Director

A variety of tools that are powered by the lineshaft can be seen within the area.Drill Press: The drill press is a machine tool used to drill holes in various materials. Our drill press is belt-driven and includes its own set of idler and drive pulleys (also referred to as tight and loose pulleys) which allowed variable speed operation and the ability to disconnect the press when not in operation.Band Saw: A band saw is a machine tool which uses a blade consisting of a continuous band of metal with teeth along one edge to cut various pieces. Our band saw was manufactured by the American Woodworking Machinery Company of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and is believed to have been used in a Newark factory.Tool Grinder: The grinder was used to sharpen a variety of hand tools. Our grinder, circa 1900, was manufactured by the J.C. Blount Company of Everett, Massachusetts.Wood Planer: The planer smoothed the surface of raw lumber to allow wood to be precisely sized for construction. The planer in our museum, circa 1895, was manufactured by the J.A. Fay and Egan Company of Cincinnati, Ohio.Freight Elevator: The freight elevator was used to haul heavy materials between floors of a factory. Our freight elevator, which is from around 1900, was manufactured by the Ohio Elevator and Machine Company in Columbus, Ohio. While it is not original to our building, it was used within a Newark factory.

Factories were driven by a lineshaft system before the advent of modern electric machinery.

The lineshaft is attached to the ceiling and each machine is operated by a belt attached to wheels on the shaft.

The wood planer could smooth and even out boards.

The tool grinder was necessary to keep small hand tools in working condition. This grinder is currently connected to the lineshaft and operates when you turn the crank to move the shaft.

The large band saw could make precise cuts.

This freight elevator was operated by a large pulley system, seen above the opening.

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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.

The Lineshaft System

The Works is housed in the former Scheidler Machine Works, a factory that produced a variety of items but was best known for its steam engines and sawmills. The factory was founded by Reinhard Scheidler, a German immigrant who came to the United States in 1851. After establishing his own company in the 1860's, Scheidler built his business to become one of Newark's preeminent enterprises. In 1881, he built the building currently seen at 55 S. First Street, which held its grand opening in early 1882. Several other buildings originally occupied the grounds as well, including a Blacksmith shop and a boiler repair shop. None of these other buildings are still standing. Decades later, Howard LeFevre noticed the building in the early 1990's and saw its potential. After purchasing the building, he began planning for a museum that focused on local manufacturing and industry. In 1996, the Institute of Industrial Technology opened its doors to the public. A few years and a couple of expansions later, IIT changed its name to The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art &amp; Technology to reflect its variety of offerings.

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.

The Burning Tree Mastodon The Burning Tree Mastodon emerged from the muck of a Licking County bog in December of 1989. For two hectic days, scientists from the Ohio Historical Society (today known as the Ohio History Connection) and the Licking County Archaeology and Landmarks Society worked with employees of the Burning Tree Golf Course and many volunteers to excavate this remarkable skeleton from its Ice Age tomb. The Burning Tree Mastodon is a large male. His bones reveal several healed injuries that probably came from fights with other males during the mating season. Radiocarbon dates on the bones indicate he died about 13,300 years ago - or about 11,300 B.C.E. Scientists conclude the Burning Tree Mastodon was killed and butchered by Paleo-Indian hunters somewhere near the bog where he was found. During the Ice Age, the bog was a shallow lake. The hunters dragged the parts of the carcass to the lake and put them in three separate piles. The cool waters of the lake would have kept the meat fresh for a long time. It served as an Ice Age refrigerator! Evidence that the mastodon was killed by humans is provided by several clues. The bones were found in neat piles, separate from each other. Several of the bones had cut marks made by stone tools. A few of the bones had grit stuck to them that does not occur naturally in the bog, which must have come from another place. A few bones had drag marks on them, which suggests that thy had been dragged across a gritty surface before being placed in the lake. Licking County's First Industry Licking County's first industry began when its prehistoric inhabitants quarried the area's flint deposits. Flint is a type of quartz that occurs in many colors produced by various impurities such as iron (red or brown). Native Americans crafted this flint into drills, knives, spear and arrow points, saws, and scrapers. These tools were used for hunting, food preparation, and making clothing.The area we now know as central Ohio was home to many prehistoric and historic Native American peoples. The prehistoric Hopewell culture thrived in Ohio from 100 B.C.E. to 400 C.E. The Hopewell lived in small villages along major river valleys and their tributaries. These people left a remarkable legacy. Historic Native Americans of present-day central Ohio included the Delaware, Shawnee, and Wyandot. These groups were known to hunt throughout the region. Native American Sites in Licking County Newark has been called the Moundbuilders City, a city literally built on a prehistoric American Indian site. The Hopewell people built a series of remarkable works of earthen architecture spread over a 4 mile area of the county. These geometric enclosures were sites for social, religious, and burial purposes. Although archaeologists are unsure of the full range of uses, they remain an impressive legacy of the region's first inhabitants. The significant sites are the Newark Earthworks, Octagon Earthworks, and the Wright Earthworks.

