Ack Pottery, Mooresburg Pa

 

Ack Pottery, Mooresburg Pa
1854-1910

"The high clay content in the soil at Mooresburg was the bane of many farmers, but toe Daniel Ack, who established Ack Pottery in 1882, the clay was a blessing."

Daniel Ack and his wife, natives of Berks County, came to Mooresburg to open a Pot Shop in 1854.

The clay, obtained from nearby farms, was hand dug and hauled by horse and wagon to the shop.

Promotional Piece For Daniel Ack Pottery, 1896

Ack produced flower pots, batter bowls, vases, flue crocks, pickling jars, and more. Many featured elaborate cobalt blue decoration of flowers, birds, and figures.

Train cars departed Mooresburg Freight Siding, loaded with Ack Pottery.  The train would take the pottery as far away as Philadelphia to be sold for as little as 2 cents each.

Today, Ack Pottery can bring as much as $500 a piece.

Ack Potter inside the shop, 1900.

Daniels sons John and Edward joined him in the pottery business for a time.  

Edward eventually sought other work, with John continuing in the business through 1911, when he left to pursue the field of photography.

Daniel Ack, a blank invoice, and Jack Ack

Much of the original pottery is stamped "D. Ack, Mooresburg".  When John took over, the stamp was changed to "J.F. Ack, Mooresburg."

Ack Pottery is at the end of the road, on the left

In 1910, William Davis purchased the Ack Pottery warehouse.  He had it torn down, and constructed a house from the materials that remained.

The house Davis built stands directly east of the Liberty Township Municipal Building.

Daniel Ack in Pottery Shop

Photo taken by son John

Daniel Ack Obituary, May 1914

This invoice is billed to J.H. Cole, the founder of todays Coles Hardware Chain.

Another, larger,  invoice for J.H. Cole, showing the signature of J. Ack

Ack Crocks stacked in the Mooresburg Warehouse

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Daniel Ack Pottery is shown on the map, on the far left here.

Daniels daughter Caroline married Lyman Ritter.  She lived to be 94 years old, dying in 1943.

John Ack