Wednesday-  Today we travel up river to the very top of the Northern Panhandle.  We start the day across the Ohio River in East Liverpool OH which is across the Ohio River from Newell WV home today of Homer Laughlin China Company.  Homer Laughlin China Company started in East Liverpool and then in 1906 relocated its new factory buildings across the river into West Virginia because East Liverpool's development had filled all the available suitable land.  Anyway, we started in East Liverpool because that is the location of the Museum of Ceramics.

Many pottery factories started in East Liverpool in the 1820's because of its _________________ , the area had the Ohio River, Railroads, available clay and a willing workforce.  Most of the potters came from Stafford England mainly from the town of Stoke-On -Trent.  Potteries were very family oriented, often whole families would work a production line.  Because they were paid by piece work, family control made for efficiency thus more money for the family.

Replica of whole family working in a pottery- Museum of Ceramics. 

Many pottery factories were located in East Liverpool, including Homer Laughlin which as stated above moved much of its works to Newell WV in the early 1900's.  Laughlin's paternalistic tendencies toward his business and workers led him to build the bidge from Ohio to Newell, which the company still owns, and to provide water and sewer for the town.  People still pay their water bill at the factory.  Laughlin also provided free movies for the town and a zoo.  The zoo did not last too long.  Laughlin bought in a companion polar bear for the one he already had.  The companion bear was introduced to its mate in front of a group of school children.  Both bears were male and the horrified children looked on as one bear proceeded to maul the other to death.

The museum had a plethora of exhibits of ceramics from the area from the beginnings to modern times.

Video of the production line at Homer Laughlin

We then toured the Homer Laughlin factory in Newell.  Unlike many of the glass businesses we visited, this company is doing very well.
Why do you think this company is doing so well?

The company pays well and has employees that are 2nd, 3rd, even 4th generation employees.  Raw materials for china are many and come from all over the world.  Some are feldspar, silica, limestone, and calcium carbonate etc.  Many of the modern production lines are completely automated although workers take the finished product from the line and process it.

Raw Materials to make china

Between trips we went to the Point of Beginning.  The point of beginning was the marker for the geography line from which the obligations of the Land Ordinance of 1785 were started.  As you know from class, the land ordinance authorized the survey of the Northwest Territory that congress added to the United States.

What are some of the geographic differences between Ohio and Virginia (later West Virginia) due to this survey?