Ohio History Journal

Dedication of Ohio's World War Memorial       473

tions in manuscripts, newspaper files and local history

being especially notable.

ADDRESS OF CHARLES T. GREVE

At the conclusion of Mr. Cathcart's address, which

was liberally applauded, Professor Siebert introduced

Mr. Charles T. Greve, Secretary of the Historical and

Philosophical Society of Ohio and well-known author,

who spoke as follows:

Mr. Chairman and Our Hosts: The Ohio State Archaeolog-

ical and Historical Society and fellow guests, representatives of

sister historical societies and libraries:

I come from the South bringing to you the greetings of

an elder sister, -- an elder sister born and bred in your midst

almost a century ago -- who departing seventy-seven years since

from the scenes of her youth, now returns to share in the reveren-

tial tribute to Ohio's sons, many the sons of the city of her home

by the beautiful river, and to add her felicitations upon the occa-

sion of this opening of new opportunities for cultivating the field

of Ohio history, -- the greetings and congratulations of the His-

torical and Philosophical Society of Ohio.

On behalf of that Society, afflicted as you, with a super-

abundance of name, betraying perhaps a common origin, -- a

family trait, -- I wish to extend thanks for your cordial reception

and appreciation of the warmth of your welcome to our home-

coming after so many years, -- an occasion of more than usual

significance to us who were here before you and who claim your

capital city as our own, -- our common mother consenting to share

with us her pride in her younger offspring.

Ninety-five years ago, on February 11, 1831, a charter was

issued to Benjamin Tappan, of Steubenville, S. P. Hildreth of

Marietta, Alfred Kelley of Columbus, James McBride of Butler

County, Ebenezer Lane of Huron and some twenty others, to or-

ganize The Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio. Among

the charter members for the city of Cincinnati were Nicholas

Longworth, John P. Foote and Timothy Flint. To anyone

familiar with the history of our state, the names of these empire

builders must awaken a thrill of enthusiasm, and the fact that men

of such standing should be sufficiently interested to take part in

such an organization should be a source of inspiration. The So-

ciety whose greetings I bear was organized on December 31, 1831,

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474       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications at Columbus, and Benjamin Tappan was its first president. Sub- sequent presidents during the Columbus period were Ebenezer Lane, Judge Jacob Burnet and J. C. Wright, Burnet being re- elected in 1844. For the first dozen and a half years of its existence, the So- ciety had its home in this capital city of Columbus, and its mem- bership included persons from all parts of the state. Its first pub-

lication was issued in 1838 from this city. This included not only the Act of Incorporation with lists of officers and the annual ad- dresses by Tappan and J. H. James but papers which had been read before the Society at its meetings, by Hildreth, Van Cleve, James McBride, and others. In the following year was published from this city what was called a second part of the first volume, one of the most notable contributions to our Ohio history.

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Dedication of Ohio's World War Memorial      475

This included addresses by Judge Timothy Walker, James H.

Perkins, William Henry Harrison and others, and particularly

Judge Burnet's letters to Delafield concerning the settlement of

the Northwest Territory, afterwards expanded by the Judge into

his book, "Notes of the Northwest Territory."

The meetings of the Society were held in these earlier days

in the Representatives' Hall in the old State House, or at the old

Neil House, and the possessions of the Society were in a case kept

in the room of the Canal Commissioners.

In the meantime, there had been organized in the city of Cin-

cinnati in August, 1844, what was known as the Cincinnati His-

torical Society, with Mr. James H. Perkins as president, John P.

Foote and William D. Gallagher as vice-presidents, names equally

important in the history of the development of our community.

In 1847 Judge Este became president and was succeeded in the

following year by the poet Gallagher. In this year, Dr. Hildreth

presented to the earlier Society the manuscript of his "Pioneer

History," which was published in 1848 from Columbus. It is to

be regretted that the whereabouts of the manuscript are unknown

so far as the present speaker is concerned. Does any one here

confess to greater knowledge? As a result of the organization of

this later society, Mr. Randall, its librarian, at the annual meeting

in Columbus of the earlier Society, suggested the removal of the

organization to the city by the river and the turning over of its

papers and property to the new organization in the Queen City,

which suggestion was acceded to and the transfer of the Columbus

organization to Cincinnati took place in February 1849.

The first president of the old-new organization with the high

sounding name was William D. Gallagher and among its mem-

bers were James H. Perkins, E. D. Mansfield, Robert Buchanan,

A. Randall, John C. Wright, John P. Foote and Judge Este, all

names for Ohio people to conjure with. An admirable account of

this migration is given by Mr. Venable in his "Literary Culture in

the Ohio Valley."

