Ohio History Journal

586       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

 

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY

The Secretary submitted the following reports of

officers and committees:

The past year has been one of unusual activity in every

department of the work of the Society. Evidence of this fact

is detailed in the reports of the officers and committees herewith

submitted. It is hoped that the members of the Society will read,

at least once, each of these reports. They exhibit generous and

devoted effort and substantial achievement.

Soon after the last Annual Meeting, the importance and mag-

nitude of the work of the Finance Committee which had in prep-

aration the budget of the Society for the forthcoming fiscal period

of eighteen months, became apparent.

When your present secretary began his service with the

Society it was obvious that salaries paid the Museum and Library

staff were inadequate, in some cases ridiculously so. A compar-

ison of appropriations for the year 1919 with those for the com-

ing year, presents many striking contrasts. The progress toward

a fair remuneration and "living wage" has been slow. Some way

or other legislative committees in the year 1919 were still clinging

to the idea that service in The Ohio State Archaeological and His-

torical Society was worth only about one-half as much as similar

service in other state work. The precedent had been set and it

was difficult to overcome. The autumn of 1926 found the com-

pensation of almost every member of the staff below what was

currently paid elsewhere, not only on the University grounds

but in other state departments.

The Finance Committee on October 20, 1926, in the prepara-

tion of the budget, determined to ask again for better pay for

those in the employ of the Society. At a meeting of the Board of

Trustees on November 1, 1926, the recommendations of the

Finance Committee, with only slight changes, were approved.

To the President of the Society went the responsibility of pre-

senting to the legislative committees the budget request for a new

wing to the Museum and Library Building. Upon the shoul-

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Minutes of Forty-second Annual Meeting       587

 

ders of the Secretary fell, in large measure, the task of piloting

through the remainder of the budget. Fortunately, as in the past,

both the President and the Secretary had back of them the

united support of the Board of Trustees and the members of

the Society.

Less fortunate, however, was another confronting condition.

The state treasury was reported short on funds and sufficient

revenues were not in sight to meet the necessary expenses of the

coming fiscal period. Announcement was widely made through

the press that provision would not be made for additional posi-

tions in any department and that there would be no increase in

salaries. This made the outlook for the budget of the Society

rather gloomy. It early became manifest that nothing short of

an earnest and adequate presentation of present and pressing

needs would secure the appropriations imperatively demanded to

meet the increasing activities of the Society. Such a presenta-

tion was attempted with substantial results.

To make a long story short, when the appropriation bill

finally passed, for the first time in the history of the Society the

compensation of its salaried staff had been placed on a basis ap-

proximating that of other departments of the state service. The

precedent having now been set, it is not probable that diffi-

culty will in the future be experienced in maintaining a "living

wage" for the staff of the Society. Further adjustments may be

necessary but they will not be numerous. The Society will not

be compelled to appear biennially before the Legislature in a

begging attitude for the means of livelihood.

Not only was better pay provided for the staff, but other

requests were given liberal consideration by the committees of

both houses of the General Assembly and approved by the

Governor.

The collection of the source materials of their history has

for many years claimed the active interest of many states. The

failure to gather and make accessible for ready reference the

documents and manuscripts, collectively denominated state ar-

chives, has long been a subject of reproach to Ohio.

On April 6, 1926, the memorial wing of the Museum and

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Library Building of this Society was dedicated with appropriate

and impressive ceremonies. The forenoon session was devoted

to a conference on "Cultivating the Field of Ohio History."

The valuable addresses delivered on this subject may profitably

be considered for years to come in shaping the policy of this

Society. In speaking of state archives, Dr. Alexander C. Flick,

Director of Archives and History of the State of New York,

said in part:

These records not only give the history of the State and its political

subdivisions but are the foundations for all land titles; for highways, rail-

roads, canals, public parks and reservations; for vital statistics and mar-

riages; and for laws and court decisions. The safeguarding of public records

and maps is indeed one of the fundamental obligations of the state. Yet

our public records are notoriously neglected, and Ohio is one of the worst

sinners. The local records have disappeared in some instances. Those that

are left are too often given inadequate fire protection; many are shamefully

neglected by local officials who have no idea of their value; and they are

seldom catalogued and arranged for convenient use. The state records are

given better attention but they are incomplete; are scattered among the

various departments of the state government; and are neglected, badly

arranged, and inadequately catalogued for use.

