HISTORICAL NEWS
Historical Organizations
ALLEN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Lima
James A. MacDonell, President
A Shay engine built by the Lima
Locomotive works in 1925 and used at
the National Lime and Stone Company
quarry until 1947, has been renovated
by the Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton
Corporation. It is to be placed on a concrete
foundation on the society's property as
a permanent exhibit.
Contracts have been awarded for
construction of the Allen County Museum
building to be located at 620 West
Market Street. The total cost of the
building will be $170,129.89, of which
the society now has available $145,-
000. A campaign to collect the
additional amount will be undertaken within
the next few months. Construction
started the latter part of November.
AMERICAN JEWISH ARCHIVES, Cincinnati
Jacob R. Marcus, Director
The archives has recently acquired
microfilm copy of the Henry Joseph
Collection of Gratz Papers. As far as is
known, this is the largest Jewish
manuscript collection in North America.
It includes about 2,000 pages deal-
ing with Barnard and Michael Gratz,
Philadelphia merchants from 1754 to
about 1800, and 4,000 pages of letters
to Rebecca Gratz, a well-known
Philadelphia Jewess. The use of the
private correspondence has been re-
stricted by the family, but that of the
business papers is unrestricted.
Two publications have been issued
recently by the archives, Loan Exhibits
of American Judaica, and How to Write the History of an American Jewish
Community.
ANTHONY WAYNE PARKWAY BOARD, Columbus
J. R. Lawwill, Director
The Indiana Historical Society and the
Society of Indiana Pioneers made
their annual pilgrimage last fall on
October 24 and 25, touring the Anthony
Wayne Parkway from Fort St. Clair to the
site of the Battle of Fallen
Timbers. The touring party was
accompanied by J. Richard Lawwill, director
of the Anthony Wayne Parkway Board, and
Richard C. Knopf, historian
of the board, who interpreted the
historic sites along the way.
The board is coordinating the plans of
several state departments and the
Napoleon City Park Department for the
development of Ritter Park, a three-
mile area along the Maumee River west of
Napoleon.
68
Historical News 69
BUTLER COUNTY HISTORICAL
SOCIETY, Hamilton
Paul Benninghofen, President
The society is augmenting its
collections of objects of historical interest
connected with Butler County. A recent
project is the acquisition of photo-
graphs of the oldest homes and other
buildings still standing in the county.
CRESTLINE HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Crestline
Ernest G. Hesser, President
The new Crestline-Shunk Museum of Crawford
County was opened on
October 29 for inspection by the members
of the society. Special guests at
the official opening were John Q. Shunk
of Bucyrus, donor of the new home
for the museum, Frances Crawford Comer
of Ashland, a direct descendant
of Colonel William Crawford, and the
county commissioners. Mrs. Comer
donated a sword carried by Colonel
Crawford during the Revolution. The
museum, which contains nine rooms, was
open to the public on November
5. It is to be open regularly each
Thursday afternoon and evening.
The outline of programs for the current
season, 1953-54, has been
mimeographed for the membership.
FRANKLIN COUNTY HISTORICAL
SOCIETY, Columbus
Frank A. Livingston, President
The society's fifth annual dinner
meeting, held Friday evening, October
23, at the First Congregational Church
Parish Hall, was attended by 350
members and guests. A program of music
was presented by the Columbus
Maennerchor, a 105-year-old German
singing society, under the direction
of I. E. Leinheuser. Margaret Sittler
Ermarth, associate professor of history
at Wittenberg College, gave an address
on "German Influences and Con-
tributions." On this occasion Dr.
Wilbur H. Siebert was presented the
society's fourth honorary life membership
in recognition of his research and
publications on the Underground Railroad
in Franklin County and Ohio.
All officers were reelected for another
term. They are Frank A. Livingston,
president; Myron T. Seifert, vice
president; and Wayne J. Graf, treasurer.