In the revision of the constitution of the Society in 1850, its

primary object was announced to be "research in every depart-

ment of local history, the collection, preservation and diffusion of

whatever may relate to the history, biography, literature, philoso-

phy and antiquities of America -- more especially of the State of

Ohio, of the West and of the United States," certainly an ambi-

tious undertaking and one that has been at times attended with

more philosophy than activity.

Others who were very active in the offices of the Society were

George Graham, Peyton Symmes, John D. Caldwell, Osgood

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476       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

Mussey and Ainsworth R. Spofford, subsequently librarian of

Congress.

The books of the Society were first deposited in various

buildings more or less inaccessible to the public, and about 1860

were packed in boxes and deposited in the public library in the

Mechanics' Institute at Sixth and Vine Streets. This fact in-

dicates a period of inactivity during the Civil War, at the expira-

tion of which 'but four active members remained in Cincinnati,

Messrs. Robert Buchanan, George Graham, John D. Caldwell and

Manning F. Force. Due to the interest of three of the Society's

friends, who later were among its most valuable members, Julius

Dexter, Robert Clarke and Eugene F. Bliss, the Society was re-

organized in 1868, the library resurrected and placed in the rooms

of the Literary Club and the organization took on new life. Rob-

ert Buchanan became president, Judge Force and Charles Cist sec-

retaries and John D. Caldwell, librarian, all well known to history

students. The library at that time contained but seven hundred

bound volumes and 1250 pamphlets. Judge Force was president

from 1870 to 1889, to be succeeded in turn by Eugene F. Bliss and

some years later by the present incumbent, Mr. Joseph Wilby.

Mr. John M. Newton became the librarian in 1869 and was suc-

ceeded in 1870 by Julius Dexter, who held the position until 1880

when Miss Elizabeth Appleton was elected to that place, holding

it for six years, at which time she was succeeded by Mrs. C. W.

Lord. Miss Hamlin, the present librarian, succeeded Mrs. Lord

in 1905.

The duties of such an organization are collection, preserva-

tion and publication. In all probability the manuscript collections

of a Society of this character are its most valuable possessions and

our Cincinnati Society has been quite fortunate in this respect.

We have succeeded in acquiring a number of manuscripts, many of

which are of very great value. Among these are the collections made

by the indefatigable Robert Clarke, and the Cranch, Follett, Chal-

fant, Gano, Lawler, Stevenson, Pitcairn, Hatch, Susan Walker,

Todd, McBride, Greene, Foraker and Torrence papers, as well

as many books of miscellaneous manuscript letters, early tax lists,

pay-rolls, books of account and the like, in which constantly recur

the names of many of the most prominent residents of earlier

Cincinnati, such as Findlay, Harrison, Whitman, Longworth,

Taylor, Burnet, Storer, Kilgour, Yeatman, Ruffin, Baum, Carneal,

Kemper, Worthington, Short, Wright, Lytle, Drake and Ham-

mond.

A most valuable item in our collection is an almost complete

set of the earliest newspaper, The Centinel of the Northwest Ter-

ritory, beginning in November 1793 and extending to May 1796.

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Dedication of Ohio's World War Memorial       477

I can testify from personal experience that this early news-

paper is both amusing and instructive to a degree quite unusual in

the case of many papers of more modern date. Our Society has

also been fortunate in the acquisition of numerous collections of

books with relation to the history of our state and neighborhood.

In these are included the Williamson Collection, that of Peter

Force, books of The New England Society, The Centennial Col-

lection presented to Sir Alfred T. Goshorn; The Robert Clarke

Collection and the Peter G. Thomson Collection, in itself a com-

plete library of Ohio and Northwestern History, consisting of 768

beautifully bound volumes and 11,063 pamphlets. Many fine be-

quests have given us a substantial endowment fund.

On the walls of our library hang many portraits of prominent

Cincinnati personages, as well as views of the city showing its

appearance at various times in its history.

As a result, the opportunities for historical study which are

offered to the public are quite unusual and have been taken ad-

vantage of by very many persons from all parts of the country in-

terested in historical research, as well as by students of our uni-

versity in whose library building our collection is housed for the

present.

It is usually regarded as one of the obligations of such or-

ganizations to make its treasures available to the public generally

and our Historical Society has attempted to do its share in ful-

filling this duty.

As already stated, in the early days several volumes of great

value were published, and in more recent years there have been

added to these publications others of equal interest. Among these

may be mentioned the Journal of Capt. John May and the Journal

of David Zeisberger translated from the German manuscript with

annotations by Eugene F. Bliss, and more particularly a publica-

tion just off the press, a cornerstone of history to use the phrase

of Mr. Fiske, "The Correspondence of John Cleves Symmes,"

the pioneer settler of the Miami neighborhood, edited with schol-

arly care by Professor Beverly W. Bond, Jr., of our university.

