Country Charm around Zanesville and Cambridge, Ohio - Zanesville OH Off the Beaten Path

Preview: The nearly 10,000 acres that constitute The Wilds have made a dramatic transformation— from an open strip mine to North America’s largest preserve for endangered species. American Electric Power reclaimed the land and then gave it as a gift to the public to spur the creation of this unique facility. Animals from around the world are free to roam the rolling hills; visitors observe them from buses, which take them past every species imaginable. The preserve is divided in large sections where African, Asian, and North American wildlife live and thrive. During your visit, you might encounter camel, exotic deer, wild horses, or rhinos. Zebras and giraffes mingle with gazelles and antelopes in the preserve’s African environment. During your visit, you’ll learn the issues affecting the survival of each species. Eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and northern West Virginia were once the center of the U.S. glassware industry, and Cambridge, Ohio, was an important city for the glass business. The large Cambridge Glass Company dominated glass production in Guernsey County, opening in the spring of 1902 and shutting down half a century later. Although the boom in glassmaking has since passed, the Degenhart Paperweight and Glass Museum preserves the heritage of the industry. By a bequest in her will, Elizabeth Degenhart established the museum. Born in 1889, she had been associated with the glass business most of her life. She went to work at Cambridge Glass at age sixteen and married John Degenhart in 1908. John’s father, Andrew, had been a mold maker in several glass factories, and John worked for the Cambridge Glass Company for forty-six years, until his retirement. John and Elizabeth established the Crystal Art Glass Company, which Elizabeth took over after John’s death in 1964. The museum contains Elizabeth Degenhart’s personal collection of paperweights, plus pieces from Cambridge Glass and Crystal Art Glass. Various cut-and-blown-glass pieces are displayed, as is an antique glass mold built 150 years ago. An audiovisual presentation explains the history and importance of the glass industry to the area and describes the glassmaking still taking place in Guernsey County. The above description is an excerpt from "Ohio: Off the Beaten Path." Whether you're a visitor or a local looking for something different, this chapter from the Off the Beaten Path series will help you take the "road less traveled" and discover hidden attractions, unique finds, and unusual locales that most tourists miss.
© Copyright George and Carol Zimmermann published by Insiders' Guide all rights reserved.


This travel guide comes from:
Ohio Off the Beaten Path Guide Book