This Ohio-Made Lightbulb Has Been Shining For Over A Century

Plus: 🏨 Lost History Of Columbus: Hotel Fort Hayes

Author

Chelsea Wiley
February 11, 2026

Sponsored by PromoWest 🎸
No one does live music in Columbus quite like PromoWest. They’ve got some fantastic shows coming up, including The Runarounds, YUNGBLUD, The Mountain Goats, and more. To see what’s on the calendar, or to grab tickets to a show, head over to promowestlive.com.

Hello, Wednesday! Chelsea, here.

Think about how much Ohio has changed in the last 125 years. Factories have opened and closed, cities have grown and reinvented themselves, and entire industries have come and gone. But one thing built here at the turn of the 20th century is still quietly doing its job. The world’s longest-burning light bulb was made in Shelby, Ohio, and it has been glowing since 1901. Here’s the story behind the little piece of Buckeye State history that refuses to burn out.

🏨 Lost History Of Columbus: Hotel Fort Hayes
Before it was replaced by a parking lot, Hotel Fort Hayes was one of the most glamorous addresses in Columbus, complete with a Crystal Ballroom and art from Sarah Bernhardt’s estate. Here’s a look back at the 1924 landmark that brought old world elegance to West Spring Street before disappearing in the 1970s.

Headlines 📰 

🖼️ Columbus artist David Butler curated “F’Reel” at All People Arts as a celebration of nostalgia in Black film, creating a space for joy and healing after a season of personal grief. Inspired in part by his lifelong love of “The Last Dragon,” the group exhibition invites artists to reflect on cinematic memories that center community, culture and escapism. (Matter News)

❓Before World War II, the pro-Hitler German American Bund built chapters across parts of Ohio, but did it ever take root in Columbus? A new look at the city’s history explores why the extremist group struggled to gain a foothold here while it grew in places like Cleveland and Cincinnati. (WOSU)

🏀 After more than 40 years of officiating, one recent game meant more than the rest for Bill Cain. For the first time, three generations of the Cain family worked the same court together, turning a regular matchup into a milestone moment decades in the making. (10TV)

🌥️ Weather: 34 and mostly cloudy

Sponsored by the Greater Columbus Arts Council 🖼️
Explore Columbus through a new lens by checking out the arts-focused event calendar from Art Makes Columbus. Discover the events that bring our community together and experience art made authentically. For more info, head over to columbusmakesart.com.

Coming Up This Week 📆

Coming Up This Month 📆

🏒 The Best Things To Do This February In Columbus
Columbus is buzzing this February. Whether you’re into live music, sports, theater, winter hikes, or family-friendly fun, the city has plenty of ways to get out and make the most of the month.

Today's Photo 🤳

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🌳 Ohio just got a new state nature preserve: Fort Hill Earthworks in Highland County. The site features old-growth forests, dolomite cliffs, rare species, and a 2,000-year-old Hopewell earthwork.

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- Chelsea