Putnam and Speedwell Archives

Posted on January 1, 2026January 1, 2026 by Putnam & Speedwell

Nostalgia: Breakfast Memories

There are breakfast people. And, there are those who shun breakfast.

I am one of those who skip the early morning meal of the day. I trace this preference back to my grade school days. . .. Back then, we fasted to join in the ritual of Communion. We brought breakfast to school . . . before the “invention” of the breakfast sandwich. Cold toast was my breakfast of choice. Habits are hard to break . . . now, Breakfast is coffee and toast. Except for weekends or holidays. . . .I confess that here and there I had friends that encouraged a more wholesome meal. They were worried; not really scornful. Many years later, I asked Aunt Nettie how she managed to keep her health and beauty. Her advice, “Every morning, I have one cup of coffee and toast.” This does not work for everyone; but, this breakfast worked for her.

Strong Boys and Girls

Today is one of those cold winter days – below freezing with ice and a frosting of snow. Hot Oatmeal or Cream of Wheat with brown sugar sounds like a good start. It is not an accident that we have been eating these grains for over 100 years. Geography is the best indicator of foods that we eat for any meal of the day . . . indeed, it is the most important indicator.¹ The Midwest is one of the “breadbaskets” of the world. In the Midwest, Corn is king. Wheat and Oats aren’t far behind. If not Quaker Oats, then Wheatena or Cream Wheat. Over time, the simplest of breakfasts is one simple ritual that connects us all. Even if, we did not eat breakfast. Even if we hated oatmeal. Memories of time past in the everyday of life.

The Breakfast of Champions

“But Dad, everyone else . . .” Marketing turned Breakfast Flakes into a favorite for children. Boxes filled with sugar coated flakes, fruity loops, marshmallow bits tucked in a box of colored flakes. Small shoppers found their favorites on the lowest shelves in the grocery store. My Dad was not convinced. The everyone else argument was a certainty in these situations. “If everyone else jumps off the bridge would you?” he invariably responded. He used the cold truth of a logical fallacy.

Cereal Flakes appealed to busy working families. Corn Flakes, Wheaties, Rice Krispies and Cheerios are a few of the original cold cereals. These are sweetened but not sugar coated so they passed the Dad test in our family. Fill a bowl and add some cereal flakes. Voila! Breakfast for all.

Celebration Breakfast

The morning of high holidays is marked by friends and family. They gather around a table laden with a grand breakfast. French Toast, Pancakes, Muffins along with assortments of fruit. Some add ham, sausage or bacon. Many times, these are planned as buffets. Guests arrive with a family favorite recipe presented on a beautiful serving dish.

This is the time when the tablecloth is unfolded and placed on the table, napkins, silverware and the best plates. These are wedding gifts or a family heirlooms . . . . there are layers of family traditions brought to this table. The heritage of a family grows over generations along with the memories. Charles Dickens said it best.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us.

Links:

Carr China Bowl Green Lines | Vintage Americana

FOOTNOTES

https://pressbooks.pub/humangeog/chapter/thinking-geographically/ ↩︎

Posted on February 27, 2016May 1, 2016 by Putnam & Speedwell

Cozy Up to Vintage Handwoven Textiles

Is there a better way to add bright beautiful color to a corner or a sofa or a bed then with a colorful handwoven textiles? From hand crocheted afghans to hand woven Saltillo blankets – it seems like their color and beautiful details add so much to any environment. Especially since no two pieces are exactly alike.

In the winter or a chilly night in any season, a pile of blankets is comforting. On one of those nights, when hibernating seems like part of the natural rhythm of life . . . grab an afghan or a blanket, pick up that book or maybe even, watch the final season of Downton Abbey.

A stack of vintage textiles – runners, rugs, afghan and Saltillo blankets.

