Chapter 13 - Technology & Nostalgia
Since the dawn of mankind, technology has advanced. The development of simple things like metal forks and spoons, bows and arrows, invention of gunpowder, methods of transportation, domestication of animals, farming methods such as the metal plow, teaching methods, telephone, computers, cell phones, medical techniques and vaccines have changed the way we live on planet Earth. All changes affect history including the way we live in Madison County. Most changes are introduced elsewhere and trickle down from community to community. In 2024, Fiber Optic which had existed in other areas was introduced in the county in London and has been spreading throughout the county.
My internet research has not found inventors or inventions from Madison County except for the Battelle Memorial Institute near West Jefferson. Battelle does not release specific invention information about West Jefferson, but locals know that a robotic device for travelling through oil pipelines looking for defects was developed there, and also military research (we could hear the artillery shells!). Much of Battelle research is classified for reasons of either military or industrial security. We know that many Battelle projects may have been developed at the West Jefferson facility. The following link tells of some of these inventions: 818_top-ten-product-innovations.pdf
Many old items are now collected and are valuable. I know I have thrown a fortune in the trash. not knowing the eventual worth. We hear about the “Good Old Days.” Were they really good? Do I want to return to the racism of the 1950’s? Do I want to go through the Marine Corps’ Parris Island boot camp again? Would I like to be a high school student again? No! Would I like to go back and give up today’s advancements in the medical field? Of course not. Giving up today’s benefits and returning to yester-year would mean that our life span would decrease and many of us would be dead. I prefer today’s technology and being alive!
During my own lifetime, I have witnessed so many changes that I could start another website just to discuss these changes. I remember telephone party lines, dial telephones, the first TV in my hometown, black and white TV’s that signed off for the night, milk delivered in glass bottles, M80’s and Cherry Bombs, crawling under my school desk for atomic bomb drills, the ink well on my school desk, fountain pens, my first ball-point pen, slide rules, manual type writers and calculators, pancake syrup in a miniature tin log cabin, cereal boxes with prizes, 10 cent comic books, my first computer, cell phone, my Mickey Mouse watch, flat-top haircuts, etc. The Madison County Historical Society and the walls of Cracker Barrel and museums are a trip down memory lane.
Since history records the past, I feel it would be beneficial to look back and see how our way of life has changed since Madison County’s formation. Several areas of change will be covered: Transportation, Medicine, Education, Communication, Shopping, Social and Family Life, and Music
Transportation
When the county was organized, only travel was either by foot or horseback. There were no paved roads, and much travel was along old Native American trails. Eventually direct roads were graded, followed by gravel roads and eventually pavement. Paved roads in Madison County first appeared in early 20th century, but today all roads are paved. Unpaved roads or lanes exist on farms and some back alleys.
Beginning in the 1820’s Ohio developed over 800 miles of canals. None were in Madison County, but residents could travel by horse to canals in communities such as Lockbourne, Canal Winchester, or Gilroy Ditch Canal just below the county line near South Charleston in Clark County. Big Darby creek fed water into the Erie Canal System. Ohio’s canal system died out with the development of railroads.
In 1835, the first Railroad, the Mad River and Lake Erie opened in Ohio. By 1920 over 9000 miles of railroads were in Ohio. In Madison County, one could visit any other Madison County community by rail. Two Madison County Railroads exist in 2025. 1. The Norfolk Southern (NS)which passes through the county from county line above South Charleston and exits just north-east of West Jefferson and 2. Camp Chase Industrial Railroad (CAMY) which runs from Columbus in Franklin County to Lily Chapel in Madison County as a spinoff of Conrail in 1994. CSX passes thru Madison County at Rt 161 east of Plain City but does not stop in the county. The major line in the mid 1800’s was the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad with stops in West Jefferson and London and Rome (now New Rome) in Franklin County, and South Charleston in Clark County.
American railroads faced a rapid decline after WWII. Operating costs of the conversion of steam locomotives to diesel-electric locomotives proved impossible for many smaller lines who either went out of business or were bought out and combined with larger lines. Even the biggest companies such as the Erie, the New York Central, the Baltimore and Ohio, the Chesapeake and Ohio and numerous short lines failed. Why? One of the biggest factors was the loss of the railroad mail contract to the Teamster union. The new contract financed the Eisenhower interstate highway system and the shift of mail and other cargo to trucks. Passenger rail service was to expensive and the use of private vehicles and interstate bus lines such as Greyhound and Trailways were able to offer cheaper rates and did not require stations in every town. Passengers could be picked up at a selected location such as a restaurant. Eventually Madison County lost all passenger rail service. Only CSX, NS and Camp Chase remain, but only for freight.
