Kimik Sold Marked Pottery Straight to Headsville

Kaolin outcrops in the Wilcox geologic formation supported an early pottery industry east of Kosse. Alberry Johnson opened a recorded pottery near Dooley Creek in 1859, using a subterranean groundhog kiln with a lined passage and outside firebox.

William Curtis Knox later moved the operation eight miles northeast and established Pottersville. His operation grew into one of Texas's larger pottery works and stayed active until 1912.

German immigrant Lee Kimik ran his own kiln in the 1870s and 1880s near today's SH 7 marker. It operated full-time for eight months of the year. Unlike area potters who marketed together, Kimik sold directly to the Headsville community about 1.5 miles south.

Kimik's kiln had unusually long, deep sidewalls that may reflect European influence. He also marked his pottery, a rare practice among Texas potters at the time. Archaeologists documented the site in 1984.

The marker stands at a south-side highway pullout 8.3 miles east of Kosse. It does not promise visible kiln ruins. What it preserves is the map: kaolin outcrops, a buried firing passage, a German potter, and a short sales route to Headsville.