From 1850 to 1930, Monmouth grew and many businesses thrived. One reason was rail service established there by the C.B. and Q. Railroad in 1855. Monmouth College, founded in 1853, developed a rich tradition and became recognized as one of the finest institutions of higher learning in Illinois. The first city water works was completed in March 1889, and its artesian well, 1230 feet deep, supplied the city for many years. Western Stoneware opened in the spring of 1894 and was termed the largest stoneware pottery in the world; it also bore the distinction of being the only pottery in the United States completely self-sufficient from mining its own clay to packaging finished stoneware. Since 1922, Monmouth has had a flying field and is known as the city with the oldest continuously operated airport in Illinois. Wells Pet Foods, founded in 1925, also prospered and still produces a large volume of pet foods.