Gladding, McBean manufacturing plant located in Lincoln. Founded in 1875.

LINCOLN, CA (MPG) – By the late 1800s, California was growing at a remarkable pace. Towns were expanding, streets and sewer systems were being built, and architects were looking for materials that could give the young state’s buildings a sense of permanence.

In Placer County, an unusually rich deposit of clay helped meet that demand and gave rise to a company that would become one of the region’s most enduring industries.

Gladding, McBean was founded in Lincoln in 1875 by Charles Gladding, Peter McGill McBean and George Chambers. The company grew from a local clay products manufacturer into a nationally known producer of architectural terra cotta, clay pipe, roof tile and other ceramic products.

Its story has been closely tied to Placer County ever since.

“To me, Gladding, McBean represents the pride of making something that lasts. Our clay sewer pipe serves communities underground, our roof tile protects buildings and gives them character, and our architectural terra cotta helps create and preserve landmarks. Together, those products have given Lincoln a reputation for skilled manufacturing far beyond Placer County. After more than 25 years with the company, the connection between our people, our work and Lincoln means a great deal to me,” National Sales Manager Jamie Farnham said.

The company’s beginnings can be traced to the discovery of high-quality clay near Lincoln and the community’s access to the railroad. Those advantages allowed Gladding, McBean to manufacture heavy clay products locally and ship them to customers throughout California and beyond.

 Rows of clay pipes fill the yard at Gladding, McBean’s historic Lincoln plant, with the facility’s brick smokestack rising in the background.

The company initially concentrated on clay sewer pipe. Its first carload was shipped to San Francisco in 1875. As California's population and cities grew, so did demand for the durable products manufactured in Lincoln.

By the 1890s, the plant had expanded into brick, roofing tile, enamel-faced brick and decorative garden pottery. Eventually, however, Gladding, McBean became especially celebrated for its architectural terra cotta intricately molded and sculpted pieces used to ornament buildings.

That craftsmanship turned a Placer County manufacturer into a contributor to architecture far beyond the county line. Gladding, McBean products were used in projects ranging from California buildings to structures as far away as Tokyo. The company also supplied materials associated with prominent institutions including Stanford University.

Closer to home, the company's importance was economic as well as cultural.

 Decorative clay pieces and sculptures fill a historic Gladding, McBean workshop.

“Our connection to Auburn is visible in buildings such as the Placer County Courthouse and the Masonic Temple. But the broader company story also includes clay sewer pipe for wastewater infrastructure and roof tiles for homes and other buildings. Those products show the range of needs a clay manufacturer can serve. Gladding, McBean’s influence extends from recognizable architecture to the everyday systems communities depend on, carrying Lincoln’s manufacturing reputation well beyond the county,” said Farnham.

For generations, the Lincoln plant provided jobs for Placer County residents, including highly skilled craftsmen and sculptors. At its peak in the 1940s, the operation employed as many as 750 people, including artisans whose work required skills quite different from those found in a typical industrial plant.

That employment had an impact beyond Lincoln. Auburn, as the Placer County seat and one of the region's principal commercial centers, was part of the same growing regional economy. The company's success helped establish western Placer County as more than an agricultural area or a region defined by its Gold Rush past. Manufacturing became part of the county's identity as well.

 Gladding, McBean pottery, architectural ceramics and other historic pieces showcase the company’s diverse clay craftsmanship.

Gladding, McBean also survived challenges that ended many other early California industries. The devastating 1918 influenza pandemic affected the company, but specially fired kilns survived intact and production continued. Through economic downturns, changes in ownership and shifts in architectural tastes, the Lincoln operation endured.

Its manufacturing methods have evolved dramatically. Modern technology now works alongside techniques rooted in the company's earliest years. Laser scanning, computer-aided design and CNC technology have joined traditional molding, glazing and firing skills. Environmental regulations have required changes to historic glaze formulas, while craftspeople have worked to retain the appearance of the original finishes.

Today, the sprawling Lincoln facility remains a striking physical reminder of Placer County's industrial heritage.

 A decorative Gladding, McBean fountain outside the Lincoln museum reflects the company’s tradition of architectural ceramics and craftsmanship.

When asked if she believed Gladding, McBean would still be manufacturing in Lincoln 50 or 100 years from now, Farnham said this, “I believe it can be, provided we continue investing in people and the business. We need to train the next generation and maintain the equipment and processes needed to compete. That means continuing to earn a place in wastewater infrastructure with clay sewer pipe, in roofing with clay tile, and in new architecture and restoration with terra cotta. Passing knowledge and experience from one generation of employees to the next will be essential to that future.”

More than 150 years after its founding, clay from Placer County continues to carry the region's craftsmanship and history far beyond the place where the story began.