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White and Company's Goose Lake Stoneware Manufactury in Morris, IL
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White and Company's Goose Lake Stoneware Manufactury

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This archaeological site on Jugtown Road in Morris, IL, lies within the Goose Lake Prairie natural area, about 8 miles off the old road. From 1855 to 1866 White and Company ran one of the first big stoneware plants in Illinois here, using clay dug around Goose Lake. Today its scattered remains, added to the National Register in 1998, recall a pioneer pottery works on the prairie and the village that grew up beside it.

What it is

The manufactury formed half of a big White and Company plant that made both stoneware and tile; the tile works site lies close by. White and Company built here to take advantage of the rich clay deposits around Goose Lake.

On the ground, the site now holds mostly the leftovers of pottery making: kiln furniture used to support pieces in the kiln, and waster sherds, the broken or flawed pots thrown out after firing.

A bit of history

Stoneware production ran from 1855 to 1866. Workers and their families settled a village nearby that became known as Jugtown, and it counted 114 people by 1860. The site gained National Register status in August 1998, on the same day as the tile works.

Visiting tips

Expect an archaeological site rather than standing buildings, and leave every fragment where it lies. The tile works site is about 0.3 miles away, Heidecke Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area about 1.5 miles, and the main Goose Lake Prairie grounds about 1.9 miles.

Practical info

Address
5010 N Jugtown Rd, Morris, IL 60450
On site & nearby

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

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White and Company's Goose Lake Stoneware Manufactury with the 6 closest stops and a place to eat (fork and knife). Tap a marker for details.

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Nearby stops

All of Illinois
White and Company's Goose Lake Tile Works near Joliet, IL

White and Company's Goose Lake Tile Works

Joliet, Illinois · 7.8 mi from Route 66

The site of an 1850s tile works in Goose Lake Prairie, an early try at making farm drainage tile.

ArchaeologyPhoto credit

0.3 mi from White and Company's Goose Lake Stoneware Manufactury

Heidecke Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area

Aux Sable, Illinois · 9.6 mi from Route 66

A 1,300-acre lake dug to cool a power plant, now an Illinois state fish and wildlife area.

Nature & parks

1.5 mi from White and Company's Goose Lake Stoneware Manufactury

Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area in Divine, IL

Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area

Divine, Illinois · 8.1 mi from Route 66

A 2,537-acre state natural area where more than half the land is protected tallgrass prairie.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

1.9 mi from White and Company's Goose Lake Stoneware Manufactury

Dresden Island Lock and Dam Historic District

Morris, Illinois · 8.0 mi from Route 66

A 1930s lock and dam on the Illinois River, finished by Washington after the state ran out of money.

Historic district

4.2 mi from White and Company's Goose Lake Stoneware Manufactury

Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area near Joliet, IL

Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area

Joliet, Illinois · 4.3 mi from Route 66

A 5,000-acre state wildlife area on the floodplain where two rivers meet to form the Illinois River.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

6.6 mi from White and Company's Goose Lake Stoneware Manufactury

Channahon State Park, Illinois

Channahon State Park

Channahon, Illinois · 6.0 mi from Route 66

A riverside state park at the junction of three rivers, named for a Native word about meeting waters.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

7.2 mi from White and Company's Goose Lake Stoneware Manufactury

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