Glass production in Licking County, Ohio
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Silica deposits
Shields King & Co. was a glass manufacturing company founded in 1871, and it began making glass bottles.[3][4] It was founded by William Shields, David E. Stevens, Oren G. King, William E. Atkinson, and David C. Winegarner.[5] They worked with others like Richard Lumley to complete different patents including self-sealing fruit jars.[3] Together, King & Co. worked in the Newark Star Glassworks factory to produce beer bottles, jars, and bottle stoppers.[3][6]
After opening in 1871, they were successful however; after being bought by Edward H. Everett in 1880, it prompted a significant increase in business.[3] During the late 1800s, 20,000 dollars' worth of beer bottles were produced for a brewing company in Cincinnati.[3] The factory was in production until it burnt down in May 1893, only to begin production again in December.[3] Edward H. Everett decided to facilitate a combination with other glass companies and create The American Bottle Company, a glass container manufacturer in the Midwest.[3][7] It was founded in 1905 and is known for producing various bottles and jars for multiple industries.[5]
Edward H. Everett caused growth within the glass industry as these factories became entirely based on machines for production.[5] Machine-based production benefited the speed at which glassware was produced.[5] However, the machines removed the heritage of glass blowers, taking away jobs from previous employees.[5]
The “Stevens Tin Top” is an example of a piece of glass produced in the Newark Star Glassworks.[8] It had a groove-ring wax sealer in a blue aquamarine glass.[8] The jar is hand blown and has a tool applied to the lip.[8] There were two patented fruit jars in 1875, and the name of their jars came to be called The Western Pride Self Sealing Jar.[8] Shields and King & Co remarked that their jars were the cheapest on the market and that a wrench was unnecessary, therefore easier to open, setting them apart from their opponents.[8]
In McDermott, Ohio and Newark, Ohio some sandstones contain substances with different levels of purity that are sufficient as a source of silica.[2][9] Silica sand units were mined throughout Ohio during the Civil War.[2] These units continued to grow; shortly after World War I, large amounts of silica products were produced in Ohio.[2] In the 1900s, these sandstones brought in large amounts of money, especially over the past 35 years.[2] In 1986, 2 million tons of silica sandstone was sold with a value of 24 million dollars.[2] The name Licking County originated from the salt licks found on the river's banks.[2] These salt licks were not only beneficial for glass making but were also enjoyed by the wildlife surrounding the area.[2]