Stevens Pottery
1882
April 14, 1882
The Atlanta Constitution
Stevens Pottery Ga, April 7, 1882
Last Tuesday morning your correspondent took the Macon and Eatonton trail for
this little village. At nine o'clock he landed in the place and proceeded to
take notes of the surroundings. "The Pottery," as it is called, was settled long
years ago by Mr. Henry Stevens, and here he made money at the business, which
has since engaged his sons-Crawford, John Henry and William Park. The increasing
trade, and his declining health, made it necessary for the old man to give up
most of his business to his boys. He brought them up to work, and they were
fully competent to take charge of it. Really, the business has all passed into
their hands, and the father employs his time in traveling for the firm.
The first thing which attracts the attention of the stranger is an ungainly
looking building, on the southeast of the railroad. At the entrance one is
saluted by "mud" -right and left. This mud is dug up one mile from the building,
and brought by the railroad to this point. It is thrown in a pit to soak for
several hours, and then fed into the mud mill. This mill is run by a twenty-five
horse power engine in the west side of the mud-room. After passing though the
mud mill the clay is ready for the potter's use. If for drain pipe, of which
large numbers are made, it is thrown, in a large lump into a press run by the
same engine as the mud mill, and forced through a die-which may be taken off or
put on at pleasure-the size of which determines the size of the pipe. Two bands
hold the receptacle - a wooden piece curved to fit the pipe. When the proper
length has been reached the pressure is stopped, and a wire is needed to cut off
the dirt tube. To follow this particular branch further; the pipe is taken to
another room where any roughness may be smoothed off, and a "collar" put on.
This is done by standing it upon a table placing a roll of mud around the top or
collar and pressing the mud with the hand to the size necessary to receive a
pipe of the same size as the one "collared."
The pipe is taken to the "dry-pan" a room some
thirty by ninety feet square. Large flues pass through the dirt floor, which
conduct the heat to all parts of the room. This drying prepares the pipe for the
glaze vat. Here it is swung into a solution of "blue mud." This is not ordinary
mud, but is of a peculiar character, and cost several dollars per barrel. It is
shipped from Albany, New York. After a few hours drying, it is placed in the
large kiln, and burned until it comes to a white heat. This melts the blue mud
and causes it to form a beautiful glaze. The kiln is then opened and left to
cool, when the pipe is removed to the pipe yard, where such large numbers are
seen, there to await orders. It is manufactured from two inches to two feet in
diameter.
1893
Copy of a letter that was received at the War Department from Stephens Pottery
regarding my great-grandfather, George F. Swan who worked at the Pottery for
about 8 years. They apparently enclosed the second paper with pics of W. C.
Stevens and J. H. Stevens shown with different types of pottery made at Stephens
Pottery, just because....... They were two separate papers received by me from
the War Department in my great-grandfather's pension file. They were dated
1893. My great-grandfather apparently moved around alot and after leaving
Stevens Pottery could not be found for a couple of years. His pension file was
over 400 pages. Tonya Crosby
Submitted by Tonya Crosby