GEAUGA COUNTY HISTORICAL
AND MEMORIAL SOCIETY, Burton
B. J. Shanower, President
The society's Open House and Apple
Butter Festival was held on October
10 and 11. The estimated attendance was
five thousand, and two hundred
gallons of apple butter were made and
sold.
A one-room schoolhouse has been moved to
the museum grounds. Furnish-
ing this schoolhouse is an immediate
major project of the society.
70 Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Cleveland
R. W. G. Wilson, President
The present officers of the society are
R. W. G. Wilson, president;
Clarence S. Metcalf, vice president and
curator of the Wakefield Museum;
Lawrence A. Pomeroy, Jr., secretary;
Donna L. Root, executive secretary;
Fred W. Dutton, treasurer; and Janet Coe
Sanborn, assistant treasurer and'
financial secretary.
The society's Wakefield Museum at
Vermilion was dedicated on Sunday,
October 25, by James P. Schrider, a
trust officer of the Wakefield Founda-
tion, which donated the former Wakefield
home to the society. The prin-
cipal address was delivered by Donald C.
Potts, president of the Pittsburgh
Steamship Division of the United States
Steel Corporation.
HIRAM TOWNSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Hiram
Mrs. William Squire, President
The society is making a study of old
homes in the township and of the
persons who lived in them.
The motion picture, "Freedom's
Proving Ground," was shown at the
October meeting.
On September 24 Mrs. William Squire was
elected president, replacing
C. M. Young.
HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF
OHIO, Cincinnati
Virginius C. Hall, Director
The annual meeting of the society was
held on Monday afternoon, De-
cember 7, in the Laws auditorium of the
University of Cincinnati. Dr.
Thomas Perkins Abernethy, professor of
history at the University of Vir-
ginia, was guest speaker. His subject
was "Aaron Burr at Blennerhassett
Island and in Ohio." Dr.
Abernethy's book on Aaron Burr is expected to
appear in the near future.
Activity in connection with the marking
of historic sites in Hamilton
County continues in cooperation with the
Anthony Wayne Parkway Board.
LICKING COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Newark
Mrs. Richard S. Fatig, President
At the annual election on October 20
Mrs. Richard S. Fatig was elected
president; Miss Nell Jones, secretary;
and Roderick Jones, treasurer.
Research on historic landmarks and
various early activities in the county
Historical News 71
is being carried on by the members. A
series of papers is being prepared
which when completed will constitute a
comprehensive history of the county.
LOGAN COUNTY ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND
HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Zansfield
Elmer O. Heath, President
The society in cooperation with the
Zanesfield Chamber of Commerce
mounted a four-ton, red granite boulder
on a concrete base at the site of
old Fort Wapatomica. The boulder bears
two metal plaques, one of which
gives a brief account of the erection of
the fort by the British during the
Revolution and its destruction by
General Logan. The other plaque honors
the founders of the village, Isaac Zane
and his wife, the Indian princess
Myeerah. The dedicatory ceremonies on
October 18 featured the Zanesfield
High School band and girls' chorus, the
Blue Jacket Legion Post drum and
bugle corps, an address by Judge
Zimmerman of Springfield, and a historical
skit by G. W. Furbay, secretary of the
society. An added feature was a
talk and a presentation of Indian music
by Chief Lawrence Zane, seventh
generation grandson of Isaac Zane. Chief
Zane and his wife came from
Miami, Oklahoma, for the occasion.
LORAIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Elyria
Mrs. James B. Thomas, President
At the September meeting of the society
the film, "Freedom's Proving
Ground," was shown, and in October,
K. T. Augenbaugh, assistant treasurer
of Oberlin College, talked on
"Stories of United States Postage Stamps."
His valuable stamp collection was
exhibited.
Since the death of Mary Louise Ely
Moise, a collection of letters of the
Ely family documenting the settling and
early history of Elyria, has been
donated to the society.
MEIGS COUNTY PIONEER AND HISTORICAL
SOCIETY, Pomeroy
A. V. Howell, President
The principal activities of the society
during 1953 included a three-day
meeting at the local high school
auditorium, June 25-27, at which mementoes,
relics, documents, and pictures were
exhibited. Historical pageants and folk
dancing were evening attractions.
