My father and his brother and sisters came from the little town of Stoke in Great Britain, to the pottery city of Trenton in 1914 or 1915. Along with Steubenville, Ohio, Trenton was a thriving pottery center, turning out pottery of nearly every type, from the finest porcelain to sanitary ware. The article above gives an idea of the depth of the industry in the Trenton area. Huge kilns lined the canal along today's route one-Trenton Freeway. They're all gone now, victims of social and economics conditions with which we are all familiar. Today, when one looks for the Hallmark on a lovely piece of Lenox, one reads "Made in China" rather than the hallmark that was proudly imprinted in the glory years of the Trenton pottery industry, "Made in U.S.A."
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS: tglover320@optimum.net
Monday, March 30, 2009
1897: POTTERY INDUSTRY IN TRENTON
My father and his brother and sisters came from the little town of Stoke in Great Britain, to the pottery city of Trenton in 1914 or 1915. Along with Steubenville, Ohio, Trenton was a thriving pottery center, turning out pottery of nearly every type, from the finest porcelain to sanitary ware. The article above gives an idea of the depth of the industry in the Trenton area. Huge kilns lined the canal along today's route one-Trenton Freeway. They're all gone now, victims of social and economics conditions with which we are all familiar. Today, when one looks for the Hallmark on a lovely piece of Lenox, one reads "Made in China" rather than the hallmark that was proudly imprinted in the glory years of the Trenton pottery industry, "Made in U.S.A."
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3 comments:
Hi Tom:)
You likely already know this but in case you don't.
From the ELLIS ISLAND site:
I found William Glover of Stoke
on Trent arriving in NYC on
Feb 15, 1913 on his way to Trenton.
It says he was sponsered by a
cousin (T Walters??? hard to read)
who lived on Walnut Avenue (no address given).
It says he was born March 1890
and was 5'8" with grey eyes.
Was this man related to you?
YES MACK, THAT WOULD BE MY UNCLE WHO CAME OVER WITH MY FATHER, THOMAS, HIS SISTERS ETHEL AND MAY (MAYBE MARGARET)
TOM GLOVER
My Great Grandmother & G'GFather came from Stoke on Trent at the turn of the 1900's to continue their trade in the Trenton potteries. My Grandfather (Harry J Ratcliffe, born in Trenton, 1906) told stories of being a brick carrier, kiln runner, mixing mortar (and having lumps thrown back at him) and learning the trade after he left school, upon completing the 3rd grade! Grampy would reminisce about the older men reciting Shakespeare and Robbie Burns and singing tunes from 'home' as they worked. He did very well for himself being a mason, and I can point to several brick homes he built for himself, then family members, in Lawrenceville. After being a "Sea Bee" in WWII, Grampy started his own company "Unique Kilns of Trenton" building kilns for Lenox, Boehm and Cybis while working with college art departments, from Alfred University in NY to Florida State.
He & my Gram raised 4 healthy kids, created a business, enjoyed a get-away home (yes, he built it) in Bayville/Lanoka Harbor, and were able to help (& house) many relatives along the way. My Grampy was proud of his English heritage.. the traditions, poetry, music and history, yet he explained to me that while we had generations of labor in the English potteries it was his Trenton heritage allowed him to live the American Dream!
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