Editorialana. 417
who are interested in this work. The
undersigned committee will be
glad to receive suggestions concerning
speakers, lists of names and ad-
dresses of history workers, details
concerning local history organizations
and patriotic societies, and any other
sources of information that will
assist in rendering the conference a
success. Address communications
to Frank P. Goodwin, 3435 Observatory
Place, Cincinnati, Ohio."
HOW GOVERNOR MEIGS GOT HIS NAME.
Where did the parents of Return Jonathan
Meigs get the name?
This question has been asked innumerable
times by Ohioans, in looking
over the list of names of Ohio governors
in early days. Possibly there
is no accurate information on the
subject, but General Zeigler, visitors'
attendant at the state house, tells, a
story of the matter which he says
he secured from relatives of the dead
governor.
According to this story the elder
Jonathan Meigs, father of Return
Jonathan, was very much in love with a
charming girl down in Con-
necticut. He asked her hand in marriage
one evening. The lass looked
calmly into the big open fire place, and
measured in her mind the worth
of the young man. Jonathan Meigs is a
young lawyer, of good family,
as well off in this world's goods as any
of the other men of the com-
munity, but he lacks something. What was
it? Vinegar? That's it.
He lacked spirit. So, pressed for an
answer, she told Jonathan that she
would think of him as a very dear
brother. Flushing, Jonathan Meigs
arose, picked up his hat and cane and
started out without a word. Why
be in such a hurry?" the maiden
called. But the slam of the door was
the only answer. "Why, he has a
temper after all," she said aloud, and
rushed to the door just in time to see
the old gate slammed shut so
violently that the wooden hinges split
apart. "Return Jonathan Meigs,"
she cried. Jonathan returned, a wedding
followed and the first child
born was named Return Jonathan Meigs,
and later he became the
fourth governor of Ohio.
Meigs was one of the war governors of
the state, serving during
the war of 1812. He resigned his office
as governor to become postmaster
general of the United States. Othniel
Looker, of Hamilton county, com-
pleted his term.
CRAWFORD MASSACRE ANNIVERSARY.
On June 11th, the Pioneer Association of
Wyandot county held
its anniversary of the CRAWFORD
massacre. Several hundred people
gathered in the picturesque grove, on
the banks of the historic Tymoch-
tee, but a few hundred feet from the
monument erected to the memory
of the martyr Colonel William CRAWFORD,
who gave up his life in the
cause of the advancement of white
civilization on June 11, 1782. The
*Vol. XVI.-27.
418 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
exercises of the day were presided over
by Mr. Emil Schlup, retiring
president of the Pioneer Association.
The election of the officers for
the ensuing year resulted in the
selection of Mr. Amos Nye as president
and of the re-election of Mr. Mark Karr
as secretary. An interesting
program
of music and speeches was successfully carried out. Music
was furnished by the Adrian Cornet Band,
composed of E. K. Ewing,
Eugene Ewing, Fred Ewing, Thomas
Reardan, Fort Presler, Burt Al-
lion, Derf Ringheisen, Earl Snyder,
George Myers, Karl Truby, Ralph
Green and C. C. Haines; and the Carey
Male Quartette, composed of
Jesse Stombaugh, J. D. Ewing, R. D. Hilty
and W. L. Baker.
Interesting reminiscences of "ye
olden tymes" were given by Presi-
dent Nye, Mr. H. K. Inman, Postmaster
Hiram Miller of Wharton, Mr.
F. L. Feltus of McCutchenville, Captain
A. P. Cutting of Kenton, Rev.
T. J. Carey of Wharton and the venerable
Isaac Burke of Crawford,
whose memory went back to the days of
the "Indians, rattlesnakes and
blacksnakes of the Tymochtee"; in
his boyhood days Mr. Burke spoke
the Indian language and became
acquainted with many Indians, visited
and transacted business with them and
the following Indians were some
of his personal friends: Big Solomon,
Little Chief, Charles, Fider, George
Wright, Armstrong, Peacock, Mud-Eater,
Stuckey, Grey-Eyes, Between-
the-Logs, John Seneca, Warpole, Spybuck,
Guard, Mononcue, Bullhead,
Porcupine, Bigelow, Walker, James, and
Deer. Mr. Burke "was raised
on Tymochtee Creek and always loved to
live on its banks; in its earlier
days it was considered one of the best
streams in the state, but it is
different now, being damaged by oil and
salt water."
The speakers of the day were Hon. Grant
Mouser, member of
Congress from that district, and Mr.
Randall, the Secretary of the Ohio
State Archaeological and Historical
Society. Mr. Mouser made an elo-
quent address on the marvelous growth of
our country and its present
prosperity. The Secretary of this
Society dwelt upon the historic events
of Ohio, the various races contending
for supremacy in the Ohio Valley
and the bitter contest between the white
and the red people.
It was a day long to be remembered by
those who were fortunate
enough to be present.
WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
By the appointment of a financial
committee of three, the trustees of
Western Reserve Historical Society, in
their first meeting for two years,
took definite steps at their meeting in
May last, toward raising a per-
manent endowment fund of $150,000.
W. H. Cathcart is the newly elected
president of the society. When
it became known that L. E. Holden,
president of the society since 1902,
could not serve another term on account
of other pressing duties and
Mr. Cathcart was elected in his place,
the president-elect frankly told