The society participated with the
Portland Community Club in a Labor
Day celebration and homecoming at
Buffington Island Battlefield Memorial
Park. Rededication ceremonies were held,
with Fred J. Milligan, a trustee of
the Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Society, delivering the dedi-
72
Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
catory address. Repairs to the monument,
restoration of the prehistoric
Indian mound, and improvements in the
park were planned.
The society furnished the information
resulting in the erection of highway
markers honoring Valentine B. Horton,
pioneer industrialist in the Ohio
Valley.
The seventy-eighth annual meeting of the
society (said to be the oldest of
its kind in the United States) was held
October 29. Plans were formulated
for organizing local history clubs in
each township to affiliate with the
county society. Officers for the current
year are A. V. Howell, president;
J. H. Grate, vice president; and Mrs.
Edward E. Jones, secretary-treasurer.
OHIO FOLKLORE SOCIETY, Granville
John Ball, President
The society held its sesquicentennial
meeting in conjunction with the
Cleveland Folklore Society in Cleveland,
October 23-24.
Officers of the society are John Ball of
Miami University, president;
Newbell N. Puckett of Western Reserve
University, vice president; and
Tristram P. Coffin of Denison
University, secretary-treasurer.
OTTAWA COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM, Port Clinton
May Hesselbart, Curator
Miss Hesselbart, curator of the museum
for over twenty-one years, con-
tributed to the centennial booklet of
the First Methodist Church in Port
Clinton compiled by Lawrence G. Miller,
pastor of the church.
SENECA COUNTY MUSEUM, Tiffin
A. C. Shuman, Curator
The museum arranged a sesquicentennial
display of antiques at the
Seneca County Fair in August. Window
displays from the museum's col-
lections were arranged during October in
several store windows on Wash-
ington Street. One of these displays was
of locally made glass and one of
old musical instruments.
SHAKER HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Cleveland
Caroline B. Piercy, Secretary
Current projects of the society include
the making of recordings for the
Cleveland Public Schools and for Shaker
schools; gathering together all the
society's furniture, utensils, and
clothing in a temporary museum; and as-
sembling material for a history of early
Warrensville Township (now
Shaker Heights).
Historical News 73
The society trained groups in Shaker
songs and dance for a program of
the Cleveland Folklore Society.
Not by Bread Alone: The Shaker Cook
Book, written by the secretary,
Caroline B. Piercy, was published
recently by Crown Publishers, New York
City.
SONS AND
DAUGHTERS OF PIONEER RIVERMEN, Marietta
Frederick Way, Jr., President
The annual meeting of the organization
was held at Marietta, Ohio, on
September 26, 1953, with the largest
attendance since the organization was
formed in 1939. Fifteen members of the
Steamship Historical Society of
America were special guests. The new
River Room at Campus Martius
Museum was officially opened. The room
contains a gallery of original oil
paintings of steamboats, three of which
were done by Dean Cornwell. A one-
hour documentary film of river
steamboats in action, taken in 1933-40, was
shown at an evening banquet attended by
125 persons. Most of the scenes
were photographed on the Ohio River
between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.
At the business session, Miss Lucilia
Hock of Cincinnati was elected
treasurer.
Frederick Way, Jr., is author of a book,
She Takes the Horns, issued
September 1, 1953, by the Picture Marine
Publishing Company. The volume
gives the factual background for many of
the famed steamboat races on the
Mississippi, Ohio, and Missouri rivers.
It is illustrated and contains a large
set of plans of the sidewheeler Buckeye
State, the only plans of a "river
racer" known to be extant. The
author credits the Martha Kinney Cooper
Ohioana Library Association for
financial assistance in the research.
