 Richter, Nannestad & Co., a sawmilling company, acquired and cleared the vast deep forested area northeast of Palmerston North.In 1879, the company owned 600 acres of land in the area between Vogel Street, North St, Boundary Rd (now Tremaine Ave) and Featherston Street.In 1900, Robert Price Edwards established a brick-making business at the site of the current Edwards Pit Park, He constructed the Hoffman Kiln at the site in 1904, which could fire 9,000 brings in a single chamber using clay that was dug from the site.