Madison County has one major airport. Three miles north of London is the Madison County Airport (FAA identifier KUYF) which offers service for private small aircraft. In 2023 a Cessna 172on a training flight crashed on landing at the airport resulting in the death of Athar Mohammad Ashraf from Columbus and Malik Aftab Naseem from Alabama. The airport suffered extensive wind damage during a Tornado on 29 Feb 2024.
Plain City Airport was a private airport opened in the 1940’s and closed in the 1980’s. There are private landing strips usually on farms.
We do have access to major airports and airlines, which are only an hour away.
Medicine
When Madison County was formed, there were limited antibiotics, no immunizations, no anesthesia. Diabetes was a death sentence. Anesthesia was developed in 1846 using diethyl ether. Most immunizations began after WWI. Smallpox vaccination was first used in 1721 but did not get widespread use in the U.S. until the 1840’s. Polio vaccine was developed in 1952. During COVID (a form of flu) we started receiving COVID vaccine with annual boosters. Infants are vaccinated using a schedule over the first year Infant Vaccine Schedule.
From Diabetis.org: Before insulin was discovered in 1921, people with diabetes didn’t live for long; there wasn’t much that doctors could do for them. The most effective treatment was to put patients with diabetes on very strict diets with minimal carbohydrate intake. This could buy patients a few extra years but couldn’t save them. Harsh diets (some prescribed as little as 450 calories a day!) sometimes even caused patients to die of starvation. In 1921, a young surgeon named Frederick Banting and his assistant Charles Best figured out how to remove insulin from a dog’s pancreas. They received the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1923. It was then discovered that insulin could be extracted from the pancreas of cattle and pigs. This continued until 1978 when Eli Lilly found that it could be genetically produced from 3-coli bacteria. Many seniors (including me) are kept alive by a daily shot of insulin. (Insulin cannot be taken orally because stomach acid destroys it.)
Antibiotics have been around since before the common era (CE) using folk medicine including moldy bread (which does contain penicillin) in 1932 this was observed by Alexander Fleming, a Scottish Physician. Mass production began in WWII. Penicillin saved my life. In 1945, I developed an ear infection that spread to the skull above my right ear. This was usually fatal. The doctor operated and removed the infected tissue and decided to try a new antibiotic. The hospital didn’t know how it should be administered and I received an hourly penicillin shot for three days accompanied by sulfa drugs mixed with hot chocolate. Sulfa was the usual treatment for infection during the Civil War (usually didn’t work). Many men died from infection, not the bullet that caused it. Today we have many antibiotics, some are prescribed, many are available over the counter. Most people know when to use an antibiotic cream.
Other medical advances since the early 1800’s include pain relievers – prescribed, over the counter and illegal. We have tablets for an upset stomach, sleeping aids, band-aids, sunscreen, myriad pills and creams (including many advertising rip-offs). This is a multi-billion-dollar business around the world. We also have old-time home-made or patent medicines. How about a mustard-plaster, lick a toad to ward off warts, or menthol rubs. Would you like a Carter’s Little Liver Pill? List of Patent Medicines.
Medical procedures and medical training have followed suit. Techniques such a laser guided surgery have evolved. Transplants and artificial limbs are now common. Our doctors and nurses are constantly learning new techniques, and we now live longer and healthier.
But we have the YouTube and Facebook quacks with their miracle cures. Some are dangerous, saying to time-tested and valuable medicines are bad. Yes, there are often side effects. These quacks bend statistics to make a point. Remember medicines are prescribed because you are sick and there is no guarantee that the medicine will always be effective. Perhaps the medicine has a success rate of 98%. This means that 2% failed. The online quack will use the 2% to try to fool the public into believing the medicine is worthless. These quacks can kill people who listen to the hype. Also involved are those who try to tell us that we don’t need vaccines. Thanks for the dumb advice, but I’ll continue getting my flu shot.
In 1800, the world-wide life expectancy was 40 years. Infant mortality was 25%. Someone living to be 90 was unbelievable! Yet, I am above 80 and survive thanks to modern medicine.
