Before 1890, the Village of South Zanesville was mostly farmland. One chunk of the town had been the Merriam farm.
Norris F. Schneider, this area’s premier historian, stated in a Times Signal article dated March 31, 1957: “Cyrus Merriam lived at Brandon, Vermont. When he was old enough to look out for himself, his father gave him $100, a horse, and a new saddle. When he reached Zanesville, his money was gone. So he got a job clerking in a store. Through industry and economy, he managed to save enough money to marry and buy a farm.”
The South Zanesville Land Company was managed by William J. Finley, who was previously associated with the T.F. Spangler real estate firm. He purchased the Merriam farm and other farmlands and then began laying out the town in 1890.
According to a May 9, 1890, story in the Zanesville Courier, “The first lot was sold yesterday to Rich and Kear, who will at once erect an eating house on it. It is at this end that work on the terminal railway will begin as the C. and E. will cross the pike in the neighborhood of the Merriam house, and the point where the new house is to be erected will be the headquarters for the construction party.”
In an attempt to create jobs and wealth, the article mentioned that for a limited time, the South Zanesville Land Company would donate property to anyone who would build a factory on it.
On May 26, 1890, Finley began an advertising campaign in the Courier. Besides low taxes, he bragged about “… a network of railroads, rapid transit, lowest rates to the city (Zanesville), the Maysville Pike as good as any street in Zanesville except Main Street. Manufacturing sites are unsurpassed. The best city for tiling, brick, terra cotta, earthenware, immense quarries, lime, and sandstone.”
Before the end of 1890, two major businesses had been formed. The Courier announced on Nov. 10 that the South Zanesville Sewer Pipe and Brick Company had filed articles of incorporation. According to Schneider, the company planned to hire 30 men and manufacture between 20,000 and 30,000 bricks per day.
On Dec. 13, the Courier announced the formation of the South Zanesville Wagon Works. This company hoped to make about 3,000 wagons per year.
Unfortunately, on Jan. 13, 1902, the South Zanesville Sewer Pipe and Brick Company plant caught fire. The cause of the blaze was never determined. The property loss amounted to $30,000, the insurance covered only $8,500.
On May 18, 1891, the Zanesville Signal praised the development of South Zanesville: “No part of Zanesville proper in her history ever made such remarkable advancement in the same length of time as has South Zanesville. The pottery works are running and giving employment to several men. The brick works began the manufacture of that article this week. The buggy factory is now ready for its machinery. Work has commenced on the axle factory. The stock stables are well underway.”
By the time this article was written, more than 30 buildings had been erected in the town.
In 1892, E.H. Shuey began operating the first grocery and general store in South Zanesville. The store was located on the corner of Merriam Street and Shawnee Avenue. Two more grocery stores soon followed: the E. W. Harvey Grocery on Shawnee Avenue and the Clem McConnel Store on Main Street.
In 1903, the Courier announced the extension of Zanesville’s streetcar tracks to its southern neighbor. Already, numerous arguments in favor of annexation had been heard. In 1930, the editor of the Times Signal, Harry Basehart, the father of actor Richard Basehart, stated that annexation to Zanesville was already a done deal. There were legitimate reasons for his confidence, but such sentiment angered those villagers who took pride in their independence.
According to Schneider, in a Times Signal article dated April 14 1957, “In 1929, South Zanesville residents favored annexation to Zanesville. There was a good reason. The city had a lower tax rate…”
The Signal reported on March 22, 1929, that a canvas showed property owners in favor of annexation.
“On August 22, the South Zanesville people again expressed a desire to be annexed. Petitions reported to the Signal on September 12 contained signatures of approximately 76 percent of the voting population.”
Despite this pro-annexation sentiment, those on the other side of the issue ultimately prevailed, as South Zanesville remains an independent community.
South Zanesville established its own school system. The original section of the South Zanesville High School was built in 1912. The building was enlarged in 1925 and 1926 and an auditorium was added in 1950. In 1956, the South Zanesville and Springfield districts combined to form the Maysville district. In 1957, a new high school was completed on Pinkerton Road in Springfield Township. The high school and middle school moved to Panther Drive in 2002, just off U.S. 22 in Newton Township.
South Zanesville remains a proud, thriving community, spreading over .83 square-miles or 514 acres. The village’s population in 2019 was 2,194.
I take personal pride in this particular town. I lived on Shawnee Avenue until the age of 5, when my family and I moved to the adjacent “big city.”
Lewis LeMaster is a retired teacher of the Zanesville area.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Lewis LeMaster: South Zanesville has been a growing and viable community since 1890
Reporting by Lewis LeMaster, Special to the Times Recorder / Zanesville Times Recorder
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