Celeste Friedman is a native of Ohio, born and raised in Newark, which is the county seat of Licking County. Newark is celebrating its' Bicentennial in 2002.Here are some facts about Newark's history:
Newark is home to the Octagon Earthworks and the Moundbuilders State Memorial, including the Great Circle Mound. You'll discover the National Heisey Glass Museum, Blackhand Gorge, Flint Ridge, Dawes Arboretum, The Buckeye Central Scenic Railroad and the T.J. Evans Bike Trail.
Major employers and industry in the area include Owens-Corning, Dow Chemical, Communicolor, Rockwell International, Kaiser Aluminum, Holophane,
The Longaberger Company and Diebold. Educators include The Ohio State University-Newark Branch, The Central Ohio Technical College and nearby Denison University in Granville.
If you live in Newark or visit there, you are walking on sacred ground.
The ancient moundbuilders left behind the largest system of connected geometric earthworks built anywhere in the world. See our Ohio link to
"Along the Great Hopewell Road"!
Remnants of glaciers that receded over 17,000 years ago, provide sanctuaries for migrating birds, ducks and geese. Biking, hiking and bird watching are popular sports throughout Newark's area woodlands, where legend tells of Johnny Appleseed, who traveled through the area, planting Newark's first apple trees.
On March 1, 1808, 687 square miles of land that had been part of Fairfield County, became a new county called Licking, named after the Licking River. The Indians, native to the land had named the river "Pataskala", meaning "bright waters".
New settlers changed the name to "Licking" for the salt licks in the area.
The year is 1802 . . . Napoleon became President of the Itlaian Republic, Beethoven composed "Moonlight Sonata", John Dalton introduced his atomic theory and Thomas Wedgewood produced the first photograph. General William C. Shenck, G.W. Burnet and John Cummins crossed the Allegheny Mountains in 1802 to the valley known then as the Northwest Territory of the United States. They agreed that a settlement could be built by the beautiful river the Indians called "Pataskala". Shenck, Burnet and Cummins named their new town "Newark",
after their native community in New Jersey, which inherited its title
from Newark-on-Trent in England.
There were other exciting events and amazing discoveries in 1802 throughout the world. Thomas Jefferson became President of the United States, delivering the first State of the Nation address. The Treaty of Peace at Amiens was signed, ending the French Revolutionary War, as the Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States. Horse racing was introduced in England. The term, "biology" was coined. The first application of steam to a propeller was made by John Stevens on the Hudson River. Sir John Banks was given command of the sailing vessel, "Investigator", sailing to Australia from England and beginning a series of
voyages around the coast-line to chart the continent.
Back home in Ohio, 835 people died from yellow fever from August to November of 1802. Ohio's eligibility for statehood arrived, as the population reached
60,000 and the first constitution of the State of Ohio was drafted.
Thomas Worthington rode to Washington in the blinding snow,
carrying Ohio's freshly written constitution in his saddle bags.
He arrived safely and delivered it to President Jefferson.
For more about Newark's Bicentennial, see to our Ohio link.
Happy Birthday Newark!
