Ball and Ward Carriage Company
Founded in 1834 in Johnstown, Ohio by Isaac Ball and Pruden Ward, the Ball and Ward Carriage Company, or the Ward Carriage Co. as it was known later, was one of Licking County's first manufacturers. [1] Ball and Ward moved to Central Ohio from Newark, NJ and relocated the company from Johnstown to Newark, OH in September 1836. The production site was located at the corner of Church and First Street. The first structure was replaced with expanded production facilities in 1840 as the business grew. [2]
The company was a family business and in 1870 at least eight members of the Ball family and three Wards were employed in carriage-making. All aspects of production were completed on site: woodworking, blacksmithing, painting, etc. [3] Ball and Ward Carriage Company had agents that sold their products across the U.S, including in Denver and Portland, Oregon, and their carriages could be found in many countries, from Jamaica to India and even Australia. [4] The company's production went into decline sometime after 1890. By 1895, the Ball family remained in the manufacturing business but had transitioned to making bicycles and agricultural implements on south Second Street. [5]
The Ward Carriage Co. appears to have gone into decline in the 1890s, yet remained an active manufacturer. By the early 1900s, the Ball name returned to the company, but the decline continued, with the popularity of the automobile leading to a final closure in 1915. [6]
The old building of the Buggy Works remained standing on the corner of Church and First for several more decades, until the site was converted into a car dealership in the 1930s.
The production of carriages by Ball and Ward illustrates the persistent importance of transportation to the history of Newark and Licking County. From the prominence of the canals, railroads, and the interurban, to the production of carriages and rails cars, transportation was a critical aspect of local history.
J.G.
Return to Industries
References
- ↑ "H.R. Ward Dies in Florida Home," The Newark Advocate and American Tribune, Jul. 25, 1936, 10
- ↑ "Ward Carriage Co.," Newark Daily Advocate, Sep. 13, 1890, 4
- ↑ "Ball and Ward Buggy Shop Operated Here for 100 Years," The Newark Advocate and American Tribune, Aug. 19, 1952, 11
- ↑ "Ward Carriage Co.," Newark Daily Advocate, Sep. 13, 1890, 4
- ↑ "T.M. Ball and Son," The Newark Daily Advocate: Industrial Edition, Jun. 30, 1896, 5.
- ↑ Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Newark, Licking County, Ohio. Sanborn Map Company, July 1899; "H.R. Ward Dies in Florida Home," The Newark Advocate and American Tribune, Jul. 25, 1936, 10
