20th Century Military Heritage of Lima, Ohio

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1. Lima Army Tank Plant (Joint Systems Manufacturing Center)

The Lima Army Tank Plant, now known as the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center, was established by the US Army in 1942. It processed over one hundred thousand tanks and other military vehicles between that year and the end of World War II in 1945. The plant was used for demobilized vehicle storage until the Korean Conflict, when it was used for upgrading old vehicles. In 1976, the Lima facility was selected to produce the first M1 Abrams tanks and received a forty-million-dollar renovation. It built over ten thousand M1, M1A1, and M1A2 Abrams until 1996; since that time, it has been used solely to modernize outdated tanks. Though threatened with closure in recent years, the plant is currently still operating and expanding.

2. Lima Locomotive Works (1869-1981)

The Lima Locomotive Works was one of the main three locomotive manufacturers in the United States. Founded in 1869, it began moving production to this site in the 1890s. Lima’s first success was the Shay engine, which took the lumber industry by storm following its design by Ephraim Shay in the 1870s. Lima continued as an innovator and leader in the steam locomotive field, introducing the “Super Power” models—the pinnacle of American steam design—in the 1920s. During World War II, the Lima Locomotive Works manufactured the first M4A1 Sherman tank, as well as over one thousand special military locomotives. Following the war, as the rest of the industry shifted exclusively to diesel-electric engines, Lima continued to focus on steam-power which limited its business prospects. The factory was used to manufacture construction equipment until 1981; it was ultimately demolished in 1998.

3. Armory-LaTisona Building

The Armory-LaTisona Building, located on Lima’s South Main Street, was originally built in 1892 as a home for the Lima Turners Society (or Turnverein) and was known as Turner Hall. The Victorian Romanesque-style brick and stone structure served as the armory for Company C of the Second Infantry, Ohio National Guard, from 1896 until 1913. It was also used as a dance hall and venue for various kinds of entertainment, and these activities made it a target for moralizing politicians such as Lima Mayor Corbin Shook. Since 1913, the building has been home to a boxing club, cigar company (William Tigner’s Son Company, which produced the La Tisona cigar), roller skating pavilion, community recreation center, furniture store, rehabilitation center, and law office (that of Robert Mihlbaugh; the building is often referred to as the Mihlbaugh building). It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Lima Multiple Resource Area under the name Armory-LaTisona Building in 1983.

4. The Servicemen's Free Canteen at Lima, Ohio Historical Marker

The Servicemen’s Free Canteen at the Pennsylvania Railroad Passenger Depot in Lima, Ohio, operated from 1942 to 1970. It was the longest-running service canteen in the country. During that time, the Lima canteen served approximately four million soldiers on one hundred and forty-six thousand trains headed to or from the front in World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam War. Soldiers received hot meals, drinks, and desserts made and donated by families, churches, businesses, and civic groups across a twelve-county region. While the canteen closed on September 12th, 1970, it left a lasting legacy; the Allen County Museum possesses letters and poems written by soldiers thanking the people of Lima for their kindness.

5. The Gramm-Bernstein Motor Truck Company (1910-1930)

Established at this location in 1910, Lima's Gramm-Bernstein Motor Truck Company produced vehicles for two decades, including trucks for the army in World War I. Benjamin Gramm joined with Max Bernstein in 1912 to establish The Gramm-Bernstein Company, later The Gramm-Bernstein Motor Truck Company. Prior to the Great Depression, the company was an innovative leader in its field and met with success in both domestic and international markets. Gramm was known as one of the great leaders of the motorized truck industry in the early 1900s and the Gramm-Bernstein Motor Truck Company manufactured the first Class-B Standardized Military Truck, better known as the “Liberty Truck,” for the army in World War I in 1917. However, sales lagged at the start of the Great Depression and this company, along with scores of other small vehicle manufacturers, went out of business by around 1930.

This Tour is a Driving or Biking Tour.

20th Century Military Heritage of Lima, Ohio

Created by Benjamin Woodard on August 5th 2020, 6:14:07 pm.

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Lima, Ohio, has a long history of supporting and equipping America's troops, especially during the twentieth century. From serving in the town's own Ohio National Guard unit at the local Armory, manufacturing the first Liberty Truck in World War I and the first M4 Sherman tank in World War II, feeding millions of soldiers and sailors from the country's longest-serving military canteen, or working in America's only tank plant, the people of Lima have demonstrated their patriotic dedication to helping servicemen and women for decades.

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20th Century Military Heritage of Lima, Ohio

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