Dedication of the Hayes Memorial. 431
very graciously doffed his hat in recognition of the honor thus paid him. When it was suggested to him that these were the boys who would help him in Mexico in case the situation came to that, he very earnestly and seemingly sadly remarked, "Yes, yes, I know, but we hope and pray they will not be needed." Immediately upon the arrival of Secretary Baker the real dedication of the Memorial, the Grove and the Mansion was begun.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE OHIO STATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. Gathered about the speakers' stand Tuesday afternoon on the spacious lawn fronting the noble Hayes mansion in far-famed Spiegel Grove, a vast multitude listened with rapt attention to the eloquent program of prayer and speech, song and music, which dedicated the magnificent memorial erected by the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society to perpetuate the memory of Ohio's most illustrious son, Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th president of the United States, 1877-1881. The meeting was called to order by Pres. G. F. Wright, who spoke as follows:
ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT WRIGHT. My Fellow Citizens: |
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States. An additional interest in this occasion is given by |
432 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
the coincidence that Spiegel Grove,
which by dedication be-
comes the property of the State, to be
preserved as a Park per-
petuating the memory of President Hayes,
also in some degree
perpetuates the name of William Henry
Harrison, the first Ohio
President.
Through these grounds may still be
traced the trail over
which General Harrison led his army in
1813 to the decisive vic-
tories on land which preceded and
followed that of Perry on
Lake Erie; while an impressive gateway
to the Grove does due
honor to this distinguished citizen of
the State and to his brave
and noble army.
The event which we now celebrate in the
completion of this
beautiful building and in setting it
apart with its invaluable
library and its marvelous collection of
historical relics, together
with the opening of Spiegel Grove as a
public park, may well
arouse the patriotism of the whole
nation. Long before the army
of 1813 passed through these grounds,
the aboriginal inhabitants
of America had been in the habit of
threading their way under
its majestic trees on the trail leading
from the Great Lakes to
the Ohio River. Almost in sight of where
we now stand, also, is
the monument to Major Croghan and his
gallant band who a
short time before Perry's Victory,
defended Fort Stephenson
against an overwhelming force of British
and Indians, and com-
pelled General Proctor to withdraw, thus
saving Ohio from in-
vasion.
It is an interesting coincidence that
this center of historic
interest was in early life chosen as his
residence by Rutherford
Birchard Hayes, who by his preeminent
qualities, both military
and civil, rose to the highest position
which a citizen of the
United States may hope to attain. Of the
deeds of this most dis-
tinguished citizen of Fremont the orator
of the day will speak.
It remains for me only to give a brief
history of Spiegel Grove
and the building which we now dedicate.
When about the middle of the last
century, Spiegel Grove
was chosen for the Hayes' family
residence it was completely
covered with a primeval forest. A space
in the center, sufficient
to let in sunlight and to afford a
beautiful and spacious lawn,
was cleared, and the future home erected
upon it. In later years
Dedication of the Hayes
Memorial. 433
additions were made until it assumed its
present stately propor-
tions. The original Grove consists of
about twenty-five acres,
all within the two square miles of the
old Indian Free City,
deeded to the United States in 1786 by
treaty, and now known as
Fremont. Through the generosity, filial
devotion and public spirit
of a son, Colonel Webb C. Hayes, who had
come into possession
of the property, the whole tract was
offered to the State as a
public park in memory of his parents.
His deed simply required
its maintenance as a State park and:
"That the Ohio State Archaeological
and Historical Society
should secure the erection upon that
part of Spiegel Grove here-
tofore conveyed to the State of Ohio for
a State Park, a suitable
fireproof building, on the site reserved
opposite the Jefferson
Street entrance, for the purpose of
preserving and forever keep-
ing in Spiegel Grove all papers, books
and manuscripts left by
the said Rutherford B. Hayes * * *
which building shall be
in the form of a Branch Reference
Library and Museum of the
Ohio State Archaeological and Historical
Society, and the con-
struction and decoration of the said
building shall be in the
nature of a memorial also to the
soldiers, sailors, and pioneers of
Sandusky County; and suitable memorial
tablets, busts and dec-
orations indicative of the historical
events and patriotic citizen-
ship of Sandusky County shall be placed
in and on said building,
and said building shall forever remain
open to the public under
proper rules and regulations to be
hereafter made by said
Society."
