Pottery Shop

Frontier Ashley Valley needed crockery, and Ephraim H. Roberts supplied it. A war veteran, he built a pottery on this spot in 1893 and, with his sons, turned out churns, jars, jugs, and flower pots that traded for produce — after testing five hundred samples of local clay to find one that would fire true. Lead for the glaze came off a clay bank at the Fort Duchesne rifle range. The building later danced as Old Roberts Hall, moved to Davis Ward in 1920 to serve as a church, and was razed in 1936.

What the plaque says

In 1893 Ephraim H. Roberts, a war veteran, built a pottery here. He and his sons made churns, jars, jugs, and flower pots, which were exchanged for produce. Five hundred samples of clay were tried before a suitable one was found. Lead for glazing was dug from a clay bank on the rifle range at Fort Duchesne. Later the building was used for an amusement center, known as Old Roberts Hall. In 1920 it was moved to Davis Ward where it served as a church and recreation hall. It was razed in 1936.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Utah Field House of Natural History — 2.8 mi
  A dinosaur museum with life-size replicas in an outdoor garden
• Vernal — 2.8 mi
  The self-proclaimed Dinosaur Capital of Utah
• Fantasy Canyon — 6.2 mi
  Impossibly shaped rock formations that look like alien sculptures
• Steinaker State Park — 6.8 mi
  A warm-water reservoir popular for swimming in the desert heat

More markers nearby

• Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans Memorial — 2.7 mi
• Korean Conflict Veterans Memorial — 2.7 mi
• American Mother Veterans War Memorial — 2.7 mi
• Men of Courage Monument (WWII) — 2.7 mi