| Solomon Purdy | ||
| Birth Date: July 25, 1779 |
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| Death Date: February 17, 1861 Artist Gallery |
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| The Mead and Purdy families both lived for several generations in Manchester, Vermont with some members serving together during the Revolutionary War.
Ira M. Mead Sr. was the first member of the family to come to North Springfield, Ohio from central Vermont around 1820. (North Springfield was a village located in Springfield Township of what was Portage County prior to 1840 and Summit County thereafter. Today it is part the Akron suburbs.) Reports indicate that Mead’s three sons, Ira M., Abner R, and Truman P., were all trained as potters, and it is believed that this occurred because of their association with the family of Solomon Purdy. In the early 1820?s Solomon Purdy moved from Vermont to Putnam, Ohio, (now a part of Zanesville), where he established a pottery.
However, his wife died in 1825 or 1826, and he was left with 5 children age 15 and under. It appears that the Ira Mead family offered to help care for the children if Solomon moved north to Portage County where a substantial deposit of ‘fire’ clay had been discovered in the early 1820?s. Perhaps in repayment of their kindness, Solomon trained the Mead boys to the potting craft at about the same time that he was training his own three sons (and others) to the trade.
Purdy made utilitarian and slip decorated red ware as well as roofing tiles. He lived for a time in the German community of Zoar, Ohio, circa 1820 to 1850, before returning to Atwater, Ohio in 1850. His son, Gordon also worked with clay form 1850 to 1870.
Solomon Purdy’s stoneware can be marked S. Purdy, Zoar, S. Purdy Atwater, as well as S. Purdy. In addition, he sometimes marked his ware ZOAR.
Pieces could be marked H. Purdy, who was Henry Purdy, Solomon’s son. Henry also worked as a potter, but briefly. Instead, he chose a political career and eventually became the mayor of Akron.
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