Minnesota Stoneware Company

Built in 1861. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

From the record

“Red Wing pottery refers to American stoneware, pottery, or dinnerware items made in Red Wing, Minnesota. The first commercial company was set up in 1861 by German immigrant John Paul, which eventually became Red Wing Potteries, Inc. in 1936.”
Wikipedia article Red Wing Pottery, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 60 National Register listings published here for Goodhue County · listed in 1979 · category: Building · built in 1861.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
Address. 1997 W. Main St., Red Wing, 55066
When was it listed? December 1979
Category. building
City. Red Wing city
When was it built? 1861
National Register reference number. 79001243 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

What happened here

An account from the chapter on Red Wing city. The inset identifies its exact source book and publication year.

From History of Goodhue County, Including a Sketch of the Territory and State of Minnesota; Together with an Account of the Early French Discoveries, Indian Massacres, the Part Borne by Minnesota's Patriots in the War of the Great Rebellion, and a Full and Complete History of the County from the Time of Its Occupancy by Swiss Missionaries in 1838. Pioneer Incidents, Biographical Sketches of Early and Prominent Settlers and Representative Men, and of Its Cities, Towns, Churches, Schools, Secret Societies, Etc, published 1878 - Red Wing City

First Execution Of The Death Penalty

On the afternoon of the 27th of December, 1855, the first execution of the death penalty was carried into effect by the hanging of a Dakota Indian named Yuhozee, for the murder of a German woman. The circumstances of the murder are thus stated: The murdered woman was traveling with others above Shakopee, when Yuhozee and some other Indians met them.

Read the rest of this passage

The ground it stands on

82,091 words

The chapter on Red Wing City in History of Goodhue County, Including a Sketch of the Territory and State of Minnesota; Together with an Account of the Early French Discoveries, Indian Massacres, the Part Borne by Minnesota's Patriots in the War of the Great Rebellion, and a Full and Complete History of the County from the Time of Its Occupancy by Swiss Missionaries in 1838. Pioneer Incidents, Biographical Sketches of Early and Prominent Settlers and Representative Men, and of Its Cities, Towns, Churches, Schools, Secret Societies, Etc, published 1878 names Red Wing. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.

Frontenac. The site of this post is on an island on the west side of the channel of the Mississippi River, about eight miles above Red Wing, and is therefore in Goodhue county. The island was easily accessible by canoes, yet very retired. The fort was erected as a barrier and protection against hostile Indians. Referring to its location, Charlevoix said: "The island has a beautiful prairie, and the French of Canada have made it a channel of commerce for the western posts, and many pass the winter here, because it is a good country for hunting." It is said that the foundation of this old fort is still pretty clearly outlined. Its location, at least, is well known to many of the residents of Goodhue county, whose farms are in the near vicinity of the island upon which it was built.

Passage source: History of Goodhue County, Including a Sketch of the Territory and State of Minnesota; Together with an Account of the Early French Discoveries, Indian Massacres, the Part Borne by Minnesota's Patriots in the War of the Great Rebellion, and a Full and Complete History of the County from the Time of Its Occupancy by Swiss Missionaries in 1838. Pioneer Incidents, Biographical Sketches of Early and Prominent Settlers and Representative Men, and of Its Cities, Towns, Churches, Schools, Secret Societies, Etc, published 1878.

At Wabasha there was a trading post in charge of Alexis Bailly, where was also the home of the old voyageur, A. Rogue. F. S. Richards kept a store house at the foot of Lake Pepin, probably at or near the site of the fort built by Perrot. An eccentric character, named Wells, whose wife was a hois hrule, and the daughter of the old-time trader Duncan Graham, lived on the west side of the lake. Wells lived in a stone house, probably the first of the kind erected in any part of the territory. At Red Wing there was a cluster of bark wigwams and a

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Red Wing City - 82,091 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.

Fires near this property

5 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 5 fires within 5 miles of Minnesota Stoneware Company between 1994 and 2020, burning about 24 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	2
Recreation and ceremony	1
Equipment and vehicle use	1
Debris and open burning	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
23 September 2012	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources	not named
23 April 1994	Recreation and ceremony	2.0 acres	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources	not named
15 March 2020	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	4.4 acres	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources	not named
15 March 2020	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	2.2 acres	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources	not named
3 October 2012	Equipment and vehicle use	15 acres	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources	not named

Every fire recorded in Goodhue County

Mines and quarries near this property

10 of 12 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 12 workings within 5 miles of Minnesota Stoneware Company: 4 producers, 4 past producers, 4 occurrences. 4 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Clay. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status
Red Wing Sewer Pipe Clay Pit No 1	Clay	Past Producer
Hager City Dolomite Deposit #1	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Occurrence
Hager City Dolomite Deposit #2	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Occurrence
Richardson Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Bryan Pit & Plant	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
Hager City Gravel Deposit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Occurrence
Hager City Gravel Pit #1	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Hager City Gravel Pit #2	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Hager City Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
Red Wing Sand & Gravel Co. Mine	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer

Every working recorded in Goodhue County

Storms near this property

44 since 1996

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Red Wing, the town this property stands in, in 44 storm reports between 1996 and 2026: 22 thunderstorm wind, 18 hail, 2 lightning, 1 flash flood. The reports record 1 death and 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
June 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	1 killed, 1 hurt	Numerous trees were blown down between Red Wing and Wacouta. An individual was injured during this storm from a fallen tree that landed on a detached garage, and trapped him as the garage collapsed.
June 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	$100,000	There were numerous trees blown down around and in the city of Red Wing. Some of the trees caused damage as they landed on power lines, roofs and vehicles. As the storms moved east into Wisconsin, the Red Wing airport had a measured wind gust of 75 mph.
August 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	$100,000	There was lots of wind damage in Red Wing where many trees and branches were blown down, including damage to roofs, and power outages throughout the city. There was a measured wind report from a private weather station of 61 mph west of Red Wing at 1635 LST.
June 2019	Hail	Red Wing	$50,000	There were several reports of large hail, up to quarter size, around Red Wing and the Hay Creek area. Some damage occurred to roofs.
June 2016	Lightning	Red Wing	$50,000	Early morning thunderstorms caused a house fire in Red Wing. The home was located on 1175 Golf Ridge Circle. Most of the structural damage was to the outside of the house with some charring of some flooring and walls, and some water damage from a water pipe that was in contact with the gas line. There was also a hole in the gas line from the electrical current passing through.
June 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	$50,000	The owner of Bill's Bay Marina in Red Wing, Minnesota, received damage to their \|dock fingers, as severe winds caused these dock fingers to twist and mangle up.
July 2015	Lightning	Red Wing	$2,000	The Red Wing Fire Department reported a bolt of lightning caused a small fire of the exterior of a home at 1141 East Ave in Red Wing. The small fire was extinguished within minutes and no injuries were reported.
June 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	-	Several trees were damaged on the west side of Red Wing.
July 2018	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	-	Several reports of small trees, tree limbs, and power lines blown down in Red Wing.
August 2018	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	-	A storm survey of two neighborhoods in Red Wing determined damage was due to a downburst. The roof of a home was partially removed, the garage door to a large machine shed was blown in, and a few dozen trees were uprooted.
July 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	-	A few power lines were blown down near Red Wing.
June 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	-	A large tree limb blew down on a power line and started a fire.
June 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	-	Severe wind blew large hay bales across a field.
June 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	-	Several trees were downed. One downed tree blocked a road.
June 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	-	Three inch branches were downed.
August 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	-	Trees and numerous large branches were downed. One downed tree fell onto a pickup truck.
June 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	-	The Corps of Engineers wind sensor at Lock and Dam #3 recorded a gust of 68 MPH. Trees were downed.
May 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	-	Truck blown off road. A few trees down.
June 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	-	Scattered trees down in Red Wing. This was the last report in Minnesota from a mesocyclone and complex of storms that produced its first severe weather in Swift County (9 N Kerkhoven) at 1427.
June 2001	Funnel Cloud	Red Wing	-	Wall cloud lingered over Red Wing for nearly 30 minutes, and a brief funnel cloud was spotted.
July 2000	Hail	Red Wing	-	Corn stripped in Wacouta, Welch and Florence townships as storm tracked to the southeast.
July 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	-	Numerous trees down.
June 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	-	Trees blown down. Estimated windspeed.
June 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	-	Trees blown down. Estimated windspeed.
June 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	-	Roofs torn off houses. Mobile home destroyed. Businesses damaged. Many trees blown down throughout city. Estimated windspeed.
July 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	-	Several trees down. Estimated windspeed.
April 2026	Hail	Red Wing	-	no account filed
April 2026	Hail	Red Wing	-	no account filed
May 2022	Hail	Red Wing	-	no account filed
April 2022	Hail	Red Wing	-	no account filed
May 2017	Hail	Red Wing	-	no account filed
May 2017	Hail	Red Wing	-	no account filed
June 2016	Hail	Red Wing	-	no account filed
May 2011	Hail	Red Wing	-	no account filed
June 2007	Hail	Red Wing	-	no account filed
June 2007	Hail	Red Wing	-	no account filed
May 2006	Hail	Red Wing	-	no account filed
June 2006	Hail	Red Wing	-	no account filed
April 2004	Hail	Red Wing	-	no account filed
July 2002	Hail	Red Wing	-	no account filed
July 1997	Flash Flood	Red Wing	-	no account filed
July 1997	Hail	Red Wing	-	no account filed
June 1997	Hail	Red Wing	-	no account filed
June 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Red Wing	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Goodhue County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
Theodore B. Sheldon House	0.6 miles	1976
Towne-Akenson House	0.8 miles	1979
Red Wing Waterworks	0.8 miles	2013
E. S. Hoyt House	0.9 miles	1975
James L. Lawther House	0.9 miles	1975
Chicago Great Western Depot	1.0 miles	1980

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 79001243 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Goodhue County	All 60 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.