June 5, 1919

Camark Pottery founder Jack Carnes was commissioned in the United States Naval Reserve (USNR) as a naval aviator. He was commissioned shortly after World War I, but he did not serve overseas. After the war, he moved to Houston, Texas, for several years to pursue a career in the oil business and real estate; when oil was discovered in Smackover (Union County), he moved to Camden (Ouachita County). He founded his pottery business after recognizing that the clay deposits near Camden were good for making pottery. Camark pottery from the company Carnes founded has become highly valuable to collectors and is featured in museums such as the Old Statehouse Museum and the Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock (Pulaski County).