Many Iowa communities, including Fort Dodge, used to be major producers of stoneware, from crocks to jugs to flower pots. While pottery shops thrived in frontier Iowa from the 1850s to 1890s, many of these businesses had disappeared by 1900. Jeremy McLaughlin of Fort Dodge provides a fascinating glimpse into the history of these once-thriving pottery businesses. He will be speaking on Sunday, May 2, 2021, at 2 p.m. at Central School Preservation (CSP) at 211 South Center Street in Lake City. The “Ghost Pottery of Iowa” program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served, as well.
McLaughlin will also display a selection of his Iowa stoneware collection, which he has been building for the past 20 years. Get answers to your questions about antique Iowa-made stoneware, as well. For more information, contact Darcy Maulsby, CSP board president, at yettergirl@yahoo.com.
Thanks to the Fort Dodge Messenger for mentioning this program in their recent feature in the Lifestyle section of the April 24, 2021, edition, in the article “Saved from the Wrecking Ball: Central School Offers Museum, Cultural Center.”