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.

Prehistoric Licking County

During the second half of the 1800's, Licking County was consistently among the top ten Ohio counties in agricultural production. As farmers sought profits, they benefited from increased market access via the railroad and also from local firms that provided tools and supplies to fulfill their needs. For example, in 1853, N.C. Pepper opened the Newark Agricultural Warehouse and Seed Store, which supplied plows, planters, cutters, various mills, and hand tools to local farmers. By 1870, Licking County farmers owned 2,692 farms with 278,611 improved acres and accounted for $3,500,000 worth of products per year. The county led the state in the amount of wool produced (over one million pounds), and ranked high in yields of corn, wheat, and oats. By 1887, over 174,600 sheep were in the county, ranking Licking County first in Ohio, and almost 150,000 acres of pasture lands existed. A steady rate of growth continued until near the end of the 1800's. On display in the museum are several tools from our agricultural past. Items like the Oliver plow, show the types of small tools used on a Licking County farm. The corn sheller was sold by McCune &amp; Owens, a Newark merchandiser. Not only were many families farming and growing food, but it was necessary to process many foods for home use. A few examples of tools to do this are also on display. The lard press and sausage stuffer are examples of these types of tools, both from Licking County farms. Interestingly, the lard press is attached to the seat of a chair, making it more secure and easier to use.

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.

Licking County Agriculture

Mary Ann Furnace In operation as early as 1817, the Mary Ann Furnace was Licking County's first iron manufacturer. The furnace was located in the northeast corner of Mary Ann Township near a rich deposit of high quality iron ore and some deposits of bog iron. Established by former Newark postmaster David Moore, this enterprise opened in the wake of protective tariff legislation passed in 1816 and strengthened two years later. Moore, who owned thousands of acres of land in the area, also operated a grist and saw mill near the iron furnace. All of the raw materials to operate the furnace, including timber for charcoal, sandstone to line the furnace, and iron ore came from the immediate area. The route of the canal through nearby Hanover made the job of getting his iron products to the market much easier. The Mary Ann Furnace produced a variety of iron products, including nails, hinges, chains, pots and pans, kettles, and bar and rod iron. The firm's main products, however, were iron stoves. The company sold its products locally and statewide. An advertisement in the June 15, 1839 issue of the Newark Advocate informed local residents that B.W. Brice's Newark store had just received box stoves, Franklin stoves, and several new styles of stoves from Mary Ann Furnace. Despite numerous changes, including the death of David Moore and his son, and the conversion of the blast furnace to steam, Mary Ann Furnace remained operational throughout the 1840's. Finally, a disastrous fire in 1853 forced the company to cease operations. Weaving The weaving of coverlets was a common industry throughout Ohio between the mid 1820's and the end of the Civil War. Robert Moore, Newark's earliest weaver, opened a shop in March 1826 and made diapers and coverlets. John Howard purchased Moore's hope in 1832. In addition to weaving coverlets and carpets, Howard also dyed fabrics. The shop changed hands a third time, from Howard to G. Stich in 1836. Stich wove single and double coverlets and carpets. He remained in Newark until at least 1848. Other weavers such as John Tobin in 1852 and Alex Morrow in 1858 also wove carpets and coverlets in Newark. Changes in fashion and the widespread availability of factory produced textiles ended the careers of most individual weavers by the 1860's. Gunsmiths Beginning in 1850, there were 30 known gunsmiths in Licking County. Joseph Rider, who held over 100 patents, perfected the action of the revolver for the Remington Arms Company. He lived in Newark during the 1880's and 1890's. John Hetrick, born in Perry County, came to Newark in 1850 at the age of 21. He apprenticed with Joshua Zartman. Following his apprenticeship, Hetrick opened his own business on Main Street in Newark and built a home on South Fourth Street. In April 1867, he moved his gun shop to Third Street between the canal and the railroad depot. Sometime between 1867 and 1893, he moved his shop to North Fourth Street.

