THE GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY
by DONNA L. ROOT
Managing Editor, INLAND SEAS, and Head, History, Biography, and
Travel
Division, Cleveland Public Library
To the librarian and book dealer, and
possibly to the historian
and analyst of human nature too, trends
in authorship and in
reading are a subject for interested
examination not without the
lure of the inexplicable. These trends,
although related in their
most obvious expression to the whole
pattern of current events
and the immediate concerns of nations
and individuals, frequently
shape themselves in an unaccountable
direction and take a strong
lusty spurt into hitherto neglected
fields of literature.
Such a healthy growth has appeared in
recent years in Ameri-
can and Canadian history concerned with
the Great Lakes. If
writers have accounted for it, their
solutions have not come to my
attention, but it has been accompanied
so closely and simultane-
ously in our experience in the Cleveland
Public Library with a
new, vital reader and research interest
that it is difficult to say
which is the cause, which the effect. It
was because of our aware-
ness of the growing, spreading, many
faceted, widely varied in-
terest of a large group of people in the
Great Lakes area and be-
cause of their need for expression of
this interest that the Great
Lakes Historical Society was born.
It may well be that this budding of
another new historical so-
ciety is part and parcel of the growing
pains of an America newly
become aware and prideful of her
historic past. In our own time
two wars of world-wide participation,
along with world revolu-
tions, bloody or bloodless, which have
altered irrevocably our
political and social thinking, plus the
change of pace of accelerated
communication via radio and airplane,
have brought an awareness
179
180
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL
QUARTERLY
of the making of history to all and most
significantly to young
Americans.
It is common knowledge that successive
decades have seen a
shift in historical treatment and in the
change of emphasis in the
work of our historians and research
scholars. From an interest
purely in remote historical events and
the records of wars engaged
in and battles lost or won, history
writers have turned to the study
of men in relation to their times, the
impact of economic and so-
cial conditions on human behavior
leading to the growth and de-
cline of nations. For the modern
student, history happily has
ceased to be the mere record of dates of
remote occurrences or the
bewildering epic of diplomatic intrigues
of monarchs and men.
In America we are growing up and turning
with proper pride
to the examination and preservation of
our richly varied past.
Not only the history of the United
States as a nation but the inti-
mate stories of her cities, towns,
villages, and the people who live
in all these communities of her valleys,
plains, mountains, and lakes
have been reappraised and woven into
human and realistic his-
tory. Perhaps the huge metropolitan
growth of vast and imper-
sonal living centers has augmented this
trend. City-bred children
must learn vicariously what the farm or
small-town boy learned at
first hand concerning neighbors' lives,
his community's civic prob-
lems, the local economics of the country
store, the influence of
weather, crops, and geographical
location and their interrelation-
ship which make history. Today the
understanding of history
needs to be brought close to personal
experience through the study
of the men and women who were our
ancestors, how they earned
their living, how they dressed, ate,
thought, played, traveled,
voted, what they read, thought,
said,--in short all that the study
of local history reveals.
The increase lately of many new local
history societies and
museums is evidence that this concern
with the social approach to
history has outgrown the classroom and
the sphere of the research
student, turning from pedantry to
popular interest. Much has
been written on the subject of the
evolution of old settlers' asso-
ciations and local patriotic societies
into local or regional historical
societies and, too, the frequency and
popularity of the celebration
GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY 181
of historical anniversaries is spurring
pride in local history. The
increase of recreational travel has had
its effect too. Many a
small community has rescued an historic
site from oblivion or
opened a little museum to catch the
stream of tourist dollars, a
not unworthy motive since the
by-products are community pride
and welfare, consolidation of group
interests, and civic develop-
ment. History itself benefits from the
impetus given to the preser-
vation of original sources by such
societies.
No group has done more to "aid and
abet" the growth of
local historical interest than the
American Association for State
and Local History whose stated purpose
is "to coordinate the
efforts of both institutions and
individuals interested in state,
provincial and local history and to
serve as the central clearing
house in this field." Through their
series of useful bulletins and
their program of support new historical
societies may receive
great help and encouragement.
The story of the origin of the Great
Lakes Historical Society
is evidence that a local, or, as in this
case, regional, historical so-
ciety can start almost spontaneously
when a way is opened to
channel the natural strong interests of
a group. It is a curious and
amazing fact that, in spite of the wide
interest throughout all the
bordering states and Canadian provinces
in Great Lakes history,
shipping, yachting, and scientific
research among the hundreds of
people who derive their living from and
find their recreation on
the Great Lakes, no single organization
had previously been formed
to bring these people together and
coordinate their interests.
Several factors brought about the
sponsorship of the Great
Lakes Historical Society by the
Cleveland Public Library. The
present Director of the Library,
Clarence S. Metcalf, himself long
interested in the Lakes, observed the
lack of availability of source
materials for students of Great Lakes
history, together with a uni-
versal unawareness on the part of the
general public of the vital
part the Great Lakes have played,
specifically, in the development
of Cleveland and generally, in the
history of the North American
continent. To bring before Clevelanders
in visual form the color-
ful history of the Great Lakes from the
days of the French ex-
plorers to the era of iron ore and the
empire of steel, Metcalf con-
GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY 183
ceived the idea of a Great Lakes Exhibit
in which the Cleveland
Public Library, private collectors,
Great Lakes shipping companies,
and our distinguished Western Reserve
Historical Society could
share.