Posted on February 15, 2016 by Putnam & Speedwell

Plain Old White Ironstone Bowls – Perfect for Chili

Plain Old White Chili Bowl, Buffalo China

A good chili bowl should hold chili. A better than good bowl for chili should not be too wide – leave the wide bowl for cereal. A wide bowl holds the contents certainly but the narrower width means that the chili will cool down quicker. Maybe a small thing. But early pottery manufacturers in Ohio recognized these small yet critical differences for the food service industry – restaurants, hotels,…

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Posted on December 2, 2015May 1, 2016 by Putnam & Speedwell

Selling Pieces of the Past: The World is Your Marketplace

Governor James Rhodes brought the dream of the Appalachian Highway to life with a lot of political capital earned over the span of a long political career. Born and raised in Southern Ohio, his efforts on behalf of the people and the economy of Appalachian Ohio are still remembered. Jimmy, as the old timers call him, is a local hero.

Appalachian Highway, Wikipedia.

Others traveling through the region might read the roadside sign dedicated to his memory. As one newspaper reported:

On its long, empty stretches, the James A. Rhodes Appalachian Highway gives drivers green vistas of southern Ohio’s rolling hills. This is not the green that planners had in mind.

The need for connecting roads was felt long before Governor Rhodes. H. R. Wylie, the owner of the pottery in Huntington, was very active in politics on the West Virginia side of the Ohio River. Mr. Wylie lobbied for support, invested a great deal of money to effect change and even entertained the idea of running for state office. Roads were essential for commerce – which as every school boy knows is good for the people.

A Railroad Tunnel Built in the Late 19th Century, Moonville, Ohio.

Posted on July 25, 2015April 23, 2018 by Putnam & Speedwell

Amesville, Ohio: A Place Called Home

Living in a small town is easy. The drive to the post office, bank or small grocery store/gas station is about seven minutes or 2 1/2 miles. It is a beautiful drive . . . it looks a lot like the drawing of The Ohio Company. In Amesville, there are no traffic lights. There is very little traffic. There are very few residents; around 150-200 lucky people live here.

Posted on January 11, 2015February 24, 2017 by Putnam & Speedwell

Rare Stetson China (USA) Salad Plates, Stylized Tulip
in Center Field with Black Air Brush Border…
The Black and Pink Floral is distinctive of the
new cool of modern life in the suburban 50s!

Posted on December 12, 2014December 12, 2014 by Putnam & Speedwell

Ugly Christmas Jacket Give Away

At 6:00 today, we will draw the winner for the Red Plaid Jacket by Pendleton. Rest assured the wool will help keep you warm. It is shocking to me but plaid jackets are fashionable? One just sold on Etsy; they called it a hipster jacket. I found a red plaid dress; red plaid skirt and Tommy Hilfiger in a Red Plaid Dinner Jacket.

Maybe the red plaid isn’t so ugly?

Enter for the give away today – a red plaid jacket!

There has not been an overwhelming response.. .

There is still time; give away ends at 5:00 today. . .

; .

Posted on November 30, 2014November 30, 2014 by Putnam & Speedwell

Dickens, Coal Miners and The Spirit of Christmas

Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, Illus. Arthur Rackman

Lately, I have wondered about the life of a miner. This comes as no surprise since Putnam and Speedwell occupies a house that was once a home for a miner and his family at Eclipse Company Town. The houses are cute; but they are small, it seems to me, for a family. I wonder about life without privacy and shared beds, even though I understand that family life was different for most of history. Thinking about the holidays has fueled my curiosity. My first stop on this journey was A Christmas Carol.

The classic work by Charles Dickens still stirs emotion if not a few tears. The meaning of life is revealed to Scrooge in a series of glimpses into the lives of other people who do not possess his great wealth but enjoy happiness surrounded by family and friends. The miner’s camp is one of the scenes, they are gathered together enjoying the Christmas festivities. The importance of the gathering is the sense of community shared by these men who “labour in the bowels of the earth.” As Dickens wrote, “So surely as they raised their voices, the old man got quite blithe and loud; and so surely as they stopped, his vigour sank again.” The old man was sustained by the camaraderie in the coal town – as were other miners across the globe.

Many early academics and government officials missed the sense of community. Their studies stressed the squalor and poor health among the miners, while recent research and personal accounts emphasize that life in a coal camp “was not always drab” but rather “it could be fun.” (1) Elizabeth Ferguson Brown writes that, “The brightness of these homes comes from within.”(2)

I must admit that I had accepted the dismal portraits of coal mine towns and missed the light that comes form within. Along with Scrooge, I recognized the generosity of spirit in the faces of miners and their families. The miner’s house that we occupy as tenants is not the same place; but, we will do our best to let the light shine – especially for the Holidays. Let the merriment begin!

