OHMAT
&
Blue Tip match Factory
History
Originally Built in 1895 the match factory had an ironic and unfortunate surprise - a story told through post cards
Date 1895: Building 1 – The first warehouse on Garfield Street completely burnt down
Garfield Street was sparsely populated with homes built by the Match Factory as were many other homes in Wadsworth. The Match Factory needed a reliable work force living nearby!
Date 1907: Buildings 3 & 4 – The difference between the size of Building 1 and Buildings 3 & 4 is astonishing, as are the technological and industrial advances
One addition was a fully serviced train track that led into the rail arch in the center of building 4 to carry raw materials like lumber and coal
Date 1911: Buildings 3, 3A, 5, 5A – Additional storage and manufacturing space added along with a main entrance facing Main St
This photo is taken east of main street directly facing the front of the Match Factory
You can see the coal towers actively burning, the Match Factory made so much power that they sold electricty back to the city!
Date 1911: Building 8 – A rear view perspective showing Building 9, a massive 250,000 sq ft storage and operations facility
Most warehouse floors were completely filled with match-making machinery
Date 1915: Buildings 8 & 4 – The front side view of where building 8 connects to the other buildings through building 4
A train delivering coal is visible, heading to the rail arch in Building 4
The alternate train tracks are visible in the arial view, these trains would have material to be used or refined
Date ~1922: Arial view sketched onto a postcard of the entire complex in her glory. Additions include: Building 9 on the far left, sheds 1-4 in the back, the drying racks surrounding them, and the rest of the unseen buildings seen behind buildings 3A, 5 and 5A
The pond in the back is also visible, which drains a creek from Mills Street to State Street
A Look Inside
Dates: ~1915 – 1945: These photos are taken during World War I and World War II. Matches played an important role in many facets of life by this time, and were especially convenient for soldiers
A Not So Distant Past
Date 1980: Building Unknown – An alternate view of the picture in 1911. The complex is almost completely unchanged, seven years before the Match Factory closed and OHMAT opened
Date 1990: Arial View of Campus – In 1990, after three years of tearing down old Match Factory equipment, and dividing space to section for tenants; the buildings ??? were demolished to allow the northside lot be furnished with docks for loading and unloading
The remaining buildings are marked with their numbers’ , including the sheds rarely seen in the back.
A Walk Down Memory Lane
Credit to the Youtube Channel – Dwight Bowman
This exemplary compilation of videos taken circa 1955 illustrate the daily life of the Ohio Match Factory employees
Fundamental changes from the modern Ohmat Campus are noticeable as well
Many different processes including: Loading, Unloading, Cutting, Dipping, Conveyers working, Paper Working and Cutting, and other fundamental match making processes are seen in full color!
Thank you for viewing this website, it was a labor of love to get the way I wanted. I hope you find OHMAT and the Match Factory as interesting as I do.
– Brady
Leasing affordable space for
Manufacturing and Warehousing since 1987
Visit Us
- 254 Main Street Wadsworth Ohio
- (330)-335-1531
- OHMAT@254main.com
OPENING HOURS
- Monday - Friday:
- 7:00AM - 4:00PM
-
- Security
- Monday - Friday
- 4:00PM - 7:00AM
-
- Saturday - Sunday
- 24hrs
Leasing affordable space for
Manufacturing and Warehousing since 1987
Visit Us
- 254 Main Street Wadsworth Ohio
- (330)-335-1531
- OHMAT@254main.com
OPENING HOURS
- Monday - Friday:
- 7:00AM - 4:00PM
-
- Security
- Monday - Friday
- 4:00PM - 7:00AM
-
- Saturday - Sunday
- 24hrs