A Late 19th or Early 20th Century Miniature Stoneware Jug Possibly Made at the Swank Pottery that Likely Commemorates the Great Flood of 1889 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania

I could be wrong, but I feel the writing on this late nineteenth or early twentieth century century miniature stoneware jug is indicative of where it was made, and I also feel the paint on the jug is period to about when the object was originally manufactured. Nonetheless, the script written in gold paint on the base of this jug reads, "Johnstown / May 31, 1889." The jug was also recently found in Ohio.

Furthermore, I suspect this miniature jug was made at the Swank Pottery in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, whereas the information on the base coincides exactly with the well-documented Johnstown Flood, or sometimes referred to locally as the Great Flood of 1889, which occurred on Friday May 31, 1889. 

The flood was the result of the catastrophic failure of the South Fork Dam on the Little Conemaugh River, located about fourteen miles upstream from the town of Johnstown. The dam ruptured after several days of extremely heavy rainfall, releasing 14.55 million cubic meters of water. With a volumetric flow rate that temporarily equaled the average flow rate of the Mississippi River, the flood killed 2,208 people and accounted for $17,000,000 in damage (which is the equivalent to about $580,000,000 in 2024).

According to the Johnstown Area Heritage Association, "In the 1850s, Johnstown was a very busy place. One of its many small industries was the production of salt glazed stoneware crockery in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. In the days before canning and other methods of preserving food developed, these crocks were essential items in every household for the storage of liquids, butter, cheese, sauerkraut and many other foods. 

Early potteries were established by Hamilton and Pershing, and A. J. Haws, but the most well-known was that of Jacob Swank (1828-1889) and Company. This business continued with Jacob, his brother Hiram (1834-1919) and some of Hiram's sons under a variety of company names. Although, the Johnstown Flood of 1889 destroyed the pottery and killed Jacob Swank, surviving family members rebuilt the pottery and continued production for many more years."

Miniature stoneware objects made at the Swank Pottery are quite rare to find today, although a small cobalt decorated stoneware crock signed by Jacob Swank and dated 1874 appeared on PBS' Antiques Roadshow in 2016. Crocker Farm in Sparks, Maryland has also sold some examples of miniature Swank stoneware, including an inscribed jug in 2017 that sold for $1,770 including the buyer's premium and a cobalt decorated inscribed jar that sold in their most recent sale this year for $9,000 plus the buyer's premium, among other objects.

Nevertheless, this jug seemed to sell very reasonably last night on eBay; it brought $113.61 plus any added eBay fees.

Note: See an article I posted to this website on October 1, 2023, where a nineteenth century cobalt decorated stoneware pitcher marked "J. Swank and Co., Johnstown, PA" sold in Maine for $12,000 plus the buyer's premium: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2023/10/some-good-examples-of-19th-century-red.html.

Miniature Stoneware Jug Possibly Made at the Swank Pottery in PA

Late 19th or Early 20th Century Painted Miniature Stoneware Jug

Possibly Made at the Swank Pottery in Johnstown, PA

"Johnstown / May 31, 1889" is Written in on the Base in Gold Paint

This Date is the Day of the Great Flood in Johnstown in 1889

Recently Found in Ohio

Stands 3 1/4" Tall

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Photo Courtesy: eBay

A View of the Base

"Johnstown / May 31, 1889" is Written in on the Base in Gold Paint

This Date is the Day of the Great Flood in Johnstown in 1889

See Article for More Information

Photo Courtesy: eBay

Jacob Swank's (1828-1889) Gravestone in Johnstown, PA

He Died in the Great Flood in Johnstown in 1889

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Main Street in Johnstown, PA After the Great Flood in 1889

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