In the late 1800's, the discovery of high quality clay and coal deposits near Alberhill, California led industrialists to this area in pursuit of raw materials for numerous fired ceramic products. This clay is geologically unique in that both sedimentary (Lake, stream, or ocean deposits) and metamorphic (altered in place) clays are present. This allows for the necessary blending to make many different ceramic products. There is no other deposit of clay like this in the world... these clays are over 200 million years old! The Alberhill area has supplied clay for fine pottery, clay sewer pipe, face brick, brick pavers, roofing tile, clay pots, firebrick, lignite coal, and modeling clay. One famous pottery company that operated on Catalina Island until 1940's used clay from our Alberhill mines to produce pottery that is extremely collectible today.