Brown & McCoy Pottery
Salt Glazed Crock Marked Brown McCoy Wholesale Dealers
Initially, everyone assumes the McCoy in this company was not actually related to the legendary McCoy Pottery companies. However, after the discovery of a salt glazed crock by Paul Moody of Richmond, Virginia an investigation ensues. The crock is labeled with the mark Brown & McCoy Wholesale Dealers in Roseville, Ohio.
James E. Brown, a prominent businessman in Roseville at the timemowns a mercantile store where he is a wholesaler of pottery according to Census records. James W. McCoy marries James Brown’s daughter, Sarah (Sade) in 1870 and the young couple moves to Uniontown to operate a dry goods store. In 1876, J. W. and Sade move back to Roseville because James Brown offers to bring his son-in-law into the mercantile business as a partner and their partnership is to be known as Brown & McCoy. Even though Brown’s business is a mercantile, it is evident the company produces pottery.
Dewayne Ismead, of the McCoy Pottery Collectors Society, reports there is little produced in literature about the business. The company is up for sale in 1888 and after the sale, James Brown goes on to create and run a furniture business while J. W. McCoy enters into several pottery partnerships. In 1899, J.W. founds J. W. McCoy Pottery in Roseville with the help of several investors.
J.W. McCoy Pottery
Early 1900’s McCoy Pottery Olympia Handled Ewer
Pottery from J. W.’ s earlier pottery companies appears to have no mark because very few pieces can be found. Most pieces produced by his new company are utilitarian stoneware, but in 1902, the company branches out and begins producing beautiful art pottery pieces.
In 1911, the George Brush, Brush Pottery, combines with J. W. McCoy Pottery and they become Brush-McCoy Pottery. The company continues to acquire other potteries and molds – growing with each acquisition. The McCoy family sells their interest in the company in 1918, but the company keeps the McCoy name until 1925. Brush Pottery continues to operate until it closes in 1982.
Nelson McCoy Sanitary And Stoneware Company
The Nelson McCoy Sanitary and Stoneware Company begins in Roseville, Ohio in 1910 by Nelson McCoy. Nelson, with the help of his father, establishes the pottery company with the intention of producing mostly utilitarian stoneware.
According to Wikipedia, “Stoneware is a rather broad term for pottery or other ceramics fired at a relatively high temperature. A modern technical definition is a vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic made primarily from stoneware clay or non-refractory fire clay.
Nelson McCoy Pottery Factory – Image courtesy of the McCoy Pottery Collectors Society
Around 1919, the Nelson McCoy Sanitary and Stoneware Company partners with eleven other stoneware companies to form the American Clay Products Company. As part of the agreement, all pottery American Clay Products produces will bear no trademark. The company lists all of the pottery pieces it produces in a catalog and marketed by one sales force. However, the demand for utilitarian stoneware is waning and in January of 1926, ACPC liquidates.
With the liquidation, the pottery companies who were previously partners, are now directly competing with each other. They are now free to use their own marks on their pottery pieces and with the transition, these companies now face the task of re-establishing their own brands, including Nelson McCoy.
Nelson McCoy realizes he needs to alter his company’s production to reflect the changing times. By 1929, he changes the name of the company from Nelson McCoy Sanitary and Stoneware Company to Nelson McCoy Sanitary Stoneware Company. A minor change in name by dropping the “and”, but a change nonetheless.
Early Trademarks
Nelson also begins adding a trademark to the pottery they produce. Here are the four earliest marks. The first three, potters cut into the bottom of the clay piece. The fourth, they stamp in blue ink on the side of the piece. The numbers inside the marks indicate the size of the pottery piece.
Earliest Known Nelson McCoy Sanitary Stoneware Marks courtesy of McCoy Pottery Collectors Society
By 1933, the demand for food and sanitary wares is decreasing to the point another change is greatly needed and the company evolves once again and begins producing the decorative pieces the public wants. The company name changes once again to the Nelson McCoy Pottery Company.
The Nelson McCoy Pottery Company passes through generations of family and operated continuously until it is sold in 1967 to the Mt. Clements Pottery Company.
Vintage Collection of White McCoy Planters & Vases
