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Sometimes, history finds you when you’re not even looking for it. That happened last summer in Cane Hill, a town I’ve visited multiple times, yet one that continuously reveals something new. A casual conversation with Lawrence McElroy, director of Arts & Culture at Historic Cane Hill, drew me in again.
What began as a reference to a summer dig quickly evolved into a comprehensive exploration of the life and legacy of a long-lost artisan. His name? JD Wilbur. His story is proof that curiosity can lead to the most incredible discoveries.
A Place That Keeps Pulling You Back
Cane Hill is steeped in layers of Arkansas history. From the apple orchards that once established this community as a fruit-producing powerhouse to its role as an early center for higher education in the state, it’s a town that has quietly wielded influence for centuries. It lies along a path shaped by the Trail of Tears and witnessed Civil War skirmishes. It’s a place that feels preserved and pulses with a presence that makes you wonder, “What else happened here?”
That sense of wonder has recently taken a new direction, pointing back to the late 1860s and a potter whose name had been mostly forgotten over time, until now.
JD Wilbur: The Potter of Boonsboro
Before last summer, JD Wilbur’s name was merely a whisper in the archives among those who paid attention to and devoured pottery history. A few scattered pottery pieces in a local exhibit sparked interest and curiosity. Once you piece together enough of the story, you begin looking around and imagining what it might have looked like in a bygone era.
But as Lawrence put it, “We went from one itinerant potter we didn’t know much about to discovering that almost half the potters in 19th-century Northwest Arkansas were in Cane Hill. Why?”
JD Wilbur was born into a renowned pottery family in Zanesville, Ohio, a region celebrated for its distinctive buff-colored clay and cobalt-glazed artistry. Zanesville is often referred to as the “pottery capital of the world” due to the number of pottery companies that have existed there over time, particularly concentrated in the mid-19th and 20th centuries.
The Wilbur family was a renowned pottery-making lineage in the 19th century. JD trained under his brother as part of a guild system that transmitted skills through generations. His family included over two dozen master potters, making their name synonymous with craftsmanship.
So why did JD leave a thriving family business in one of America’s premier pottery towns?
We don’t know for sure, but Wilbur landed in Arkansas by 1868. By then, he had already worked as a charcoal contractor for the Confederacy during the war, even earning a receipt for firing a kiln for gunpowder near Fort Smith. After a brief stint in Texas, where he likely worked with another potter named Roark, he came to Cane Hill and purchased land.
Piecing together this part of the story is challenging and requires many assumptions. Wilbur arrives and purchases the land for a joint business effort with Roark, sharing names on pottery pieces and land deeds. However, based on available research, Roark never lived in Cane Hill or spent significant time there. It is assumed he was a silent partner for Wilbur, and after some time, JD buys his way out of the contract and continues to practice solely under his name for the remainder of his career.
Rediscovering the Forgotten Workshop
In 2023, Historic Cane Hill hosted Arkansas’s largest archaeological summer field school. In 2024, the Arkansas Archeological Survey returned, fulfilling its mission to support archaeological projects across the state. The team did not expect much that day, just a bit of surveying and follow-up.
Then someone found a rock.
That simple moment kicked off one of the most exciting digs the Survey has led in recent years. What they uncovered wasn’t just a kiln but an entire pottery operation, hidden under layers of brush and dirt and revealing answers to determine location and production planning. There were the remains of massive storage vessels, distinct handles inconsistent with JD’s typical work (suggesting possible assistants or other potters), and the centerpiece—JD’s underground kiln with fired pieces, left mid-use.
It was as if he had just stepped away for the day.
And the sweetest find? A fully intact small vessel, likely used for salt coating. Buried for over 150 years, untouched even by looters. A small, everyday object that, in the hands of a curious person, tells a much larger story.
Curiosity Found the Spot
That phrase, “We were just curious,” became a mantra during our conversation. It was never just about finding artifacts; it was about asking, “I wonder what’s (t)here?” and imagining a suitable business setup while demonstrating patience and passion to dig deeper, literally and figuratively.
That mindset transformed a private piece of land and several fragments of forgotten pottery into a rediscovery of Cane Hill’s industrial past.
If you love learning about the places where you live or travel, curiosity is your most powerful tool. Ask questions such as:
- How was this place set up? What was life like here day-to-day?
- What were the trade routes and economies of the time?
- What did people wear, eat, and grow?
- What does the land look like, and what clues does its geography offer?
By understanding the social norms, geography, and economies of the time, you can interpret your findings more effectively. Occasionally, you’ll uncover something that no one else has ever noticed.
Where to Start if You’re Curious
Do you have an old piece of land or a family artifact you are curious about? You don’t need to be an archaeologist to start exploring your history (though you should call one before you actually dig). Here’s where to begin:
- Arkansas Archeological Survey – The experts in the field. They can help guide excavation and historical interpretation.
- Ancestry.com or FindAGrave.com – Great for tracking people and property through generations. Through these websites, you can piece together the migration and movement of a family, their careers, and with whom they are building a homestead.
- Local land records and county maps often illustrate how properties changed hands and what previously existed there.
- Old newspapers and community archives – Search for names, keywords, or significant local events.
- Local museums and historical societies often maintain archives and have passionate volunteers who have already done incredible legwork.
What’s Next for Cane Hill?
As for Cane Hill, the story is still unfolding. With every shovel of dirt, Lawrence and his team learn more about JD Wilbur’s life, his pottery business, and the people who might have worked with him – possibly members of the post-Civil War Black community, as evidenced by nearby home sites and trading patterns. Where did he sell his pottery? What tools did he use? Who shaped those rudimentary handles found near the wheel? And how does the Cane Hill 20th-century pottery story fit into history?
The questions keep coming.
And that’s the beauty of it. Curiosity leads to discovery. Discovery leads to understanding. Understanding brings us all closer to the past and to each other.
So, the next time you walk through a historic Arkansas town or stand in a field that feels like it has something to say, stop and ask yourself…
“I wonder what’s here?”
How can you experience Historic Cane Hill?
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