Norton pottery massachustts

Home Our History. Our History The Early Years In , seven Worcester entrepreneurs bought the patent for a grinding wheel from Frank Norton, owner of the Water Street Pottery Shop, where the formula for the grinding wheel had been invented. Global Expansion What began as a tiny start-up, Norton began to grow rapidly. I Agree Find out more. The Early Years In , seven Worcester entrepreneurs bought the patent for a grinding wheel from Frank Norton, owner of the Water Street Pottery Shop, where the formula for the grinding wheel had been invented.

An amazing collection of F. Norton Stoneware, Worcester, MA including over 80 pieces of the rarest decoration including the only known deer on a Norton, Worcester item.

Please visit www. Preview 10am, start noon Eastern time. Sort: Lot Number: Lowest. VIEW: Stoneware Crock with Deer.

Norton Stoneware Crock with Bird. Stoneware Jug with Bird. Norton Stoneware Jug Stoneware Jug Leaf. Stoneware Jug Tornados. Stoneware Churn Bird. Stonware Jug. Not only did Norton's sales expand in the United States, where it opened distributorships in Chicago and New York , but also in Europe. Sales in Europe are credited with saving the company during the depression of By Norton was the undisputed industry leader.

The company was profitable each year including and paid "conservative" dividends each year with the exception of , the result of the move. What was not paid out in dividends went into reinvestment and cash reserves. These cash reserves allowed the company to self-finance construction of an office building in the s and an abrasives plant in However, the firm's conservatism also had a downside.

It sometimes passed up innovation. For example, in Edward Acheson sent an electric current through a mixture of clay and powdered coke. The resultant crystals, which he dubbed carborundum, scratched glass, and, according to Acheson, diamonds.

This new technology opened the way for artificial abrasives: the components of grinding wheels could now be controlled in ways that naturally occurring compounds could not. Norton turned down Acheson's request for financing. Acheson then turned to banker Andrew Mellen for help in forming the Carborundum Company, and by the early s, Acheson's company was Norton's major competitor, with a big head start. It was not until the early s that Norton entered into the realm of artificial abrasives.

In the company did, however, enter into a partnership with Charles H. The machine tool business was quite a departure for Norton and was undertaken gingerly. Charles Norton was a machinist who came to the company with an idea for building stationary grinding machines that could replace expensive workmen.

What they got in was a versatile production grinder capable of high volume. Moreover, the grinder was able to work with pieces up to pounds and had the ability to grind to the unheard of tolerance of. Sales were slow at first because of resistance in the machine shops, although there were some sales to early auto makers. The company was slow to recoup this investment. At the turn of the century, Norton was merely the largest enterprise in a tiny industry.

Grinding and the use of abrasives was seen primarily as a way of smoothing rough edges, not as a precision tool. That was to change with the popularization of the automobile. Prior to the automobile, it was very rare for a job to require tolerances tighter than. A skilled machinist could, with great effort and concentration, achieve that on a lathe. However, automobile engines and other parts, such as crankshafts, required tolerances of.

These could only be tooled efficiently, accurately, and economically by grinding. This was where Charles Norton's production grinders made all the difference. In Ford is said to have commented that "the abrasive processes are basically responsible for our ability to produce cars to sell for less than a thousand dollars. Were it not for these processes these same cars would cost at least five thousand dollars, if indeed they could be made at all.

In Norton estimated that 95 percent of an automobile's moving parts required grinding. At that time, the industry bought about 55 percent of Norton Grinding Company's output and had more than 68, grinding machines. In fact, the automotive industry had became Norton's biggest customer.

Automobiles, though, were not the only factor in Norton's growth. Norton, like many other companies, received a tremendous boost from World War I. Tanks and airplanes were among the vehicles whose parts required grinding.

Nice blue floral decoration. Norton, Worcester, Mass, two gallon jug, chip at rim. With stylized cobalt decoration. There is a radiating hairline on one side. Condition Crows foot right of decoration at base. Reglued break Norton, Worcester, Mass. Norton, Worcester, Massachusetts, floral cobalt-decorated two-gallon jug, six graduated Rockingham-glazed bowls and three yellowware bowls, an E. Deep cobalt blue floral decoration.