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. 

Early Manufacturing

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&amp;O) became one of the largest in the nation. Its route west from Baltimore and Washington was difficult to build because of numerous geographical features that had to be crossed in order to reach Ohio. Once the rail line reached Ohio however, it developed rapidly. In 1866, the B&amp;O leased the Central Ohio Railroad for 20 years. By 1875, the B&amp;O had taken control of the Sandusky, Mansfield and Newark Railroad, as well as the Newark, Somerset and Straitsville Railroad. These acquisitions gave the B&amp;O three divisions operating in different sections of Ohio and connected Baltimore to Chicago for the first time. These divisions continued to operate well into the 1900's. During the first have of the century, an average of 90 freight and 25 passenger trains passed through Newark daily. On June 30, 1961, the last Baltimore and Ohio passenger train left Newark. Nearly 24 years later, the last train to originate from Newark left the B&amp;O yard on March 3, 1985. This event signaled the end of the glory days of railroading in Newark. B&amp;O Roundhouse and Rail Yard In 1873, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company built "...the most extensive car shops to be found in the west" in Newark. the facility included ten separate buildings and employed as many as 800 men as machinists, mechanics, molders, pattern makers, Blacksmiths, and car builders. The Newark Rail yard was the headquarters for four divisions of the B&amp;O - the Lake Erie, Columbus, Shawnee, and Central Ohio divisions. A unique feature of many rail yards were the roundhouses and turntables. A roundhouse is a large circular or semicircular building with multiple stalls for the storage and repair of locomotives or other rail cars. A turntable allows a single track access to all the stalls. A twenty-five stall roundhouse was built at the Newark Rail Yard in 1905. The roundhouse included drop pits in several stalls to allow mechanics to work on locomotives from beneath them. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad purchased most of the B&amp;O in 1963, including the rail yards in Newark. Within a few years of the purchase, the roundhouse and most of the other buildings in the yard were dismantled.

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.

Railroads in Licking County

Jerrie Mock was born in Newark, Ohio in 1925. Even as a child, she was noted as wanting to do things that girls were told they weren't allowed to do. At age 7, Jerrie took her first ride in an airplane, taking off in a Ford TriMotor with her parents. Although the flight only lasted about fifteen minutes, it made a lifelong impact on her. In 1939, while at Newark High School, Jerrie took a preflight course. She was one of just two females in the course. After the first session, the other girl dropped out, leaving Jerrie as the only female in the course. After high school, Jerrie attended the Ohio State University to study aeronautical engineering. She was the only woman in the program. During her time at OSU, Jerrie met her husband, got married, and had a child, ending her college career. In 1956, Jerrie rekindled her love of flight when she took her very first flying lesson with flight instructor Dick Carpenter in a Piper Tri-Pacer. After just 9 hours and 15 minutes of instruction, Jerrie took off on her very first solo flight. Two years later, in 1958, she earned her private pilot's license. She learned to navigate using landmarks, since pilots were not legally required to use radios at the time. Jerrie Mock was a woman of many firsts. In 1961, she became the first woman licensed by the State of Ohio to manage an airport - Price Field in Columbus. She also helped fill in as manager at Logan County Airport in Lincoln, Illinois. That year, she expressed at the dinner table that she felt bored with her life as a housewife. Her husband, Russell, famously told her "Why don't you get in your plane and just fly around the world?" Although his remark wasn't intended as a literal instruction, Jerrie took his words to heart. In 1962, Jerrie contacted the National Aeronautic Association to begin planning her flight and obtain the maps she needed. Through that process, she learned that no woman had ever completed the flight before. After spending a year planning her flight, Mock became sponsored by the Columbus Dispatch, planned out her route, got permission from the countries on her course, and obtained observers and timers appointed by the NAA. Jerrie would be making her flight in a 1953 Cessna 180 Skywagon called the Spirit of Columbus. The small plane needed some alterations to be able to make the flight, including a new Continental 225 horsepower engine, a long-range HF radio, autopilot, and three extra fuel tanks which took the place of the passenger seats in the plane. With much anticipation, the day for Jerrie's flight finally arrived on March 19, 1964. She took off from Port Columbus, now called John Glenn International Airport, in Columbus at 9:31 a.m. During her flight, Jerrie made 20 stops in countries around the world. She encountered radio problems and experienced engine troubles along the way. Despite the setbacks, Jerrie landed back at Columbus on April 17, 1964. Among the many awards she earned were the Federal Aviation Agency Gold Medal for Exceptional Service, the Ohio Governor's Award, the Louis Bleriot Silver Medal, Amelia Earhart Memorial Award, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Distinguished Service Award, and many more. Jerrie was given the FAA's Gold Medal for Exceptional Service by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

