The McArthur Brick Company was founded by Dan McKeener and others. The McArthur Brick Plant was constructed around 1904, and the operation began in 1905. With H.S. Hamilton as President and L.W. Sprague as General Manager, the plant was able to manufacture roughly 66,000 face bricks on a daily basis. The Doward, Lomax, and Brick Yard Mines supplied the coal needed to fuel the operation. In 1961, the Jackson Sand & Mining Company purchased the plant. They operated it up until 1963.

The primary industry in McArthur was the brick industry. The village was extremely proud of their brick plant, and for good reasons. Every dollar of stock was owned by the citizens of McArthur. The plant employed roughly 100 men, all of which lived in the village. The plant was a dividend payer since day one. The plant pioneered the manufacturing of the rough textured brick.

The well known McArthur Brick was manufactured here. The distinct color and high quality of the McArthur Brick made it a favorite among architects in 22 states. The brick was used to construct numerous buildings in the Midwest. Ohio State University, Ohio University, and the University of Cincinnati all have buildings that were built with the McArthur Brick.