 

On this theme Wallace H. Cathcart, Director of the Western

Reserve Historical Society, said on the same occasion:

I have been anxious to see some action by the Legislature for the

preservation of the real history of Ohio, as contained in the state archives.

I think it would make anyone here sick to go into the basement of the

State House, as I have many times, and see the records and files of this

state, manuscripts of the period of the Civil War, scattered over the floor,

where any one going into the room would walk on them. Go into the

Governor's office and try to find papers of the previous governors that have

been in office. If the State Historical Society could in some way get hold

of those records and safeguard them, I think it would be one of the greatest

advance steps they could take.

The General Assembly, at its regular session this year, passed

what is known as the Romans Law, introduced by Mrs. Viola D.

Romans, a representative from Franklin County. It is the first

measure enacted in Ohio looking toward the custody, preservation

and care of the state archives. It is brief, comprehensive,

explicit and so evidently fair that it passed without opposition.

The text in full is as follows:

Any department, commission, board, officer or other administrative

agency of the state government, having charge of documents, books, manu-

scripts, records or papers, may arrange with the Ohio State Archaeological

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Minutes of Forty-second Annual Meeting           589

 

and Historical Society for the transfer of such documents, books, manu-

scripts, records or papers, in whole or in part, to the custody of said so-

ciety on such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon by such depart-

ment, commission, board, officer or other administrative agency of the

state and the board of trustees of the Ohio State Archaeological and His-

torical Society; and such transfer shall be made on approval of such agrce-

ment by the governor. (Ohio Laws, Vol. 112, p. 108.)

This act forms Sections 154-159 of the General Code of Ohio.

It is not mandatory. When any department or other adminis-

trative agency of the State wishes to transfer documents or

archives to the custody of the Ohio State Archaeological and

Historical Society and the latter is willing to receive them, the

transfer may be made with the approval of the Governor. This

prepares the way for the acquisition by the Society of valuable

sources of Ohio history now inaccessible and in many instances

not even known to exist.

But all the favorable action of the General Assembly would

have been largely in vain, so far as the immediate future is con-

cerned, had not provision been made for additional room in the

Museum and Library Building. The prompt addition of a new

wing was necessarily preparatory, not only for the reception of

the state archives but for the growth of the library from other

sources. The basement room assigned to newspapers, for more

than six months past, has been full to overflowing. With the

acquisition of other important files in immediate prospect, more

space is needed, even if nothing is secured from any state de-

partment. It was, therefore, most fortunate that appropriation

was made for a new wing to the building of the Society. This

not only meets an imperative need, but we might almost say,

tides over a crisis in the history of the Society.

Gratifying progress has been made in additions to the li-

brary.  Especially is this true of the newspaper department.

Eighteen months ago the collection of Ohio papers, here accessible

for research purposes, was a very modest one. Today this col-

lection is by far the largest and most representative in the city

of Columbus. In this brief period more Ohio papers have been

added to the library of the Society than have been added and

preserved in the State Library in the last one hundred years.

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In a short time, with continued encouragement and effort this

can be made the largest collection of its kind in the world.

The acquisition of the Winthrop Sargent papers, fully noted

at the last Annual Meeting, has been increased through the kindly

interest of Winthrop Sargent VII, by the contribution of a num-

ber of manuscript letters and documents, all relating to the early

history of this country, and most of them to the Northwest Ter-

ritory. The Winthrop Sargent collection, in the possession of

the Society, is now one of the most notable owned by the State.

It is planned to have, at a not distant date, photostat copies made

of each of these manuscripts for use by students. The originals

can then be placed in the vault for safe keeping.