STARK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Canton
Donald K. Merwin, President
The society held a membership drive in
September and October which
brought in 131 new members, bringing the
total membership of the society
up to 1,252--a new high. Twenty new
memberships or promised member-
ships were secured for the Ohio State
Archaeological and Historical Society,
every prospect being asked to consider
that membership as well as the county
membership.
SUMMIT COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Akron
Carl H. Pockrandt, President
The sound motion picture, "The
Miracle of Muskingum," a picture of the
74 Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
Muskingum watershed, was shown 'at the
September meeting to open the
fall season. In November, "Pipeline
to the Clouds," a General Electric
Company picture, was presented.
Hudson Day was observed at the Perkins
Stone Mansion and the John
Brown Home on October 18. History
students from the Hudson high
school served as hosts and hostesses.
The October Bulletin featured "Looking
at Hudson," an article by Marie L.
Murphey.
UNION COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Marysville
Clarence Hooper, President
At the annual election all incumbent
officers were reelected. They are
Clarence Hooper, president; Rachel
Robinson, secretary; and Minnie Otte,
treasurer.
VINTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, McArthur
Ross Goodwin, President
The Vinton County Historical Society
completed organization on March
27, 1953, with adoption of a
constitution and bylaws. Officers elected were
Ross Goodwin, president; Arlo Chatfield,
first vice president; Cynthia
Hamilton, second vice president; Ethel
Cox, secretary; Anna Darby, his-
torian; Nira Tucker, treasurer; and John
Shookey, genealogist.
An immediate object of the organization
is the securing of a suitable
building for a museum to house the
collection of historical materials already
in its possession.
About Historians
Antioch College is celebrating its
centennial year in 1953-54. On Octobel
5, 1953, a special program commemorated
Horace Mann's inaugural ad
dress one hundred years before.
During last July, August, and September,
Irwin Abrams, chairman o:
the department of history, was a
visiting specialist in Germany under th,
exchange of persons program of the high
commission office.
Bernard Weisberger is the author of Reporters
for the Union, publishe,
last year by Little, Brown &
Company.
The Delta Chi chapter of Phi Alpha Theta
was installed at the Un
versity of Akron in June 1953.
Bernard S. Logan has resigned as
assistant professor of history to acce?
Historical News 75
appointment in the department of
economics at the University of Pittsburgh.
Associate Professor Clara G. Roe has
received a grant-in-aid from the
American Philosophical Society to
complete a biography of General Nathanael
Greene.
At Bowling Green State University,
Virginia B. Platt has been promoted
to the rank of associate professor of
history.
John Oglevee spent the last summer in
Europe, where he did research at
the Bibliotheque Nationale.
Stanton Ling Davis, associate professor
of history at Case Institute of
Technology, is again conducting a study
tour of Europe, July 4-August 24,
under arrangements with Study Abroad,
Inc. Two courses on the European
background of western civilization will
be offered, making it possible for
enrollees meeting the academic
requirements to earn six credit hours. The
tour is open to qualified students, to
teachers for in-service credit, and also
to persons not wishing academic credit.
Erving E. Beauregard, professor of
history at the University of Dayton,
has contributed a chapter, "The
Crusades," to A History of Civilization, a
cooperative work to be published soon.
Professor Beauregard has temporarily
replaced Wilfred J. Steiner as advisor
to the local Phi Alpha Theta chapter.
E. J. Urch of the department of history
and political science at Defiance
College is now the chairman of the newly
formed division of cultural
communications. Majors in this division
qualify for the A. B. degree.
Sister Loretta Clare, head of the
department of history at the College of
Mount St. Joseph on-the-Ohio, has
recently collaborated with Don Sharkey
of Dayton in preparing a 56-page booklet
entitled Our Catholic American
Heritage. This is a brief history of the Catholic Church in the
United
States, intended for the use of study
clubs. She has also edited a 48-page
booklet, The Sisters of Charity in
Ohio, containing articles written by mem-
bers of the faculty. This was published
as a sesquicentennial contribution.
Four new instructors in the department
of history at Ohio State Uni-
versity were appointed at the beginning
of the autumn quarter. They are
Paul Bamford, Bradley Bargar, Morton
Borden, and Paul Murphy.
