Ohio History Journal

Thirty-Seventh Annual Meeting           623

 

diers of Ohio who served in the World War," also a similar res-

olution adopted October 18, 1921.'

"The approval of the State Architect has been secured to

this partial construction.

"Bids for the erection of this building are being opened at

10:00 A. M. today.

"Plans for the completed building, and for that portion to

be built at once are submitted for the inspection of the Society.

"Studies for the proposed sculptural features of the front of

this new building are submitted by Mr. Saville. The committee

has not passed upon these as yet. No front steps or statuary

will be constructed out of the funds now available. It is ex-

pected by the committee, that the Society will memorialize the

next General Assembly for funds to complete the building and

provide the necessary bronze statuary for the front steps and

memorial room. Sufficiently detailed studies of this will be avail-

able to show the Legislative Committee at that time.

"The committee desires to thank the University authorities

for their cooperation in the work so far engaged in, and also to

thank Mr. Saville for his voluntary assistance to date, rendered

at a time when he knew there could be no immediate return for

the same.

"If no untoward events interfere, it is hoped that the con-

struction of the present contract will be well along towards com-

pletion this year. If the railroad strike prevents shipment of ma-

terials, it may be impossible to make even a beginning.

Respectfully submitted,

(Signed) EDWARD ORTON, JR.,

Chairman."

 

REPORT OF THE BUILDING COMMITTEE FOR THE

LIBRARY AND STACK-ROOM ADDITION TO THE

HAYES MEMORIAL BUILDING, SPIEGEL GROVE

STATE PARK, FREMONT, OHIO

"This committee was appointed March 1, 1922, by President

James E. Campbell with the following personnel:

Colonel Edward Orton, Jr., Columbus, Ohio, Chairman,

Colonel Webb C. Hayes, Fremont, Ohio

Irvin F. Fangboner, Fremont, Ohio

Frank L. Packard, Columbus, Ohio

W. J. Sherman, Toledo, Ohio.

F. W. Treadway, Cleveland, Ohio.

Director W. C. Mills, Columbus, Ohio, Secretary.

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624       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

"The first meeting of this committee was held at Spiegel

Grove, Fremont, Ohio, on Sunday, March 26, 1922. A quorum

of the Committee was present.

"It transpired that the architect of the State Archaeological

and Historical Society building in Columbus, Mr. Joseph N.

Bradford, had been employed for sometime prior to the appoint-

ment of this Committee under the authority presumably given

by the President, preparing plans for the proposed Library and

Stack-room Annex. In his work he was doubtless assisted by

Colonel Hayes and he had at his disposal the plans of the original

building, which was put up in 1915-16. Mr. Bradford was pres-

ent at this meeting and showed the practically completed plan

for the proposed annex. He said that he desired to spend the

balance of the day in further checking up his plans by actual

measurements made on the existing building, which might or

might not be in accurate accordance with the drawings for it

which had been furnished him.

"The Committee, after going over Mr. Bradford's plan, ac-

cepted it in principle, and passed a resolution authorizing the

Chairman and Secretary of the Committee to approve this plan

and to sign contracts in behalf of the Building Committee when

satisfactory bids had been received.

"The committee found that Colonel Hayes had executed two

deeds of trust for the purpose of providing funds for the con-

struction of this Library and Stack-room Annex. The first for

the sum of twenty-five thousand ($25,000) dollars and the latter

bringing the amount up to forty-five thousand ($45,000) dol-

lars. At the present meeting Colonel Hayes stated to the com-

mittee that he was now adding five thousand ($5,000) dollars

additional, making the total up to fifty thousand ($50,000) dol-

lars, which would be available by October 1, 1922, and under the

terms of the deed of trust would be paid over on proper orders

by the Union Trust Company of Cleveland, Ohio.

"Architect Bradford having completed the checking of his

plans brought them to Columbus and a few days later notified

the chairman and secretary that they were complete and ready

for signature. These plans were then signed and advertised for

bids. On April 27 bids were received and opened, and Mr. Carl

F. Steinle of Fremont, Ohio, who had built the orignal building,

was found to be the lowest bidder in the sum of $34,901 for the

main building contract. Subsidiary contracts for the heating,

plumbing and for the electrical work were not ready at that time

and no bids were received.

"The chairman and secretary then signed the contract with

Mr. Steinle.

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Thirty-Seventh Annual Meeting               625

"This contract was subsequently questioned by Mr. Steinle's

attorney on the ground that a proper resolution by the Board of

Trustees granting authority to the Building Committee to pro-

ceed with this work had not been passed. This criticism ap-

peared valid and a special meeting of the Board of Trustees

was called May 8, 1922, at which the following resolution was

adopted:

'Resolved, That the various actions to date of the Ohio State

Archaeological and Historical Society and its committees relating to the

formation of a Spiegel Grove Park Committee, a Spiegel Grove Building

Fund, and a Spiegel Grove Building Committee be collected, co-ordinated

and brought before the Society at a subsequent meeting for final approval,

to the end that the full power, authority and responsibility of the Society

shall be brought to the support of said committees and that the improve-

ment at the Spiegel Grove State Park may speedily be completed.'

