Pottery City, U.S.A.

Also known as "Crockery City," at one time East Liverpool, Ohio made half the china in the US.

The highlight of the day was my visit to the Museum of Ceramics, in East Liverpool's former Post Office building (1909). A movie and terrific exhibits chronicle the rise and decline of the city's pottery industry. (3 stars, Annette.)

The first pottery was started here in 1839 by an Englishman, John Bennett. He chose the area both for the clay, which is relatively free of impurities, and the ease of distribution afforded by the adjacent Ohio River. After some modest success, he sent for his brothers from England, and soon other English potters came as well. By 1850, three quarters of the potters were English. The town had been founded in 1799 and was slow to grow until the pottery industry developed, but became essentially a one-industry town. By 1900, 90% of the industrial wage earners were in ceramics manufacturing, at which time there were 239 kilns. Worse, in 1881, only 800 out of 2200 eligible children were in school; the rest worked in potteries. This situation continued until 1908 when Ohio adopted the Child Labor Act. The industry has had many ups and downs. When high protective tariffs were suddenly reduced, the once-protected potteries lowered wages, thus causing labor problems. Tariffs were raised once again when McKinley became president. He was from Eastern Ohio and was a good friend of John Taylor, one of the owners of Knowles, Taylor and Knowles. High tariffs didn't last, so that by 1936, 50% of all china came from Japan. Plastics and foreign competition meant that in 1940 the local industry had declined to only 6 firms. Two years ago, Hall China lost a long-time big customer, Longaberger, to production in China. Over 100 employees were let go and only one of its 4 expensive German automatic pressing machines is running. It is probably surviving by producing Fiesta for Homer Laughlin across the River. This story parallels that of most manufacturing in the US.

The Museum displays samples from many of the potteries that existed at various times since the beginnings. You have seen or maybe own dishes made by local potteries. Knowles, Taylor and Knowles, established in 1853, was the largest in the US by 1895, but survived only until 1929. By 1925, Homer Laughlin was the largest, due to its many technological innovations. Homer Laughlin is famous for Fiesta, but has made many other popular patterns. Harker, which was in existence from 1840 until 1972, and Hall, still in existence, but recently faltering, were also innovators. Hall is famous for its hundreds of varieties of teapots, such as the "doughnut" and "Aladdin" teapots, but is also a major restaurant and hotel supplier. Taylor, Smith and Taylor made Luray china, a set of which my mother purchased ca. 1950. I was thrilled to spend about an hour talking with manager Sarah Webster Vodrey, a 6th-generation descendant from potter Jabez Vodrey, who was one of the early arrivals . It turns out that her sister wrote the Centennial History of Hall China I had purchased this morning.

In the morning, before visiting the museum, I had taken the plant tour of Hall China, seeing 3 different methods of casting/shaping pottery, as well as the entire production process. Thus, I was able to recognize the machines and techniques in the movie at the Museum. I was joined on the Hall tour by a couple named "Hall," who collect Hall's autumn leaf pattern china.

I wanted to have lunch at Crockery City Cafe, which serves on bright colored local (Fiesta?) dishes, but it is closed on Wednesday. I settled instead on the 5th Street Sampler Cafe, which, as it turns out, also uses Fiesta.

Late in the afternoon, I ventured into the MASSIVE Pottery City Mall: 4 floors of antiques, mostly china, with lots of Fiesta. I went through only one floor in two hours. It's a good thing my car is full, as the prices were tempting. If you think about it, the dishes were made here, so there has to be a lot around, especially since the population is declining here. But a rusty, empty Bond Street Tobacco tin was priced at $8. I disposed of many, in nearly mint condition, in my father's estate.

OTHER CURIOSITIES

Cy Young was associated with the potteries here before going on to baseball.

I mentioned yesterday that Steubenville was Dean Martin's hometown. This year's Dean Martin Festival is June 14-17, so you still have time to make your reservations.

And Ohio is sponsoring a "Cast Iron Chef" Competition. Teams have to cook an entree, side dish, and a dessert, using cast iron cookware over a wood fire. Wonder how Mario would do. The final is on June 2 in Columbus.