Prior to this time, the fire bricks being made in Murray were of mixture of high-grade clays that responded well to use in smelters and furnaces.

Gladding, McBean later took full ownership of both Murray Refractories and Utah Fire Clay, as well as Harrisville Brick Company northwest of Ogden, the former Ogden Pressed Brick & Tile Company. Within two years, Gladding, McBean itself became International Pipe and Ceramics Corporation after merging with Joint Pipe Company of East Orange, New Jersey.

Timeline

April 19, 1947
"Ceramics Plant To Begin Operation - The plant of the Murray Refractories Company, ceramics manufacturers, will begin operations within three months, it was announced yesterday at the initial meeting of the board of directors in the Hotel Utah. The plant will be under management of Joseph E. Stevens, formerly an associate of Gladding, McBean & Co.. Los Angeles, co-owners of the new corporation. The Utah Fire Clay Co., Salt Lake City, co-owner of the corporation, formerly operated the Murray plant, which will manufacture a variety of ceramic products. Repairs and renovations now are being made at the plant, according to Mr. Stevens." (Deseret News, April 19, 1947; Salt Lake Tribune, April 19, 1947)

Murray Refractories was located at 100 West Fireclay Avenue (4295 South).

January 16, 1949
"Silica brick for use in the mining and metallurgical Industry is produced by the Murray Refractories Co. at Murray, Utah, while needs of Geneva Steel for this product are met by the General Refractories plant at Lehi. Utah. Four plants in southern Idaho, two in Wyoming and one in Reno, Nev., supply the needs of builders in their respective communities for brick and tile products." (Salt Lake Tribune, January 16, 1949)

April 1, 1951
The company produces silica brick, used in lining open hearth (steel) furnaces and reverbratory furnaces used in copper smelting. Procuction was being increased from 300,000 9-inch bricks per month, to 360,000 bricks per month, by the construction of a new kiln. The new kiln was 34 feet in diameter and would add to the production of six existing smaller kilns. A 70-foot stack was being erecting in connection with the new kiln. A new fire clay grinding unit was also being added, which would produce fire clay that had been ground and packaged for use in smelter operations. The fire clay was coming the Lake Mountain clay pits west of Utah Lake. (Salt Lake Tribune, April 1, 1951)

September 11, 1955
Murray Refractories has added a new silica ore washing unit to its Murray brick plant. The washing unit and associated stockpiling and conveyor system, would allow similar machinery to be retired at the company's clay pit in Eureka. The Eureka operation was forced to shut down during the four winter months and the new machinery in Murray would do away with that requirement. Production at the Eureka pit would be increased to 15 tons [sic: cars] per week and the extra production would be stockpiled at Murray. The new machinery at Murray was believed to be the only such facility in 11 western states. (Salt Lake Tribune, September 11, 1955)

(This silica ore was transported by rail by way of D&RGW from Eureka to Murray.)

September 30, 1955
Production of silica ore from the Eureka mine was to be increased from 5 cars or less per week, to 15 cars per week to the Murray plant of Murray Refractories. (Eureka Reporter, September 30, 1955)

February 24, 1957
The clay pits at Pelican Point west of Utah Lake was shipping 30 tons per day by truck to the Murray Refractories plant. The clay was then dried and pulverized and shipped to Geneva steel. The clay deposit at Pelican Point was 600 feet wide and 500 feet deep and three miles long. It was being mined on six levels 18 feet deep by Ernest and Roger Cedarstrom using power shovels, and shipped to Murray Refractories, Kennecott Copper, and several other brick manufacturers. (Provo Herald, February 24, 1957)

August 21, 1960
The following coes from the August 21, 1960 issue of the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper.

Gladding, McBean Co., the West's largest producer of ceramic and refractory products, Saturday announced acquisition of 95 per cent of the stock of Utah Fire Clay Co. in a two million dollar deal.

Utah Fire Clay is a producer of face (building) brick and sewer pipe at 1079 So. 1st West. This firm also owned 49 per cent of Murray Refractories Co., manufacturers of silica brick for the steel and copper industries of the West, at 100 West Fire Clay Ave., Murray. The other 51 per cent of Murray Refractorirs was owned by Gladding, McBean Co.

Murray Refractories was established in 1947 as an affiliate of Gladding, McBean and Utah Fire Clay - largely as a producer of silica brick to serve the big Geneva Works which was built by Defense Plant Corp. during World War II. Gladding, McBean had operated a DPC silica refractories plant at Lehi during World War II, serving Geneva Works. That plant later was sold to General Refractories, however, by War Assets Administration.

Murray Refractories operates clay pits at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake County and in Lake Mountain area of Utah County. Silica mines are at St. Johns, Tooele, and at Eureka, Juab County. Utah Fire Clay pits are at Henefer, Morgan County, and at Five Mile Pass in Rush Valley, Utah County.

April 4, 1961
The Utah Fire Clay Company merged with Murray Refractories Company and Gladding, McBean & Company, with Gladding, McBean being the surviving company. The shareholders meeting approving the merger took place on April 4, 1961. The clay quarries were located at Clinton, Elberta, and Five Mile Pass in Utah County, and at Rideout and Cottonwood in Salt Lake County, with trucks hauling the clay to both Salt Lake City and another location in Harrisville. (Salt Lake Tribune, March 5, 1961; Provo Daily Herald, July 18, 1962)

Gladding, McBean & Co.

April 29, 1961
Gladding, McBean & Co. acquired Harrisville Brick Co., Ogden producer of face brick, for an undisclosed cash price. Joseph E. Stevens (former manager of Murray Refractories and predecessor Utah Fire Clay's Murray operation) was named manager of Utah production operations, which includes the former Murray Refractories plant at Murray; the former Utah Fire Clay plant, Salt Lake City and the newly acquired Harrisville plant. (Salt Lake Tribune, April 29, 1961)

February 20, 1962
Gladding, McBean & Company completed a new 10,000 square-foot office, showroom and warehouse at 1081 South First (200) West in Salt Lake City, adjacent to the former Utah Fire Clay brick yard. (Salt Lake Tribune, February 20, 1962)

July 19, 1962
Gladding, McBean & Company became International Pipe and Ceramics Corporation after merging with Lock Joint Pipe Company of East Orange, New Jersey. (Salt Lake Tribune, July 19, 1962) (The merger was approved by shareholders of both companies on August 24, 1962 - Salt Lake Tribune, August 24, 1962)

(No more references to Murray Refractories or Utah Fire Clay after 1962, including the status of the former Murray Refractories fire brick plant in Murray.)

(The story continues with the Murray Refractories, former Utah Fire Clay, site in Murray being dismantled after 1962, the Utah Fire Clay site in Salt Lake City at 1081 South First West being dismantled in 1968, and the former Harrisville Brick plant in Harrisville became the sole business for Interpace in Utah.)

(Read more about the Harrisville Brick company, and its predecessor, Ogden Pressed Brick Company)

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