Ohio Bicentennial Bell - Paulding, Ohio - Community Commemoration on Waymarking.com

Ohio was the fourth state after the original thirteen colonies to join the Union. In 2003, they celebrated in each of the 88 counties. The following information was taken from an article posted on the Traveler's Journal and written by David Bear. It can still be seen on the web at this address: (visit link)

"For whom the bells toll -- In addition to these signature events, the Ohio Bicentennial Commission has been casting commemorative bicentennial bells on site in each of the Buckeye State's 88 counties on weekends throughout the year.

The ambitious project is being carried out by the Cincinnati-based Verdin Co., the world's largest bell company. Since 1842, the company has provided bells and ringing equipment to more than 30,000 churches. Perhaps best known for creating and casting the 33-ton, 12-foot-tall World Peace Bell for the millennium celebration, other notable Verdin commissions include London's Big Ben and the bells at San Juan Capistrano mission.

The bicentennial bells are being handmade in the centuries-old European tradition, when casting was done locally to minimize the high cost and difficulty of transportation. To complete the project, Verdin has put together a traveling foundry that produces each bell in a two-day public event, often coinciding with a local festival or activity.

Molded in the American style of the Liberty Bell, each bell will be personalized with a county name, forging date, the Great Seal of Ohio and the bicentennial logo. For each cast, 500 pounds of bronze ingots are melted in a furnace. While the furnace is heating, a mold is prepared. The mold, customized for each county, is held in place by a mixture of more than 200 pounds of sand and resin in a steel box, called a flask. When the metal reaches 2,200 degrees, bell casters transfer the molten metal into a ladle and then pour it into the mold. The bell is left to cool overnight.

The next day, the hardened, sand-resin mold is cracked with a ceremonial sledge hammer. Then the bell is sandblasted and polished to a high shine. Some sections are treated with stain and polished again. Then the bell is ready to be dedicated and rung for the first time."

The bell was rung on September 20, 2003.

Subject: State/Province Commemoration: 2003 Date of Founding: 1803 Date of Commemoration: September 20, 2003 Address: On the courthouse lawn of the Paulding County Courthouse. Overview Photograph: Yes Detail Photograph: Yes Web site if available: Not listed

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