For the past six years the library of the Society has been

dependent for its cash gifts upon a member of our Board of

Trustees, Hon. Claude Meeker. He commenced by the purchase

of the large library of Ohioana, collected by the late Daniel J.

Ryan, and presented the same to the Society. Since then, when

cash was needed to make some valuable additions to the library

and money from our regular appropriations was not available,

Mr. Meeker has come forward and generously furnished funds.

Within the past year there was offered to the Society an im-

portant collection of papers left by Samuel Medary, Territorial

Governor of Minnesota and Kansas, and for many years editor

of The Ohio Statesman and The Crisis, published in Columbus.

These were offered for sale and Mr. Meeker generously furnished

the funds for the purchase. The Society has been fortunate in

cash gifts for other departments of its work, but thus far Mr.

Meeker almost alone has given money for the upbuilding of the

library. For this reason his interest is the more highly appre-

ciated and stimulates the hope that in time other donors will come

to our aid.

While money donations to the library are thus limited to a

single donor, very valuable gifts of books, papers and pictures

have been made in recent years: the library of the Old Northwest

Genealogical and Historical Society, through the generosity of

Messrs. George F. Spahr and Theodore E. Glenn and the in-

terest of General Edward Orton, Jr. and Walter D. McKinney;

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Minutes of Forty-second Annual Meeting       591

 

the Gard Library presented by D. H. Gard, the last surviving

charter member of the Society, and a number of other gifts

of lesser note but of distinctive importance.

Within the past year, Mrs. Oscar Lear has transferred to

the Society the library of her late husband, for many years a

life member.

Miss Marietta Comly, of Washington, D. C., a life member

of the Society, presented a collection of books including rare

items on Indian Basketry.

Miss May Siebert and Mrs. Orlando Miller presented a

collection of war books from the library of their father, the late

Mr. John Siebert, and also a beautiful banner of his regiment.

Miss Elizabeth Sullivant and Miss Jane B. Sullivant, grand-

daughters of Lucas Sullivant, the founder of Franklinton, now

a part of Columbus, made a notable gift to the Society including

a copy of the "Genealogy and Family Memorial," by their father,

Joseph Sullivant; the very rare map of the Northwest Territory,

by Samuel Lewis, published in 1796; and a large detailed wall map

of Ohio, published in 1815, by B. Hough, A. Bourne and J.

Melish. The Society is most fortunate in securing these two

maps for which it had long searched in vain.

Within the year the unpublished manuscripts and a number

of books left by Col. W. L. Curry, a veteran of the Civil War

with an enviable military record and long a life member of the

Society, came into the possession of the library. Col. Curry had

been engaged for a number of years in preparation for publish-

ing a "History of Ohio in the Civil War." He died before his

manuscript was published. It is our purpose to arrange this manu-

script systematically with a view to preservation in such form that

it may be available for future publication by the Society or other

interested parties. For years Col. Curry had been recognized

by his veteran comrades of the Grand Army of the Republic as

the best informed survivor of the Civil War on all questions re-

lating to Ohio's participation in that conflict.

A few days ago, Mrs. Daniel J. Ryan presented a collection

of photographs left by her husband, a number of which had been

used in the Randall and Ryan "History of Ohio." With these

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were included some valuable manuscript letters from eminent

public men. Mrs. Ryan has loaned to the Society an oil painting

of her husband, the late Daniel J. Ryan, a life member and long

an officer and devoted worker in the upbuilding of this Society.

It is now on exhibition in the office of the Secretary. Grateful

acknowledgment has been made for these gifts and the loan of

the portrait.

The fine, large portrait of Abraham Lincoln, over the en-

trance to the library, was presented by Miss Maude Collins.

A number of important committee meetings have been held

since the last Annual Meeting. Following precedent a few only

of these are here noted.

On September 21, 1926, a meeting of the Library Committee

was held. At this meeting the need of additional room and the

creation of an "Archives Department" was considered. Professor

W. H. Siebert moved "that the President appoint a committee of

three members whose duty it shall be to visit Governor Donahey

and solicit his interest and cooperation in ways and means for

the preservation and systematic arrangement of the archives of

the state government." The motion was unanimously adopted and

the chairman appointed the committee.

