Beman Crock

Q: This stoneware vessel was left behind in an old farmhouse in western Pennsylvania that my family moved into 70 years ago. It's 15 inches tall and the top appears to have been shaped to hold a stopper of some sort. Incised into the side is the number "4" and the word "Beman." I'm interested in any information you can give me about the maker and its original use. Would this be of interest to a collector?

A: You have a stoneware crock made by John Beman of Newton Falls, Ohio. He worked from the mid 1820s until the 1860s. Stoneware crocks were used for storage and cooking before the days of refrigerators and modern ovens. Your crock originally had a stoneware lid, which probably was broken years ago. The number "4" on it indicates it is a 4-gallon crock. Stoneware is collectible, although collectors prefer crocks with blue decoration. Value of your crock: $300-$400.