DUANE
The story
Stoneware production was a vital activity of the 19th century. A typical layout included clay pits, firing kilns and workshops. James M.
Roark (1837-1901) a master potter from Missouri, apprenticed at John Cranston's nearby kiln before partnering with J.A. Smith in 1871 to start a pottery works near Big Elm Creek. In 1884, Roark sold the business to M.B.
Griffith (1834-1924) and his son, J.F. Griffith (1857-1937). Central to the works was a beehive-style brick kiln measuring 12 feet across.
The pottery specialized in utilitarian pieces such as pitchers, bowls, preserve jars, crocks, pots and churns. The business closed around 1900. In 1982, the site was one of five Denton County kilns listed in the National Register of Historic Places. (2021)