Business View Magazine | August 2019

54 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE AUGUST 2019 moved the museum here to downtown New Bremen. They have 200 to 300 bicycles on display at a time and constantly rotate it, so you can visit the museum six times a year and not see the same bikes. They have, what is believed to be, the very first bicycle ever made, and many items that came from Robin Williams’ personal collection – it’s a very interesting place.” Burkholder: “In St. Marys, we have the largest manmade lake in the state of Ohio. Grand Lake St. Marys is about 13,500 acres and it’s a real fishing hot spot. We’re known for our crappie, so, from spring to fall, we have fishing tournaments that attract anglers from across the states; there’s a world-class campground attached to it. We have a lot of good outdoor recreational opportunities throughout the county.” Myers: “When we talk about having the largest man-made lake, you almost have to explain why. Grand Lake St. Marys was built in the 1840s as an enormous reservoir for the Miami and Erie Canal that connected the Ohio River with Lake Erie. Much of that canal is still in existence in Auglaize County – you can tour it and it’s quite an attraction, itself, in New Bremen and St. Marys. Both the canal and the lake draw many tourists for their recreational and hiking activities.” BVM: Do you have downtown districts being revitalized? Myers: “The Wapakoneta Downtown Partnership is an organization dedicated to increasing the occupancy and viability of our historic downtown. The entire 65 buildings downtown are on the National Register of Historic Places. As a district, we’ve had great success; about 98 percent occupancy with 70 upper-story apartments currently occupied. The downtown district is on the Auglaize River and, later this summer, we’re kicking off a $2.5 million enhancement project, which will put walking/biking trails along the river, a new events pavilion, and public restrooms, to provide a better river corridor experience. “And in downtown New Bremen, Crown Corp. has restored many of the historic buildings so well that people come here and think it might be a movie