Ohio History Journal

HISTORICAL NEWS

 

Historical Societies

ALLIANCE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Alliance

Mrs. Fred Donaldson, President

The Alliance Historical Society is cooperating with other groups in

the observance of the centennial of Alliance this summer. A series of

events is planned, culminating in those of the week of August 26 - Septem-

ber 2, 1950. Copies of old pictures of Alliance are being made by the

society, which is also publishing a centennial history of the city.

 

AMERICAN JEWISH ARCHIVES, Cincinnati

Jacob R. Marcus, Director

Two books are being prepared for publication by members of the

archives staff. Dr. Marcus is working on Early American Jewish Life, and

Dr. Stern-Taeubler's book, entitled The Court Jews, is scheduled for

publication this year.

 

BUTLER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Hamilton

A. S. Anderson, President

Otto Kersteiner has been elected secretary of the society in place of

Mrs. Henry Kessling, who had been serving as secretary pro tem.

At the March meeting, plans of the board of trustees and a special

planning committee for the development of the Benninghofen home into

a combination house and case museum were accepted by the society. The

speaker at this occasion was William Grieselhuber, who discussed time-

pieces and their evolution. He demonstrated his talk with pieces from

his own extensive collection.

Chairman of five committees were named at the April meeting as

follows: membership, George Cummins; projects, Carl Schulze; historical

objects, Charles Brennan; house and grounds, Henry Kessling; and pro-

gram, Dr. C. J. Baldridge. Talks and practical demonstrations in weaving

and spinning were presented at this meeting by Miss Orpha Webster of

the department of fine arts at Miami University and Mrs. Nell Bunting of

Hamilton.

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314 Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly

 

CLARK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Springfield

Orton G. Rust, President

The society is participating in the centennial anniversary of the

incorporation of Springfield as a city in 1850.

Volume 4 of Yester Year in Clark County, published by the society,

will probably appear about August 1.

Mr. Rust is now in charge of cataloging the society's growing col-

lections.

 

CLINTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Wilmington

Howard H. Thorne, President

The Clinton County Historical Society was organized on March 29,

1950, when a tentative constitution was adopted and the following officers

elected: Howard H. Thorne, president; Mrs. Harry Hague, vice president;

Miss Claire Hague, secretary; Charles R. Starbuck, treasurer; and

Mrs. Ethel H. Hayes, historian. Eldon L. Hayes, Judge Hugh J. Wright,

Mrs. W. J. Galvin, M. D. Barns, and Mrs. Louis Lieurance, were named

directors.

 

CRESTLINE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Crestline

Ernest G. Hesser, President

At a regular meeting of the society on March 2, Don Ebright,

treasurer of state, spoke on "The Responsibility of Citizenship."

Mr. Ebright presented the society with a large Ohio state flag which has

been hung in the Crestline Museum. Karl E. Hackman, of the Crestline

High School faculty, spoke on "Conservation of Plant and Animal Life in

Ohio" at the meeting on April 12.

The Crestline Museum, sponsored by the society, has had many

acquisitions in recent months. During May the museum was visited by all

children in the public and parochial schools, together with their teachers.

The society is promoting plans for the Crestline centennial in 1951.

 

DARKE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Greenville

J. Lendall Williams, President

Margarete Stoltz is curator of the Garst Museum which is maintained

by the society in Greenville. The membership in the society has grown to

near the five hundred mark.

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Historical News                      315

 

DELAWARE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Delaware

Mrs. Walter S. Cole, Secretary

One hundred persons attended the society family night at Rohr-

bough's farm, Monday evening, March 27. B. H. Cast of Prospect showed

films and slides of his trip through the West and into Mexico.

 

FRANKLIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Columbus

Charles A. Jones, President

On April 26, Daniel F. Prugh, secretary of the society, addressed a

session of the fifth annual Program Planning Work Shop sponsored by

the Librarians' Council of Franklin County, the Community Services

Council, and the Franklin County Library Association. He spoke on the

accomplishments and future plans of the society.

"The Telephone Comes to Franklin County" was the subject of an

address by Clarence A. Swoyer at the April 28 meeting; "Pioneer Educa-

tion in Franklin County" was the topic discussed by Dr. Francis P.

Weisenburger, professor history at Ohio State University, at the meeting

on May 26.

The last of the Franklin County homestead seminars for the present

season was held on April 11. The seminars, which have been conducted

by Gilbert F. Dodds, research associate of the society, have aroused a great

deal of interest.

The March issue of the Bulletin featured a story on Clinton Town-

ship's first church as told to D. F. Prugh by Mrs. J. Boyd Davis. This was

the Clinton Chapel of the Methodist Episcopal Church erected in 1838 at

the corner of Walhalla Road and North High Street. The building has

been remodeled and is now occupied by the Southwick funeral home.

