he earliest reference currently availableBrick and Claynotes that Elmer Hyland [Ryland], ofBrick and Clay Record), Golden and Joseph Armstrong having(Brick andJanuary 16, 1904).
Summer2001
Pace a
R
oseville' Progressive Pottery (con tiIlUl'd)
1
914], Geo. W. Walker. M. Dwight Walker,
and
year,
C. J. Golden. But by July of the followingthree of the stockholders had asked for a
receiver. cla
iming thai the management was
squ
andering the property (J uly 14, 1905. Brick
alld Cla
y Record). By April 30th of 1906 (Brick
all
solved
d Clay Record) the company had been dJs·. with F. M. Rider appoin ted receiver.
The
mas! prominent of the men associated
with the
Progressive Potlery appears to have
been
Dr. George W. W. Walker, "an eminent
medi
cal practitioner." who established his
practice in
Roseville in 1878. (His father, G.
W
. Walker [ 1808·18921 may have been Ihe G.
W
. Walker who operated the Central Pottery
and wa
s listed in 1888 as employing four men
pro
ducing fruit j ars. This pottery, which stood
on
potteries, was
the site of the laler National and Ungcmachleased to J .B. Owens in 1889
an
d later run by John Baughman). Nol much is
k
nown aboul the other men assoc iated with
t
he Progressive Pottery. althou,gh Alvah Rider
is
lis ted as having a pottery in 1892, lind both
J
ames Amlst rong and Charles 1. Golden are
liste
d in the 1900 census as poncrs. lnterest·
i
ngly. the 1900 cen sus also shows 71 year old
Geo
rge Walker as boarding with the Goldens.
alt
hough this would make him born in 1828.
making
it look like there may have been two
G
.W .s as well as a G.W.W. Walk er.
Given its sh
ort li fe and vnri ous di01cult ies. it
i
s a wonder that the Progressive Poncry Co. got
an
y ware made. and examples arc not eOlllmon.
O
nly three exalllpies are ava ilable, although
Iwo or
three others have been seen. usually with
an
impressed triangle in the center of the bot~
10m
and the words " PURE FLi N T/PR OGRES~
S
IVE POTTERY" in a circle. Recently a bean
p
mark
ot has been round with a somewhat di fferent- the same words but arranged more--or·
less
hori7.,Qntally and with no triangle.
A
lso int ri guing lire several sherds round at
the
pottery si te and bearing the Progressive's
chamct
crist ric design of incised Jines and the
le
ners ..... UR Y .. . E" representing "Twentieth
C
en tu ry Genn:lIl," as well as another sherd
bea
ring the le it ers "GER." in a difrerent scri pt.
a
nd- more probl ematic- sever;ll wilh the
dimpl
the
e and heart Illark generally ascribed toLowry pollcry. A little archaeologica testing might clariry this problcm'. This is the article I found about this piece there is very little availabe about it. My specimen has the words pure flint and progrressive pottery on it with the diamond in the center on the bottom of the peice. It is a very primitive peice. Its brown glazed in the inside and rough and unglazed outside with ridges on it. This is a historical piece I'm led to believe. I would appreciate any imfromation you can give me on this pottery from Ohio. Thankyou.
T
to Roseville's short-lived Progressive
Pottery Co. is the 1901 Ohio State Inspector of
Factories Report, which lists it as employing
three men manufacturing cooking ware, east of
Main Street in Roseville.
The exact location of the Progressive Pottery
appears to have been just west of the South Fork
of Jonathan Creek, north of Sioux Place, earlier
the site of the J.L. Weaver pottery and most rec'.:
ntly of the Cookson Pottery. Searching the
gravel access road immediately behind the existing
buildings reveals numerous sherds of pottery
identical to pieces of Progressive Pottery ware,
even including portions of the impressed marks.
The Jun~ 29, 1903, issue of
Record
Roseville, has sold his Progressive Pottery Co. to
James Miller, Charles Golden [1857-1918], and
James Armstrong. Valuable additions were to be
made by the new owners. The company was reorganized
(December 29, 1903
OJ.
sold their holdings to F.M. Rider [Francis M.
Rider 1862-1943] and Dr. G. W. W. Walker
[1828-1913]. "The new company will push the
business." (The inconsistency in first names of
Golden and Armstrong in these two notices is a
common problem in early trade journals.)
Some excitement and a tragedy occurred
when, on the second attempt to fire up the boilers
in the plant, the boilers turned red hot and were
ruined. Although there was no explosion, Alva
Rider [1854-1904], a farmer, fell dead
Clay Record,
Finally, a short time later, the Progressive Pottery
was incorporated with $10,000 capital stock
Top, a Progressive Pottery stoneware bowl (see the mark on Page 3); middle,
a very rare beanpot; and bottom, sherds from Jim's recent dig at the
pottery's site. The Progressive Pottery Company was located on the site of
the former Cookson pottery. [Photos courtesy of James L. Murphy.]
