Visit Westerville

State Street on the Move

3C Through Time

By Artist Linda Shepard

Mural Location: Westerville City Hall | 21 S. State Street                                                                                                                                                             Located in the Via between City Hall & Jimmy V's Restaurant 

3C Through Time tells the story of the historically significant 3C Highway which connects Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. Archival photos from the collection of the Westerville Historical Society provide a backdrop of the architecture of historic State Street through the decades. Photos were manipulated in Photoshop to create a wide-angle design with consistent perspective that shows the highway starting out muddy, then plank, then brick with rail, and finally paved as it is today. The Model Ts, Trolley car, and 1954 Ford Fairlane were also photographed on State Street in their respective eras. A 24x48” print was mounted to a board and an archival surface was created for the artist to paint with oil paints. The finished painting was then scanned for reproduction on vinyl.

Linda Shepard is a representational artist living and working in central Ohio who never outgrew her childhood dream of being an artist—even after a few detours along the way. From hairdresser to Air Force wife to mom, Linda eventually found her way back to art, studying fine art and graphic design and embracing a philosophy rooted in experimentation, storytelling, and thoughtful composition.

Her work celebrates curiosity, bold attempts, and the beauty of discovery—sometimes through glorious failures that lead to something new. Featured in numerous national juried exhibitions and award-winning competitions, Linda creates from her “happy place” and hopes her art helps others discover joyful places of their own.

Learn more about Linda at shepardartstudio.com

Westerville’s primary north-south corridor–Route 3 or State Street–was once a swampy, muddy, unpaved road. In 1854, the Blendon Plank Company first attempted to improve it with eight miles of three-inch thick, eight-inch wide wooden boards, forming a “plank road” toll route between Westerville and Columbus. By 1894, the plank road deteriorated, and tolls were discontinued.

The same route hosted the interurban streetcar line, which ran from 1895 through 1929. Westerville residents traveled from Uptown to Minerva Park or downtown Columbus. The Westerville Line was sometimes called the Green Line for its green cars.

The Green Line closed as automobiles became popular. 1924 marked the official opening of the 3C Highway, which connected Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland through Westerville. The streets were bricked in 1901 and eventually paved for ease of travel. Westerville’s first traffic light was installed in 1926 at Main and State.