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.

Jerrie Mock: First Woman to Fly Around the World

The Pure Oil Company operated an oil refinery in Heath for 50 years and employed hundreds of local residents. The origin of this company dates to 1895 in New Jersey. Intended to compete with Standard Oil, the Pure Oil Company organized independents into a group. Beman Dawes and Fletcher Heath formed the Ohio Cities Gas Company in 1914. They took over a group of independent firms which supplied natural gas to Columbus, Dayton, and Springfield. In 1917, this company purchased the Pure Oil Company of New Jersey and four or five other independents. The new organization established its first refinery at Cabin Creek, West Virginia. On March 1, 1920, the Pure Oil Company opened the Heath Refinery, which had a capacity of 7,500 barrels per day. E.H. Everett sold the land, located adjacent to the Baltimore and Ohio, the New York Central, and the Pennsylvania railroads for the firm's refinery. The refinery piped in crude oil from Ohio, Illinois, and other places. This oil was processed into gasoline, kerosene, furnace and fuel oils, diesel fuel, and other products. By 1924, the Pure Oil Company owned valuable oil property in Oklahoma, and Beman Dawes retired as president and CEO of the firm in favor of his brother Henry. By the early 1950's, the Heath Refinery employed 250 workers. The facility was only one of five refineries operated by the company. Daily capacity increased to 15,500 barrels per day on average at the Heath Refinery alone. At this time, the Pure Oil Company operated 5,500 oil and gas wells pumping 25 million barrels per year in 16 states, plus 40 off-shore drilling operations. In addition to producing a variety of oil products, the Pure Oil Company operated retail service stations across the country. The company's first service station opened in Dayton in 1918. By 1957, Pure Oil operated 16,000 service stations in the United States. Many of these, designed in the English cottage style, featured flower boxes, a large bay window, and shutters. This design suggested the security and intimacy of the family. In 1962, the company opened its first tourist complex in Ashtabula, Ohio, combining a service station, a restaurant, and a motel. Three years later, the Pure Oil Company merged with the Union Oil Company. After 50 years of operation, the Heath Refinery closed on June 30, 1970. Today, only two Pure Oil retail service station buildings remain in Newark.

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.

Pure Oil Company 

William S. Wright founded the Jewett Car Company in 1897. Located in Jewett, Ohio, the company manufactured street cars and interurban cars. Wright, the company's president and general manager, held numerous patents and was the former manager of the Wheeling and Elm Grove Railroad Company. The Newark Board of Trade lured the firm to the city by offering them a free 10 acre site, $8,000, the remodeled shop of the Wyeth-Davis Company, a new building, and offered to cover the cost of transferring operations. The location that was offered to them was on Williams Street near the railroad in the western part of Newark. The city platted an adjacent 37 acre area with streets and 160 building lots. These lots were sold to employees and given to contributors by the Board of Trade. In April 1900, the Jewett Car Company held an appreciation day for those who supported the effort to bring the company to Newark. With production facilities in place, Jewett employed 350 workers and produced an average of one car per day. Completed cars were shipped by railroad on flatcars. Jewett initially produced large numbers of handsomely proportioned classic style wooden cars and only later changed to all-steel construction. In 1905, the company built 280 cars for the South Side elevated Street Railway of Chicago. In 1912, the Southern Union and Pacific ordered 70 cars for the interurban in the Los Angeles area. Despite a workforce of 600 and a national reputation, the Jewett Car Company declared bankruptcy in 1918. The company never recovered.

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.

