George Bartholomew (inventor)
George Bartholomew | |
|---|---|
 A statue of Bartholomew erected in Bellefontaine, Ohio, in 1991 | |
| Born | August 24, 1848 Bristol, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | March 1, 1933 (age 84) St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Inventor, manufacturer |
George Wells Bartholomew Jr. (August 24, 1848 – March 1, 1933) was an American inventor who is credited with the invention of concrete pavement.
Early life and education
[edit]Bartholomew was born in Bristol, Connecticut, the son of George W. Bartholomew Sr. and Angeline Ives Bartholomew. His father was a clock manufacturer.[1] He learned about cement production in Germany and San Antonio, Texas.[2]
Career
[edit]Bartholomew owned a hardware store in Austin, Texas.[3] In 1886, Bartholomew moved to Bellefontaine, Ohio, after having learned about cement production. Bartholomew found a good source of limestone and clay in the area; from this, he hoped to create an artificial stone for paving. Bartholomew founded the Buckeye Portland Cement Company and set about developing a new cement for pavement.[2] His company created a town, Marl City, Ohio, now deserted.[1]
In 1891, the Bellefontaine city council approved the use of Bartholomew's invention for paving a test strip on Main Street outside the Logan County courthouse. This experiment proved successful, and the council approved the pavement of Court Avenue.[4][5]
Bartholomew was honored for his invention at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois in 1893. His award was titled, "First Place for Engineering Technology Advancement in Paving Materials." This award lent credibility to Bartholomew's technique, and it was quickly adopted throughout the United States and internationally.[2][6]
Bartholomew moved to Colorado by 1910,[7] where he worked for Colorado Portland Cement Company.[1]
Personal life and legacy
[edit]Barstow married Hettie Julia Cole before 1880. They had sons Linn, Tracy, and Richard, and daughter Grace and Lucy.[8] His eldest son, Linn, died in Puerto Rico in 1918.[9] Barstow died in 1933, in St. Petersburg, Florida, at the age of 84.[10]
In Bellefontaine, a section of Court Avenue remains paved today with Bartholomew's formula, celebrated as the first concrete paved street in America.[5] The street section was restored in 1962.[11] In 1991, the city of Bellefontaine hosted a centennial celebration for Bartholomew's successful street paving.[12] They erected a statue of Bartholomew and held a parade; Bartholomew's grandson George A. Bartholomew gave a speech to dedicate the statue.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Janczewski, Paul (1983-03-06). "Concrete network vision of founder of ghost town". The Lima News. p. 41. Retrieved 2025-06-15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Snell, Luke M.; Snell, Billie G. (March 2002). "Oldest Concrete Street in the United States" (PDF). Concrete International: 72–74 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Bartholomew Reunion". The Morning Journal-Courier. 1884-09-04. p. 4. Retrieved 2025-06-15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "First Concrete Street Still Used". Nevada State Journal. 1941-05-31. p. 6. Retrieved 2025-06-15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Delatte, Norbert (2018-10-08). Concrete Pavement Design, Construction, and Performance. CRC Press. p. 1. ISBN 978-1-4822-8848-3.
- ^ Hopkins, Jim (1941-06-12). "Concrete Example". The Cleveland Press. p. 21. Retrieved 2025-06-15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ 1910 United States census, via Ancestry.
- ^ 1880 and 1900 United States censuses, via Ancestry.
- ^ "Died in Porto Rico". Hartford Courant. 1918-07-16. p. 13. Retrieved 2025-06-15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Funeral of George W. Bartholomew". Hartford Courant. 1933-05-05. p. 4. Retrieved 2025-06-15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Fraser, Margaret (1962-04-29). "Bellefontaine Will Honor Oldest Concrete Street in U.S." The Lima News. p. 7. Retrieved 2025-06-15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Stephens, Sara (1991-10-06). "Bellefontaine hosts paving centennial". The Times Recorder. p. 25. Retrieved 2025-06-15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bellefontaine celebrates anniversary". Troy Daily News. 1991-10-14. p. 5. Retrieved 2025-06-15 – via Newspapers.com.