[Music] welcome to the Rapids historical marker project presented by the Rapids historical commission and CTN Studios you have access the information regarding the historical marker for the clayhole the clayhole is one of the reminders of a once thriving brick making Venture in Rapids when clay deposits were discovered Dr DC Dunham organized the first Brickyard in 1881 known as The inoa Press brick and Terra Cotta company it represented the first non-agricultural industry in Rapids it was a small two-man operation located near Rapids bulevard and Avet street it's the site of the clayhole the Brick industry began to Boom in the 1880s as people began to realize the product's durability after the fire in inoka in 1884 that destroyed a greater part of the city it seemed imperative to rebuild with fireproof material and brick filled the need bricks have been so durable that you can still see it used today on many of the red brick buildings as you travel through downtown inoka these red bricks came from the manufacturing plant in the Creek area before the discovery of electricity brick making was a timeconsuming and labor intensive task the first step involved mining or winning of the clay this was seasonal work as all the clay needed for the following year had to be dug out before winter the constant freezing and thawing of Mother Nature helped to break down the clay allowing the stones to be removed more easily the next spring Cruz dug a large conical pit which allowed the sides to cave in and be excavated the digging of clay stopped when Cruise hit a spring at about 90 ft underground once the Brick Company closed its operation the clayhole became a swimming hole for the public it continued to be a place of recreation for many years until water quality test showed it was no longer safe for swimming the city then had to close the clayhole to the public today the clayhole serves as both a reminder of Rapids industrial roots and as a source of pleasant summer time memories for generations of young people who grew up here he