This lime-based alkaline glazed jug was discovered in Alexander City. The distinctive way of attaching the lower handle indicates that it may have been made at the pottery of Evan Presley in Coosada.
Evan Presley's father was John Presley, the father-in-law of Abner Landrum. Landrum is credited with beginning the pottery industry in Edgefield, South Carolina. John Presley opened a pottery near Pine Level in Autauga County in the early 1820s, making him the earliest Alkaline glazer in the state.
Evans Presley used enslaved potters in his business. Census records show that in 1850, Presley enslaved 36 people. By 1860, that number increased to 52 enslaved people.
An agreement from the Freedman's Bureau records shows that Evan Presley asked formerly enslaved potters Edmond, Richmond, and Richmond's sons Joe and Jim to run his pottery in 1865. It is likely that one of these men created this jug.