`What place is this,’ asked Scrooge. `A place where Miners live, who labour in the bowels of the earth,’ returned the Spirit. `But they know me. See.’ A light shone from the window of a hut, and swiftly they advanced towards it. Passing through the wall of mud and stone, they found a cheerful company assembled round a glowing fire. An old, old man and woman, with their children and their children’s children, and another generation beyond that, all decked out gaily in their holiday attire. The old man, in a voice that seldom rose above the howling of the wind upon the barren waste, was singing them a Christmas song — it had been a very old song when he was a boy — and from time to time they all joined in the chorus. So surely as they raised their voices, the old man got quite blithe and loud; and so surely as they stopped, his vigour sank again.

A Christmas Carol, Stave 3: The Second of the Three Spirits

Posted on November 19, 2014January 25, 2024 by Putnam & Speedwell

The Gift: The Story of The Homer Laughlin Plate

HLC Best China, Baroque Service Plate

Almost, thirty years ago, a package arrived postmarked from the Homer Laughlin Company, Newell, West Virginia quite unexpectedly. A few days before, we were at the International Housewares Exhibition in Chicago. It was a big deal, a really big deal. Now, as then, it was the biggest trade show in the country at one of the biggest exhibition halls in the world under one roof. McCormick Place, a modernist structure designed by Gene Simmons, a student of Mies van der Rohe, is located on Lake Michigan. Sited as it was, the rebuilt McCormick place celebrated space perched on the coast with an unending vista of water and sky – the building occupies acres of land yet does not obstruct the view like a skyscraper while the interior remains open. Stepping into that place was a tad intimidating for a fledgling very small business owner but, how else to know what is happening?

One of the hundreds of exhibitors was The Homer Laughlin Company represented by Mr. Wells. He was very generous with his time; he welcomed us into the booth heartily. As we spoke, the conversation turned to patterns. The new line of colorful Fiesta Ware was popular, but I gravitated toward a pure white plate with a deep rim, scalloped edge and classic ornamentation. It was very modern looking – but not. The plate was a part of the Best China Line i.e.. Restaurant Ware.

He asked, “Why would you want this plate?” Later informing me that he could not sell this plate to a retail outlet unless we could order large quantities. His warmth and kindliness made the bad news sound not so bad. Three days later, the plate arrived.

For many years, this plate was part of the lore of our family. . . the story was, “a manager from Homer Laughlin sent this plate.” The plate packed a powerful message; generosity and kindness. This story remains one of the most important business lessons that I have learned. Over the years, the pleasant memory inspired a collection of white restaurant ware. It has been a sentimental journey from that memorable beginning.

Years later, I learned that the history of the Homer Laughlin Company was integral to understanding the history of Ohio River Pottery. As it turned out, Mr. Wells was not merely a manager or salesperson. His family owned and operated the Homer Laughlin Company. The Wells family led an expansion of the pottery. By the end of the nineteenth century, five kilns produced white ware instead of the much maligned yellow ware produced throughout the nineteenth century.

Laced through out early accounts of the Pottery Industry, there are comments made by workers, observers and reporters. Most commentators noticed the mutual respect that owners shared with workers – mutual respect become one of the core values for the Homer Laughlin Company and the other potteries in East Liverpool. So, it was no accident that Mr. Wells sent the plate.

Posted on November 18, 2014November 19, 2014 by Putnam & Speedwell

Selling Pieces of the Past, II

Hard to believe that it has been one year since Putnam and Speedwell 
planted roots in Athens . . . a few thoughts about growing pains!

Our First Winter at Eclipse Company Town

We rented the space at Eclipse Company Town, an old mining town, last November about ten days before Thanksgiving. I was thinking that we could whip it into shape by Thanksgiving. We missed the mark. No kidding! The stress was too much; it is not unusual to lose business partners. And I did soon after renting the new space. A start-up takes grit, determination and even sleepless nights that winnow out the weak. I went on alone in the endeavor. I had confidence, energy, experience and a lot of spirit . . . enough to overcome this loss. Certainly, I was stunned but I looked at strengths . . .and perhaps foolishly, overlooked any weaknesses.

