▁came ▁to ▁California ▁as ▁an ▁asp iring ▁and ▁self - re li ant ▁sevent een - year - old . ▁He ▁became ▁involved ▁in ▁gold ▁min ing ▁and ▁saved ▁what ▁was ▁later ▁described ▁in ▁his ▁ob itu ary ▁as ▁a ▁“ sn ug ▁sum ” ▁of ▁money . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁twenty - four , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁Oak land , ▁where ▁he ▁became ▁an ▁employee ▁of ▁a ▁br icky ard . ▁Within ▁five ▁years , ▁he ▁rose ▁from ▁h ired ▁hand ▁at ▁the ▁br icky ard ▁to ▁its ▁owner ▁and ▁opened ▁an ▁office ▁and ▁yard ▁at ▁Clay ▁and ▁ 2 nd ▁Stre ets ▁and ▁a ▁brick ▁plant ▁in ▁nearby ▁Brook lyn . ▁His ▁brothers ▁H ila ire ▁and ▁Edward ▁also ▁came ▁from ▁Quebec ▁to ▁join ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁enter prise . ▁The ▁business ▁expanded ▁and , ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 9 , ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁as ▁Rem ill ard ▁Br ick ▁Company . ▁For ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁years , ▁the ▁Rem ill ard ▁brothers ▁provided ▁contract ing ▁service ▁to ▁the ▁building ▁trade ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁manufact uring ▁br icks . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 2 , ▁the ▁company ▁established ▁a ▁large ▁yard ▁at ▁Ple as anton . ▁The ▁Rem ill ards ▁supplied ▁br icks ▁for ▁many ▁important ▁buildings ▁including ▁the ▁old ▁Palace ▁Hotel ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ▁and ▁many ▁large ▁and ▁important ▁buildings ▁in ▁Oak land . ▁For ▁some ▁forty ▁years ▁the ▁Rem ill ards ▁were ▁the ▁only ▁brick ▁manufact uring ▁company ▁in