The society in cooperation with the Woodrow Guild of Worthington

presented a review of 1890-1910 historic costumes on May 12 at Hagerty

Hall on the Ohio State University campus.

 

GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Cleveland

Donna L. Root, Secretary

The annual meeting of the society was held on April 14, 1950, at the

Cleveland Public Library, which sponsors the society. Dinner was served

to one hundred members and guests in the Great Lakes dining room of

the library. After a brief business meeting, William Ganson Rose, author

of the new book, Cleveland: The Making of a City, addressed the group

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316    Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly

 

on the "Greatness of the Great Lakes," and showed colored slides illus-

trating his talk. Following Mr. Rose's speech, a new film, "Great Lakes:

Highway to Commerce," was shown.

The society cooperated with the Vixseboxse Art Galleries in present-

ing an exhibition of paintings of lake carriers by Arthur E. Bracy at the

galleries from May 24 to June 8.

 

 

HAYES MEMORIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM, Fremont

Watt P. Marchman, Director of Research

During the spring months an increasing number of school groups

visited the Hayes Memorial. In May these groups included the Junior

High School and the Liberty School of Bowling Green; the freshman class

of Perrysburg High School, and the seventh and eighth grades of Gray-

town and Rocky Ridge, Ohio.

The Hayes Memorial is constantly receiving additional manuscript

and other materials for its library. Some recent acquisitions include

microfilm or photostat copies of nineteen Hayes letters, two letters to

Hayes, twelve volumes on the War of 1812, and the papers of Samuel

Crowell.

Mr. Marchman and Burt Tolhurst, supervisor of District No. 2 of the

state historical society with headquarters at the Hayes Memorial, served as

pallbearers at the funeral of Mrs. Fanny Hayes, the last surviving child

of Rutherford B. Hayes and Lucy Webb Hayes. Mrs. Hayes died at

Lewiston, Maine, on March 19. Funeral services were held on March 23

at Spiegel Grove.

 

 

HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF OHIO, Cincinnati

Virginius C. Hall, Director-Librarian

The spring exhibition of the society, "Scouting on the Old Frontier,"

was opened at the Taft Museum on May 12. Old woodcuts, lithographs,

books, maps, and manuscripts depicting frontier life from 1755 to 1813

form the basis of the display, which is in connection with the observance

of the centennial of the birth of Daniel Carter Beard in Cincinnati on

June 21, 1850. A nation-wide observance opened on June 10 with a

celebration in Cincinnati.

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Historical News                      317

 

HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF NORTHWESTERN OHIO, Toledo

Randolph C. Downes, Executive-Director

The society has published in mimeographed form the Lucas County

Tourists' Guide by Kathryn Miller Keller, which outlines four tours in

Lucas County and gives data on historic sites.

Judge Lehr Fess has been named president of the society to succeed

the late Richard D. Logan, and Paul B. Cook, Jr., has been elected vice

president.

 

HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF TALLMADGE, Tallmadge

Henry Bierce, President

The ninety-second annual meeting of the society was held on March 9.

This society, the oldest of its kind in the state, keeps a record of the events

of the year, crop and weather reports, and other data. Important historical

documents have been microfilmed by the society and placed in the Akron

public library.

 

LORAIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Elyria

Mrs. James B. Thomas, President

The society observed the 133d anniversary of the founding of Elyria

with an annual party at the Y. W. C. A. on March 17. On this occasion

Judge Horace Nye spoke on "Fifty Years on Washington Avenue," telling

of the homes and residents at the beginning of the century. During the

same week, the society, under the direction of Mrs. Kenneth Boylan, was

responsible for a display of historical material in three store windows.

All officers of the society were reelected for another year. They are:

Mrs. James B. Thomas, president; Prof. Robert S. Fletcher, first vice

president; Mrs. Cloyd D. Gull, second vice president; Mrs. Milton E.

Wilcox, recording secretary; Mrs. Frank T. Horan, corresponding secre-

tary; and Max Podley, treasurer.

 

OHIO STATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Columbus

Erwin C. Zepp, Director

The sixty-fifth annual meeting of the state historical society was held

on Friday and Saturday, April 14 and 15. At the afternoon session on

Friday, Arthur C. Johnson was reelected president for the twenty-sixth

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318 Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly

 

year, and Webb C. Hayes, Joseph E. Van Meter, and Fred J. Milligan

were elected trustees, the last two being new members of the board. The

principal speaker for the afternoon meeting of county and local historical

societies was Louis C. Jones, director of the New York State Historical

Association, whose topic was "Folk Culture and Local History." During

the afternoon the new lounge was dedicated with an informal tea.

