Although approximately 70 establishments and 200 operatives produced clayware for home and dairy use between 1844 and 1925, information on the state's pottery industry is limited. A group of English potters were among the first immigrants to come to Wisconsin, settling in Columbia and Marquette counties between 1848 and 1850. Known as the Potters Joint-Stock Emigration Society, many members quickly turned to farming although the census reveals several new potters in the area.   The first recorded earthenware manufacturer in Wisconsin was a man named McCann who established himself near Dubuque in 1836.  The lead mining region supported a number of potters who worked wherever clay, fuel, and water were readily available. Clayware pottery production fell into two broad categories: the manufacture of relatively soft-bodied red earthenware and the manufacture of more modern and durable stoneware and porcelain. Farmers and tradesmen often turned to earthenware production as an ancillary business during the winter. Wisconsin possessed an abundant supply of earthenware clays but lacked quantities of stoneware clay deposits so few stoneware concerns were established in the state: those that did establish in Wisconsin were forced to import stoneware clays from other states.  One of the largest Wisconsin suppliers of raw stoneware clay was the Superior China Clay Works of Hersey, established in 1893 in St. Croix County.  As a result of having to import raw clays, most late 19th century stoneware manufacturers were located in urban areas where local market demands could support the importation costs.  In 1880, 10 of the 14 major producers were in Milwaukee. By the early 20th century, most manufacturers had realized that importing finished products was more economical than local production.

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Pottery and Earthenware Indsutry

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