Ohio History Journal

REPORT OF COMMITTEES ON HISTORICAL

ACTIVITIES

Dr. Harlow Lindley read the following report of the

Committee on Historical Activities in Ohio, which was

filed with the other reports for publication in the

Quarterly:

 

REPORT ON HISTORICAL ACTIVITIES IN OHIO

BY HARLOW LINDLEY, Chairman Committee on Cooperation.

From information at hand it appears that there are about

forty local, county and regional historical societies now in exist-

ence in the State of Ohio. Some of them seem to be nothing

more than organizations on paper. We have data at hand which

would indicate that at least twenty-five of the number have a

working organization and are carrying on some sort of active

historical program.

In order to give the members of the State Society and the

members of these various groups some idea of the activities

which are being carried on by these local organizations, the fol-

lowing report is presented which has been secured in reply to an

inquiry submitted to all the societies in the state. This report

does not attempt to give a complete survey of all the activities

of all historical organizations, but it is intended to give informa-

tion concerning new organizations, and special activities during

the past year.

During the year at least four new historical societies have

been organized: Piqua Historical Society, The Paulding County

Historical Society, Licking County Historical Society and the

Belmont County Historical Society.

* * *

The Zoar Historical Society sponsored the publication of a

brief history of Zoar, prepared by Howard Sarbaugh, Secretary

of the Society.

(564)

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Report of the Forty-sixth Annual Meeting     565

The Quarterly Bulletin of the History Society of North-

western Ohio, at Toledo, continues to publish new historical

material which has never been published before.

The Ashland County Historical Society has continued with

marked success its programs so arranged as to arouse the interest

of the people of the various parts of the county.

The Allen County Historical Society cooperated with other

agencies in celebrating the centennial of the establishment of

Lima last September. A marker was dedicated at the site of the

old Shawnee Indian Council House, south of Lima.

The Tuscarawas County Historical Society recently placed

a steel flag pole at the grave of David Zeisberger in the old

Goshen Cemetery, and the Teachers Institute of the county fur-

nished a beautiful flag, so from now on the American Flag

will wave over this great teacher's last resting place.

The Pioneer Historical Society of Muskingum County, of

which Mr. E. M. Ayers is President, reports that they have two

hundred members, paying $1.00 a year membership fee. The

society meets monthly with a program and is considered one of

the outstanding civic societies in the county. The headquarters

of the society is in the Monumental Building and they have a

large collection of museum material. They consider their best

asset a complete file of their local papers since 1833.

The Adams County Historical Society is working on a plan

to gather accurate information in regard to the industries of

Adams County. They have had papers prepared on the tanneries

of the early days and historical sketches of all the old mills and

factories. They are also making a survey of all the towns and

town sites that have been laid out in the county and are gather-

ing historical facts in regard to the development of education in

the county. They are also erecting markers along the Zane

Trace.

The Hiram Historical Society, cooperating with the Hiram

College participated in a Garfield Centennial Celebration, Novem-

ber 19, 1931. The society published a booklet entitled "Garfield

of Hiram," in connection with the event. This booklet is No.

4 of the Hiram Historical Society Publications and is edited by

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566       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

 

Prof. Harold E. Davis, of Hiram College and Secretary of the

Hiram Historical Society.

Under the auspices of the Greene County Historical Society

there was dedicated a Brown-Logan-Kenton monument near State

Road No. 72 between Cedarville and Jamestown.

The Clark County Historical Society, through the Secretary,

Mr. A. L. Slager, reports two recent interesting additions to their

museum collection: A complete full sized replica of Cyrus Hall

McCormick's first reaping machine in working order, and a

replica of the lattice type bridge on the National Road spanning

Mad River west of Springfield, which was erected in 1837. The

replica is 7½ feet long, made to scale from the timbers of the

old bridge. The Chamber of Commerce, High School History

Club and other local organizations are making regular use of the

society's collections and a number of the public schools of the

county are availing themselves of its benefits.

The Licking County Historical Society, organized in No-

vember, 1931, provides for the continuation of the work of the

Pioneer Antiquarian Society organized in 1867 by Isaac Smucher

and others. The society proposes to preserve the mounds of

the county and is fostering a movement to have the group of

mound enclosures incorporated into a State Park under the State

Society. The society also proposes to foster the study of local

history. The society has committees on Program, History,

Archaeology, Pageants, Exploration and Pioneers. The chair-

man of the History Committee, Mr. C. P. Smith, is the co-

author of a new book on Ohio history entitled "My State--Ohio."

The book is commended to all who are interested in Ohio his-

tory. Mr. F. A. Woolson is president of this new historical

society.

One of the newest societies is the Belmont County Historical

Society organized recently at St. Clairsville with Mr. Frank H.

Frazier as President. The new society has a splendid field for

historical activity and the character of its officers and membership

indicate some excellent work in the future. They have already

taken steps looking to the organization of a library and museum.

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Report of the Forty-sixth Annual Meeting      567

 

During the past year two colleges have observed Cen-

tennial occasions--Hiram and Denison University--and Oberlin

College and Wooster College are now preparing for historical

celebrations this year.

It is quite noticeable the way communities over the state are

waking up to the opportunities offered by Centennial occasions

and to the value of the Pageantry as a means of portraying his-

tory and building community spirit.

The State Historical Society and the Gnadenhutten His-

torical Society, cooperating, are working on plans for a memor-

able Sesqui-Centennial Commemoration of the massacre of the

Christian Indians at Gnadenhutten in 1782. This event will take

place according to present plans on September 2, 3 and 4, 1932,

in connection with which a Pageant written and directed by Mr.

O. K. Reames will be presented. Mr. Reames has already estab-

lished his reputation in Ohio as a Pageant Master in connection

with pageants at Zanesfield and the George Rogers Clark Sesqui-

Centennial Celebration Pageant at Springfield in 1930.

Another new historical activity worthy of notice, although

not organized primarily to encourage Ohio history, is the Ohio

College History Teachers Association, organized at Cleveland,

April 8. At this organization meeting, the Curator of History

of this Society, was asked to speak on the related interests of

such an association and the State Historical Society. No such

organization in the state can help but be of assistance in our

educational program.

The Committee on Cooperation, representing the local his-

torical societies of the state, the educational institution, and this

society, which is appointed by the President of the Society, is

still actively interested in the best program possible for further-

ing the interests of Ohio history. Because of decreased appro-

priations, the committee has not been able to accomplish as

much as it had hoped to do during the year, but stands ready

to support as far as possible any worth while movement.

Chairman Sater announced that the reading of me-

morials would be the next order of business.           Dr.

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