At the annual dinner on Friday evening, James M. Cox, former

governor of Ohio, and Earl N. Manchester, librarian of the Ohio State

University library, were presented with honorary life memberships, and

Arthur C. Johnson was honored for his twenty-five years service as presi-

dent of the society. James B. Conant, president of Harvard University,

gave the address of the occasion,* which dedicated the new additions to

the Ohio State Museum and Library Building.

On Saturday afternoon, the Committee on Medical History and

Archives of the society held its annual session, with Dr. Jonathan Forman

presiding. A number of papers of interest to the medical historian were

read.

 

OTTAWA COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM, Port Clinton

May Hesselbart, Curator

Radio station WFRO, Fremont, recently broadcast a story of the

beginnings of Port Clinton and an account of the museum, both of which

were prepared by Miss Hesselbart.

The curator has received a beautiful French vase about 150 years old

which was sent to the museum on the Ohio car of the French gratitude

train by a native of Port Clinton as a token of her love for her birthplace

and native state.

 

SHAKER HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Cleveland

Mrs. Harry D. Piercy, Secretary

A large gathering of members of the society was held this spring, at

which Shaker songs were sung and pictures of North Union were shown.

Two publications by the secretary, Caroline B. Piercy, The Valley of

God's Pleasure and Shaker Vittals, a booklet on Shaker food, have

recently appeared.

John Hecker resigned as treasurer of the society, and Howard Luce

has been named to the office.

 

* The address is printed on pages 231-238 of this issue of the Quarterly. ffl

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Historical News                      319

 

SHELBY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Sidney

George O. Harshbarger, Secretary

The society is making a study of the log houses still standing in

Shelby County for the purpose of compiling a short history of each. A

picture file of the houses is also being made.

 

 

SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF PIONEER RIVERMEN, Marietta

Frederick Way, Jr., President

Numerous requests for information and for instruction for building

model steamboats have come to the organization as a result of two articles

published earlier this year which mention or describe the River Museum

at Campus Martius, Marietta. One of the articles, "Packet Boat Valhalla"

by Melvin Beck, appeared in the Ford Times for March 1950; the other,

"So Much Happens Along the Ohio River" by Frederick Simpich,

appeared in the National Geographic for February 1950.

 

 

STARK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Canton

E. T. Heald, Secretary-Treasurer

New officers elected at a meeting of the board of trustees on April 6

are Donald K. Merwin, president; Howard B. Sohn, vice president; and

Mrs. Rose Sengleitner, assistant secretary-treasurer. E. T. Heald was

reelected secretary-treasurer.

Of the 1,000 copies printed of The Stark County Story, Volume I,

The Cities, Towns and Villages of Stark County, all except 140 have been

sold.

 

 

SUMMIT COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Akron

Carl H. Pockrandt, President

The society held its twenty-fifth anniversary banquet on May 18 at

the Grace Reformed Church in Akron. The speaker was Frank Siedel,

author of The Ohio Story, a book and a radio series.

Articles on "The Counterfeiters of the Cuyahoga Valley," "The

United States Naval Base in Summit County," and "The Old Wolf Ledge,"

have appeared in the March, April, and May issues of the Bulletin.

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320   Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly

 

UPPER OHIO VALLEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Wheeling, W. Va.

John A. Moore, Secretary

The society is carrying on a campaign for new memberships and has

as its motto for 1950, "Every member get a new member."

The speaker for the March 15 meeting was Reece Peddicord, who

spoke on the history of the Upper Ohio Valley.

 

WARREN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Lebanon

Mary Lincoln, Secretary

The guest speaker at a meeting on March 27 was J. Richard Lawwill,

director of the Anthony Wayne Parkway Board. The tenth anniversary

dinner meeting was held on May 22. Erwin C. Zepp, Richard S. Fatig,

and Reed Masse of the state historical society were guests.

The fourth annual pilgrimage to historic houses in Warren County,

sponsored by the society, was conducted on June 3 and 4. Eight houses

were included in this year's tour.

 

WELLSVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Wellsville

Edgar S. Davidson, President

The society has had manufactured a ten and a half inch plate of

translucent china in commemoration of the 155th anniversary of the

settlement of Wellsville. The plate has seven illustrations of things closely

connected with the history of the city. Each design is framed by orna-

mental scrollwork which extends into the well of the plate to form a

"W" for Wellsville. The plate was made by the Wellsville China Com-

pany, the oldest pottery in the city. The art work was done by Herbert

Bar and the engraving by John and Cedric Stanway. C. L. Nickels is

chairman of the committee in charge of the production and distribution of

the plate.

 

WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Cleveland

Russell H. Anderson, Director

The manuscript seminars for the current season were concluded in

May. In March the subject was "Ohio Transportation"; in April, "Zoar

Records"; and in May, "Early Banks and Banking in Ohio."

The final Study Club program of the current series was presented on

May 24. It consisted of a talk on and demonstration of carding and spin-

ning wool by the director of the society.

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Historical News                      321

 

WYANDOT COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Upper Sandusky

Harry E. Kinley, Secretary

The Wyandot Museum, which is maintained by the society, has been

redecorated during the past year, new lighting fixtures installed, and the

exhibits rearranged. Many new exhibits have been acquired by loan or

purchase. These include a double-seated sleigh, which has been added to

the pioneer collection at the fair grounds.

During the current year the society plans to erect a directional

marker to the Wyandot Mission Church and to build a new monument to

Colonel Crawford to replace the present one, which is beyond repair.

 

About Historians

A. T. Volwiler, chairman of the department of history at Ohio Uni-

versity, will teach at Michigan State College during the 1950 summer

session. Dr. Volwiler spoke at the annual initiation banquet of the

Marietta College chapter of Phi Alpha Theta.

"German Lutheranism: a Psychological Study" by Carl G. Gustavson

appeared in the Journal of the History of Ideas for April 1950.

 

Warren Hickman, a recent graduate of the University of Geneva, is

teaching Dr. Binkley's courses in history and political science at Ohio

Northern University this year. Dr. Binkley is a Fulbright professor at

Oxford University, England, and will serve as visiting professor at Co-

lumbia University this summer. He will return to Ohio Northern for the

fall quarter.

 

Warren A. Beck, will replace Edward F. Blount as instructor on the

history staff at Capital University. Mr. Beck has his B. A. from Augustana

College and his M. A. from Wayne University.

 

Albert G. D. Levy, professor of history at Hiram College, conducted

ten students on an eight-weeks' tour of Europe during the fourth term

(February 20 to April 19). Credit in social science was given for the tour.

Paul I. Miller is spending the second semester at American University

as visiting professor of the Interinstitutional Washington Semester.

Eleanor Zelliot, M. A. Bryn Mawr, taught European history at Hiram

College the fourth term.

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322    Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly

 

Arthur M. Schlesinger, Sr., of Harvard University, gave the Taft

Memorial Lectures on American History at the University of Cincinnati

in March.

Louis M. Sears of Purdue University and Harry Stevens of Duke Uni-

versity will teach in the summer session of the University of Cincinnati.

 

0. J. Fredriksen of Miami University has been granted another leave

of absence to continue in the government service in Germany, 1950-51.

Irene Meister is to continue teaching Russian history and language while

Dr. Fredriksen is on leave.

William E. Smith has been appointed dean of the graduate school at

Miami University. He will continue to serve as chairman of the history

department.

 

John Hall Stewart, on leave from Western Reserve University, writes

from Dublin, Ireland, that he is finding a wealth of material on the French

Revolution in Irish newspapers, and that working conditions in Dublin

are excellent.

 

The Cleveland Plain Dealer for April 21 carried an article by David

Vormelker about Mrs. Annette Fitch Nelson. Mrs. Nelson is a well known

radio speaker and writer of pioneer history of Ashtabula County and the

Western Reserve. Much of her material is based upon her own vast col-

lection of manuscripts, including family letters of her grandfather,

Orramel H. Fitch, a pioneer settler in Ashtabula County, and her father,

Edward H. Fitch, an Ashtabula lawyer in the early days.

 

Harold J. Grimm, professor of history at Ohio State University, will

give courses at San Diego State College, California, this summer. He has

been on leave during the spring quarter for an extended stay in Mexico.

Eugene H. Roseboom read a paper, "Southern Ohio and the Union in

1863," at the meeting of the Mississippi Valley Historical Association at

Oklahoma City, April 20-22. Dwight L. Smith also read a paper at the

Oklahoma meeting. His subject was "Peace Comes to the Old Northwest,

1795."

Sydney N. Fisher gave the mid-year commencement address, January

27, at Ashland College. During the winter he gave a series of lectures on

world affairs to the World Study group of the Columbus chapter of the

American Association of University Women.

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Historical News                      323

 

Walter L. Dorn has addressed several groups on subjects relating to

American military government and the German problem. He spoke at the

Annual Iowa Historical Conference on March 3, at Wittenberg College on

March 22, and at Kenyon College on April 19.

Lowell Ragatz, chairman of the department of history, spoke at a re-

gional meeting of Phi Alpha Theta at Otterbein, gave the February lecture

at the Ohio State Museum, and addressed the new chapter of Phi Alpha

Theta at the University of Cincinnati.

David Lattimer has accepted a teaching position at Denison Uni-

versity.

Francis P. Weisenburger has been appointed to the advisory board of

the Franklin County Historical Society.

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