Zanesville and Muskingum County Artwall
This is a “rubbing” wall which depicts the proud
history of Zanesville and Muskingum County.
Historic images are surrounded by tiles
depicting foliage from the Ohio Buckeye tree.
The images are in order of their dates
beginning with the image to your right and
continuing around the wall.
To make a rubbing, hold or tape a piece of
medium or light weight paper over an image.
Use a firm pencil or crayon to draw back and
forth across the paper. This will transfer the
image to the paper. Diagonal strokes work
best. Please do not use pens or markers.
Please remove tape when you remove your paper.
To learn more about the history of Zanesville
and Muskingum County, look for resources
inside the library.
DeBorah Goletz, 1999 [who made the tiles]
[A.] 1700's
The Delaware tribe lived here in the
late 1700's and named the
“Moos-kin-gung” (Muskingum) River.
It means Elk Eye River.
[B.] 1797
Colonel Ebenezer Zane, Jonathan Zane
John McIntire and Tomepomehala cut
“Zane's Trace” from Wheeling, WV, to
Maysville, KY claiming 640 acres as the
future site of Westbourne
(renamed Zanesville)
[C.] 1805
Zanesville's first school house was
made from logs
[D.] 1809
Zanesville built a two story brick
courthouse to become Ohio's state
capital for two years triumphing over
Putnam's Stone Academy. Zanesville
had already secured the Muskingum
County seat in 1804 one year after
Ohio became a state.
[E.] 1814
Wooden flatboats floated with the
current carrying people, livestock
and goods to downstream markets as
far away as New Orleans. The first
Y Bridge was supported by one center
stone pier and wooden trestles.
[F.] Pottery was manufactured here as
early as 1808 but Zanesville became
best known for ceramic tiles in the
late 1800's and art pottery in the early
and mid 1900's.
[G.] 1824
The first steamship to visit Zanesville
on the Muskingum River was the
“Rufus Putnam.” The 2nd Y Bridge
replaced the first in 1819 and was
supported on stone piers.
[H.] 1832
The 3rd Y Bridge was a covered
wooden structure on stone piers
designed by Catherinus Buckingham.
The National Road reached Zanesville
in 1831 and continued across the
bridge. The Ohio Canal, also completed
in 1831 passed under the Y Bridge.
[I.] 1835
Angry mobs from Zanesville disrupted
(Anti-Slavery) meetings of the
Muskingum County Abolition Society
held at the Stone Academy in Putnam.
The Zanesville men were originally
from Virginia, and sympathized with
Southern Pro-Slavery sentiments.
[J.] 1852
The Central Ohio Railroad Company
operated the 1st train to Zanesville in
1852. By the 1880's several train lines
joined them including the Bellaire,
Zanesville & Cincinatti [sic] narrow guage [sic]
train pictured. The BZ&C was nicknamed
“Bent, Zigzag & Crooked” due to it's
winding tracks.
[K.] 1861
Many volunteers from Zanesville
joined the Northern army to fight the
Confederates in the Civil War. News of
the war was quickly transmitted over
telegraph wires (installed in 1847).
[L.] 1860's
Zanesville's many factories were
producing iron, glass, beer and even
soap (pictured is the Schultz Star Soap
Factory). These goods were sent by
steamships to be sold in other cities.
[M.] 1872-1939
Zane Grey was the great-grandson of
Colonel Ebenezer Zane. Born in
Zanesville, he became well known for
writing countless novels and short
stories about the American West.
[N.] 1876
This hydraulic tile press, patented in
Zanesville, enabled the American
Encaustic Tile Company of Zanesville
to be the first mass producer of
ceramic tile in the United States.
[O.] 1877
Zanesville's first streetcar (pulled by
horses) passes the new courthouse
which was built on the site of the
“Old 1809” courthouse.
[P.] 1902
The 4th Y Bridge, made of concrete
held tracks for the electric
streetcars (which began serving
Zanesville in 1890).
[Q.] 1907
The John McIntire Library was built with
funds from Andrew Carnegie. Books
came from the Zanesville Athenaeum.
In 1904, Samuel Weller owned the first
(electric “Runabout”) car in Zanesville.
Zanesville's police patrol wagon also
served as an ambulance.
[R.] 1913
The Muskingum River flooded the 4th Y
Bridge and many streets in Zanesville.
Chris Brownfield bought Zanesville's
first (Wright-style) airplane. When he
couldn't get this airplane to fly, he
built another which he flew in 1915.
[S.] 1917
Zanesville sent volunteers to fight in
World War I and helped Muskingum
County raise over $6,689,512 from the
sale of Liberty Bonds to furnish
munitions for the war.
[T.] 1941-1945
World War II
On Armistice Day 1942, the public
funded a World War II Honor Roll
Board surrounding the courthouse.
Over the next four years, it grew to
contain 7000 names of Muskingum
residents who served in the war.
[U.] 1997
Zanesville celebrated its 200th
birthday as a thriving, charitable
community, embracing its culture and
industry while remembering its proud
heritage.
Marker is at the intersection of 5th Street and Shinnick Street, on the left when traveling south on 5th Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