The Legislature of Ohio generously
appropriated $50,000.
Of this, $40,000 was used toward the
building and $10,000 was
for paving the streets surrounding
Spiegel Grove. Impressive
entrances to the grounds, through
gateways bordered with mas-
sive walls of granite boulders, were
constructed by Colonel Hayes.
Two of these gateways are between
immense cannon erected on
end and inscribed, in the one case to
the memory of the French
and British Explorers, and the Soldiers
of the War of 1812 who
passed over the Harrison Trail; and in
the other to the soldiers
of Sandusky County who served in the War
with Mexico and the
War for the Union. The bodies of
President and Mrs. Hayes
were transferred to the beautiful knoll
in the Grove, together with
Vol. XXV-28
434
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
the modest monument which President
Hayes before his death
had erected, in Oakwood Cemetery, of
Vermont granite, from
the quarries near his father's
birthplace. Colonel Hayes has
expended in increasing the attractions
of the Grove and the
buildings in it, together with its
endowment, about $100,000 in
cash. This with adjoining real estate
and the value of the Hayes
Memorial Library represents by fair
valuation a quarter of a
million dollars, which becomes the
property of the State, en-
trusted to the care of the Ohio State
Archaeological and Historical
Society.
As pilgrims come to this sacred spot
from far and near they
cannot fail to be impressed with the
importance of the historical
events which are here commemorated, and
with the debt which
we owe to the heroic men who did so much
here both to obtain
and to preserve the liberties of our
country. With Major
Croghan in the nearby Fort Stephenson
Park they will, in im-
agination, await the psychological
moment when the order comes
to let loose the charge from "Old
Betsy" that was to destroy the
British forces that were making their
final assault. With eager
steps they will march with General
Harrison and his army,
through the southern gateway, along the
old Indian trail, as he
hastens from his headquarters at Fort
Seneca to embark, at the
portage of Port Clinton, upon Perry's
victorious ships, to be
landed in Canada for the triumphant
victory of the Thames.
Through the western gateway, they will
be thrilled by the thought
of the heroes that from this county fell
in the Mexican War and
in the War for the Union, and by the
memory of General Mc-
Pherson, the highest in rank and command
to fall upon the field
of battle in the War for the Union. At
the grave of President
Hayes and in this memorial building a
flood of memories will
come as they recall his gallantry on the
field of battle, his wise
administration of the government of his
native State, and of the
transcendent service which he rendered
in the face of violent
opposition and abuse as president of the
United States to restore
that loyalty and good feeling which we
now witness in such full
degree between the warring sections of
fifty years ago. All these
are monuments to remind us of the
extreme and unselfish devo-
tion of private interests to the public
good which are shown only
Dedication of the Hayes
Memorial. 435
by soldiers and statesmen of the highest
rank. Here may we
come in increasing numbers to devote
ourselves anew to the ser-
vice of our country and our common
humanity.
President Wright then introduced the
Rev. J. C. Roberts,
pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal
Church, of Fremont,
who delivered this invocation:
"Our Heavenly Father we praise Thee
for all the things that
tell us of Thy presence in the earth. We
thank Thee for this
day. The day when we remember those who
have made possible
the spirit of this hour. This day when
we carry the flowers Thou
hast made and reverently lay them on the
graves of the men who
died that the nation might live.
We praise Thee for the life of the
Republic. Thou hast led
us thus far, and we believe Thou wilt
lead us to the end of the
journey. We would not be unmindful of
the lives of all great
national leaders. We are especially
grateful this day for the
life and service of our own Rutherford
Birchard Hayes. The
simplicity, consistency, fidelity and
devotion of his life appeal to
every American. May the mantle of his
patriotism fall on every
one here assembled.
We must ever praise Thee for the noble
life of our very
own Lucy Webb Hayes, first lady of the
land, as noble as the
President. More than any other woman in
America she has lifted
the stainless white banner of devoted
motherhood, faithful wife-
hood, pure social life, and unswerving
fidelity to the noblest ideals
of Christian womanhood. She has lifted
every woman to higher
ideals. The memory of her faultless life
leaves a halo on the
brow of womanhood.
We thank Thee today for the generosity
of Colonel Webb
C. Hayes, the honored son of our first
citizen. For his noble
and most generous wife, who has joined
him in making possible
this hour. The benefits of their united
giving will bless not only
the nation and the State, but every
citizen of Fremont for all the
years. Bless, we pray Thee today, the
rich gifts that have been
laid by these hands on the altar of the
State, and in the trembling
hand of the sick and suffering of
humanity. May the hand of
the world's Savior rest in blessing on
the filial and patriotic
devotions of material values.
Dedication of the Haves
Memorial. 437
Bless, we pray, the Republic of which we
are a part. Be
with all who are in places of
leadership. Guide the Nation
through all dangers to a safe harbor.
Help us to become to all
nations the truest expression of the
divine program for human
government.
We ask all in the name of Jesus Christ
who has given us
the ideals upon which all lasting human
civilizations must stand.
Amen."
"The Star Spangled Banner" was
then sung by the Col.
George Croghan Chapter, D. A. R., and
the Fremont Church
Choirs (who were seated on a specially
constructed platform to
the right of the speakers' stand), and
led by Prof. Alfred Arthur,
leader of the 23d Regiment Band;
accompanied by the Woodman
Band.
President Wright then introduced his
Honor, Mayor George
Kinney, of Fremont, who gave the
following address of welcome:
ADDRESS OF MAYOR GEORGE W. KINNEY.
Mr. President and Ladies and Gentlemen
of the Ohio State
Archaeological and Historical Society,
through and by whose
grand achievements and devotion to duty
we are able to dedicate
this magnificent memorial- this historic
mansion - this match-
less grove-this place of beauty-to the
sacred memory of
Rutherford B. Hayes, I bid you welcome.
To all you aged soldiers of the War for
the Union who were
his allies in war and his comrades in
peace, who come here to
evidence your love and devotion to your
old commander, I bid
you welcome.
To all you honorable gentlemen,
representatives of this great
nation and state who honor us by your
presence in this dedicatory
service to the memory of one of the
noblest of America's great
men, I bid you welcome.
To all other organizations and
associations, and especially the
Odd Fellows, of which he was an active and
devoted member for
fifty years -some
of you have known him all these years, yet
none knew him but to love, and none
named him but to praise, and
any and all of you come to express your
love, respect and ad-
miration for your townsman and your
friend, I bid you welcome.
Dedication of the Hayes Memorial. 431
very graciously doffed his hat in recognition of the honor thus paid him. When it was suggested to him that these were the boys who would help him in Mexico in case the situation came to that, he very earnestly and seemingly sadly remarked, "Yes, yes, I know, but we hope and pray they will not be needed." Immediately upon the arrival of Secretary Baker the real dedication of the Memorial, the Grove and the Mansion was begun.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE OHIO STATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. Gathered about the speakers' stand Tuesday afternoon on the spacious lawn fronting the noble Hayes mansion in far-famed Spiegel Grove, a vast multitude listened with rapt attention to the eloquent program of prayer and speech, song and music, which dedicated the magnificent memorial erected by the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society to perpetuate the memory of Ohio's most illustrious son, Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th president of the United States, 1877-1881. The meeting was called to order by Pres. G. F. Wright, who spoke as follows:
ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT WRIGHT. My Fellow Citizens: |
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States. An additional interest in this occasion is given by |