Talented Tuesday - Trenton Physician Discovers Secret in Clays

Trenton Physician Discovers Long Sought Secret in Clays

Dr. Elmer H. Rogers (1858 – 1907), my husband’s great-grandfather, was a well-respected physician and businessman in Trenton, NJ.  Besides his thriving medical practice, it appears he invested in real estate and other businesses.  I recently came across this article in the Trenton Times (17 Jun 1905) that talks about his discovery of a special clay that when made into bricks “possessed the hardness of a piece of granite and the enamel was perfect.”  This article was of special interest to me as his grandson Alvin, who was born nearly twenty years after his death, would later become a stone and brick mason and his son, my husband, a contractor. 

The article talks about Dr. Rogers’ ownership of a property “on which is deposited an almost inexhaustible supply of the right quality in its natural state.”  It goes on to further state his intention to form a company to develop and manufacture bricks to be sold on the market.  I don’t know if this business venture ever got off the ground, it has never been heard of in this generation of the family.  I have not found any further articles to substantiate the company and Dr. Rogers died 11 Apr 1907.  Here is the article as it appeared:

Trenton Times - Saturday, 17 Jun 1905