East Fultonham in Muskingum County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Safety Follows Wisdom

Portland Cement Association Safety Trophy

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 28, 2008

1. Safety Follows Wisdom Marker

Inscription. Awarded Columbia Cement Division, Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co., for a Perfect Safety Record in 1931.

Reawarded for a Perfect Safety Record in
1935 1956 1966 1974
1947 1958 1969 1975
1948 1960 1970
1950 1961 1971
1951 1965 1972
1952

Erected 1931 by Portland Cement Association.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the "Safety Follows Wisdom" Portland Cement Association Safety Trophies series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1931.

Location. 39° 51.669′ N, 82° 6.788′ W. Marker is in East Fultonham, Ohio, in Muskingum County. It is at the intersection of U.S. 22 and Old Town Road, on the right when traveling east on U.S. 22. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: East Fultonham OH 43735, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this

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marker is in the American Midwest,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Birthplace of Thomas A. Hendricks (approx. 0.9 miles away); Nelson McCoy Pottery Company (approx. 4.6 miles away); Headley Inn (approx. 6.4 miles away); Smith House & Farm (approx. 6.4 miles away); G.A.R. Soldiers and Sailors Monument (approx. 6.9 miles away); Nelson T. Gant House (approx. 7.3 miles away); 1865 (approx. 7½ miles away); 1863 (approx. 7½ miles away).

Another marker is no longer nearby. Nelson T. Gant House (was approx. 7.3 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

More about this marker. Near identical markers, also erected starting in the mid-1920s, still stand in many small cement communities around America. The practice of awarding these

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 28, 2008

2. Safety Follows Wisdom Marker

To the right of the marker is the entrance to what remains of the Columbia Cement plant, which is about 500 meters SSE of the marker, along the western bank of Jonathan Creek.

monuments was abandoned during the 1980s, when costs became prohibitive.

Regarding Safety Follows Wisdom. Columbia Cement Plant was abandoned sometime after 1975, date unknown.

The first “Safety Follows Wisdom” Trophy (or Monument) was awarded to the San Antonio Portland Cement Company in San Antonio, Texas during the Associations Spring Meeting in May 1924. Prior to 1923, a competition was held to create the “Safety Follows Wisdom” design, and the winner was a small team of artists from the Art Institute in Chicago working under the guidance of well-known sculptor, Albin Polasek. That same safety design is still used in the Safety Awards presented today.

Also see . . . An article about these monuments in Public Sculpture in New Jersey. "...the classical relief on the face of the monument...was dominated by the allegorical figure of Wisdom. Wisdom is depicted as a nude female figure, probably intended to represent Athena, holding a lighted lamp from antiquity. She is followed by a nude male figure representing Safety. He carries a rudimentary cogwheel. The entire composition is carefully balanced

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and simply rendered. Despite the essentially utilitarian purpose of these monuments, they possess a quiet dignity and formal grace..." (Submitted on October 3, 2008.)

Credits. This page was last revised on January 21, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 2, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 4,235 times since then and 71 times this year. It was the Marker of the Week November 30, 2008. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 2, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.