Manufacturers: Greenwood Pottery and Shenango China
Distributor: A. Weiskopf, Boston
User: Henking Hotel and Cafe
Date of Greenwood plate: circa 1899-1910
Date of Shenango platter: Circa 1910s

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Notes: From the Wikipedia: The Henking Hotel and Cafe was built in 1899 and was located at 15-21 Lyman St., in Springfield, Mass., (opposite the Union Depot). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

According to a 1916 menu, the proprietor and manager was Gus C. Henking. An ad in the 1917 Hotel Red Book said it was the "Best Place in New England to Eat," with "Special Dinner Every Evening" and "High Class Cabaret and Music."

The last listing for the hotel that could be found was in the 1918 Hotel Red Book. It was not listed in the 1920 HRB.

The Greenwood design, in a gray green, depicts a typical turn-of-the-century border of intertwined flowers and leaves. In the center is a double circle surrounded by smaller leaves and flowers. Within the outlying circle are the words THE HENKING and Springfield Mass., separated by stars. Inside the circle is a rooster or cock – the king of the hens or "henking" – standing on a curved sheaf of wheat.

The Shenango design (detail and backstamp shown above) was found on a huge, rectangular, green-lined platter with a differently designed topmark that includes a rooster standing upon a sheaf of wheat. We are not familiar with a date range for this piece but assume it came after the Greenwood order, hence in the 1910s.

Contributors:
Susan Phillips: ID and Greenwood photos
Susan Fitzgerald: Shenango photos