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paving laid in the city in this year. The only other contractor receiving • brick pavement contracts with the city in this year was the Plummer. Construction Company who paved one block of alley.(21) Clearly, the most prominent contractors who worked in this arena were C. H. Defrees and Robert, Hoban, & Roach. The most common belief is that Robert, Hoban and Roach installed the first brick pavements in the city. The firm of Robert, Hoban, & Roach was a coalition of three builders who, had distinguished themselves individually in the construction industry of South Bend. All were born between 1852 and 1856. Martin Roach wathe only native of South Bend among them. Martin Hoban had moved to South Bend from Maine as young child. His father is credited with having been among the group of Irishmen who were the first to manufacture cement in Indiana. He is believed to have been the first Irishman to settle in South Bend.(22) Joseph E. Robert, a native of Canada moved to South Bend as a young adult after . having worked briefly as a carpenter in Chicago. They all received early training,and became supervisors or foremen in the construction departments of the University of Notre Dame. Each followed this experience with private business partnerships in the construction business before forming their partnership in 1895. Robert had also worked for a period in the construction department at Studebaker. They were individually associated with the erection of the Locke School, the. entire Mishawaka sewer system, St. Mary's Academy, St. Hedwige's Church and schoolhouse, St. Patrick's Church, McDonald's Studio, ----------------- (21) City of South Bend Annual Report. 1924 (22) Esary, Logan. History of Indiana from Its Exploration to 1922. 3 vols. Dayton Ohio; Dayton Historical Publishing Company, 1923. Vol. 3: An Account of St. Joseph County from its Oreanization, ed. by John Stoll. p. 309 • page 9 -- - --