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Pigeon Forge Pottery Era Comes to a Close After 53 years, Ruth and Douglas Ferguson decided to retire. In 1946, Ruth and Douglas came to Pigeon Forge to begin a new business. With the assistance of Ruth's Father, Ernest Wilson, a noted potter from a lineage of English craftsmen, they started the Pigeon Forge Pottery in a renovated tobacco barn. When the barn burned down and nearly put them out of business, locals helped rebuild and over time, the pottery grew and became internationally famous. During the last half of the 20th century, the Fergusons made their mark on the culture of the Great Smokey Mountains by working with materials from the region, by hiring local artists, and by creating designs inspired from the flora and fauna of their beloved mountains. The Fergusons wish to extend their thanks and gratitude to the thousands of customers who visited the pottery over the years. In many instances, generations of families made a point of stopping at the pottery to see the creation of everything from bears to wind chimes and to find a special piece to take home. May these treasures continue to recall happy times and fond memories! |