For a number of years we have published a quarterly, which

is made up very largely of selections from our manuscript papers.

From the Torrence papers have been selected eight numbers cov-

ering national politics of the Jacksonian era, office-holding under

Jackson, political career of William Henry Harrison, Transfer of

Louisiana and the Burr Conspiracy; Early Commercial Conditions

in the West; Early Illinois Politics, with many military papers,

muster-rolls, etc.

The Gallipolis papers cover the Scioto settlement; The Mc-

Bride papers deal with Miami University; The Oran Follett

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478       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

papers with the political conditions of his time. The papers of

General Gano add much to our small stock of information as to

the War of 1812. Dr. Daniel Drake, one of the most remarkable

men of the West, gives his memoirs of the Miami Country. Gen.

Wm. Lytle's personal narrative of pioneer experiences and Peyton

Short's Tour to Mobile, etc., not only reflect to us the every-day

life of the early pioneers but read with the interest of a work of

fiction. We have also published the letters of Hiram Powers, our

sculptor, to Nicholas Longworth; letters of Thos. Corwin; the

Journals of Susan Walker and Francis Collins; documents with

relation to the Burr-Blennerhassett conspiracy and numerous let-

ters from people of more or less prominence in our early history.

Other publications include reproductions of such books as Dr.

Drake's Cincinnati in 181O; Worth's Recollections of Cincinnati;

Chidlaw's "Yr American" translated from the Welsh, as well as

reprints of various circulars and pamphlets of historical interest.

A few of the quarterlies include original contributions dis-

cussing such subjects as the "Ohio Conspiracy," "The Movement

of Ohio to Deport the Negro," and the "Relation of Southern

Ohio to the South during the decade preceding the Civil War."

It is almost impossible to avoid the appearance of a catalogue,

or index, in mentioning at such length these publications, but to

one familiar with our history, each name will recall a personality,

time and episode that contributed to the development of our com-

munity and our state.

The narrative of the struggles of such organizations and the

recounting of their achievements in the collection of books and

pamphlets and manuscripts and the recital of the publications

from time to time of the treasures of these collections, naturally

suggest the inquiry as to the end to be accomplished and its value.

Of the making of books there is no end, it is said, and this state-

ment is true of works of history and biography as well as of other

branches of literature. Whatever may be said as to the contribu-

tion of our country to the general literature of the world, there

can be no question that in the line of history writing our success

has been as great as, if not greater than, in any other branch of

literary workmanship. There is no need to mention the names

of our great historians and biographers and to suggest that they

occupy a position of preeminence unsurpassed by workers in sim-

ilar fields of other countries. In a great measure, this has been

brought about by collections, it is true, made in foreign countries

under governmental auspices as well as under similar conditions

in our own country but it is equally true that the work of the state

and local historical societies has in a great measure been of much

assistance. Many of the names that are familiar to those of us

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Dedication of Ohio's World War Memorial      479

 

interested in the life of our particular communities, are unfamiliar

beyond our own borders, and yet the country's strength lies in the

great body of citizens and is not dependent upon a few of national

prominence.

History, it has been said, is philosophy teaching by example

(the essence of many biographies); and the examples that teach

much of the philosophy and give an insight into the psychology of

a community must be drawn from the lives of the general body of

citizenry and not from the striking episodes in the careers of those

whom chance, or perhaps, more probably, greater gifts has pushed

more into the limelight of national or international renown.

Truth may be mighty and will undoubtedly prevail in the

end but the very prominence which gives us acquaintance with the

careers of our more celebrated men is apt to distort their person-

ality and give an imperfect impression of their character and abil-

ities. The advancement of civilization undoubtedly calls for great

achievements and great abilities but the advancement is not a real

one unless it is reflected not alone in the unusual but in the every-

day life of the community. The light that shines upon the throne

may be a brilliant one but its very brilliancy has a tendency to

make unreal the occupant of the throne.

There is no suggestion in this that our great personages are

not really great because they after all have the same feelings, de-

sires and ambitions as their fellow-beings; but there is a sugges-

tion that the lifting of our more prominent personalities from their

actual environment and duly idealizing them destroys to some

extent their value as examples from which we can learn a philos-

ophy of life. The truth as to any particular individual cannot

hurt if he be an individual worthy of study and emulation and if

he be unworthy, we should know the truth in order that the ex-

ample may not be a misleading one. It cannot in any way detract

from the greatness of Washington to learn, as we have all known

for many years, that he was a real person and not a bronze statue;

that Lincoln was a human being, developing to the highest type

of greatness by reason of the extraordinary demands made upon

his higher and broader qualities, and not a mere frivolous retailer

of light humor; that Chase was, it is true, an ambitious man, but

a most sincere and noble patriot.

