Salt & Pepper Shakers

North Dakota has been the scene of modern era pottery production using North Dakota Clays since the early 1900s. more...

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In 1892 a study was published by Earle Babcock, a chemistry instructor at the University of North Dakota (UND) that reported on the superior qualities of some of the North Dakota clays for pottery production. The UND School of Mines began operations in 1898 with Earle Babcock as director. With the assistance of several eastern potteries, pottery made from North Dakota clay was first displayed at the 1904 St Louis Worlds Fair.

From this beginning, a Ceramics Department was founded at the University and a talented potter, Margaret Cable, was hired as its director. The university trained many of the people later involved in other pottery ventures within the state. These include Charles Grantier who worked at Dickinson Clay Products Company (Dickota) and later served as state director of the WPA Ceramics Project. Laura Taylor (Hughes) preceded Charles Grantier as state director at WPA and later became a partner in the Wahpeton Pottery Company (Rosemeade) which operated from 1940 until 1961. The WPA project was active first in Dickinson, North Dakota and then in Mandan, North Dakota from 1936 until 1942.

In addition to the above students trained in the regular ceramics program at UND, Mrs. Carey (Corbert) Grant, the arts and handicrafts instructor at the Turtle Mountain Boarding School at Belcourt, North Dakota completed a summer teacher training course at UND and began teaching students at the school to make pottery. The pottery made by the students was sold to customers throughout the United States. This operation lasted from 1936 until about 1942.

Other potteries that operated in the state by people not trained at the University were Ceramics by Messer which operated in Bowman, North Dakota from 1952 until 1956, Little Heart Ceramics which was part of L&H Manufacturing's accessories business which produced cattle figurines and specialty advertising items from 1959 until 1968, and Three Tribes Stoneware Inc which began as a training project on the Fort Berthhold Indian Reservation at New Town, North Dakota in 1967. This company produced contemporary Indian Stoneware until it closed in 1975.

University of North Dakota

UND produced pottery for sale from the early 1900s and continues to the present day. Under the direction of Margaret Cable, native clays were tested, glazes perfected, and ceramics classes were instituted at the university.

"The School of Mines experimented with and developed many clays and glazes. Clays used included Dickinson, Beulah, Hebron, Mandan, Weigel, Red and Grey Ross, McCurdy, Hettinger, and bentonite. Much North Dakota pottery was made from a mix of Hettinger, Mandan, Red Ross, and Beulah clay. Bentonite clays, which fired to a rich burnt sienna color, were used primarily for pottery with Indian motifs. An advantage of bentonite was that it could have glazes applied to green ware and be finished in one firing." (UND Pottery by Bob Barr)

In 1910, a Ceramics Department was officially established at the University. Margaret Kelly Cable was hired to head this Department, a position she held for the next 39 years. Under her direction, native clays were tested, glazes perfected, and ceramics classes were instituted at UND. The University became the training ground for many of the potters that built an industry in the state in later years. Many talented instructors worked at the University at various times. Among them were Margaret's sister, Flora Cable Huckfield, Frieda Hammers, Margaret Pachl and Julia Mattson.

Read more at Wikipedia.org