Display on Transportation

A new display, “Transportation in Licking County: A Brief History”, is in the lobby of the county administration building.  Intern Kady Wolfe and Records Manager Sophia McGuire created the display.  Kady assisted our department with various projects, while earning her Master of Library and Information Science degree.

Part of Thomas Hutchins' map, published in 1778, which
showed the Ohio Country, including some Indian trails
Licking County has a rich transportation history, with Indian trails, pioneer roads, river and canal traffic, the National Road, railroads, interurbans, automobiles and airports.  One of the biggest events in early county history was the opening of the Ohio Canal at “Licking Summit,” located in what is now Heath, in 1825.  The man who dug the first shovel-full of earth for this canal was New York Governor DeWitt Clinton, who earlier ensured the construction of the Erie Canal.

Governor DeWitt Clinton of New York, who participated
in the opening ceremony of the Ohio Canal in Heath
Newark developed into a major railroad center, and the city was connected to Granville by one of the world’s first interurban electric railways.  Interstate Highway 70, which was constructed through the county in the late-1950's, also had a profound effect on the region.
Postcard showing the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Depot in Newark

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