Golden Bear Keepsake

Each of these bears is unique, from the physical characteristics of the wood to the thickness and size of the figure (approx. 4.5” x 2.75”). All are strongly connected to Upper Arlington. Why?

The HISTORIC BARN Wood.

The wood used to create this keepsake is likely 200 years old and from a barn that originally sat near the corner of today’s Fishinger and Reed roads.

In the early-to-mid 1800s, a barn was constructed on the Legg family farm of hand-hewn, local, virgin-growth oak timbers and was approximately 20’ x 30’ in size.

This structure was later moved to the McCoy farm on Lane Road — near today’s Lane Road Library — after the McCoy’s barn burned down. Using salvaged timbers, the barn’s footprint increased to 36’ x 48’. Up through the 1960s, the barn was used to sell eggs and shelter livestock.

In the late 2000s, the barn was saved from demolition through a partnership of the UA Historical Society, City of UA, UA Community Foundation, Friends of Ohio Barns, Timber Framer Guild, the then-owners of the Lane Road property, and a fundraising campaign. The frame was dismantled, labeled and stored to use as the core of the Amelita Mirolo Barn at Sunny 95 Park. Today the historic beams are displayed prominently within the event space. The historic wood remnants from that construction remained in the City’s storage facilities until now.

Due to naturally occurring variations in the wood, no two of these bears will be exactly alike!

The iconic UA Shape.

Upper Arlington’s high school mascot, the Golden Bear, has so permeated the culture of our community, in 2020 it became the central image on our city’s flag.

Read the history of how we became the Golden Bears on the developing UA History Trail website or visit the sign on the History Walk at Northam Park.

The CRAFTSMENSHIP BY UAHS STUDENTS.

Dana Schoenleb’s UAHS Engineering Technology students stepped up to the challenge of crafting this keepsake.

Using new classroom equipment, Jack Hyer, Maddy Kline, and Parker McGuinty spent many volunteer hours perfecting the process. Each slice of wood from the historic remnants is distinctive. Each keepsake bears the personalized touch from the individual laser cuts.

The Society is grateful beyond measure to Mr. Schoenleb and these students for their persistence, dedication, and sense of humor throughout this process!