Marilyn Thomas, Instructor
Marilyn Thomas, a potter and historian, started her adventure when she and her husband retired to Bonaparte--moving back just in time for the 1993 flood. It could have been the end of their dream, but it was just the beginning. If not for the flood, they would never have discovered the treasure trove in their basement. As she tells visitors, “The 1993 flood brought the Bonaparte Pottery to life.” Built between 1865 and 1866, this one-of-a kind pottery--the only pottery left standing in Iowa--was in operation for twenty-eight years. Buried by a lumberyard, until flood waters unearthed the history, this National Archeological site was an archeological dig for the University of Iowa in the mid 1990s. Foundations for two kilns, one thirty feet tall, were found, along with full pieces of pottery, and thirty-two full pieced molds, some of which date back to 1875. Marilyn lives and breathes the pottery and will make the Bonaparte Pottery Experience memorable.
Instructor - Marilyn Thomas