In 1869, John M. Wilson sold his interest in the Guadalupe Pottery to his partner, Marion J. Durham. This sale may have prompted the establishment of a new pottery by men formerly enslaved by John M. Wilson. Hyrum Wilson (1836–1884), James Wilson (1847–1917), Wallace Wilson (born c. 1845), Andrew Wilson (dates unknown), and George Wilson (dates unknown) founded the firm that would be known as H. Wilson & Company. Hyrum, James, and Wallace became the principals of the new enterprise, one of the first African American owned businesses in Texas, which operated until 1884. Breaking from the southern tradition of using alkaline glazes, H. Wilson & Company appears to have used only salt glazing for its wares, a technique thought to have been introduced by Ohio native Isaac Suttles.

A churn was used to process cream into butter by agitating it, causing the butterfat to coalesce into lumps. This example features the horseshoe-shaped handles that appear to be a unique feature of H. Wilson & Company’s products. Most handles on similar objects were more in the shape of a crescent and less deeply curved.