A History of Central Texas by Mary Star Barkley.
Butler, Texas, was the base of operations from the Butler Brick Company for nearly a century. The firm dates back to about 1873 when its founder, Michael Butler of Limerick, Ireland, settled in Austin, joining his brother Patrick, who had come in 1871. At Austin, Michael Butler started the Enterprise, first called the M Butler Brick Manufacturing Company, in a plant between Congress and East Avenue near the Colorado River. But floods washed out the plant, so in 1876 he started again S of the river between Barton Springs Road. And the river. Two years later, he married Mary Josephine Kelley, daughter of Francis Kelly, an early settler in Austin.
Butler expanded the business to building brick homes, and in 1886 had a new brick plant built. Business prospered with the city, His bricks were used in the Austin City Hall, the State Capitol building in 1888, the IGN Depot on Congress Avenue, and the Board of Trade Building. His son, John F Butler, joined him in the business and researched the ceramics field. While inspecting a site near Elgin for a supply of wood, he discovered that good clay was available on the sandy Creek.
Favorable analysis of the soil led the butlers to decide to open a plant near Elgin, Texas
and later the main office was transferred there. By 19O3, the Elgin Butler Brick and Tile Company was chartered in Bastrop County. Then the Elgin Pottery Company was formed and located at Butler. And both Austen and the Butler plants were in operation. Mike Butler died in 1903, and today the third generation of Butlers are owners and operators with TJ Butler as president, missus, TJ Butler, Tom Butler, Martin Butler, and Mike Butler as vice president, and John Russell Butler as secretary treasurer.
I’m attaching an article and story I wrote that included Mary Jo Butler Cooper, who was a long time volunteer of the Austin History Center. Which is where I met her. I interviewed her about what life was like growing up. In and around the Brahman block. She used to give tours of the Brahman block. One of which was a ghost story about A little boy haunting the Pierre Brimand house.
Learn more on an ORIGINAL AUSTIN GHOST TOUR
From the website of the Butler Brick Factory today, this is the story of its history:
Our History
The Elgin-Butler Brick Company Story — Over a century of craftsmanship, pride and accomplishment.
In 1866, Michael Butler arrived in New York with aspirations of discovering great opportunity in the United States. Like many Irish immigrants, he traveled west from New York to Wisconsin and Missouri seeking opportunity and acquiring different skills along the way. With time, Mr. Butler honed his craft as a brick mason as he continued to move westward— and eventually south—to Dallas, Texas.
Mr. Butler built his first brick manufacturing plant in 1870, then sold it to his brother Patrick only three years later. In 1873, Mr. Butler moved to Austin where he founded Butler Brick Works, one of the first great mercantile establishments in the area and the predecessor to Elgin-Butler Brick Company. After being passed through four generations of Butler family members, Elgin-Butler Brick Company remained family-owned until it was sold in December 2005.
Michael Butler built a successful brick business, but also established a heritage of civic involvement and accomplishment, which is still followed by Elgin Butler Company management today.