It helped build Minnesota brick by brick, including the State Capitol.

By the late 1800s, the Chaska brick industry took off because of the deep, rich clay in the ground, creating around 10 brickyards.

“At one point in time around 1910, Chaska was producing 40 to 60 million bricks per year, and that’s not working in the wintertime,” said Lisa Oberski with the Chaska Historical Society.

When the Minnesota State Capitol was being built, Chaska bricks were used for weight-supporting walls and providing backing to the stone exterior.

“The state ended up purchasing about 2 million bricks that are used in the State Capitol, primarily in the basement area,” Oberski said.

The last brickyard to produce Chaska brick closed more than 50 years ago, but its history lives on at the State Capitol and in buildings around the state.