Education
Gone are the days of the one-room schoolhouse. As an educator we did the best we could. I am a retired high school teacher and was able to teach in modern, well-equipped schools. This has not always been the case. I graduated from a rural high school. The local tax base was not enough to afford the best teachers. In the early 1960’s a major move was made to level the field by consolidating school districts, increasing the tax base and offering more courses and activities. My rural district combined with 3 other districts and is now a regional high school. We also introducing a new form of school.The Joint Vocational School. Ohio was a national leader and it has spread across the country. We did have to make adjustments to allow these vocational schools to have sports teams and compete with other high schools. The JVS is making a major change in our society, since the teachers are specialists and professionals in the subject they teach. Instead of just a college degree, they have worked in their field. Madison County has Tolles Career and Technical Center, a superb example of what education should be.
Today, we have modern ways of teaching. We can produce multi-media presentations, use computers, cell phones and today’s technology. As a retired teacher, I was asked “How can we do better.” My response: Let teachers teach content, not test preparation and get the government beyond the local board of education out of the picture. Teachers are not baby-sitters. Should the government at state and national level be involved in education? Yes, but only thru adequate funding for all schools. The poor as just as important as the rich. It is not fair that rich communities have swimming pools and golf courses on campus, while a nearby poorer district does not. EVERY CHILD IS PRECIOUS!!!
Communication
One of the earliest moves in Madison County was to have newspapers. In those days there were only two ways to get information. the grapevine and newspapers. Almost everybody used and enjoyed the gossip from the grapevine. These two methods were the only way to find out what was going on in communities, our state, our nation and the world. Many communities had two newspapers, each one reported news with its political viewpoint. We still use the grapevine, but it is no longer just face-to-face. We now have different ways to communicate, Phone Calls on landlines and cellphones. We can voice our opinions and read others on Facebook, Twitter, X or some other app. My Facebook account has a definite political slant. We also have radio, TV, cellphones and the internet to provide us with information, often unreliable.
My observation: Most commercial and political media is now unreliable. This indicates a social shift in our society where we no longer can trust the news. Civility no longer exists. AI has made it possible to produce very realistic fake and misleading information. The only solution is that we need to educate ourselves and our children with an ability to sift through the garbage and be able to discern truth.
Shopping
In the early days, settlers had to produce everything. There were no stores at first, but general stores sprang up in almost every community. These general stores sold farming supplies, kitchen supplies, food staples such a sugar, flour, baking powder and yeast, spices such as cumin, saffron, ginger, pepper and cinnamon. Sometimes local farmers would sell farm products which the general store would resell, eggs, milk, fresh or canned or dried vegetables or even manufactured goods such as homemade bread, tatted lace, brooms, hand-carved toys, etc. The general store sold hair products, hats, boots, shirts, shoes, dresses, blouses, skirts, coveralls and underwear, buttons, zippers, and various bulk fabrics for homemade clothing. These fabrics were usually cotton calicoes, linen, wool, and Linsey-Woolsey. In the general store you would find fishing equipment, guns and ammo, coffee and tea, coffee and tea pots, pottery dishes, tin silverware, castor sets, soaps, pesticides, and lubricants.
Eventually general stores began to fail. As roads and easier transportation became available, the larger communities such as London, West Jefferson, and Plain City saw the beginning of specialty stores. Instead of the general stores, now the later 1800 stores were hardware, five and dime (5&10) clothing, shoes, food stores, butcher shops, farm equipment and animal feed. After 1900 we began to see automobile dealerships and tire and auto part stores.
Even some specialty stores began to be replaced by specialty big stores such as Sears, Walmart, J.C. Penny, Woolworth, Menards, Sam’s Club, Cosco, Joann Fabrics, Ace Hardware, Auto Parts, Tractor Supply, Home Depot and Lowes. We still have specialty niches such as Candy Stores, Ice Cream Stores, and Hobby Shops, all which can be found in nearby Columbus.
