Western Stoneware Pottery celebrates 100 years of Production in Monmouth, IL

Nestled in Monmouth, Ill. in the very heart of West Central Illinois lies one of the most celebrated stoneware pottery companies in the Midwest: Western Stoneware. 2006 is the 100th anniversary of Western Stoneware and Monmouth is gearing up for a big celebration. To celebrate, the Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee has created a special group to spearhead efforts. In the works are displays throughout town to promote the 100th anniversary and a special edition of the local paper featuring Western Stoneware's historic beginnings and bright future. In addition, the group is planning a daylong celebration scheduled for June 10th including a swap meet, an appraisal station, pottery demonstrations, and speakers.

"This celebration will highlight the history of not just the Western Stoneware Company, but also the history of the community since both are intertwined," stated Jolene Willis, a member of the Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee.

The post civil war period was a time of growth and prosperity in west central Illinois. A good vein of clay was discovered near Monmouth in 1870. The industrious residents of the region quickly realized the potential in manufacturing stoneware pottery and by the turn of the century several stoneware plants were producing high-quality sturdy pottery for everyday use.

Some of these early potteries included the Monmouth Mining and Manufacturing Company, the Monmouth Pottery Company and the Weir Pottery Company. Seven of these small regional potteries were joined in 1906 to form the Western Stoneware Company. The plants outside of the Monmouth area were slowly sold off or destroyed by fire. The great depression also took its toll on the company forcing them to close the former Monmouth Pottery Company site. With the 1956 sale of the Macomb Pottery Company location, the Western Stoneware Company was down to a single production facility.

The early Western Stoneware pieces used a maple leaf logo and the words "Western Stoneware Plant" followed by the number of the plant it originated from. This distinction between plants increased the value and appeal of these early Western Stoneware Pieces. Another branch of Western Stoneware Pottery that has become a valued collectible is the Old Sleepy Eye pottery. Commissioned by the Sleepy Eye Mill in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota this pottery was used as a promotion for the mill. This pottery, originally produced by the Weir Pottery and continued under the Western Stoneware name, features an Indian head design.

Western Stoneware specializes in utilitarian pieces. The everyday dishes that were used across the country were often stoneware and commercial companies used stoneware to package everything from jam to pickles. These dishes were valued for their durability as well as their beauty. The same is true today; Western Stoneware is designed with both beauty and function in mind. While the collection of Western Stoneware has taken off in the last few decades it is still being bought today as a quality product for any kitchen.