George Bartholomew (inventor)

George Wells Bartholomew Jr. (August 24, 1848 – March 1, 1933) was an American inventor who is credited with the invention of concrete pavement.

Early life and education

Bartholomew was born in Bristol, Connecticut, the son of George W. Bartholomew Sr. and Angeline Ives Bartholomew. His father was a clock manufacturer.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> He learned about cement production in Germany and San Antonio, Texas.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Career

Bartholomew owned a hardware store in Austin, Texas.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1886, Bartholomew moved to Bellefontaine, Ohio, after having learned about cement production. Bartholomew found a good source of limestone and clay in the area; from this, he hoped to create an artificial stone for paving. Bartholomew founded the Buckeye Portland Cement Company and set about developing a new cement for pavement.<ref name=":1" /> His company created a town, Marl City, Ohio, now deserted.<ref name=":0" />

In 1891, the Bellefontaine city council approved the use of Bartholomew's invention for paving a test strip on Main Street outside the Logan County courthouse. This experiment proved successful, and the council approved the pavement of Court Avenue.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite book</ref>

Monument to the first Portland cement street ever, Bellefontaine, Ohio.

Bartholomew was honored for his invention at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois in 1893. His award was titled, "First Place for Engineering Technology Advancement in Paving Materials." This award lent credibility to Bartholomew's technique, and it was quickly adopted throughout the United States and internationally.<ref name=":1" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Bartholomew moved to Colorado by 1910,<ref>1910 United States census, via Ancestry.</ref> where he worked for Colorado Portland Cement Company.<ref name=":0" />

Personal life and legacy

Barstow married Hettie Julia Cole before 1880. They had sons Linn, Tracy, and Richard, and daughter Grace and Lucy.<ref>1880 and 1900 United States censuses, via Ancestry.</ref> His eldest son, Linn, died in Puerto Rico in 1918.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Barstow died in 1933, in St. Petersburg, Florida, at the age of 84.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In Bellefontaine, a section of Court Avenue remains paved today with Bartholomew's formula, celebrated as the first concrete paved street in America.<ref name=":2" /> The street section was restored in 1962.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1991, the city of Bellefontaine hosted a centennial celebration for Bartholomew's successful street paving.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> They erected a statue of Bartholomew and held a parade; Bartholomew's grandson George A. Bartholomew gave a speech to dedicate the statue.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>