Not much is known about this pottery. It’s exact location is unknown and no pottery or sherds has have been found that can be attributed to it. What little we do know comes from an advertisement that ran in 1856 in the Lafayette County Herald that ran beginning in March, 1856 at least through December. It offers earthenware Jugs, Crocks, Jars, Churns, Pitchers, etc. The ad says that his wares are available at wholesale and retail prices lower than have been offered in this part of the county. The Pottery was in the Western part of the village.
When Peter Dielman started his pottery business the nearest competitor that we know of was in Twin Grove which is 35 miles to the east of Shullsburg. The Belmont pottery started in December of 1856 twenty miles to the north and the pottery at Mineral Point started in 1858 twenty-six miles away.
We don’t know how long Dielman’s pottery operated. He is not listed in the 1860 Census. He does appear in the 1870 Census for Walworth County, Whitewater (page 109) with a spelling of “Dillman”, working as a potter, presumably at the Depot Pottery. It lists him as being a Prussian native who last lived in Ohio in 1855 where a son named Sam was born to him. Before that he had been living in Pennsylvania where his oldest son John was born.
Earthenware of the southwestern part of the State tend to vary in color but presumably would be similar to the wares of other earthenware potters of the region. Until sherds are discovered it will be difficult to attribute pieces to the pottery.