Each factory would imprint their brick with a company name or a special design. One of the best known Coffeyville bricks is the yoke brick made by the Yoke Vitrified Brick Company.
Don't Spit on the Sidewalk Campaign
Another popular brick is the "Don't Spit on Sidewalk" brick. According to Montgomery County Historian Ivan Pfalser, this brick kicked off a health campaign that eventually swept the country. Dr. Samuel Crumbine of the Kansas State Board of Health badgered the state legislature into passing several laws in relation to public health and food sanitation inspection practices. This caused much concern with manufacturers within and outside the state.
Although Crumbine had few facts to back him up, he knew that tuberculosis carriers could transmit the disease to others through contact. He centered his campaign around the public drinking cup, roller towels and sidewalk spitting, thus the wording on the bricks.
For More Information
If you would like more details about Kansas bricks, please visit the International Brick Collectors Association website.