Ohio History Journal


    PROCEEDINGS 241

    PROCEEDINGS                          241

     

    Joint Session, Saturday, April 2, 10:00 A. M., Ohio State

    Museum, Harlow      Lindley, Presiding

    The first speaker of the Saturday morning session was the

    executive director of the Federal Government's Northwest Ter-

    ritory Celebration Commission, Mr. E. M. Hawes.           A  resume

    of his extemporaneous remarks follows:

     

    THE HISTORICAL PROGRAM OF THE NORTHWEST TERRI-

    TORY CELEBRATION COMMISSION.

    By E. M. HAWES

    I have had to qualify as an expert on oxen, building of boats, and as

    a pilot, trying to get out of the mudhole last night. However, the caravan

    is now on its way. It left West Newton a day ahead of time in order to

    get out of the river, it having the lowest water in years. Perhaps it will

    interest you to know that we shoved them off the last rocks at eight o'clock

    last night; they were due in Pittsburgh at nine o'clock.

    I do want to say and Dr. Lindley knows it--It was our hope that

    Governor White would come instead of myself. It isn't easy to tell you,

    but I am not going to do any bragging about what I am doing. The Gover-

    nor, as chairman of the Commission, is trying to make about six towns a

    day, so I am here. I asked Dr. Lindley this morning about phases which

    would be most apt to interest a meeting of this sort. He thought the edu-

    cational phase of it, and particularly a statement of our program. I hope

    you will bear with me. I can talk it for twenty-four hours a day.

    We purposely set out to make it different. We are trying to take the

    show to the people. We are not asking the people to go to one area.

    Marietta is one of the 169 points where the caravan will show. Twenty-

    four million people are within an hour's automobile ride of the Northwest

    Territory Celebration. There is no partiality shown to any community.

    There may be some here from those towns. To give an illustration some

    of the towns in the State, both publicly and privately, have said that Ma-

    rietta was getting a great slice of the appropriation. The appropriation

    was for $100,000, the smallest amount ever made for a program of this

    kind; but it is the exact amount for which we asked. We are trying to

    have more historic pageants at a cost which the people can stand. The

    best way to teach the people history is through pageants, celebrations. The

    actual fact is that Marietta is not getting one five cent piece. We are

    treating them all exactly the same. During the winter we have turned

    away twice as many people as could get into the halls. They showed in

    West Newton to 6000, and West Newton is a town of 3000 people. Last

    time they had an outdoor show.

    Now let us talk about the program. I am very sincere, very earnest

    in saying that we did not set out to build a Dallas, a Cleveland, Chicago.

    or San Diego. We are trying to get it to the people. We all want to

    know how the United States really came about. School histories do not

    tell it to you. You men know that. We figured there should be a con-

    siderable program. We decided in a rather crude way to start with the

    A.B.C. books and from there on up. The first was the map which has

    been distributed to some three million people. It is particularly for chil-

    dren but a great many adults find it interesting as well.