3. The Hess and Clark Factory – 10 E. 7th Street, Ashland, Ohio

The Hess and Clark company began in 1893 when Dr. Gilbert Hess and J.L. Clark formed a partnership. The pair produced and sold veterinarian pharmaceuticals. In 1915, local Ashland Historian Will Duff wrote that the Hess and Clark Co. has many successes including, ““The three story plant covers two-and-a-half actress of floor space. The goods are marketed in every state in the Union and all of the Dominion of Canada. It employs 250 people with 30 salesmen on the road. Branch houses in Sacramento, California; Portland, Oregon, Regina, Saskatchewan; and Hamilton, Ontario. They have their own printing plant. More than 4,000,000 personal letters were mailed last year to stock and poultry dealers representing $60,000 in postage. (1914) Thirty-three carloads of goods were distributed as free samples.”
Both Dr. Hess and J.L. Clark gave back so much to the community including scholarships for students and Samaritan Hospital.
The old office and factory buildings still stand on E. 7th Street where Hess and Clark Inc. was located until 1990. Over the last 20 years the buildings have become more dilapidated and in need of repair. On March 13, 2009, Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company of Louisiana took control of the property. In June 2010 the entire property was sold for $30,000, an absolute steal when the assessed value is just over $330,000.
The problem is that even with instant equity to help in the refurbishment of the Hess and Clark office and factory, it will take major investment, time, and commitment. The complex was purchased not by an individual but an investment company from outside of Ashland. Just like the old schools in Ohio, most people would rather build new than update and refurbish the infrastructure that we already have. We can only hope they see Hess and Clark as an anchor in our community and desire to refurbish the building rather than level it.