By Jessica Gorman

You may have heard of the alkaline-glazed pottery produced in Edgefield County, South Carolina in the 1800s. It is featured in museums such as the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Did you know this pottery is directly linked to some of Minden’s early settlers? This is a topic that I have really only begun to explore and much of the information in this article is based on the generally accepted history. 

Dr. Abner Landrum is credited with the development of this alkaline-glazed pottery in the very early 1800s. He purchased property and developed a village known as Landrumsville or Pottersville. Here, he built a pottery factory where the first Edgefield Pottery was produced. Pottersville soon became a thriving village. 

According to a biographical article written in 1859, Dr. Landrum studied and, for a short period of time, practiced medicine. He then turned his attention to agriculture and is said to have applied his knowledge of science in his agricultural pursuits. From there, he used his knowledge in the development of the alkaline glaze used in the production of pottery. Dr. Landrum was also a newspaper editor and publisher, at one time holding the title of State Printer. 

While Dr. Landrum developed the glaze and built the pottery factory, skilled workers were required to produce the pottery. These workers were a mix of hired workers and many enslaved African Americans. Among the enslaved was a man by the name of Dave. Not only was Dave a magnificent craftsman, he was literate. It is thought that he may have worked for Dr. Landrum is his newspaper business and learned to read and write there. His ability to write is evidenced by the inscriptions on the pottery he produced. These inscriptions include his name, dates, and poetry. Even in a time when literacy among the enslaved was illegal, Dave boldly exhibited his ability to write. His work has become well-known, has sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and is housed in noted museums.

So, how do Dr. Landrum and Edgefield pottery connect to Minden? The pottery business was a family affair. Two of Dr. Landrum’s brothers were involved in the industry as well as a couple of nephews. These two nephews were Harvey and Reuben Drake.  When their Uncle Abner sold the pottery business in the late 1820s, it was Harvey and Reuben who purchased it. Harvey Drake died in 1832. Reuben continued in business with another partner, Jasper Gibbs, another familiar name in the early history of this area.

In the late 1830s, Reuben Drake, along with another brother William Abner, and Harvey’s widow, Sarah, were among many families of Edgefield County who migrated to Louisiana. Sarah and her children lived at Mt. Lebanon. Reuben and William Abner were influential in the early development of Minden. Reuben moved on, but William Abner remained in Minden. As his nephews, Hervey and William Abner, reached adulthood, they too came to Minden and became successful businessmen and influential civic leaders. 

Over the years, Dave was owned by several interrelated families of Edgefield including Dr. Landrum and the Drakes. There is evidence to suggest that he was separated from his own family when they were brought to Louisiana by one of those migrating families and he was not. Dave remained in Edgefield producing the pottery for which he has become known. After Emancipation, it was the Drake name that he decided to take as his own and became known as David Drake.  

In studying local history, it can be easy to focus on the lives of people while they lived in a certain area. This denies us the ability to make necessary connections between people, places, and events. These connections provide us not only with a greater understanding of our own history, but allow us to see how it relates to bigger stories. 

(Jessica Gorman is the Executive Director of the Dorcheat Historical Association Museum, Webster Parish Historian, and an avid genealogist.)