Fostoria: a short history

During the week of August 4 ,1887 ( 121 years ago) Lucian B. Martin of Hobbs, Brockunier and Company, William S Brady GM of the Riverside Glass Co. and J. B. Russell manager of Hobbs, Brockunier and Company along with mould makers Charles E. Beam of Riverside Glass and Harry Humphreyville came together in Wheeling WV to organize the Fostoria Glass Co. Building of the Factory with a 12 pot glass furnace was to begin not later than August 15, 1887 on land donated by the citizens of Fostoria Ohio and was to be completed no later than January 1,1888. Factory operations began on December 15, 1887. Early records and lists suggest that more than 300 different patterns (pressed, blown, etched ware and cuttings) were produced at this factory, The best known being "Victoria" #183 (1888- 1914) resembling Baccarat "Deposee" also "Cascade" #112 (1888 - 1910) which eventually evolved into "Queen Anne" #2412 (1926 - 1929), "Colony" #2412(1938 - 1982) and "Maypole (gift ware) 1981, 1982". In 1891 the Fostoria Glass factory was forced to leave Fostoria Ohio as the free natural gas supply was not adequate to maintain a constant temperature in the furnaces, and coal was a very expensive option. (Seneca Glass Co became the next occupant of the factory until 1896. Seneca Wire and Manufacturing is currently in operation on this property ). In December 1891 Fostoria Glass Company began production at their new Moundsville WV Factory. Furnaces at the Moundsville plant were fired with gas produced from "slack coal" (refuse from coal mines). Fostoria Glass company enjoyed many years of success at the Moundsville facility. In 1915 Fostoria introduced the "American Pattern", for which Fostoria is most well known, with 95 different pieces which grew to 340 different pieces before the closing of the factory in 1986. Fostoria Glass Co produced hundreds of different patterns and thousands of individual variations of shape, decoration, etches, cuttings, etc. In 1965 Fostoria Glass Co. purchased the Morgantown Glassware Guild, which it operated until 1971. In 1983 Lancaster Colony Corporation purchased the Fostoria Glass Co. Fostoria Glass factory was closed in 1986. Fostoria glassware remains today as a highly sought after collectible glassware and graces many elegant tables, and homes across the Country.
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Research materials used were;
Fostoria Factories by Henry Liebmann 1991 rights owned by the Fostoria Glass Society of America
Fostoria Table ware by Milbra Long and Emily Seate 1999
Fostoria First Fifty Years by Hazel Marie Weatherman 1972
Some photos were obtained from Fostoria Glass Collectors Inc at:http://www.fostoriacollectors.org

Click photos for enlargement


Fostoria Line 233 Ruth Spoon c 1891-1893


Fostoria Line 112 Cascade Condiment set c 1888-1892



Fostoria Line 200 Verona Butter and Cover c 1890-1893


Fostoria Line 88 Diamond Mirror Foot Bowl c 1888



Fostoria Line #183 Victoria Water Bottle c 1888-1914

More Photos of early Fostoria at Fostoriacollectors.org