Editing Greensboro, Pennsylvania (section)

==Historic industries==

===Pottery===

Early in the town's history, pottery became an important part of Greensboro's economic base, with the first operation owned and operated by Alexander Vance. Vance settled in Greensboro in the early 19th century, while still very young, and began a small pottery trade operation with his brother James. The stoneware was manufactured from local red clay and had a very distinctive coloring. The Vances eventually began to expand their operations, bringing in David Boughner, who took over the business in 1819 when the Vances left for [[Ohio]]. Boughner was the first operator to fire the stoneware in a salt kiln.

Although Boughner's operation may have been among the earliest and most advanced stoneware operation in the area, it was by no means the only one. James and William "Leet" Hamilton arrived from [[New Brighton, Pennsylvania]], in 1850 and started a pottery manufacturing company of their own. The remains of their endeavors, which operated under the name James Hamilton and Company, can still be found along Water Street.

The original James Hamilton and Company did not last long, however, and in 1866 was sold to Leet's son Frank and a son-in-law named John Jones. Together Frank Hamilton and Jones expanded the business and began selling their wares on a grander scale. Hamilton and Jones was located on Diamond Street and for many years was the only rival to the cross-town operation of James Hamilton.

The company was also known as Star Pottery for a period of time, as well as the Union Works. The business continued to produce pottery for over thirty years and its reputation was widespread, although it never actually surpassed its rival in production. Eventually competition began to wear away at the profitability of the company, with a devastating fire in 1897 destroying the plant and forcing operations closed. Although the company attempted to move into the Williams and Reppert plant across town, efforts to start anew were futile. James Hamilton remained in control of his firm until 1880. A share of the business had been sold in 1866, but he continued to hold the majority interest for the next fourteen years until he sold out completely to Thomas Reppert and W.T. Williams. In 1884, Reppert purchased the entire business from Williams, making himself the sole proprietor. Williams was able to buy back into the business once again in 1890. Together Reppert and Williams manufactured stoneware for dealers in at least four states.

However, by the beginning of [[World War I]], all significant production had ended and 1916 generally marks the end of stoneware manufacturing in Greensboro.

===Glass===
[[Albert Gallatin]] and several of his partners in Albert Gallatin & Co. founded the "glassworks district" with the help of German glassblowers Christian Kramer, Boltzer Kramer, John Gabler, Adolf Eberhart, Lewis Reitz and George Reppert.<ref name=carnegie>{{cite web| title=Albert Gallatin & Co.: 1795-1803| url=http://www.carnegielibrary.org/research/pittsburgh/patentees/albertgallatinco.html| website=Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh| publisher=Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh| access-date=7 August 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607043352/http://www.carnegielibrary.org/research/pittsburgh/patentees/albertgallatinco.html| archive-date=7 June 2014| url-status=dead}}</ref>

Gallatin first met the glassblowers in 1792 at Tomlinson's Tavern in the mountains of [[Maryland]]. The glassworkers had left the recently closed Amelung Works of [[Frederick, Maryland]], and were planning on migrating to Mays Landing, Kentucky, to set up a new glass factory. Gallatin reputedly persuaded them to establish a glassworks on his land in New Geneva.

The glassblowers went to see both New Geneva and the Mays Landing site. When notes were finally compared New Geneva was chosen. After much discussion, a co-partnership was entered into between Gallatin and James A. Nicholson on the one hand and the German glassblowers on the other. This partnership lasted until 1803, during which time the [[New Geneva Glass Works]] produced window glass for the early pioneers as well as bottles, bowls, and other items.

Following his appointment to the cabinet, Gallatin determined to withdraw from the glass firm and advertised on May 7, 1803, in [[Tree of Liberty (newspaper)|''The Tree of Liberty'']] (a Pittsburgh newspaper), "Sale by Auction...One undivided half of the New Geneva Glassworks, a ferry across the Monongahela River, sundry lots and dwelling houses in the town of Greensboro.. ."

The Germans continued operations at New Geneva until 1807, when they moved the works to present-day glassworks near Greensboro because of the discovery of an outcrop of coal at that place.

The use of coal instead of the wood used at New Geneva greatly facilitated glass production, and its great abundance at Greensboro along with the nearby sand deposits supplied the works with most of the necessary raw materials until they closed in 1849.

Managed by the Kramers and operated by the Kramers and the other German families, the old glassworks produced window glass, with individual glassworkers blowing bottles, bowls and ornaments as gifts for family and friends. All of them worked for wages, dividing the profits at year's end.

Glass was loaded on barges from the special wharves built behind the works and shipped up and down the Monongahela, supplying the early settlers with what was once a luxury west of the [[Allegheny Mountains|Alleghenies]], glass windows.