The exhibit provides extensive background information. The first paper mill in Ohio was built in 1805 and the paper making process, which incorporated discarded rags beaten to a pulp by drop hammers, eventually evolved to include huge industrial complexes and chemical additives as the 20th century unfolded, allowing Ohio to become the fifth largest paper producer in the United States.
“Here in Ohio we want people to understand how much of our early industry was water-powered,” said Carillon Historical Park President and CEO Brady Kress. “In so many ways it’s what built Dayton. This (exhibit) shows how the early (residents) of Dayton used the very basic tools and technique to harness the natural resources to make a living and make products that were shipped from here to around the region, the state, and eventually, the nation and the world. So, from this early primitive way of making paper all the way up to a huge national concern like Mead Paper Company it starts with this. That is the arc we wanted to present. We want kids to have fun watching the water wheel too.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Nestled beside the paper mill is the expanded Marie Aull Tribute Garden honoring Marie Sturwold Aull (1897-2002), a community activist, philanthropist and educator known as the “godmother of the environmental movement in the Miami Valley.”
Beautifully landscaped and accented with a quote by Henry David Thoreau, the garden, prominently featuring a statue of Aull, was redesigned when the aforementioned railroad was built. Aull founded Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm, the National Audubon Society’s first Midwest nature center. Her husband, John Aull (1866-1955), was a successful Dayton businessman who notably served as president of the Aull Brothers Paper and Box Company.
“The Marie Aull Tribute Garden is a wonderful tribute to Marie and we invite everyone to come here to sit, relax and ponder,” said Kress. “There is also a connection back to the Aull business and paper making that was able to fund and afford the development of Aullwood and Marie’s legacy as a conservation leader. Marie and John also met on a train while taking a trip.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Kress believes in the value of storytelling and is proud to combine the paper mill, tribute garden and railroad into a cohesive whole for patrons to enjoy.
“We’ve brought all three stories together and it’s fun making connections,” Kress said. “Paper making, conservation and railroad have all come together. And with that, we’re able to expand our storytelling about water power and water-powered industries in Ohio that got us where we are today.”
Carillon Historical Park is located at 1000 Carillon Blvd., Dayton. For more information, visit daytonhistory.org.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
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