These men were great because of the fact that they were not

superhuman but were the products of an heredity and an environ-

ment that made it possible for them to respond to the needs of a

people like themselves whose needs they could understand be-

cause they were a part of the people. To understand them we

must know that people.

It would seem that today there is greater need than ever be-

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480       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

fore for a real history of the people themselves, a recounting of

the real life of the community and one that avoids the dangers of

history manufactured for a special purpose. Whenever history is

treated as propaganda, it becomes an element of danger. When-

ever a demand arises for presentations of the development of our

national life, as 1OO% American, or 100%  patriotic, or 100%

anything else, except truth, it is evident as today that the spirit

of intolerance which has ever been a menace to civilization, is once

more coming into greater activity.

It was a revolt against intolerance that drove the Puritans

and the Pilgrims into this country and although they were them-

selves intolerant in their turn, their reaction against the restric-

tions sought to be placed upon their daily life and conduct was an

advance in the direction of freer life. The more the historical

student, whether he be a pupil in our schools or a research scholar

in our universities, or a man devoting his life to historical work,

is enabled to come into contact with the daily life of the average

person of the time that he is studying, the more he is able to un-

derstand the events of that time and see their signifiance and con-

nection with the development of our nation and our community.

It is essential to the proper understanding of that development to

have our history uninfluenced by special pleading. Herein lies

the opportunity of our state and local organizations as distin-

guished from national or governmental collections.

Ohio, for reasons that may be given to us by some of our

speakers today, has from the outset occupied a position of unusual

importance in the history of our country and has given many

distinguished sons to the service of the nation, to such an extent

that today whenever some new personality emerges into promi-

nence we immediately begin to look for his Ohio connection, as in

the case of our principal speaker this morning. Our state has

been well called the first-fruit of the great ordinance of freedom,

and has always responded to the call for the defense of liberty of

action and liberty of thought. At times, for brief intervals, the

clouds of intolerance have hung over us, but the sober second

thought of our great mass of clean minded, straight thinking men

and women has been true to the spirit of our founders, a spirit

that is best preserved in their own records of daily life, in letters

and diaries and journals that reflect more fully and frankly than

any writings of the present the real thought and motive of the

writers. No surer and more efficient bulwark against any tem-

porary forgetfulness of the tolerance due to all the fundamental

principles of our national organization can be erected than the

simple annals of the past which form the valuable possessions of

our Societies. The men whom we are gathered to honor today

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Dedication of Ohio's World War Memorial      481

 

fought for freedom and tolerance and your Society with its new

facilities can do much to see that that fight was not in vain.

In this work which we think of great value, your elder sister

pledges you its constant and sincere help with the conviction

that the glory and achievement of one is that of all.

Mr. Greve is a graduate of Harvard and the Cin-

cinnati Law school, a prominent attorney of Cincinnati

and author of biographical and historical works includ-

ing the Centennial History of Cincinnati. His address

was of especial interest, showing, as it did very clearly,

the origin of the institution with which he is now con-

nected and set forth the collections of unusual interest

that have been gathered in the Historical and Philosoph-

ical Society of Ohio in recent years.

 

ADDRESS OF LUCY E. KEELER

Mr. Greve's address was followed by a paper from

Miss Lucy E. Keeler of Fremont which was read by

former State Senator A. E. Culbert of that city. Miss

Keeler spoke for Spiegel Grove, its beautiful park, the

Hayes residence and Memorial building and the rare

and valuable collection of Americana, left by the late

President Rutherford B. Hayes. Her paper follows:

The Hayes Memorial is my special theme, doubly appropriate

on this happy occasion because the very site of this newly dedi-

cated World War Memorial Building is a part of the noble tract

of land saved for the Ohio State University through the far-

sighted and vigorous policy of Rutherford B. Hayes during his

first term as Governor in 1868; after his two terms in Congress

just prior to which the land grant for colleges was authorized;

and because at the time of his death he was Chairman of the

Board of Trustees of the Ohio State University.  President

Hayes's last public service was in attendance as Chairman of the

Board of Trustees of the Ohio State University, returning from

which he was stricken while in the depot at Cleveland and reached

his home in Spiegel Grove only to die on January 17, 1893, fol-

Vol. XXXV -- 31.

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