Description: Dated ca. 1935-1940, this photograph shows City Hall in Celina, Ohio, in the Main Street Commercial District. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F05_39_001
Subjects: City halls; Celina (Ohio); Public buildings; Architecture
Places: Celina (Ohio); Mercer County (Ohio)
 

Description: This postcard of the water works building in Celina, Ohio was sent in 1910. The water works was built in 1895. Water for the city was obtained from wells before being processed at the water works. The electricity plant, built in 1900, is the building on the right. The postcard measures 3.5" x 5" (8.89 x 12.7 cm). View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3129_3922865_003
Subjects: Ohio Government; Waterworks
Places: Celina (Ohio); Mercer County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph of two boys learning about tomato plants from an older farmer. Caption reads: "Garden Club Highland Park." It is not certain which Highland Park this photograph was taken in, but it seems likely it was taken in Celina, Ohio, north of State Route 703. Ohio is the country's fifth largest producer of fresh and processed tomatoes, after California, Florida, Georgia and Virginia. As of 2001, the annual output was more than 500 million pounds, mainly grown in Fulton, Ottawa, Putnam, Sandusky and Wood Counties. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B06F05_014_1
Subjects: Agriculture--Ohio--History--20th century; Crops; Tomatoes--Harvesting
Places: Celina (Ohio); Mercer County (Ohio)
 

Description: This postcard of city hall in Celina, Ohio was sent in 1910. City hall was built in 1890 of brick with red sandstone trim. In addition to the mayor's office, council chambers, and other city offices, the building housed the City Opera House and the fire department. The postcard measures 3.5" x 5" (8.89 x 12.7 cm). View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3129_3832135_002
Subjects: Ohio Government; Architecture; Arts and Entertainment; City & town halls; Opera houses
Places: Celina (Ohio); Mercer County (Ohio)
 

Description: This postcard documents the Mercer County jail in Celina, Ohio. Built in 1875 near the county courthouse, the jail also included a sheriff's residence. In 1939 the building was razed and a new jail was built. The postcard measures 3.5" x 5" (8.89 x 12.7 cm). View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3129_3832141_004
Subjects: Ohio Government; Architecture; Jails; Houses
Places: Celina (Ohio); Mercer County (Ohio)
 

Description: This is a photograph showing a reservoir, which is a lake used to store water. The description beneath the photograph reads: "Wall at West End of Grand Reservoir| Celina, O." The attached description located on the back of the page reads: "PHOTOGRAPH No. 28.| GRAND RESERVOIR WALL.| Wall at west end of Grand Reservoir at Celina, Ohio. A public highway parallels the lake at this point. Said wall does not have any hand rail, the lack of which is a menace to traffic. The department recommends the construction of a pipe hand rail along the entire length of this wall." This photograph is part of a series taken by the Board of the Ohio Department of Public Works to document the disrepair of the infrastructure of the Ohio and Erie Canal and Miami-Erie Canal systems in 1916, showing the physical condition of each structure. The Ohio Department of Public Works is one of the oldest departments of state government in continuous existence. Among its other duties, this department was charged with maintenance and administration of the Ohio & Erie and Miami-Erie Canals. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA936AV_B01_028
Subjects: Waterworks; Bridges; Canals; Rivers; Lakes & ponds; Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development
Places: Celina (Ohio); Mercer County (Ohio)
 

Description: This postcard of North Main St. in Celina, Ohio, was sent in 1912. It measures 3.5" x 5" (8.89 x 12.7 cm). View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3129_3832129_001
Subjects: Business and Labor; Roads; Cityscapes
Places: Celina (Ohio); Mercer County (Ohio)
 

Description: Two photographs show boats in the marina at Grand Lake St. Marys in Mercer and Auglaize counties. Grand Lake St. Marys was the largest man-made lake in the world when it was built in 1845. The 13,500-acre lake was built to feed water into the Miami-Erie Canal when water levels fell below five feet. The lake took seven years to build and includes fifty miles of shoreline. It became a state park in 1949. The photographs measure 2.75" x 2.75" (6.99 x 6.99 cm). View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3036_3654652_001
Subjects: Transportation; Arts and Entertainment; Geography and Natural Resources; Boats; Lakes & ponds
Places: Celina (Ohio); Mercer County (Ohio); Auglaize County (Ohio)
 

Description: Northwood lighthouse, shown in this photograph, is located on the north shore of the Grand Lake St. Marys between St. Marys and Celina. The lighthouse was built in 1923 and is currently inactive. The photograph measures 8" x 10" (20.32 x 25.4 cm). Grand Lake St. Marys was the largest man-made lake in the world when it was built in 1845. The 13,500-acre lake was built to feed water into the Miami-Erie Canal when water levels fell below five feet. The lake took seven years to build and includes fifty miles of shoreline. It became a state park in 1949. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3180_4412105_001
Subjects: Transportation; Geography and Natural Resources; Lakes & ponds; Lighthouses
Places: St. Marys (Ohio); Auglaize County (Ohio); Celina (Ohio); Mercer County (Ohio)
 

Description: The Mercer County Courthouse was completed in 1923 by architect Peter M. Hulsken of Lima, Ohio. It represents Neoclassical architecture, has a stained-glass dome and feature figures from Greek mythology in a frieze that border the top floor of the rotunda. This building replaced one that had become too small and lacked modern conveniences such as electricity, telephones, heating and means of sanitation. This image shows the building's cornerstone. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV101_B01F05_327
Subjects: Courthouses--Ohio; columns (architectural elements); Neoclassical
Places: Celina (Ohio); Mercer County (Ohio); 101 N. Main St.
 

Description: The Mercer County Courthouse was completed in 1923 by architect Peter M. Hulsken of Lima, Ohio. It represents Neoclassical architecture, has a stained-glass dome and feature figures from Greek mythology in a frieze that border the top floor of the rotunda. This building replaced one that had become too small and lacked modern conveniences such as electricity, telephones, heating and means of sanitation. This image shows the building's front and side facades. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV101_B01F05_326
Subjects: Courthouses--Ohio; columns (architectural elements); Neoclassical
Places: Celina (Ohio); Mercer County (Ohio); 101 N. Main St.
 

Description: The Mercer County Courthouse was completed in 1923 by architect Peter M. Hulsken of Lima, Ohio. It represents Neoclassical architecture, has a stained-glass dome and feature figures from Greek mythology in a frieze that border the top floor of the rotunda. This building replaced one that had become too small and lacked modern conveniences such as electricity, telephones, heating and means of sanitation. This image shows the building's rotunda. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV101_B01F05_328
Subjects: Courthouses--Ohio; columns (architectural elements); Neoclassical
Places: Celina (Ohio); Mercer County (Ohio); 101 N. Main St.