Ohio History Journal

FAVORABLE ACTION OF THE GENERAL AS-

SEMBLY ON BUDGET OF THE

SOCIETY

 

The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical So-

ciety is gradually coming into full recognition as one

of the important educational agencies of the state.

Evidence of this fact is found in the recognition ac-

corded it by the General Assembly of the state at its

last regular session.

Its place among the institutions of the state was

recognized when the trustees of the Ohio State Uni-

versity granted permission to erect on the University

grounds at the principal entrance the present Museum

and Library building which is the headquarters of the

Society and the home of its chief collections. The plans

of the Society at the time of the granting of this

privilege contemplated the ultimate completion of a

building quadrangular in form of which the present

building is the High Street wing. It was deemed ap-

propriate that the home of this Society should ultimately

be the treasure house of its archaeological and historical

exhibits and library and the source from which its pub-

lications should be issued. At the main entrance to the

University grounds, it should emphasize the Ohio idea

of that great institution.

The present building was scarcely adequate when

erected to accommodate the collections that had been

made at the time of its dedication. In recent years many

gifts have come to the Society in the form of relics,

(530)

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Action of General Assembly on Budget of Society  531

books and manuscripts and the demand for additional

space was imperative.  The survey of mounds has

yielded rich results and World War relics are coming to

the Museum in constantly increasing numbers. The

Meeker Library of Ohioana, which was presented two

years ago, and the library of the Old Northwest

Genealogical Society, which was recently transferred to

the Museum and Library building, have made it ab-

solutely necessary to provide additional space for the

library of the Society. Added to all this has been the

assurance that in the near future a large collection of

World War relics, Ohio's share for its participation in

that conflict, will soon be turned over to the custody of

the Society.

The legislative committees of the General Assembly

and the members of both houses have recently taken an

active interest in the needs of the Society, its educa-

tional work and the opportunities of the immediate

future. Its Publications have been placed in almost

every tax supported library of the state and complete

sets, now numbering thirty volumes, are found in many

of the school libraries of Ohio. Frequent correspond-

ence from school teachers and superintendents bears

testimony to a wide popular interest in these Publica-

tions that reach every section of the state. This work,

which has been supported with meager appropriations

and at times by private contributions, is at last bearing

fruit in an encouraging interest on the part of the Gen-

eral Assembly.

At its recent session the most notable appropriation

was $238,000 for the erection of a World War

Memorial wing to the present building, extending along

the Fifteenth Avenue entrance to the University

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(532)

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Action of General Assembly on Budget of Society  533

grounds. This covers the erection of the wing, includ-

ing memorial features.  It will extend the present

building 182 feet westward making a total frontage on

the Fifteenth Avenue entrance of 232 feet. In archi-

tectural style it will conform in general to the present

building, the frontage being relieved by a colonnade of

two-third columns for a distance of 132 feet with the

exception of four full columns at the entrance to the

wing. On the other side of the avenue will ultimately

be erected a corresponding building devoted chiefly per-

haps to the fine arts. The wing for the completion of

which the appropriation has been made has already been

in part constructed by the expenditure of $50,000 earned

by World War films of Camp Sherman and placed in

the hands of the Society for this purpose.

Not only did the Legislature provide this much

needed wing to the building that shall speak through

the years to the students of the University, who come

from every part of the state, of Ohio's progress and

achievements in peace and war, but much needed ap-

propriations were also made for the work of the So-

ciety. More money was granted for the annual pub-

lications. The fact was recognized that everything that

goes into these publications costs about twice as much

as in the pre-war days. Salaries were granted the em-

ployes of the Society corresponding more nearly with

what has for some time been paid for similar services

in other state departments and institutions. Provision

was also made for additional lines of work through the

agency of the Society.

An appropriation was made for a Curator of Nat-

ural History. It is rather remarkable that while in

some of the larger cities of the state commendable work

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(534)

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Action of General Assembly on Budget of Society  535

has been done and large exhibits of natural history

specimens have been built up and housed in appropriate

buildings, nothing thus far has been done in that line

through the agency of the state. Gifts of natural his-

tory specimens have been tendered to the Society but in

some instances they could not be accepted because of a

lack of room. Recently through contributions of pub-

lic spirited citizens the skeleton of a mammoth, found

in Morrow County, Ohio, the only specimen of this kind

now owned within the limits of the state, was purchased

and presented to the Society. No room is available for

the mounting of this skeleton. Arrangements will be

made for putting it on exhibition when the new wing

to the building is completed. Ohio has done a highly

creditable work through this Society in collecting and

placing on exhibition the archaeological remains of the

state. It is believed that through its department of

natural history a most interesting exhibit will in time

be collected at comparatively small expense. This de-

partment will connect the remote past with the living

present. Ohio has an interesting fauna and flora and

there should be a central collection accessible not only

to the students of the University but to all citizens of

the state who visit Columbus.

Among other appropriations by the General As-

sembly is one for a photostat outfit. While the arch-

aeological survey of the state has been systematically

and consecutively carried on for years the collection of

materials relating to its history has been seriously

neglected. The only agency under state authority that

has attempted much in this line through the past century

has been the Ohio State Library. There the work was

very intermittently done.  In certain comparatively

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536     Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

brief periods of the history of that institution com-

mendable progress was made and some rare collections

were secured only, in some instances, to be lost or dissi-

pated in after years. That institution still has valuable

newspaper files and some books and papers of in-

estimable value to the student of state and local history,

but many important items relating to Ohio and the

Northwest Territory must be consulted in the libraries

of other states or the Library of Congress at Washing-

ton. Some of these can never be acquired by the library

of this Society or any other institution in Columbus.

