The Kentucky-Tennessee Clay Co. – Quitman County, Mississippi

Sledge, Mississippi

About one mile north of the clean and bustling town of Sledge, Mississippi, is located a most unique plant of industry. This plant is situated on the Illinois Central track where a string of six box cars may be loaded with but little notice by the average passer-by.

The Kentucky-Tennessee Clay Co. is a corporation owned by people in Mayfield, Kentucky, and Paris, Tennessee. Their operations are located in these two states as well as in Mississippi.

The amount of raw clay this plant is capable of processing in a day, or week, or month is a business secret according to the plant superintendent, but a closer look at the box cars hid by the plant facilities will reveal the evidence of the thriving business carried on there.

There are several different grades and kinds of clay hauled from other surrounding counties to be processed by this plant. It is shipped to all parts of the United States and some foreign countries. These clays are used for making brick, tile, high tension insulation, dinnerware, ornamental vases, the pencil industry, etc.

Mr. Gardner Wilkes of Crenshaw, Mississippi is superintendent of this enterprise.

Works Progress Administration for Mississippi, Source Material for Mississippi History, Quitman County, Vol. LX, Compiled by State-Wide Historical Research Project, Susie V. Powell, State Supervisor, Illustrated 1936-1938, Addenda

Photo By McKay Savage from London, UK [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons