Even before Moses Cleaveland and his team of surveyors undertook the monumental task of mapping and platting the townships of the Western Reserve in 1806, northeast Ohio had become an important and pivotal location for a budding United States. Its location on Lake Erie offered an efficient means of transportation of goods and people to the area from the more established eastern states; and savvy developers quickly recognized the region as a critical factor in enabling westward expansion via the Ohio River and related waterways.
The significance of Ohio to the greater success of our nation was solidified during the War of 1812, when American naval hero Oliver Hazard Perry won a strategic (and now iconic) victory over a formidable Royal Navy on the lake. Although The Battle of Lake Erie did not win the war for the colonies, Perry had preserved America’s control of the Ohio River Valley and effectively halted the British invasion of the west.
When the war was finally over, and the United States had once again successfully fought for independence, tradespeople in England were delighted. Americans represented a robust audience for the export of manufactured goods. In fact, brilliant marketers designed products that appealed to a growing patriotic spirit in the states. Notably, England’s pottery makers seized the moment to produce wares emblazoned with significant events, locations and national heroes. The historical pottery produced in the Staffordshire region of England during the 19th Century has become incredibly collectible today, with scenes from (what was then) the American West - including all of Ohio - commanding impressive prices.
From the English shops of James and Ralph Clews, the platter shown here is one example from their “American Cities” series. The important pottery piece recently sold at Garth’s for $5,288 and depicts the city of Sandusky as it existed in about 1840.
No comments:
Post a Comment