Frankoma Pottery
Encyclopedia
Frankoma Pottery is an American
pottery company located in Sapulpa, Oklahoma
. The company is widely known for its sculptures and dinnerware although the company made many other products including figurines, trivets, and vases. All Frankoma pottery is made in the United States from locally dug clay.
UPDATE: June 1, 2011
A bit of Oklahoma history is now gone. Frankoma Pottery, a Route 66 business icon in Sapulpa, OK, was closed for over a year and then went on the auction block on May 18, 2011. Over a thousand pieces of pottery plus showroom fixtures and equipment were sold. The 1,800 original moulds and the Frankoma name were not included in the sale. The real estate also was not part of the auction.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pottery company located in Sapulpa, Oklahoma
Sapulpa, Oklahoma
Sapulpa is a city in Creek and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 20,544 at the 2010 United States census, compared to 19,166 at the 2000 census...
. The company is widely known for its sculptures and dinnerware although the company made many other products including figurines, trivets, and vases. All Frankoma pottery is made in the United States from locally dug clay.
History
Frankoma was founded by John Frank in 1933. The name Frankoma was created from Frank's last name and the last three letters of the state of Oklahoma. John Frank operated the pottery with his wife Grace Lee Frank until his death in 1973. His daughter Joniece ran the pottery until 1991 when she was forced to sell the struggling company. In 1991 Richard Bernstein of Maryland purchased Frankoma and in 2005 sold the business to Det Merryman. The company was closed for six weeks and was sold again during the summer of 2008, reopening on August 18, to new owner Joe Ragosta. Ragosta plans to bring back all the employees and continue the Frankoma line of pottery. 2008 also marks the company's 75 year anniversary.UPDATE: June 1, 2011
A bit of Oklahoma history is now gone. Frankoma Pottery, a Route 66 business icon in Sapulpa, OK, was closed for over a year and then went on the auction block on May 18, 2011. Over a thousand pieces of pottery plus showroom fixtures and equipment were sold. The 1,800 original moulds and the Frankoma name were not included in the sale. The real estate also was not part of the auction.