Historic Potteries of Illinois
Gregory Vogel

Throughout much of the 1800s, more than 400 historic potteries produced pots, bowls, jugs, jars, crocks, and other ceramic objects throughout Illinois.  While each pottery was a relatively small affair, the large number of them contributed significantly to the state’s economy.  The period between about 1840 and 1890 saw the greatest number of local potteries. 

The following pages contain a slideshow I made to accompany an exhibit concerning historic potteries in Illinois at the Center for American Archeology Museum and Visitor Center.  The exhibit was funded by a grant from The Alton Foundation, and designed by Mary Pirkl and Gail Anderson. The accompanying slideshow explains a little about the potteries from a geographic and historical perspective, showing where they are located in relation to transportation routes and how the distribution of potteries in Illinois changed through time.  Click the CAA logo above to begin the slideshow. 

You can also download the original PowerPoint file here.

Click on the map to the left for a larger version, showing the location of towns with historic potteries.  Click here for a list of the towns containing historic potteries, along with the number of potteries per town and the earliest and latest dates for documented potteries in each town.    For more information concerning historic pottery in Illinois from an archaeological perspective, click here.

Pottery information for the slideshow was derived from the publication Checklist of Illinois Potters and Potteries by Eva Dodge Mounce, 1989.  Published by the Foundation for Historical Research of Illinois Potteries, Springfield, Illinois.