Chartered in 1920, owned by the Owens and the Foremans
When the Carolina Clinchfield and Ohio Railroad began to operate train service, they wanted to help develop businesses along the line. Erwin was a perfect place for a business venture that could use the clay in the area. Begun as Clinchfield Artware and then Southern Pottery, many workers migrated from Ohio and Virginia to help start up the pottery. The Owens family moved to Erwin to lead the operation. The Foreman’s revolutionized the industry by beginning the technique of hand-painting under the glaze.
In 1938, Southern Blue Ridge became an immensely popular dinnerware company, with showrooms in Chicago and New York. The dinnerware was appealing because each piece was hand painted, unlike other items that had decals. There were no two pieces exactly alike since they were produced by free hand painting on the greenware. The name came from the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains surrounding Erwin, TN.
In the 1940’s, Blue Ridge was producing as many as 324,000 pieces a week and shipping them to department stores all over the country. They were all hand painted under the glaze by individuals to worked at the pottery. As the pottery expanded, cottage industries sprung up and women would ride the train to Erwin to pick up greenware, brought it home and painted, then rode the train back to turn in their painted wares and pick up the next week’s greenware. Even women from Mitchell County were part of this effort,
Southern Blue Ridge ceased operation in 1957. Many of the molds were purchased by Pauline and Ray Cash and their pottery began.
Source: (Newbound, Betty and Bill, 1989)