
The Bradshaw China Company was located
on Hunter Street in Niles.

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China
Companies in Niles, Ohio 1901-1930
Of the many diversified industries
in Niles just after the beginning of the twentieth century, the
Bradshaw Pottery Company, which provided employment for approximately
200 people, ranked high in the industrial development of Niles.
Early in 1901, an announcement was
made regarding the construction of a pottery which was to be built
on Hunter Street on eleven acres of land in the Roundstown area
on the west side of town.
The building was built of brick and
tile, 72 feet by 400 feet. Only the latest and most improved machinery
was used and the highest skilled laborers were employed in producing
good quality earthenware.
By late October of that year, the
Bradshaw Pottery was in full operation, producing tableware with
decal styled decorations. By December, the company had a large domestic
trade established and were shipping their chinaware as far as Honolulu.
However, by 1910, the Bradshaw China
Company was in receivership. Frank A. Sebring purchased
the company and renamed it ‘The Tritt China Company”
a subsidiary of the Sebring Pottery Company in 1912.

PO2.117
Workers at the Atlas China Company.
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The trademark of Atlas China Company.

Form used to shape the small bowls
at the Atlas China Factory on Hunter Street. |
Tritt
China Company made improvements at the pottery and new kilns were
built in order to produce porcelain tableware. Austin Clewes
and William Mellor of Niles built kilns in Canada, New
Jersey and East Liverpool and were well-known for their skills and
abilities. William Mellor patented a rotating kiln which he had
developed while working in Niles.
After the Tritt Pottery had been in
operation for a period of time, it didn’t do well enough to
satisfy the officers of the company, so Frank Sebring sold the company.
A new company bought it and named it Atlas China in 1923. The business
began to grow, employing 345 people. During the next year $250,000
was spent on improvements in the various departments of the plant.
But a fire, which started in the boiler room, swept through the
Atlas China on March 30, 1925, leaving the firm with a devastating
loss.
Fortunately there was enough stock
on hand to fill orders for the next thirty days. In the meantime,
the chief stockholders located a site in Cambridge, Ohio which had
facilities for the manufacture of dinnerware. The property was acquired
and a new company, The Globe China Company was organized.
In 1926, Atlas China and the Globe
China Company of Cambridge were consolidated, resulting in the Atlas-Globe
China Company of Cambridge, Ohio. During late 1927 and early 1928,
all operations of the Niles plant were phased out and sometime during
the 19330s were sold for salvage purposes.
A small sample of Bradshaw China,
a complete 110 piece set of Atlas China, several pieces of Tritt
China and Globe China are on display at the Ward-Thomas Museum at
501 Brown Street.
Atlas China can still be found at
flea markets and antique stores.
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