Blowpipes

About the Book

More than 70 glass factories were constructed in northwest Ohio during the gas boom of the 19th century and its aftermath. Due to this tremendous influx of glasshouses, that mostly rural section of The Buckeye State soon was being heralded as “the glass capital of the world.”

The owners of these new facilities had been lured to northwest Ohio by community-sponsored inducements, which included natural gas, free plant sites and, in some cases, cash bonuses. However, when the supply of gas soon waned, most of the factories were forced to close, or move elsewhere. Only five of the original operations would survive into the modern era.

Researched and written by a former executive of a glass company in the area, Blowpipes uses newspaper and trade journal accounts of the day to chronicle each of the 70+ northwest Ohio glasshouses and the men who built them. The book also describes the 19th century glassmaking techniques and discusses the unique roles played by children in the glasshouse.

Blowpipes features more than 40 illustrations of northwest Ohio glass factories and the entrepreneurs behind them.

About the Author

Historian Jack Paquette retired as vice president and assistant to the chairman of Owens-Illlinois after 33 years of service to that company. Author of three other books on the history of the glass industry, he also has written a widely acclaimed memoir about growing up in the Great Depression.