1. Finding vintage furnishings was not new to me. It had become a habit, you might say, to look for great old things for our great old homes that needed lots of work. Perhaps more importantly, we understood the value of reducing waste. McDonald’s began promoting Happy Meals to sell burgers to children . . .outraged Daddy would drive out to the landfill with our very young children in tow! I often wonder if the effect was akin to “the starving children in _____” talk given by my father when liver was served. So vintage and antique bargains were one of my specialties – a natural fit for those of us that gravitated toward great old houses.

2. In a previous life, I owned a retail storefront borne from my love for pure soap that was hard to find in the old days . . . pure cotton accoutrements of all kinds and linens. My sisters and brothers worked hard and built a great enterprise that became too big for us to handle . . . I had an intimate understanding of the danger of burn out. That storefront was huge 2500 square foot; and the new storefront was small and dry so it seemed just right. . .

3. Another plus, or so I believed was my experience with the Internet in my previous life. I relied on the internet for research, as in historical research. I believed that I lived in a golden age. The Internet was a BIG step for the democratization of knowledge connecting libraries and even archives. But at a desk in a research library or on a computer, the work is quiet and solitary most of the time.

If I understood my strengths, I also misunderstood a few deficits. The learning curve for Social Media and Social Marketing. Hmmmm . . . this was a new world with a steep learning curve!

In that other life, we built the business one person at a time and one day at a time – and time was slower. The internet was a boon to every entrepreneur on the block, right? Yes, but the process of learning took months not weeks nor days . . . At the beginning of this first year, I was not on Facebook, I did not Tweet nor did I blog – I am a very private person, I read history, I wrote, gardened and cooked like a madwoman and took long walks. Stepping onto this public platform was a venture like no other . . . but yet, since I overcame my fear of public speaking in large lecture halls with low light and Powerpoint, I believed that I was up to the challenge.

Thank heavens my daughter although incredibly busy with her venture and growing family came to my aid on many occasions. But still, there were many nights that I greeted the morning sun . . . WordPress is easy up to a point. . . Facebook was very difficult. Share? Follow? Friend? I looked at these words with an archaic mentality. . . still I do not know exactly how to tweet or exactly what to tweet. I rely on software that is on the Cloud . . .the big bunny cloud up there next to the giant hippo . . . Shopseen. A big help until I clicked buttons without understanding the danger of over-posting which of course led to unlikes which made me cry. Alyssa, another daughter, helped ease the pain . .. “this is not the real world, Mom” . . . since she too has built a business online with her husband. Thank heavens too for Novak, who stood by with confort et aide as an expert in logistics.

The energy and determination soon dwindled. Sleepless nights are not good at my age. Normally, I am quite healthy. Not this year . . . influenza and a fever that spiked at 104 degrees, an infection that ended with cellulitis on my face (very ugly) , DVT (get off your feet, they said) and last but not least, the wet winter and spring rain led to high levels of mold/mildew at the storefront. Oh and last but not least – the snow! Driving to town was nearly impossible at times. On one occasion, I had a hard time finding the car buried under the snow for days! There were times, I could not make it to the store and worse yet, I had not hired anyone to be there if and when I was not. Big mistakes . . . bought a 4WD truck and de-humidifier! I prioritized – letting go of furniture restoration, home renovation and big landscaping projects. I sleep more, eat more and laugh more. I wonder if my home will ever really be clean and tidy again! (Whew – talk about going public!)

It has been an amazing year of growth. The storefront at Eclipse is finally coming together . . . and selling online is coming along nicely . . . but still need to find a few good people to help grow the business. There are many ways we can grow – and serve the community better.

I have met some really terrific people online and at the storefront at Eclipse. I am thrilled that I am once again doing history – now with two books outlined, research progressing and ready to start writing . . . God Willing and the Creek don’t Rise! I am learning to take the time to do the little things that bring joy, health and happiness – and let go of the bumps along the way. You might say that this has been the worst of times and the best of times.

And last but not least, thank you to every one who has helped along the way with patience, kindness and the incredible gift of friendship. It is hard to stumble in the public arena; but, it would be impossible to recover without the kindness of others.

Now, it might just be a good time to celebrate times past and the good times to come!