We installed this exhibit in the winter
of 1942 and found that
the cordial and cooperative response
from individuals and organi-
zations alike exceeded our expectations.
The public response was
great and wide flung. Although planned
as a local affair, word
spread and many visitors came from out
of town to see the dis-
play. Being primarily a library affair,
the backbone of the exhibit
was a selection of rare books of
history, travel, and transportation
on the Great Lakes. To this we added a
wide variety of loaned
objects ranging from a Sperry
gyrocompass to samples of the
ship-in-a-bottle craft, and including
paintings, ships' logs, original
manuscripts, all sorts of ship relics,
maps, charts, and a special
display of lighthouses and life-saving
equipment lent by the United
States Coast Guard.
Visitors were not content to look and
depart but sought some-
one with whom to discuss their own lake
experiences. Long after
the exhibit was removed inquiries were
received from disappointed
callers. From the obvious desire of so
many people to share their
common enthusiasm and from the library's
observation of the
lack of coordinated information as to
historical sources and the
rich untapped original sources of
history in the minds and posses-
sions of men who themselves had made
Great Lakes history, came
the Great Lakes Historical Society.
There is much precedent for close
relationship between
libraries and historical societies.
Frequently they are housed in
the same building, often, as in Trenton,
New Jersey, being affiliated
and working with the library with the
book collections merged.
Sometimes, as in Detroit, the library of
the historical society is a
division of the public library, while
the society's museum is main-
MARBLEHEAD LIGHTHOUSE. One of the most
graceful lights on
Lake Erie as well as one of the oldest,
Marblehead Light was constructed
in 1821 to mark the entrance to Sandusky
Bay. It is a tapering, 90-foot
tower, built of heavy stone.
184 OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL
QUARTERLY
tained separately. In the State of New York the law requires
every town and city to have a city
historian. In Rochester, where
this position is financed by the
Rochester Public Library, it may be
assumed that the Historian is virtually
on the library stiff. The
Librarian of the Toledo Public Library
is also Librarian of the
Historical Society of Northwestern Ohio,
and there are many other
examples of close association of
official and non-official organiza-
tions in the interrelation of state
historical associations with state
departments of archives and history. In
the case of the Great
Lakes Historical Society it seemed
logical and mandatory that the
Cleveland Public Library should sponsor
its origin since it had
received so strong an impact of desire
for an expression of Great
Lakes interest. That a historical
society can evolve from specific
interest of the residents in a
dominating geographic feature of a
region is demonstrated in this group.
Actually, the Great Lakes
Historical Society is a regional society
rather than "local" in the
usual limited sense and is essentially a
sponsorship society for the
initiation, stimulation, and promotion
of major activities relative
to its field whereby the local
historical societies of the area may
benefit and grow strong in their own
communities. Its function
aims to be that of a unifying agent for
the many individuals and
groups concerned with various phases of
Great Lakes affairs. It
is hoped that in this way valuable
historical material may be pre-
served in the proper places and made
accessible to all scholars and
writers; also that through this
community of interest the people of
the Great Lakes area may become aware
and justly proud of the
significance of the Lakes in the
development of our country and
Canada and of their contribution to the
whole world through
transportation of resources.
The objectives of the Society are stated
thus:
Promote interest in discovering and
preserving material on the Great
Lakes and the Great Lakes area of the
United States and Canada such as
books, documents, records and objects
relating to the history, geography,
geology, commerce and folklore of the
Great Lakes.
Centralize information regarding such
collections through the co-
operative efforts of local historical
societies and libraries throughout this
area.
Sponsor an inclusive bibliography or
finding list of.materials on Great
GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY 185
Lakes history and historical material
scattered over the entire area and to
be found in public, private and college libraries, in historical societies and
religious institutions of the United
States and Canada.
Publish Inland Seas, a quarterly
bulletin containing articles and
memoranda pertinent to the interests of
The Great Lakes Historical Society
and those interested in the history and
commerce of the Great Lakes.
Encouraged by the quick enthusiastic
response to its initial
meetings, the Great Lakes Historical
Society incorporated in April
1944 as a non-profit organization
sponsored by the Cleveland
Public Library. Its President, who has
served from the beginning,
is Alva Bradley, grandson of
Cleveland's pioneer lake shipper.
The Director of the Library, Metcalf,
was elected Executive Vice
President and the writer was chosen
Secretary. The Board of
Trustees reflects the wide range of
interest of our membership.
Its members are lake captains,
shippers, marine editors, industrial-
ists, college professors, writers, and
members of the Coast Guard,
United States Power Squadron, and Lake
Carriers' Association.
The only requirement for membership is
an interest in the Great
Lakes.
Since the Society's executive officers
are people with full-
time jobs, news of the Society and
membership has spread and
grown primarily by the efforts of the
early members and through
the promotion and circulation of its
quarterly bulletin, Inland Seas.
