Northwood Glass Company

Q My mother has as old piece of glass white opaque glass shaped like a ruffled bowl It has a cover. It is a butter dish passed down from her grandmother to her. She was told that it came from a Spanish princess who is our ancestor. I find this hard to believe. I was wondering if you had any information on who made it, where and when it was made.

A The picture you sent shows a mark on the bottom of the white bowl. It is a letter N with a line under it. That is the mark for the Northwood Glass Company, founded by Harry Northwood in Martins Ferry, Ohio, in 1887. The company moved to Pennsylvania in 1892, then in 1902, bought the old Hobbs, Brockunier glass factory in Wheeling, West Virginia. Northwood made many types of glass – clear, colored, custard, pressed, stretched, blown, opalescent and goofus. It closed in 1925. Harry Northwood and his brothers worked in many companies making tableware and novelties after that. Family histories are often embellished. We doubt that a princess would want an inexpensive piece of glass that came from America. And after four generations, it is amazing that the dish is still in the family. But it is about 115 years old, so it could have belonged to your great-grandmother.