Jewett Car Company

The Wehrle Company had its beginnings in 1883 when James Moser established an iron foundry on Buena Vista Street in East Newark at the abandoned Blandy Machine Works. This firm manufactured iron farm implements, iron building fronts, fencing, and cast iron stoves. By 1885, Joseph Wehrle became a partner and production shifted almost entirely to stoves. By 1889, the name of the company was Moser, Wehrle and Company. In January 1890, Wehrle purchased Moser's interest in the firm. Within three months, however, Joseph Wehrle died and his two sons, William and August, took over control of the Wehrle Company. By 1900, the plant moved to west Newark on Union Street. The company incorporated in 1904, the year the Wehrle Company purchased the Atlas Safe Company of Fostoria and transferred operations to Newark. It manufactured 35 fireproof safes per day in 18 sizes. By World War I, the company expanded tremendously by adding numerous large buildings and machines and two miles of private railroad. With over 2,200 employees and a huge contract with Sears, Roebuck and Company of Chicago, the firm prospered. By 1905, the ocmpany produced 600 stoves per day and became the nation's largest stove manufacturer. In 1935, the stove manufacturing operation was sold to the Florence Stove Company, but the new organization experienced financial difficulties during the Great Depression. By 1939, the Newark Stove Company took over operation of the plant and introduced their first electric range to the market. During World War II, the firm produced shell casings for the war effort in addition to stoves. By 1945, Sears, Roebuck and Company purchased the controlling interest in the firm and produced Kenmore Stoves in Newark. Power lawnmowers, introduced in 1952 by Sears, were also made in the city. In 1958, it enjoyed a reputation as the largest producer of power mowers in the world. By 1966, the plant was sold to the Roper Company, which produced lawn mowers and stoves in Newark until 1975.

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.

Wehrle Stove Factory

The A.H. Heisey Glass Company In 1895, Augustus H. Heisey opened discussions with the City of Newark about locating a glass plant in the city. A land company was formed and lots were sold to raise the funds to subsidize the construction of the plant. Mr. Heisey showed his entrepreneurial spirit by starting his own gas company to supply natural gas to the plant and the homes in the area. In April 1896, the A.H. Heisey Glass Company opened for production Their first offerings were in the patterns #1200 Cut Block, #1201 Fandango, and #1205 Fancy Loop. A.H. Heisey and his employees influenced the American public, in particular the Ohio and Newark area in relation to industrial production, advertising and marketing of glassware, and the development of other commercial ventures that provided the foundational development of the region. The Heisey Company closed its doors for Christmas vacation in 1957 and never re-opened. The Imperial Glass Corporation of Bellaire, Ohio, bought the existing molds from Heisey in 1958. The Heisey Collectors of America, Inc. opened the National Heisey Glass Museum in September 1974. This museum is an important and unique treasure. The museum serves as an educational institution portraying the craftsmanship of the Heisey employees, the quality and beauty of the hand-wrought glass produced in the one and only Heisey factory located in Newark, Ohio. The Holophane Company The history of the Holophane Company begins in the 1800's in France. In 1896, Andre Blondel and Spiridian Psaroudeki patented a unique lamp globe with a prismatic structure that increased the brilliancy of transmitted light. Otis Mysett purchased the patent rights and wanted to manufacture the globes in the United States. Lacking sufficient capital, Mysett entered into an agreement with Augustus Heisey to locate in Newark, Ohio, and produce the glass globes at the Heisey plant, then under construction. Holophane manufactured its globes at the Heisey plant from 1900 to 1910, when it built its own plant across the street. Initially, the company produced prismatic refractors for interior and exterior gaslights. During World War II, the company concentrated on electric lights. Both the Army and the Navy used Holophane globes for lighting military bases and airfields all over the world. The company also made headlight lenses for automobiles and developed a Blackout lighting unit that did not emit any horizontal light. In 1948, the firm introduced its first overhead electric streetlights. In succeeding years, Holophane opened additional plants in Springfield, Utica, Columbus, Pataskala, Texas, and in Mexico. This innovative company, a pioneer in scientific lighting design, continues to be a leader in its field.

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.

