Marker Inscription
Established 1882 (at site 1.5 mi. NE) by local planter H. M. Morrison, to make building brick. Total original machinery consisted of this press and plunger. Press was hand-operated. A mule-drawn swivel ran the plunger, mixing clay dug at the plant site. C. H. Coleman bought into firm in 1891; after Morrison's death in 1899 he became sole owner. Harbison-Walker Refractories Company bought business in 1940; continued making Coleman brick and enriching economy until closing in 1968. These machines are a permanent loan to city of Athens from Harbison-Walker.
About this site
First Factory in Athens, Machinery From is a historical marker in Athens, Henderson County, dedicated in 1968. It is one of 65 historical markers documented in Henderson County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 155 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 32.1924, -95.8521 near Athens. The nearest cataloged historic site is Athens (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Henderson County, Pottery Industry, Henderson County, and Fisher Robinson Cemetery.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5213010357. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
