The legacy of the Aden clay mine

The Poplar Bluff Museum tells many unknown tales of our community. I want to tell you some of those hidden tales found within the museum walls.
In 1920, Frank Aden discovered an unusually good grade of clay on his farm. He lived 5 miles south of Poplar Bluff in the Good Hope community. His children Alva, Lucy and Flossie were playing in the woods when they noticed that the local water was a milky white. They told their father who dug out a piece of the white clay. He put it on the fence post and forgot about it. One day a stranger drove by and saw the white clay. The stranger was G.E. Doane. He asked Mr. Aden if he could have the clay assayed.
Mr. Aden dug down nine feet. He found black, brown and white clay. He leased 40 acres to G.E. Doane, J.R. Boyden and Grover Dalton. They mined the clay and transported it to Poplar Bluff by mule wagons. It was shipped around the country to make dishes, spark plugs, tile and porcelain. The mine operated for 7 years. The miners earned $1.25 a day.
Mr. Aden then leased the mine to R.T Vanderbilt and Ira Sproat of New York. Ultimately, he sold the mine to a Pennsylvania mining company.
The Poplar Bluff Museum displays some of the fine china that was produced by the Aden clay mine in the Butler County Historical Society Room. The museum is handicap accessible and open free of charge 1-4 p.m. Sunday at 1010 Main St. Tell them Mike sent you.
Mike Shane is a veteran, Poplar Bluff resident and board member for the Poplar Bluff Museum.