Editing Crystal Lake, Illinois (section)

===Teco pottery===
The American [[Terra Cotta]] Tile and Ceramic Company was founded in 1881<ref>{{cite web|url=http://special.lib.umn.edu/findaid/html/mss/nwaa0002.html |title=Northwest Architectural Archives, University of Minnesota |publisher=Special.lib.umn.edu |access-date=2010-07-28}}</ref> just north of Crystal Lake, Illinois. Most of the workers at the tile and ceramic works factory lived in Crystal Lake,<ref name="Darling">{{cite book|last1= Darling|first1= Sharon S.|last2= Zakin|first2= Richard| title=Teco: Art Pottery of the Prairie School| publisher=Erie Art Museum | location=Erie, Pa| year=1989|isbn= 978-0-9616623-2-5|oclc=20056198}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | first1=George A.| last1=Berry  | last2=Darling |first2=Sharon S.| title=Common Clay: A History of American Terra Cotta Corporation, 1881–1966| publisher=TCR Corp | location=Crystal Lake, Illinois | year=2003 |isbn= 978-0-9747738-0-3|oclc=55023086}}</ref> The production consisted of drain tile, brick and architectural items. In 1886 the Gates Pottery was established as a subsidiary with William D. Gates, a Crystal Lake area native<ref name="Darling" /> as its president. The company fabricated architectural glazed terra cotta that was used on buildings designed by architects Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright in the style of the [[Prairie School]]. American Terra Cotta's company records<ref>{{cite web|url=http://special.lib.umn.edu/findaid/xml/naa005.xml | title=Northwest Architectural Archives N5, University of Minnesota Libraries, Minneapolis, Minnesota American Terra Cotta and Ceramic Company Records |access-date=2016-08-23}}</ref><ref name="kenney">{{cite book | first=Diana L.| last=Kenney| title=Crystal Lake Postcard History Series  | publisher=Arcadia Pub | location=Charleston, South Carolina| year=2009 |isbn= 978-0-7385-6007-6|oclc=466906597}}</ref> show that architectural glazed terra cotta was used on many local buildings including Oak Manufacturing Company, Teckler Building, Cohn Store, Telephone Exchange and Commercial Building, El Tovar Theatre, Crystal Lake Community High School (now Crystal Lake Central High School) and additions, Central School and additions, Pure Oil Research Lab and additions, Sinclair Refining Company Service Station, Warner Building, Citizens State Bank, Garbe Garage, Home State Bank, various Williams Street stores and bakeries, and Martinetti's Restaurant and Motel.

Gates used the facilities to experiment with clays and glazes in an effort to design a line of art pottery which led to the introduction of [[Teco pottery]] (from TErra COtta, but pronounced locally as "Tea-co") in 1902. Many of the pottery pieces were designed by architects such as [[Frank Lloyd Wright]].<ref>Darling, Sharon S., ''Teco Art Pottery of the Prairie School''</ref> Produced for only a few years, this pottery exemplifies the [[Arts and Crafts Movement]] and today is highly sought after by art collectors. Teco pottery is in the collection of many museums.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://chicagohistory.org/research/aboutcollection/decorativeindustrial#highlights |title=Chicago History Museum &#124; Decorative and Industrial Arts |publisher=Chicagohistory.org |access-date=2010-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100823150521/http://www.chicagohistory.org/research/aboutcollection/decorativeindustrial#highlights |archive-date=2010-08-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref>