Ohio History Journal

HISTORICAL NEWS

Historical Societies

 

ALLEN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Mrs. Harry B. Longsworth, Secretary

The society is making a drive for the collection of old family

records, Bible records, diaries, account books, journals, and cor-

respondence.

 

ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF NEGRO LIFE AND HIISTORY

William F. Savoy, State Director

The general program is to collect and preserve the valuable

documents of the Negro's history, to form intercultural study

groups for the proper intergrated study of peoples, and to dis-

seminate the history of the Negro through books and articles,

school work, and lecture programs. The association has active

chapters in several of Ohio's larger cities, including Columbus,

Cleveland, Toledo, Canton, and Dayton. There are also branches

in Cincinnati, Newark, Mt. Vernon, Chillicothe, Akron Lima,

Delaware, and at Lockbourne Air Base. There are about 925

members of the association in Ohio.

CHAMBERLAIN HISTORICAL ENTERPRISES, AKRON

Gladys E. Chamberlain, Director

This organization has replaced the former Summit County

Historical Bureau.  A leaflet published recently states that its

purpose is "to increase the knowledge of the history of this sec-

tion of Ohio, particularly Summit County." The Portage Journal,

edited by Miss Chamberlain. is the new name of the former

Summit County Historical Bulletin. The first issue of the Jour-

nal, named for the first newspaper published in Summit County,

appeared in June.

 

DAYTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY

ROY G. Fitzgerald, President

The sesquicentennial celebration of the founding of Dayton,

sponsored by the society, was held from August 27 to September

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408  OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

 

7. The Army Air Corps at Wright Field cooperated in the

activities.

One of the chief concerns of this society at the present time

is the preservation of the old courthouse, erected in the form of

a Greek Ionic temple, 1847-50. There is a movement in Mont-

gomery County to sell the valuable lot on which the Old court-

house is located, the proceeds to go for a new courthouse.

 

 

FAIRPORT HARBOR  HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Pearl E. Killinen, Acting Historian

The village of Fairport has received from the United States

Coast Guard a renewal of the license covering the lighthouse

reservation. The Marine Museum of the society is located in the

lighthouse. Among the society's recent acquisitions are the old

lighthouse lens, on permanent loan from the Coast Guard, a scale

model of the schooner "Pathfinder of Fairport," a sextant used

on the schooner "Sarah A. Green," and the Lake County wreck-

master's inventory of salvaged items from the "S. S. Griffith."

Officers of the society are George Gedeon, president; George

Henry, first vice president; Elijah Brown, second vice president:

Lillian Luthanen, secretary; Mrs. Irene Radike, treasurer.

 

 

NORTH FAIRFIELD FIRELANDS HISTOIRICAL ASSOCIATIION

Charlie D. Harvey, President

Dr. Charles H. Kimberly, of New York, a former resident

of North Fairfield, has contributed the sum of $500 for the instal-

lation of a fireplace. "The association appreciates this very sub-

stantial indication of interest on the part of an old friend."

 

 

OTTAWA COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM

Mae Hesselbart, Curator

Since there has been some confusion concerning the origins

and early history of Port Clinton, the curator has devoted much

of her time to writing and speaking on the subject. An article on

the beginnings of the town, now 118 years old. appeared in the

Ottawa County News. June 14, 1946.

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HISTORICAL NEWS                    409

 

PIONEER ASSOCIATION OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

Mrs. Cora Chapman Reckard, Secretary

The regular meetings of the association are scheduled to

begin in October. Officers for the year are Dr. James A. Mc-

Cowan, president; Fred B. Goddard, vice president; Mrs. Reck-

ard, secretary; Harry M. Hart, treasurer.

 

 

PUTNAM COUNTY PIONEER ASSOCIATION

From the Pioneer News, IV, No. 1 (September 1, 1946)

The council of the village of Kalida has assigned the upper

story of the City Hall as a home for the association. Display

cases are being installed and the people of Putnam County are

being urged to donate historical materials for display. Officers

of the association are Earl H. Hanefeld, president; Charles H.

Veach, vice president; Gaylord Meyers, secretary; Mary F. Fort-

man, acting secretary; Lillian Clevenger, editor.

 

SENECA COUNTY HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

A. C. Shuman, Curator

The fourth anniversary of the Seneca County Museum.

Tiffin. was marked September 5, with ceremonies honoring Dr.

Shuman on his birthday for fifty years spent in the ministry. The

program included greetings by Clarence I. Smeltz. representing

the county commissioners and the museum     trustees, remarks

bY Erwin C. Zepp, of the State Historical Society, a talk by Dr.

Shuman, and music by the Calvert High School Band. The

Seneca County Museum now has twenty one rooms of displays.

 

 

SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF PIONEER RIVERMEN

Frederick Way, Jr., President

At a meeting at Marietta, August 24, the following officers

were elected: Frederick Way, Jr., Sewickley. Penn.. president:

Robert G. Thomas, Clarington, Ohio, vice president for the tipper

Ohio; C. W. Stoll, Louisville, Ky., vice president for the lower

Ohio: William  McNally, Pittsburgh, secretary: Ruth Maddy,

Gallipolis, treasurer; J. Mack Gamble, Clarington. chairman, exec-

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410   OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL, AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

 

utive committee; W. K. Richardson, Marietta, and J. W. Rutter.

Sewickley, museum committee.

 

About Historians

The Mississippi Valley Historical Association will hold its

annual meeting of 1947 at Columbus, April 24-26. The Ohio,

State Archaeological and Historical Society and the Ohio State

University will be joint hosts to the association. Prof. Francis

P. Weisenburger, of Ohio State University, has been named

chairman of the Committee on Local Arrangements with Dr.

James H. Rodabaugh, of the Historical Society, as co-chairman.

 

Dr. Earl Beck and Elverett Walters began work as instruc-

tors in history at Ohio State University with the summer quar-

ter. Dr. Beck, a graduate of Ohio State, recently returned from

service with the armed forces in Europe. Mr. Walters has been

serving in the Navy.

 

Dr. William J. McNiff has returned to the history depart-

ment at Miami University after a year as lecturer to the armed

forces in England and Germany.

Dr. Frank Heck has also returned after three years of serv-

ice in the army.

Dr. Richard Gustavson has been employed to substitute for

Dr. Harry N. Howard who will be on leave with the State De-

partment, 1946-47.

 

Dr. William Fisk has been appointed assistant professor of

history at Muskingum College.

 

At Ohio University the freshman history course has been

revised to begin with the 15th century instead of the Fall of

Rome. Prof. Thomas N. Hoover has contributed an article on

the elections of 1945 to the American Year Book.  Dr. A. T.

Volwiler has been elected to the executive committee of the Mis-

sissippi Valley Historical Association.

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HISTORICAL NEWS                    411

 

The University of Toledo has added six men to its history

staff. They are Dr. Randolph C. Downes and Dr. Carleton F.

Waite. associate professors; Dr. Duane D. Smith, Lloyd Lapp.

Willard A. Smith, and Edward Schweikardt, assistant professors.

Promotions have been made as follows: Almeda M. Janney,

emeritus professor; Arvid T. Johnson, assistant dean of admin-

istration, Emil Lucki, associate professor and assistant dean of

the College of Arts and Sciences; Herbert Schering, assistant

professor of history and German.

Dr. Downes has been named managing editor of the North-

west Ohio Quarterly, periodical of the Historical Society of

Northwestern Ohio.

 

 

Arthur H. Benedict has joined the staff of the Hiram College

history department as assistant professor. Dr. Harold E. Davis,

dean of administration and professor of history, served as direc-

tor of the Division of Education and Teacher Aids, Office of

Inter-American Affairs, during the war. He was professor of

Latin American history at the United States Army University at

Biarritz, France, 1945-46.

Hiram College is making plans for the observance of its

centennial in 1950. The publication of source materials and books

concerning Hiram's history is proposed. The microfilming of the

Mahoning Baptist Journal, one of the basic documents for the

beginnings of the Disciples Church, and the publication of a life

of Burke Aaron Hinsdale, are included in preliminary plans.

 

 

 

Dr. Paul H. Bloomhardt has returned to the history depart-

ment at Wittenberg College after service with the army school in

England and on the continent. Dr. C. A. Clausen will continue

on leave of absence with the State Department. His position will

be filled by R. E. Hawes who recently was discharged from the

army.

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Dr. John I. Kolehmainen, professor of history and political

science at Heidelberg College, has received a grant-in-aid from

the Social Science Research Council for the completion of a his-

tory of the Finnish people in America. Dr. Kolehmainen pub-

lished an article on the "Founding of the Finnish Settlements in

Ohio," in the Quarterly, XLIX (1940), 150-9.

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