43701-Zanesville Ohio's Y-Bridge

Zanesville, founded in 1797, was a city even before Ohio became a state in 1803. The city was settled on the old Zane's Trace--the first "roadway" through the wilderness of the Northwest Territory. Colonel Ebenezer Zane's trail, following pathways used by the Native Americans of the area was, in places, barely wide enough for a horse and rider. Founded by Zane's son-in-law, John McIntire, Zanesville began as a a settlement along Zane's Trace at a spot where two rivers converged. Part of Zane's Trace eventually became The National Road, now Route 40, which passes through Zanesville, and is even its Main Street.

Aside from the Y-Bridge, Zanesville is known for the production of pottery. In the 1800s, canal boats, laden with pottery from the clay-rich area around Zanesville made their way south to deliver their goods at great profit. In a later era, the Zanesville area was famous for art pottery. Weller Pottery, and Roseville Pottery are extremely valuable now, and are sought by collectors worldwide. Even pieces from some of the lesser-known local potteries are rapidly becoming collectibles.

Zanesville's downtown has a large number of lovely churches. Spotlighted at night, they make a memorable scene when passing through; and the County Courthouse is a 19th century work of art. Nearby places of interest are the very large basket in Dresden, home of the Longaberger Basket Company; and the truly huge "basket" that houses that company's headquarters. The National Road/Zane Grey Museum showcases the history of the building of The National Road, and honors Zanesville native, author Zane Grey. Zanesville also has a truly outstanding Art Museum, with a very impressive collection for a city of its size.

Driving around Zanesville, you'll notice that many businesses and public places have large (really large!) vases on display outside. This honors Zanesville's pottery heritage, and each vase is decorated differently according to the proprietors' taste. But possibly the greatest curiosity is the circular arrangement of these large vases that can be found at the base of--you guessed it--The Y-Bridge!

If this collection has an official name, I don't know what it is. I just like to call it VaseHenge !

Note: If you think these vases aren't big, compare them with the two people in the center of the photo!