Zanesville & Muskingum County are rich in history.
Below are just a few notable facts about our area.
Zanesville native Alexander Coffman Ross operated a jewelry store on Main Street before the Civil War. Ross is most known for writing the campaign song "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too" for President William Henry Harrison and he is also credited as being the first photographer in Ohio having made the first daguerreotype west of New York City in 1839.
The Putnam Presbyterian Church displays an original Tiffany Stained Glass window and is the oldest church in Zanesville. The first minister was William Beecher, brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe.
You can go to Africa, Asia and Mongolia without leaving North America when you visit the Wilds, one of North America's largest wildlife conservation centers. See endangered species from Africa, Asia and North America roaming freely then stay in a luxury "Yurt," a Mongolian tent structure.
NBA player Kevin Martin was born and raised in Zanesville. He was selected as the 26th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings where he played until 2010. During his time with the Kings, Martin finished the 2008 season 6th in the NBA in scoring with an average of 23.7 points per game. He then went on to play for the Huston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs before retiring in 2016.
The first federally funded highway – The National Road, runs through Zanesville and Muskingum County. There is a museum depicting the building of this highway called the National Road and Zane Grey Museum and it is located on the National Road.
Three universities are located in Muskingum County -Muskingum University, Ohio University Zanesville and Zane State College.
National Conservation Spokesman "Jungle Jack" Hanna is a graduate of Muskingum University in New Concord Ohio.
Zanesville was founded by American Revolutionary War patriot Colonel Ebenezer Zane, a maternal great-grandfather of Zane Grey.
Johnson's Mill/Salt Creek Covered Bridge, located on the eastern edge of Zanesville on Arch Hill Road is the only remaining pure Warren truss covered bridge in the world. It was completed in 1846 and is 87 feet long.
Stolzenbach Bakery, a Zanesville company that started in 1858 was later sold to the United States Baking Company which then became part of the National Biscuit Company ABISCO) in 1898.
Zanesville's first microbrewery, Weasel Boy Brewing Company won a gold medal at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) for their Russian Imperial Stout. GABF is the largest commercial beer competition in the world.
Widely known artist Charles Craig opened a studio in Zanesville after spending four years with various tribes of Indians traveling up the Missouri River. Craig later became the first major Western artist to paint in Taos, New Mexico and his paintings are noted for their accuracy of ethnological detail.
Professional golfer Michele Redman was born and raised in Zanesville. She played on the LPGA Tour from 1992 to 2011 and had two victories. Redman had her best finish on the money list in 2000, placing 10th . She is currently the women’s golf coach at the University of Minnesota.
Actress Agnes Moorehead attended Muskingum University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology. One of her most notable roles was Endora in the situation comedy Bewitched.
Zanesville's Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl is one of the best places to get a scoop according to USA Today.
Former Major League Baseball Player Jay Payton was born and raised in Zanesville. He played for for the New York Mets (1998-2002), Colorado Rockies (2002-2003), San Diego Padres (2004), Boston Red Sox (2005), Oakland Athletics (2005-2006) Baltimore Orioles (2007-2008) and the Colorado Rockies in 2010. He batted and threw right-handed. Payton was an opposite-field hitter with some power. He is currently serving as an in game analyst with ESPNU for college baseball.
The Muskingum River, designated a Scenic Waterway is one of the few remaining systems in the U.S. to use hand-operated locks.
Zanesville was named one of Ohio's best hometowns by Ohio Magazine for 2011.
Zanesville is home to a growing Artist Colony that hosts a monthly First Friday Art Walk event during which artist studios and galleries are open to the public. The area has two 4 1/2 star golf courses, EagleSticks Golf Club and The Virtues by Golfweek Magazine. Together they offer a "Stay and Play" package called "9 Stars of Golf."
Zanesville was once known as the "Pottery Capital of the World" because of its large number of pottery manufacturers.
Muskingum County is home to both a Y-shaped bridge and an S-shaped bridge
Zanesville-Muskingum County has an extensive Underground Railroad history with many sites that hid slaves seeking freedom. One of these sites is the Stone Academy which was also the site of 2 abolitionist conventions.
Conn’s Potato Chip Company, Zanesville’s premier potato chip and snack food company uses 50,000 pounds of potatoes per day to make their delicious, mouth-watering chips!
Famous Western author Zane Grey grew up in Zanesville. He wrote more than 90 books and became one of the first millionaire authors with total book sales exceeding 40 million. The National Road-Zane Grey Museum is located in Norwich, just east of Zanesville.
Ballas Egg Products Corporation is a Zanesville company that has been in the egg processing business since 1928. The company processes over 1.7 million eggs each day to produce a variety of quality egg products.
The famous "Star Soap" was made in Zanesville in the late 1800s-early 1900s by a company called Schultz and Company. The company was later sold to Proctor and Gamble.