"Subsequent to this meeting investigations were made as

to the conditions laid down in the two trust agreements made by

Colonel Webb C. Hayes and Mary Miller Hayes under which

the fund for the execution of this project had been provided.

It was found that the terms of this agreement needed modifica-

tion in order that the Society should have full legal power to

pay the bills for the work when it incurred obligations by enter-

ing into the contract for the construction of the building. Colonel

Hayes adjusted this matter by executing a new memorandum

order with the Union Trust Company at Cleveland, directing them

to pay all bills upon the orders of the Treasurer of the Society,

thus centering responsibilty and power in one and the same

source. At the meeting of June 3, 1922, this document signed

by Colonel Hayes was presented and placed on file and the fol-

lowing resolution was then adopted giving the necessary sanction

of the Board of Trustees to the committee to contract and erect

the building:

'Be It Resolved: That the Spiegel Grove Committee is hereby au-

thorized and empowered to proceed with the work in accordance with the

plans and specifications and to enter into supplemental contracts for the

said library stack-room addition and to sign all contracts necessary to

carry this work to completion, and to issue all orders necessary for the

payment of these improvements as the work progresses, said payments

to be made in accordance with the contract prepared by the committee and

the letter of Col. Webb C. Hayes to the Union Trust Company, under date

of June 3, 1922, which will be spread upon the minutes and be made a

part hereof.'

"These various provisions were conducted without delay to

the work itself. Additional contracts for the heating, plumbing

and electrical work were then entered into, bringing the total ex-

penditures of the Society up to $49,750.

Vol. XXXI-40*.

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626       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

"This work has been in active progress since about May 1,

1922. Delays due to getting the proper materials, and especially

due to transportation troubles, and, in the spring, to very wet

weather have delayed the progress considerably. The con-

tract provides for the completion of the building October 1. It

does not now seem possible for the contractor to secure the neces-

sary materials and complete it by that date. It will, however,

be so far advanced as to permit the dedication exercises to take

place October 4, 1922, on the centenary of President Hayes'

birth. It is not believed that the contract can be held for delays

which, aside from the weather, are due to the disjointed condition

of the times and not to any personal failure on his part.

"The balance of the funds not covered by existing contracts

amounts to $250 and is not sufficient to cover the extras which

are certain to arise in the construction of any building, but which

are happily thus far quite small in the present instance, and also

to cover the architect's fees. It will be necessary for the Society

to provide some additional funds not now accurately estimated,

to cover this additional cost. It is thought that $2,000 will cover

these various amounts, not including repairs and adjustments to

the old building, for which a special allotment has been secured

from the State Emergency Board to the amount of nearly $3,000.

"No provisions have yet been made to cover the cost of

furnishing and euipping the Library and Stack-room Annex, or

the memorial gateways and other projects at Spiegel Grove State

Park which have been mentioned as a part of the objects of the

trust fund created by Colonel Webb C. Hayes and Mary Miller

Hayes, but have not been included in the present scope of this

Building Committee's powers. Since the entire amount of the

trust fund and more will have been expended on the construc-

tion of this building itself with the knowledge and concurrence

of Colonel Hayes, it is not believed that the Society is responsible

in a legal sense for the execution of the other projects mentioned

in the deed of trust, and for which sufficient funds are not avail-

able.

"The committee recommends that the Society thru its Board

of Trustees shall provide funds to the amount of $2,000 to

cover architect's fees and other incidentals necessary to the sat-

isfactory completion of the present building contract.

Respectfully submitted,

EDWARD ORTON, JR.,

Chairman."

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Thirty-Seventh Annual Meeting           627

Mr. Galbreath moved that the two reports just read

by Colonel Orton be received, placed on file and pub-

lished in the QUARTERLY. Seconded and carried.

Mr. Fred J. Heer asked if the recommendations of

the Committee should not be considered, but Chairman

Campbell stated that there is now no way to raise the

extra money needed.

Mr. George F. Bareis read the following report of

the

MUSEUM COMMITTEE

"The Museum Committee met in August and after going

over conditions in the Museum, we are more than ever im-

pressed with the lack of room for caring for the great mass of

the most precious and rare material for which there is scarcely

storage room.

"Director Mills and Curator Shetrone are securing won-

derful specimens from the Hopewell Group of Mounds and from

the Village Sites. By the way, Director Mills is a pioneer in

exploring village sites and the large number of unique specimens

that illustrate the life of the ancient inhabitants of Ohio is at-

tracting the attention of many of the other States who are solicit-

ing Director Mills for assistance and advice. We learn that

about 10,000 persons visited Museum during the year. Many

school children come with their teachers and after looking at

certain groups of specimens, are assigned a theme for an essay.

"We are impressed with the large number of gifts that come

to the museum every year. The gifts to the museum as well as

those to the library exceed in value the legislature's appropria-

tion, showing that the Society is an asset, not a liability, to the

state.

"We were impressed with the economical management of

the Society's affairs, especially that a Board of Trustees, without

money consideration give such fine volunteer service; this is a

hopeful sign, since one of the fundamentals of our civilization

is based on the free volunteer service of talent and ability.

"Our Committee adopted the following resolution:

'Resolved, That the Museum Committee appeal to the Society to

establish a Department of Natural History and a Department of History

and that the Society actively push the erection, not only of the World War

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