Manufacturer Notes: Noah Aliff

Noah Aliff was listed in the 1850 Gardiner Maine Census as a 17 year old laborer, born in Canada in the household of Robert & Jane Ayliff (Aliff) aged 65 and 63 respectively, who were born in England.  In the 1850 Census, Moses Arleif (Aliff) was listed as a potter in Westbrook, Maine and was one dwelling away from John T. Winslow, a manufacturer of stoneware. Moses Aliff was listed as a potter in the 1858 Portland Directory at Westbrook Point and John T. Wilson was listed as a stoneware manufacturer. Noah Aliff was listed in the June 1860 Gardiner, Maine Census as a 26 year old potter born in Canada. Frank A. Plaisted was listed as a stoneware manufacturer in Gardiner in 1860. Moses Aliff was listed as 32 year old potter in Mound City in the 1860 Census and Noah Aliff, aged 29, was listed in the household as a potter as well. H. H. Hainer was listed as owning a pottery in the 1860 Mound City Census. The Mound City Census was completed in July, 1860. Moses was born in England and Noah was born in Canada. The 1870 Census lists Noah Aliff as a 37 year old stoneware manufacturer born in Maine. The 1880 Census from District 92 of Pulaski, Illinois lists Noah Aleff (Aliff), age 42, as a potter as are James (aged 19) and Albert (aged 14), who were identified as nephews. In the 1895 Larned, Kansas Census Moses Aliff was listed.
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Samples of potters clay from M. & N. Aliff of Mound City were exhibited at the Paris Expo of 1867.

Journal of The Senate of the Twenty-Sixth General Assembly of the State of Illinois (Springfield, Illinois Journal Printing Office, 1869)
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"In the fall of 1853 he sold out and removed to Cincinnati, engaged in manufacturing ware in the Fulton pottery for the following four years, and served two terms in the city council from the Seventeenth ward. He (Cornwell Kirkpatrick) sold out at Cincinnati in December, 1857, and removed to Mound City, Illinois, and built and operated the Mound City Pottery, managed by a manufacturing company that, through financial mismanagement of parties who handled the funds, proved an unfortunate venture.

On the first of November, 1859, in company with his brother Wallace Kirkpatrick, he removed to Anna, Union county, and built pottery works, and has since been making grand success in manufacturing stoneware in all its departments."

Bonham, Jeriah; Fifty Years' Recollections with Observations and reflections on Historical Events Giving Sketches of Eminent Citizens -Their Lives and Public Service (Peoria, J. W. Franks & Sons, 1883)

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"Clays, for pottery, crockery, porcelain, etc., are distributed in great abundance. In southern Illinois we have the greatest variety of valuable clays for all purposes. An extensive deposit of pure clay occurs near Mound City, adjacent to the Grand Chain, as it is called, on the Ohio river. It has a light yellow color, and produces beautiful ware. The proprietor of the pottery works at Mound City succeeded in manufacturing a great variety of ware, and coating or lining each article with a uniform thickness of glass. this result or discovery is very desirable, especially in fruit-jars, which was the leading article of the establishment."

Briggs, S. A.; Volume X.--1864 The Illinois Teacher (Peoria, N. C. Nason, 1864)

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" The argillaceous shales of the Tertiary formation yield an inexhaustible supply of superior potters' clay. On the bank of the Ohio river, in the south-east quarter of section 2, township 15, range 2 east, much clay has been obtained for the pottery at Mound City. Mr., Koch, the proprietor of the pottery at this point, assured me that the clay from the bank of the Cache river, in the north part of section 18(?), township 16, range 1 west, was a very fine material to work."

 Worthen, A. H.; Geological Survey of Illinois Volume I Geology (Springfield, State Journal Steam Press, 1866)

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No listing of a pottery in Mound city

Reports to the General Assembly of Illinois 1897 Volume 1 (Springfield, H. W. Rokker, 1897)

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