Glass Production in Newark

As early as 1871, extensive deposits of an excellent quality silica rock were discovered in Licking County. This material was the main ingredient used to make glass. In 1873, a group of Newark men led by William Shields, D.E Stevens, and O.G. King produced the first glass of the Newark Star Glass Works. They built a factory complex adjacent to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad tracks on the southeast side of town. By the following year, Shields, King and Company employed nearly 100 workers. In 1875, David E. Stevens and glass bower Richard F. Lumley, who worked at the factor, patented a "Glass Cap Self Sealer" which they named "Western Pride." Orders for the new product and other bottles poured in. A bankruptcy in 1878 and a strike in 1879 over wage cuts led to a prolonged shutdown. In 1880, Edward Hamlin Everett purchased the glass factory. By 1885, Everett changed the company's name to E.H. Everett Company. Operating six furnaces, he produced fruit jars and bottles for beer, soda, and medicine. The following year, Everett struck it rich with a gas well on the eastern edge of Newark which he used for fuel at his plant. In 1890, Everett applied to the recently formed Board of Trade for financial aid to build a more modern factory. Although the funds were granted, a legal challenge thwarted the effort. By the turn of the century, the company's 865 workers produced 30 to 40 tons of glass bottles daily. In 1904 and 1905, Everett incorporated the firm as the Ohio Bottle Company and purchased glass plants in Massillon, Wooster, Illinois, and Missouri. Everett also purchased a license to manufacture bottles in a newly invented machine that would revolutionize the industry. In 1905, Everett founded the American Bottle Company, a $10 million corporation with 1,700 employees producing 300 million bottles a year. Twelve years later, the Owens Bottle Machine Company purchased Everett's business. Prohibition practically destroyed the market for glass bottles. The firm limped along for a few years and was idle between 1929 and 1934. E.H. Everett died in 1929 at the age of 77. In 1934, in a drive to perfect the production of fiberglass insulation and produce it in large quantities, the Industrial Materials Division of Owens-Illinois was born. By 1938, the Owens Company sold one half of its interest to Corning Glass and became the Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation. By 1948, Owens-Corning employed nearly 1,000 people making fiberglass for insulation and furnace filters. By the mid-1960's, the Newark plant was one of the area's largest employers and the nation's largest producer of fiberglass. Owens-Corning funded a technical research center which operated a number of laboratories employing ceramic engineers, chemists, and technicians. Owens-Corning remains one of Licking County's largest employers to this day.

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.

From Fruit Jars to Fiberglass

E.T. Rugg Ephraim, John, and Thomas Rugg founded the E.T. Rugg Company in Alexandria, Ohio, in 1883. Their factory, ten miles west of Newark, had rope walks, or looms, to weave their rope products. The Newark Board of Trade enticed the company to move to Newark in April 1900 with a $2,500 bonus, free land, a larger factory, and access to a private railroad siding on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The firm produced rope, cord, and rope halters for horses. In 1915, the company nearly doubled its capacity by adding 20,000 square feet of additional factory space and new manufacturing equipment. By 1917, they employed approximately 125 men and 30 women. The company purchased the Hand Lawnmower Division of the Thomas Company in 1930. During World War II, the E.T. Rugg Company couldn't manufacture rope since the principle fibers were unavailable from the Philippines during the Japanese occupation of the country. The War Production Board also closed the lawnmower division in 1942. Rugg's entire production at this time consisted of M-3 anti-personnel mines and artillery shells which they cast, machined, and sent to the Newark Stove Company for assembly. The plant, completely rebuilt and modernized during the war, continued to operate at capacity. After the war, lawnmower production continued. Power mowers were added in 1949, and soon after, riding mowers began to be produced. The E.T. Rugg Company produced lawn mowers for Sears, Roebuck and Company, J.C. Penney, W.T. Grant, and other retailers. They also marketed lawn mowers under their own label. By 1958, the company had produced over one million mowers. In 1964-1965, officials sold the Cordage Division because of declining market demand. In 1968, the E.T. Rugg Company, employing 300 workers in a 140,000 square foot plant, merged with Mid-Con. Incorporated of Columbus. In 1973, the new corporation closed the newark plant as a tax write-off. Pharis Tire and Rubber Carl Pharis founded the Pharis Tire and Rubber Company in Newark in 1910. He purchased the former Simpson Soap Factory on West Main Street. The company produced tires and tubes for trucks, automobiles, and bicycles. With the Western Auto Corporation as its largest customer, the Pharis Tire and Rubber Company became one of the largest tire producers in the world. It also made bicycle tires for the Schwinn and the Murray companies. During World War II, Pharis Tire made inflatable rubber lift bags for disabled planes. With the supply of raw rubber diminished by Japanese occupation in the Pacific, the government built the company new facilities to enable them to produce tires made from reclaimed rubber. In 1946, Pharis expanded operations by purchasing the Carlisle Rubber Company in Pennsylvania. Two years later, however, in the midst of a strike, Pharis decided to quit the tire manufacturing business. The tire molds and the Pharis name were sold to the Mansfield Rubber Company. Fyrepel Fyrepel Products, Inc. was founded in Newark in 1948. The company produced fireproof products, such as suits and fire shields, made of aluminized glass cloth. The business grew and occupied a location on Buckeye Street. By the 1970's, Fyrepel had more than 70 employees. During the 1980's, a sale to Lakeland Industries and a fluctuation in the workforce led to hard times for the manufacturer. The business closed in 1992.