While further expansion is desirable to
insure the future of the
Society, a break-down of present
membership is unusually in-
teresting considering the specialized
field of interest. The mem-
bers are drawn from 22 states and
Canada, with Ohio, Michigan,
and Illinois leading in order named.
Ninety-eight libraries and 29
associations and historical societies
of the United States belong,
among them the American Antiquarian
Society, the Association
for State and Local History, the
American Geographical Society,
and the National Parks Bureau of
Canada. Business and shipping
firms, yacht clubs, and newspapers are
among the other members.
We owe much to the active interest and
support of the Steamship
Historical Society of America, the
Detroit Marine Historical So-
ciety, the Lake Carriers' Association,
the Cleveland Power Squad-
ron, and the Coast Guard.
186
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
With the return of men from the armed
services, increasing
activities within the Society are taking
place. A new committee
to secure and preserve pictures of lake
ships and ports, old and
new, is getting under way. There is talk
of radio programs and
films and a healthy desire for growth.
Following our stated objectives we have
nearly completed a
bibliography of Great Lakes holdings in
the Cleveland Public
Library and surveyed the libraries of
other lake cities in support
of the plan for an inclusive finding
list. We have supported
numerous lake history projects, among
others the movement in
Erie to preserve the old U.S.S.
Michigan and the start of a marine
museum at Fairport Harbor, Ohio. We have
had exhibits booths
at the Mid-America Exposition and
meetings of Great Lakes asso-
ciations. The Society is becoming a
repository for many docu-
ments, ships' logs, captains' journals,
clippings, pamphlets, publi-
cations, and other printed materials
which are valuable as source
records of Great Lakes history. Plans
are under consideration
whereby these may be permanently cared
for with the cooperation
of the Western Reserve Historical
Society. In the care and han-
dling of this material the Society is
indebted to the staff of the
Cleveland Public Library who also aid in
the hook reviewing for
Inland Seas.
As in other historical societies, the
publication of the bulletin
ranks high in the list of activities. It
is in the pages of Inland
Seas that our members find a common interest. Here they may
record their experiences or- expound
their hobbies. Here we hope
to preserve the permanent record of
Great Lakes affairs; to print
heretofore unpublished historical
manuscripts such as those in the
Burton Collection which the Detroit
Public Library has generously
permitted us to use; to record present
events which will be the
history of the future, as in our Great
Lakes Calendar; and to
tell the many anecdotes, stories, and
legends that are the heritage
of the stalwart men who sail the Lakes.
So deep is the interest of
our members and so generous their
contribution of time and
thought to the Society, that they have
not only contributed valu-
able articles but even suggested make-up
and departments. "Marine
Intelligence of Other Days," which
is a regular feature of Inland
GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY 187
Seas and in which we reprint stories of the Lakes buried in
old
newspapers, was suggested by a Chicago
member who supplies
the material. Our Canadian members are
equally active and their
contributions and interest are
additional proof, if it were needed,
of the neighborliness and similar
concerns of our friends on the
opposite shores, an example of perfect
accord between nations.
The Great Lakes Historical Society has
only a brief past, but,
it is hoped, a brilliant future. The
flow of correspondence across
the desk of the Editor of Inland Seas
bears ample proof that its
membership is spontaneously enthusiastic
in its support and that
the Society is succeeding in the initial
and basic purpose for which
it was conceived, namely to achieve
"public appreciation of the
courage, enterprise and sacrifice of the
people who built up this
great region and for the permanent
preservation of its history."
These are the words of our motto:
"To preserve a great past for a
great future."
THE GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY
by DONNA L. ROOT
Managing Editor, INLAND SEAS, and Head, History, Biography, and
Travel
Division, Cleveland Public Library
To the librarian and book dealer, and
possibly to the historian
and analyst of human nature too, trends
in authorship and in
reading are a subject for interested
examination not without the
lure of the inexplicable. These trends,
although related in their
most obvious expression to the whole
pattern of current events
and the immediate concerns of nations
and individuals, frequently
shape themselves in an unaccountable
direction and take a strong
lusty spurt into hitherto neglected
fields of literature.
Such a healthy growth has appeared in
recent years in Ameri-
can and Canadian history concerned with
the Great Lakes. If
writers have accounted for it, their
solutions have not come to my
attention, but it has been accompanied
so closely and simultane-
ously in our experience in the Cleveland
Public Library with a
new, vital reader and research interest
that it is difficult to say
which is the cause, which the effect. It
was because of our aware-
ness of the growing, spreading, many
faceted, widely varied in-
terest of a large group of people in the
Great Lakes area and be-
cause of their need for expression of
this interest that the Great
Lakes Historical Society was born.
It may well be that this budding of
another new historical so-
ciety is part and parcel of the growing
pains of an America newly
become aware and prideful of her
historic past. In our own time
two wars of world-wide participation,
along with world revolu-
tions, bloody or bloodless, which have
altered irrevocably our
political and social thinking, plus the
change of pace of accelerated
communication via radio and airplane,
have brought an awareness
179