Clay-related industries in New Jersey were initiated by the Dutch settlers in the 18th century, judging from the remains of a kiln found within 2 miles of South Amboy. During the 1800's, Raritan clay was being used mainly to make stoneware pottery. One of the earliest stoneware works was in the "Roundabout", a sharp U-shaped bend in the Raritan river now known as Sayreville. By 1820, there were about a dozen pottery operations in the area. By 1898, there were 35 brick manufactures and 31 companies that mined clay along the Raritan River (Musser, 1988: 4-5).

Before 1900, the clay industry had become a vital part of the economy of the state. Until 1900, the state was the 3rd largest producer of brick and tile, and the largest in the nation in clay production (Milner, 1989: 3). The Raritan valley produced 36% of the clay used in the U.S. in 1901 (Musser, 1988:2).

In 1912, S & F Company had over 2,000 acres of land, 15 brickyards, a towing company and barges, and clay pits in South Amboy, Sayreville, South River, and East Brunswick. The S & F Company was the largest brickworks in the Raritan valley. The railroad and the clay industries both stood to benefit from a spur to the Raritan River, facilitating transfer of clay from pits to factories as well as bricks to inland markets.

The rail companies could bring in coal for the kilns, lumber for construction, and economically and efficiently transfer the bricks to market. In 1912, a spur was completed that spanned the S & F plant (Musser, 1988:9-10, 12-13). According to Karcher, the peak of accomplishment at S & F Brick Company was in 1926. The Great Depression had a devastating effect on the clay industry in general, and S & F was not spared. The high price of production and transport, along with the decreasing cost of steel and concrete, led to a decline in the use of brick in construction (PCI, 2002: 2-15). The total value of the production of clay and clay products in 1926 was almost $50,000,000, but by 1932 this number had dropped to $6,800,000. The great majority of the brickworks were driven out of business (Industrial Directory of New Jersey, 1934). After WWII, there was a steep decline in the brick market due to high production and freight costs and the popularity of new building materials such as steel and concrete.

Chart showing S&F worker to Sayreville Population Information from New Jersey Industrial Directory(1901-1946)