In 1840, Englishman James Bennett opened the town's first commercial pottery. In the years that followed, more than 200 other pottery factories were started in East Liverpool, producing everything from yellow ware to elegant bone china. By the turn of the century, the pottery industry had turned East Liverpool into a wealthy and bustling Victorian town, and one of the largest pottery-making centers in America. The grand old days of East Liverpool began to fade in 1929. With the simultaneous misfortunes of the Great Depression and an influx of cheaper wares from overseas, many local factories began to close.
Pottery remains the pride of East Liverpool today, however, and the town is on a rebound.
Companies such as Hall China Co., Pioneer Pottery, and Homer Laughlin China Co. employ about 2,500 people, and many are highly skilled workers. Founded in 1871 in East Liverpool, the pottery has since moved across the river to Newell, W.Va. Homer Laughlin prides itself on its attention to detail and its skilled employees. East Liverpool's finest pottery is on display at the Museum of Ceramics, which allows visitors to see exhibits from the industry's beginnings to the present. The museum features an elaborate display of pottery, ceramics, and china produced in the region, including water pitchers, teapots, hotel ware, tureens, bowls, fancy toilet sets, whiskey jugs, and vases.