North Dakota Pottery Collectors Society
An organization created to enhance collecting interest in the types
of pottery made in North Dakota
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Photos courtesy of Richard Berg
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NDPCS Member Spotlight
Bill & Linda Bakken
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Bill & Linda Bakken, who reside in Rochester, Minnesota, have been coming to the annual NDPCS convention since 1995.
Do you have connections to North Dakota ?
Linda and Bill both grew up in North Dakota. They met at Red Willow Lake Bible Camp in 1955 and the Red Willow Lake North Dakota pin tray is a favorite and the most expensive pin tray in their collection since someone else also wanted it badly. They moved out of North Dakota when they married in 1964.
What first interested you in pottery and collecting?
Linda visited antique stores with a friend who collected Shawnee pottery. That didn’t really interest her, but she noticed the Rosemeade. It appealed because it was a North Dakota product made from North Dakota clay. From the first few pieces of Rosemeade the collection grew to include UND, Messer, and other ND pottery.
What was the first piece of ND pottery your purchased or received?
Our first piece of Rosemeade was a pair of tail up pheasant salt and pepper shakers which we received as a wedding gift. At the time they were considered too tacky to display and stayed in a cupboard for the next 20 years.
What do you enjoy most about collecting North Dakota pottery?
Over the years we have enjoyed the search for new pieces and have often travelled a long way to attend an auction that had a piece we wanted. Also, we have met other collectors who have become friends.
What is a fun memory you have about a NDPCS convention?
One fun memory was from an early convention when Con Short was president. He was asked how he established a price of a pottery piece to people who asked. His reply was “If I don’t have it, it is cheap. If I own It, it is expensive.”
What is your favorite piece in your collection?
One of Bill’s favorites is our UND Bentonite vase. He is also fond of the Frog Point “Frog Point” vase. Linda likes the orange kitten string holder and some of the pieces with unusual glazes.
What do you wish people knew about you, your collection, and/or about NDPCS?
We have done a great deal of research on Rosemeade pottery and have given several presentations of our findings. Linda has written a book entitled “The ABCs of Rosemeade.”
Do you have any words of advice or wisdom for new collectors?
- If you have the funds to buy one special piece or several that are nice, buy the best one.
What type of pottery or specific piece are you curently seeking?
We plan to sell much of our collection in conjunction with the 2026 convention. We plan to move next summer and will be keeping what will fit in one cabinet. We need to downsize so we are not currently seeking new pieces. However, if we were, the State School of Science wildcat would be on our list.