The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art & Technology (Tour)

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The second floor of The Works contains history exhibits dedicated to the area's local history, focusing on innovation, industry, and manufacturing. Upon reaching the second floor, you are greeted by a cast of the skull of the Burning Tree Mastodon, discovered near Heath on December 13, 1989. The Burning Tree Mastodon, and other prehistoric artifacts, are your first stop when touring the museum's history exhibits.

2. Licking County Agriculture

Agriculture has always been Licking County's largest industry because of its rich, fertile soil. Appleton Downer, writing to his family in 1815, said the the area is "...beautiful country rich and level, but not much cleared." Over the next few decades, this situation rapidly changed as numerous gristmills across the country processed raw materials grown on the farm into marketable products. A visitor to Bowling Green Township in 1840 wrote, "The extensive meadows-pastures-cornfields- the numerous herds of cattle, swine and sheep - with such flourishing orchards - renders the view in this township very pleasing. The formation of the Licking County Agricultural Society in 1832 helped to further the area's agricultural interests. Among other pursuits, the society organized annual fairs. The arrival of the Ohio and Erie Canal, the National Road, and later the railroads allowed area farmers access to distant markets. A market house, established in Newark during the 1820's, promoted the sales of local agricultural products brought to market.

3. Early Manufacturing

During the early years of the 19th century, manufacturers in Licking County served the needs of local farmers, residents, and area travelers. Sawmills, flour mills, tanneries, and a few iron furnaces dotted the landscape. By 1820, Licking County manufacturers were beginning to produce a variety of items on varying scales.

4. Railroads in Licking County

The coming of the railroad to Licking County in the 1850's and its expansion throughout the nation during the 1800's placed central Ohio at the center of a national economy. With early roads being slow to travel, canals freezing in winter, and steamboats restricted to navigable rivers, the railroad was critical to American technology and commercial development. Ohio was crisscrossed by a network of rails connecting the Great Lakes to the southern states and the agricultural Midwest to the industrial East. Newark was strategically located near the center of this important development. As early as the 1830's, the railroad was considered important in Licking County. In September 1835, interested parties resolved to "devise methods" to build the Newark and Milan (Huron County) railroad. In December, railroad proponents again gathered to discuss the extension of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from Wheeling westward. Although these early attempts proved unsuccessful, by the 1850's new railroads were under construction throughout central Ohio. In July 1851, the Steubenville and Indiana Railroad Company notified contractors of its intent to complete a rail line from Newark through Coshocton to Steubenville on the Ohio River. This route was completed in April 1855. By the early 1850's, the Sandusky, Mansfield and Newark Railroad and the Central Ohio line were in operation. During the mid-1850's, the Steubenville and Indiana Railroad was completed as far as Newark. Like most early railroads, this line experienced financial difficulties. Following the Civil War, it became part of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad, better known as the Pan Handle Line. In 1880, the company built a new passenger depot and freight house in Newark. The Pennsylvania Railroad later assumed control of the road. Another railroad that passed through Licking County was the Toledo and Ohio Central. Constructed in the 1880's, this line bypassed Newark because the city refused to contribute to its construction. Its line crossed the northwest corner of Licking County.

5. Jerrie Mock: First Woman to Fly Around the World

Geraldine Fredritz Mock, better known as Jerrie, made history when she became the first woman to fly around the world in 1964. Born in Newark, Ohio, Jerrie was a 38-year-old mother of three living in Bexley at the time. Always wanting to take on a challenge and break the boundaries of what women could and couldn't do, Jerrie took on the challenge of flying around the globe by herself in a Cessna 180 named the Spirit of Columbus. She took off from Columbus, Ohio on March 19, 1964 and completed her historic flight in 29 days, 11 hours, and 59 minutes, arriving back in Columbus on April 17, 1964.

6. Pure Oil Company

At the end of the nineteenth and into the twentieth century, Licking County became the location for an even larger variety of manufacturers and industries. One of these was the Pure Oil Company.The Pure Oil Company was a major employer and operated the Heath Refinery, which gave its name to Heath, Ohio.

7. Jewett Car Company

The interurban was a type of rail car that traveled between cities. It revolutionized passenger travel and made commuting for work a viable option. The Jewett Car Company played a large role in this type of travel, producing interurban cars and street cars in Newark, Ohio for almost twenty years.

8. Wehrle Stove Factory

For over 90 years, stoves were a big business in Newark. Few factories bring back the same number of memories for locals as the Wehrle Stove Company. Although its ownership changed hands several times, leading to many name changes, the factory was well-known. From the company's beginnings in the 1880's to the final demolition of the factory building in 2010, the Wehrle Stove Company had a long and colorful history.

9. Glass Production in Newark

Glass has been a big industry in Newark and Licking County for almost a hundred and fifty years, largely due to the amount and quality of silica that naturally occurs in the area. From bottles to decorative glass to commercial products, the glass industry has been booming and transforming in Newark over the decades.

10. From Fruit Jars to Fiberglass

Today, Owens-Corning is still a large employer in Newark and its name has become synonymous with the production of Fiberglas. But did you know that the site of its factory extends much further into the past and was once the site of the world's largest bottle manufacturer? Although it has changed quite a bit, glass production is still important to the economy of Newark and has continued in that location for over a hundred years.

11. Newark's Variety of Manufacturers

It's difficult to count the number of manufacturers that have called Newark home. An incredibly diverse array of industries have located here, producing everything from golf clubs to fireproof clothing. A few of these producers are on display in the museum, although it's just a small sampling of the companies that have called Newark and Licking County home.

12. Golf Clubs

Among the many other things produced in Newark and Licking County, golf clubs were a big business. Originating from a factory originally manufacturing buggy whips, Newark's golf industry flourished for almost a century. For over 90 years, golf clubs were continuously produced in a small factory on Essex Street in Newark. While Licking County does still have a presence in the golf industry thanks to The GolfWorks, the region was once a major center of the golf club industry.

13. The Lineshaft System

The Scheidler Machine Works opened in 1882 as a manufacturer of portable & stationary steam engines and saw mills. The building our museum is housed in is the only surviving structure of the former Scheidler Machine Works. The building is 50 feet wide by 150 feet long and was constructed with traditional methods of brick load bearing walls, timber beams, and plank floors. Some clues to the building's industrial past are readily visible - the high ceilings, large doorways, and evenly spaced large windows. Originally, the second floor of the building housed woodworking and pattern making areas. This factory, along with other factories of the era, were powered by a lineshaft system which connected the machines to a central shaft powered by a steam engine. A system such as that can be seen in the museum.

This Tour is a Virtual Museum or Site Tour.

The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art & Technology

Created by Cory Stutes on May 4th 2020, 6:47:50 pm.

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Description

The Works was founded in 1996 by visionary local businessman Howard LeFevre. Housed within the historic Scheidler Machine Works building, built in 1881, The Works offers guests interactive experiences alongside traditional museum exhibits. The facility boasts an operating glass blowing studio, the SciDome planetarium, an art gallery, and much more. Today, the campus includes eleven buildings in downtown Newark, within easy walking distance of the square, restaurants, and other downtown attractions.

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The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art & Technology

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