I picked up this ash tray last year in part because I was born in the area, it was very nice and because it was quite reasonable. I’ve tried over the year to find out about the company, but I was having no luck. Recently I found as part of my local library’s web account, there is access to NewspaperARCHIVE which allows you to search old newspapers. One night of looking through the archives answered many of my questions, but at the same time it created more.
Harvey L Fricke
5/8/1928 – Announcement that the company name is changing from Imperial Mosaic Tile Company to Sheboygan Mosaic Tile Company on 5/7. The address is 1617 N 20th St (upstairs) (phone 2935-W-J)
12/24/1928 – Holiday ad saying that they used Association Tile. (phone 4372-J)
5/29/1929 – H. L. Fricke oi the Sheboygan Mosaic Tile company and A. H. Fricke of the Imperial Mosaic Tile company of Manitowoc are transacting business in Milwaukee & Chicago for several days.
11/2/1929 – The company moved from 1617 N 20th St, Sheboygan to 410 Bluff Avenue (phone 4372-J)
11/25/1931 – Ad advertising an installation in the Shore Crest Apartments
2/3/1938 – H. L Fricke of Sheboygan Mosaic Tile company left this morning to spend the week-end in Cincinnati for transacting business
12/31/1938 – Holiday ad saying that they used Association Tile.
10/7/1944 – Ad thanking his patrons for 18 years of contracting.
10/7 to 10/21/1944 – The stock of the company is sold to Roth Building Headquarters at 2207 Calument Dr (phone 2)
11/11/1939 – Advertisement for “Suntile – The Real Clay Tile”

Today is the first time since May of 2006 that I worked 5 full days in a row. Normally I work 9 hour days so I get every other Friday off. Started doing that with my last job (15 years ago) and it was a requirement when I went to work for the State. Having a 3 day weekend is always nice and having a normal workday off to do errands & business reduces the stress. For the summer of 2005, I took the other Friday off and it really made the summer more enjoyable. This year I was going to do the same, but I also picked up a ton of vacation because the State finally settled contracts with my union. Having the 3 day weekends gave me more time to work on the house up north.

Judy is a co-worker of mine. She has been creating pottery for several years in Cross Plains and I got to know her through the Wisconsin Pottery Association. A couple years back, I created a very basic page for her. She is now investingating setting up her own domain. Part of the investigating, is figuring out what will be the easiest for her to update & manage.

Saw Roseberry Winn Pottery mentioned in a blog about Nelson McCoy pottery because they have similar look. I’d have to agree that they evoke the same feeling with their patterned surfaces.

Unfortunately the snow blower didn’t quite get fixed. One of the tires must have not sealed well enough and was flat when I tried to use it last night (about 5″ of snow) so I had to hand shovel again. Another trip to Stoughton!

The Seagrove area is the home to many studio potteries and the Seagrove Area Pottery Association promotes the area’s potters. The site includes a history on what were the reasons why the area started and maintained its pottery.

Yes, it’s January 21st & in my usual procrastination style, I’ve just got the snow blower fixed. I’m giving myself some credit for not getting much in snow this year due to not having a functioning snow blower. I’ve shovelled a couple times this season, but nothing major. The major repair? The tubeless tires lost air and then the tires shifted off of the rims so they couldn’t be refilled. My thanks for Stoughton Lumber for fixing them. The trick was using web clamps to compress the tire, which forces the bead of the tire up against the rim. Today I’m going to change the oil. After that probably take it out and use it on the driveway. The snow was coming down pretty heavy and the radar looked like it will be snowing all day.

I also picked up a 5″ high by 3-1/2″ wide tan stoneware vase marked “Three Rivers Pottery – 1999 – Coshocton, OH – Myra – 66″

I haven’t found a website for them, but at one time they were located at 1435 S. 6th St., Coshocton, OH. A picture of someone throwing a vase at their pottery was in a 1999 jobs brochure.

It looks like they dated their wares. The mark in 1988 was a circle with the date in the center & the name of the pottery inside. They started in 1975 & were still in business in 2000 when they stamped their items”1975-2000 – 25th Anniversary”
Other items were signed Mary, Jill, Michelle
Becky Lowe worked there & now works on her own at Liberty Pottery

Today I picked up a little vase from the Whitefish Pottery. Its more of a souvenir than a production item. Its only 3″ wide & about 1/2″ tall but its quite cute. In the back of my mind, I think I have another mini-vase that I’ve picked up before because I remember the website. Cool thing, Tom Gilfillan went to school at UW-Madison before he opened his shop in Montana.