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.

Newark's Variety of Manufacturers

In 1910, William Burke, a Newark maker of hickory shafts for buggy whips, established the Burke Golf Shaft Company. Fearing the rising popularity of the "horseless carriage" would end his business, Burke began making hickory golf shafts. He sold them to English and Scottish club makers. Three years later, Burke patented a new endgrain wood head. His innovation, which placed the grain of the entire body of the head at right angles to the striking face, increased by 30 to 50 yards the distance which a player could hit a golf ball. He immediately sold the rights to the Goften Manufacturing Company of Newark. By 1915, the Burke Golf Company produced its own line of golf clubs. In the early 1920's, William Burke built a new factory at the corner of Brice and Liberty streets, complete with the most modern machinery. Its 150 workers could turn out 5,000 clubs per day. Soon after the factory's completion, Burke lost control of his company to Robert Crandall of Newark. The Crandall family ran the business for more than two decades. They relocated the plant at 160 Essex Street. In 1963, Burke Golf became part of The Comptometer Corporation. Victor Golf, the company's sports division, continued to make Burke clubs at the Essex Street plant until 1971. In that same year, the Burke line moved to Morton Grove, Illinois. Slumping sales six years later forced Victor Golf to discontinue Burke production. Newark was also home to other golf club manufacturers. In May 1970, Abbott Labs purchased the former Burke Golf Company plant in Newark. Between their Faultless Golf Division and Faultless Sports, they operated the plant until 1976, when ATO/Rawlings purchased the company. The new owners immediately moved the operation to Hebron. In 1976, Jim Shea, the former president of Faultless Sports, began a new company based on the concept of custom club fitting and manufacture. He established the Bob Toski corporation. After securing the former Burke plant and hiring former Faultless and Burke clubmakers, Shea, in 1977, began production of the Bob Toski line of custom-made golf clubs. The Toski Company was sold in 1996. Newark's GolfWorks and Dynacraft Golf Products, Inc. also manufactured golf clubs. Like Toski, these companies were spin-offs of the former Burke Golf Company. Ralph Maltby, the founder of The GolfWorks, served as vice president of Rawlings Golf. Joseph Altomonte, the originator of Dynacraft, was Shea's vice president at Faultless Sports.

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.

Golf Clubs

A variety of tools that are powered by the lineshaft can be seen within the area. Drill Press: The drill press is a machine tool used to drill holes in various materials. Our drill press is belt-driven and includes its own set of idler and drive pulleys (also referred to as tight and loose pulleys) which allowed variable speed operation and the ability to disconnect the press when not in operation. Band Saw: A band saw is a machine tool which uses a blade consisting of a continuous band of metal with teeth along one edge to cut various pieces. Our band saw was manufactured by the American Woodworking Machinery Company of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and is believed to have been used in a Newark factory. Tool Grinder: The grinder was used to sharpen a variety of hand tools. Our grinder, circa 1900, was manufactured by the J.C. Blount Company of Everett, Massachusetts. Wood Planer: The planer smoothed the surface of raw lumber to allow wood to be precisely sized for construction. The planer in our museum, circa 1895, was manufactured by the J.A. Fay and Egan Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. Freight Elevator: The freight elevator was used to haul heavy materials between floors of a factory. Our freight elevator, which is from around 1900, was manufactured by the Ohio Elevator and Machine Company in Columbus, Ohio. While it is not original to our building, it was used within a Newark factory.

The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art & Technology

The Lineshaft System

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Additional Information