Harold J. Grimm has received a Fulbright
teaching award for lecturing
76 Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
at the University of Freiburg, Germany,
during the second semester of
the current academic year.
At Ohio University, Frederick D.
Kershner has been promoted to the
rank of associate professor. Last May
Dr. Kershner served as a member of
the selection committee for Fulbright
awards for Australia.
Charles M. Mayes has been appointed
acting instructor of history. Mr.
Mayes has studied at the Sorbonne, the
University of London, and the
University of Minnesota.
Carl Gustavson has received a Ford
Foundation grant for the year 1953-54.
John F. Cady presented a paper,
"Southeast Asia Under Revolutionary
Attack," at the annual meeting of
the Far Eastern Association in Cleveland
in April.
Walter Whalen has resigned from the
history staff at Our Lady of Cin-
cinnati College.
David Burks of the department of
government and history at Otterbein
College received his Ph.D. in history
from the University of Chicago in
December 1952. His thesis dealt with
Mexican trade in the nineteenth
century.
Harold Hancock, acting head of the
department, worked upon his thesis,
"Delaware During the Civil
War," at Washington and elsewhere during
the summer.
Hastings Eells has been named chairman
of the department of history
at Ohio Wesleyan University to succeed
Henry C. Hubbart. Dr. Eells
announces that a seminar on Ohio history
has been introduced this year.
Sarah C. Stevenson of the history
department at Rio Grande College will
leave on the first of February 1954 for
an extended visit to Italy and England.
Two members of the history faculty at
Toledo University have recently
published articles in historical
periodicals: Willard A. Smith, "Napoleon
III and the Spanish Revolution of
1868," in the Journal of Modern History
(September 1953); and R. C. Downes,
"Toledo and the Ohio Centennial
of 1902," in the Northwest Ohio
Quarterly (Autumn 1953).
HISTORICAL NEWS
Historical Organizations
ALLEN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Lima
James A. MacDonell, President
A Shay engine built by the Lima
Locomotive works in 1925 and used at
the National Lime and Stone Company
quarry until 1947, has been renovated
by the Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton
Corporation. It is to be placed on a concrete
foundation on the society's property as
a permanent exhibit.
Contracts have been awarded for
construction of the Allen County Museum
building to be located at 620 West
Market Street. The total cost of the
building will be $170,129.89, of which
the society now has available $145,-
000. A campaign to collect the
additional amount will be undertaken within
the next few months. Construction
started the latter part of November.
AMERICAN JEWISH ARCHIVES, Cincinnati
Jacob R. Marcus, Director
The archives has recently acquired
microfilm copy of the Henry Joseph
Collection of Gratz Papers. As far as is
known, this is the largest Jewish
manuscript collection in North America.
It includes about 2,000 pages deal-
ing with Barnard and Michael Gratz,
Philadelphia merchants from 1754 to
about 1800, and 4,000 pages of letters
to Rebecca Gratz, a well-known
Philadelphia Jewess. The use of the
private correspondence has been re-
stricted by the family, but that of the
business papers is unrestricted.
Two publications have been issued
recently by the archives, Loan Exhibits
of American Judaica, and How to Write the History of an American Jewish
Community.
ANTHONY WAYNE PARKWAY BOARD, Columbus
J. R. Lawwill, Director
The Indiana Historical Society and the
Society of Indiana Pioneers made
their annual pilgrimage last fall on
October 24 and 25, touring the Anthony
Wayne Parkway from Fort St. Clair to the
site of the Battle of Fallen
Timbers. The touring party was
accompanied by J. Richard Lawwill, director
of the Anthony Wayne Parkway Board, and
Richard C. Knopf, historian
of the board, who interpreted the
historic sites along the way.
The board is coordinating the plans of
several state departments and the
Napoleon City Park Department for the
development of Ritter Park, a three-
mile area along the Maumee River west of
Napoleon.
68