With the aid of the photostat, however, facsimiles of

many rare documents, manuscripts and publications can

be made which will answer all the purposes of originals

for those engaged in research work. Through the use

of the photostat such documents already collected in

Columbus may be reproduced at small cost and made

available at all times to students in the library of the

Society. Through this agency it is believed that in

time valuable collections may be added to this library

which will in a measure make amends for the failure to

collect systematically the originals in the years that are

gone.

The Logan Elm, located in a small park which now

belongs to the Society, has been an object of increasing

interest through recent years.  A concern has been

manifest for the prolongation of the life of this grand

old tree with historic associations reaching back earlier

than the Revolution.   Reports have been current

through the press of the decline of the Elm and the

question has frequently been raised why something has

not been done to prolong its life and restore it to

healthy condition. The answer of the Society, which

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Action of General Assembly on Budget of Society  537 has appreciated its responsibility for the care of the tree, has very properly been that it had no money avail- able for expert examination and treatment. The Gen- eral Assembly in response to the popular interest that centers in the Logan Elm has made ample provision for everything that can be done to prolong its life. In the meantime a preliminary examination by a tree ex-

pert has been made pos- sible through the prompt and generous attitude of one of our state senators and his fellow Knights Templar in the city of Circleville.  We are pleased to be able to re- port that the vitality of the tree is said to be fair and with proper care its life may be indefinitely prolonged. Under a law that has been on the statute books for about seventy-three years, county commis- sioners are required to keep on file in bound

form in the office of the county auditor two newspapers of opposite politics in each county. A survey shows that in many counties there are interesting files of news- papers that have been accumulated in accordance with the provisions of this law. In some of the counties these are seldom used and county officers would willingly transfer them elsewhere for safe-keeping and reference

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538      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications use. In a number of the counties, we regret to say, these files have entirely disappeared through the flagrant fail- ure of some official to comply with the law. The intima- tion has been made that perhaps they have been disposed of to make room for other records in the court house. The General Assembly has enacted a law making it pos-

sible, where county com- missioners so desire, to transfer these files of a date earlier than ten years from the time of transfer to the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society. It is believed that this act will be of great service in the preservation of local his- tory  throughout   the state. County authori- ties now will have a safe place to deposit their early files if they so de- sire and there will be no excuse for destroying them or keeping them

where they are inaccessible for reference purposes. For the encouraging attitude of the General As- sembly the Society is duly grateful.  Among many members of both houses and state officials who mani- fested a friendly interest it is somewhat difficult to dis- criminate. Especial credit is due to Honorable J. F. Atwood, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and Honorable Harry D. Silver, Chairman of the

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Action of General Assembly on Budget of Society  539 Finance Committee of the House. Extended hearings were accorded before each of these committees and the interest in considering every item of the budget submit- ted by the Society was very gratifying. The attitude of the chairmen was reflected in the entire membership of the committees. Other evidences of a growing interest in local his-

tory are seen in the ac- tion of the General As- sembly in providing for the marking and care of historic sites in the state. Appropriations  were made authorizing the Society to purchase the site of Old Fort St. Clair in Preble County with adjacent grounds to be used for park purposes; providing for the erec- tion of a monument on the site of the Indian town of Piqua captured by General George Rog- ers Clark in 1780; for

the purchase of the site of Schoenbrun, near New Phila- delphia, the Moravian village in which were erected the first church and the first school house in the Ohio Coun- try 150 years ago. An appropriation was also made for work preparatory to the appropriate marking of the battlefield of Fallen Timbers, August 20, 1794, in what is now Lucas County.

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540     Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

In the last twenty years other states carved out of

the Northwest Territory have made commendable prog-

ress in the collection and housing of everything relating

to their history. Ohio, as we have pointed out, has been

a follower rather than a leader in this work. The in-

terest now manifest is therefore distinctly encouraging.

It comes at what may be considered a turning point in

the history of the Ohio State Archaeological and His-

torical Society. Failure to provide for the erection of

the wing to its building would have been a serious blow.

With the favorable work of the General Assembly, all

too inadequately set forth here, the future of the So-

ciety is assured. It now enters upon a new era of op-

portunity.

In these felicitations it would be unpardonable not

to recognize the valuable service of Colonel Edward

Orton, Jr., trustee of the Society and chairman of the

building committee. He was ably assisted in his efforts

by General Chauncey B. Baker, a veteran of the War

with Spain and the World War, and General Harold

M. Bush, who also served in both these wars. These

two gentlemen appeared before the Finance Committees

of both houses of the General Assembly and made very

effective pleas for an appropriation to complete the

Memorial wing as did also General George Florence, a

member of the Board of Trustees.

It is a pleasure to present to the readers of the

QUARTERLY the names of the gentlemen of the Finance

Committees of the Senate and the House through whom

the Society has received the most satisfactory recogni-

tion accorded for many years:

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Action of General Assembly on Budget of Society  541 SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE J. F. ATWOOD, Chairman

Thomas L. Gifford George E. Kryder J. F. Burke John D. Hays George H. Bender Herbert L. Jones Harry M. Carpenter

Joseph R. Gardner Frank C. Wise David A. Liggitt G. M. Kumler Will R. Price Earl F. Ferguson

HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE HARRY D. SILVER, Chairman

William C. Wendt R. F. Edwards Mrs. May Van Wye Robert L. Rohe Ernest R. Hazard W. E. Baxter Minor K. Johnston James W. Shaw

A. C. Robison O. C. Gray James W. Holloway George W. Rose V. D. Emmons Charles G. King John A. Hummon

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