The Practicality

ADVERTISING - NEWSPAPER 

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The success of Keystone Pottery is most likely attributable to Decker’s keen business sense.  Not only did he sell his wares in every general store for many miles around, but he also took advantage of advertising in newspapers.

The pride and confidence in his products, and his business acumen, emerge in one of Decker’s advertisements which stated that his pottery had every kind of vessel. . . and was of superior quality. . . that can be excelled by none manufactured in this or any other country, and that he would challenge competition as to quality of goods

Dr. Jim Kelly, former Chief Curator of Collections at the Tennessee State Museum, suggested that many of the items. . . were created by Decker and his sons simply to show their skill.  Most of it wasn’t in their regular line of merchandise.  It was advertising.

Evidence of Decker’s shrewdness for business is revealed in another advertisement where he announced, orders by mail would be promptly attended to.  The introduction of post cards c1870 more than likely exponentially boosted the mail order business, as the rate was only one penny per card. According to the Postal Museum of the Smithsonian Institute, numerous businesses took advantage of this inexpensive tool, purchasing thousands of post cards, and having them printed with advertisements, or fill-in-the-blank messages.  

ADVERTISING - BUSINESS CARDS

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Decker also had cards printed with his name, the name of the business, and the location.  The card at left lists 33 names of towns located throughout Southwest Virginia, Northeast Tennessee, Western North Carolina, and West Virginia that were printed on the back of the cards.  The distance between each town and Keystone Pottery was also listed. 

While Decker mainly delivered by wagon, he had three options for delivery of his products: wagon, barge via the Nolichucky, or train.  

RECEIPTS

There are numerous receipts and ledger entries for Keystone Pottery in the Beverly Burbage Papers housed in the Archives of Appalachia.  A few samples of receipts are transcribed below.

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Received of Decker and Davis sixteen dollars and 91 cents of Charles Decker fourteen dollars and 79 cents and too [sic] H Davis fourteen dollars and 43 cents in full of [illegible] accounts to date and after the copartnership and miscellaneous this 15th day of January 1873

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Received of Decker and Davis (Potters) forty eight dollars and ninety three cents $48.93 in ware it brings the full amount of my account against them to this date.  March 10 1873   J. J. Giesler

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Received of Charles Decker two hundred and sixteen gallons of ware this [January or June?] 14 1876    S. A. Brown

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  • Sept. 9 1876
  • Received of C. F. Decker
  • 1 dozen ½ gallon crocks
  • 2 dozen 1 gallon crocks
  • 1 dozen 2 gallon crocks 
  • Signed by W. A. Nelson
  • Per Bailey
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Received of C. Decker Six dollars and Twenty-five cents on ware.  H. Monkwood  Sept 17, [18]77 by T. A. Middleton

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Received of Charles F. Decker one churn and one 4 gallon jar and also 12 fruit jars on the account of Robert Hawern  Oct 18th 1877  The first jars I got 19th Sept.   J. P. Humbolt

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Received of C. F. Decker $13.00 in stone ware credited to account of Jo Barnes  Dec 20th 1877  J. S. Biddle

LEDGERS

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The historical importance of account books is stated by Christopher Densmore, Archivist, in an article entitled, Understanding and Using Early Nineteenth Century Account BooksAccount books and other business records, originally preserved because of their association with an individual or the early years of a community, or as documentation of economic history, are often the most significant surviving records of the early years of a community.  Frequently, they constitute the only non-governmental record of the lives of many ordinary people.  According to Densmore, arithmetic texts included instruction in bookkeeping, and, therefore, a rudimentiary knowledge of accounting methods was within the grasp of anyone with a common school education or an understanding of simple arithmetic. 

Accurate and detailed records of business transactions were critical in case of a dispute.  These daily recorded entries served as the official record of transaction between a business and the customer.  Day book transactions were, as the name implies, entered daily in chronological order with the specifics of number, type, and price of items sold.  Ledger entries concerned individual accounts using debit and credit columns.  Included in a list of books belonging to Decker was, Class Book of Commercial Law, Carhartt, 1882, indicative that Decker was serious about running a lawful, as well as a successful, business.

The pages to the left are samples of various ledger sheets for Keystone Pottery.  The first is a credit ledger sheet for Elliott Evans regarding hauling loads of clay, ware, wood, chalk, etc.  The second is a cash ledger sheet for Dicks Greer, William Turner, and Albert Baylor. 

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Decker's ledger entries for Keystone Pottery (above), and also Decker's personal purchases (at left) such as coffee, soda, salt, bacon, sugar, flour, thread, material, shoes, table linens, coal oil, wash kettles, strainers, plates, etc., including prices of these items as shown on the sheet to the left, provide a glimpse into the era detailing the purchaser's personal preferences as to necessities at the time, information about the type and price of goods and commodities available, the cost of labor, and the names of employees and customers.  

In Decker's case, sometimes customers were also suppliers. Many times the entries record a bartering system between Decker for both business and personal needs.  (See Barter section below.)  

BARTERING

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Decker used the barter system with some of his customers for goods and services.  In addition to pottery, Decker had corn, apples, peaches, turkeys, and timber available to trade for any product or household item he did not produce himself.

This journal entry for April 1875 records a trade with William Hunt.  Hunt was credited for providing two loads of hay, two bee frames, and the service of transferring bees.  In return, Decker provided various sizes of fruit jars.

SALES LEDGER

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The sales ledger to the left begins in February and goes through March listing various items sold in the shop, as well as names and prices.

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The sales ledger is a list of items sold to S. E. Jackson for a year beginning June 30, and ending June 30.  A few items listed are fruit jars, jugs, churns, crocks, butter pots, lids, pitchers, toys, smoak [sic] pipes, and flower vases totaling $87.87.  This would be around $2600 in 2023.

MERCHANT LIST

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This document lists merchants and their post office address listing both the town and the county.  Areas mentioned are Rogersville, Hawkins County; Kingsport, Sullivan County; Rutherford, Hawkins County; Greeneville, Greene County; Bakersville, NC; Fall Branch; Chatham Hill, VA; Buffalo Ridge, Washington County, TN; Hendricks Creek, Sullivan County.

The bottom portion is in reference to hauling ware to Parrotsville and Fall Branch, and is dated May 7th, 1875.

This is a personal receipt to Charles Decker for $2 in full on account for wire cloth.  The receipt is signed by J. J. Huntford.  Jonesboro, October 3, 1885.

The receipt was printed by Odgen Brothers and Rule, Printers and Publishers, Knoxville, Tennessee.

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The Practicality