Of those listed in Madison County, London has Walmart, Bealls, Mabe’s Clothing and Athletic, Shoe Sensation, Tractor Supply, Advanced Auto Parts, London Florist and Green House, and Car Dealerships – Coughlin Automotive and Buckeye Ford. West Jefferson has Chevron Pools and Spas, Madison Garden Center and West Jefferson Hardware. Plain City has many businesses, Beachy Barns, Bullet, Holly’s Unique Weddings and Gowns, 2 Thrift Shops, Carlisle Gifts (located in Der Dutchman), Main Street Treasures, Discount Fashion Warehouse, Driving Machines, Rooms That Bloom, and others. Dollar Tree and Dollar General are found in various locations around the county.
Last is another form of shopping and that is on-line. Amazon, and Amazon Prime are main sources based on warehouse merchandise. E-Bay is a mix of individual and store sales – much merchandise is used. Many stores also offer online order and delivery. One in particular is of use to veterans. The various exchange services of the U.S. Armed Forces offer online ordering and delivery. These are U.S. government stores and do not collect Ohio sales tax.
Social Life
In the early days of Madison County, socialization was at two levels, family and church. These two levels continue today. However, Madison County residents started adding clubs, Veterans groups, organizations such as Madison County Genealogical Society, and Madison County Retired Teachers. Gulf Course clubs, Senior Centers, etc. Madison County residents also participate in social organizations outside the county, such as University graduate groups, bands and orchestras. Several county residents are members of the Central Ohio Community Orchestra.
Music
All genres of music are found in Madison County today. Before the 20th century, the county could hear Classical, Hymns, Holiday, Lullabies, Dance, Patriotic and Folk music. Immigrants into the county normally introduced music from various homelands.
What genres were missing before 1900? Jazz, Blues, Easy Listening, Rock and Roll, Pop. Soul, Hip Hop, Rap, Country & Western, Big Band, Techno, Alternative, and music from movies and TV.
Before 1877, all music was live performance in homes (parties, worship, or just a desire to sing), churches (worship meeting, Sunday School, weddings and funerals), dance halls, saloons, theater performances and recitals.
In July of 1877, Thomas Edison introduced a new device, the phonograph. The idea caught fire and now it became possible to record sound. But it wasn’t ready for the home until Alexander Graham Bell invented a method for more durable records. Before the invention of what we now call a record, played on a record player, the music was recorded onto a cylinder. The first commercial song was in 1890 and in 1896, the first record player which played disk rather than a cylinder, the Victrola Gramophone was marketed.
The Wiki article History of Sound Recording explains the development of sound recording from the earliest low-quality sounds to the digital sounds of today. We have seen a progress of devices such as the 8-track player in 1960, Cassettes which used a plastic film were first developed in Europe in 1966 and was the main portable music player in Madison County from and 1970 through 1990, However in 1982, CD’s became available. The advantage of the 8-track, the cassette and the CD was that both home players and portable devices could also be installed in automobiles.
In the 1920’s radio was invented and by the late 1930’s, almost every home in the county had a radio and radio stations soon dotted the U.S. Madison County has Radio Fm-Home 105.1 which plays classic country live stream. Click for a list of all 502 Ohio radio Stations.
TV became available in Madison County in the 1950’s. History of television – Wikipedia. With an antenna we could now pick up stations 4, 6, 10, and 28 from Columbus. TV soon drove radio into second place now that music could be heard while seeing the performer. TV soon drove people off the front porch and into the living room. Now we have streaming digital TV stations which can be viewed on cellphones, TV’s, computers and game machines such as X-Box. The advantages of these digital stations is that some do not have commercials. My favorites are , Netflix, Amazon Prime, Curiosity Stream, Disney, BYU TV, Tubi, Hulu, Crackle, Popcorn Stream, and Microsoft’s Movies and TV. Most are subscription services, sometimes bundled, and some have rental fees (cheaper than buying the DVD). There are 25 commercial TV stations available in Madison County to view CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, CW, OSU, Univision, and other networks. These can be accessed by Antennas, Cable, Satellite, Fiber (The county has OMNI fiber) and internet.
Now we can hear music in high quality sound on our cell phones which have been around since the 1880’s and by 2000 have become an integral part of our lifestyle. I have actually started driving to a nearby town, realizing I forgot my cellphone and have turned around and went back home for my phone. I took a survey one day at the senior center in London and over half surveyed have done the same thing.
Live music in Madison County: Open Mic at the American Legion Hall in West Jefferson 3rd Tuesday of each month. Our schools have concerts. There is a brass band in London. Live music is at the Mad Cow Bar & Grill on High Street in London.