The Finance Committee held a meeting on October 20 and

21, 1926, to consider and formulate a budget for the ensuing

fiscal period of eighteen months.

On November 1, the Board of Trustees met for the trans-

action of business, including the consideration of the report of

the Finance Committee on the budget requests to be presented at

the coming session of the General Assembly. The report of the

Finance Committee, with slight changes, was approved with sus-

taining statements.

On April 14, 1927, the Board of Trustees met to authorize

the President, Secretary and Treasurer of the Society to sign the

contract and documents necessary to the construction and erection

of a suitable memorial at the site of the Battle of Fallen Timbers,

"said memorial to be designed, constructed and erected by Bruce

Wilder Saville, sculptor, in conformity with models and speci-

fications furnished and approved by this board."

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Minutes of Forty-second Annual Meeting      593

 

On May 31, 1927, the Board of Trustees met at the call of

the President. The Treasurer made a comprehensive report of

appropriations granted at the recent session of the General As-

sembly. Following this, the President outlined a program for

the remainder of the year, assigning to each committee a definite

statement of the work to be done. The chairmen of the various

committees thereupon submitted reports in accordance with the

suggestions of the President, which were in every instance unani-

mously approved.

Full reports of this important meeting and others herein

noted are found in the Minute Book of the Society.

Among the new activities authorized by the General Assem-

bly are the operation of photostat equipment and the indexing

of the publications of the Society. A photographer and an in-

dexer have been employed and the results of their labors will

be available for the next Annual Report.

Mr. Harold G. Simpson, who has recently made an inventory

of the newspapers in the Ohio State Library, makes to me the

following comparative report.

Newspapers in the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical

Society Library:

Bound volumes ..................... 3701

Unbound volumes ................... 4404

Total ........................... 8105

Newspapers in the Ohio State Library:

Bound volumes ..................... 5714

Unbound volumes ...................                                   639

Total  ...........................                                      6353

This shows that there are 1752 more volumes, bound and

unbound, in the library of the Society than in the State Library.

Within the past year there have been numbered and recorded

on cards, 2865 books, partly duplicates and partly volumes not

appropriate for use in the library of an historical society.

There have also been accessioned since November 15, 1926,

1286 books and bound pamphlets.

Vol. XXXVI--38.

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594       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

 

The most important problem now claiming the immediate at-

tention of the Secretary of the Society is the upbuilding of the

Library. A large extension of its newspaper collection, in the very

near future, is in prospect. The present opportunity may not

continue indefinitely. The library is accumulating, gradually, a

creditable collection of county histories of Ohio. This can be

supplemented at any time. After a thorough canvass of the Ohio

newspaper field, an intensive campaign for the collection of every-

thing relating to local source materials may be inaugurated.

Regardless of temporary delays, misunderstandings, and other

trivial hindrances, it is the purpose of the Secretary to push the

work of establishing here a reference library creditable to the

State of Ohio and worthy of its incomparable history.

In conclusion I wish to thank the Board of Trustees and the

officers of the Society for continued support and cooperation,

and the members of the library staff for faithful service and

loyal assistance in carrying forward the work which devolves

upon the Secretary as Librarian. Without presumption, I am sure

that I may also express the gratitude of our entire membership for

the kindly consideration of state officials and the generous financial

aid of the General Assembly of Ohio, which has made 1927 a

bright year in the history of this Society.

C. B. GALBREATH,

Secretary.

REPORT OF DIRECTOR

I take great pleasure in submitting my sixth annual report

as Director of the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical

Society Museum. This Museum was established by the Society

by inserting as one of the articles of incorporation that the So-

ciety should establish and maintain a Museum of prehistoric

relics and natural or other curiosities or specimens of art or

nature promotive of the objects of the Association.

Your Director has passed through a year of untold anxiety

on account of a severe illness which was a handicap in every

respect. At no time during the year has the Museum received

the attention that it should have from the Director, but the staff

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