Ohio History Journal

104       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

 

OHIO HISTORY DAY AT THE LOGAN ELM

A large and appreciative audience assembled in

Logan Elm Park near the grand old tree which gives it

its name to celebrate Ohio History Day on October 7,

1923.   The local papers gave generous space to this

notable event. The Union Herald prefaces an extended

account as follows:

The celebration of History day at Logan Elm Park Sun-

day was attended by from 1500 to 1800 people from all over

central Ohio, and the great success of the meeting must have

been most gratifying to Mrs. Howard Jones who conceived the

splendid idea of getting together once a year on this historic

spot to study the remarkable history of our wonderful state.

The contemplation of the remarkable success of the first

celebration must be doubly gratifying to Mrs. Jones for the

reason that succeeding gatherings at the park will naturally

grow larger year by year, as time goes on. The permanency of

History day in the annals of Ohio is assured now and future

gatherings will witness the assembling of great crowds, not only

from central Ohio, but from the furthermost corners of the

state.

Sunday's meeting was an inspiration to all who were so

fortunate as to be present and the story of the first History day

will be told and retold until its annual celebration will be hailed

with joy and thanksgiving.

The day was ideal, the sun shone kindly down on the people,

and nature, dressed in her best, never gave forth a prettier pic-

ture. There was just enough tang in the air to give zest to the

celebration and visitors from Columbus, Canal Winchester,

Lancaster, Chillicothe, Washington C. H., and nearby towns

felt richly repaid for their effort in making the trip to Logan

Elm.

A very pleasing program was rendered with Attorney Bar-

ton Walters presiding who in introducing each of the speakers

gave some interesting bits of history.

The Democrat and Watchman was equally felicitous

in the introductory paragraphs of its account:

"Ohio History Day" at the famous Logan Elm on last

Sunday, October 7, was enjoyable and profitable from every

point of view.

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Reviews, Notes and Comments            105

 

The day was typically autumnal. The sun shone brightly

and in the bracing air there was just a hint and tang of the

coming winter days. The branches of the old elm, clothed in

the verdure worn for centuries, swayed in the breeze and wel-

comed to its grateful shade, a representative posterity, many

harvest moons removed from Dunmore treaties and Chief Logan

laments.

The people came from all sections of central Ohio, unmis-

takably impressed with the aim and object of the occasion. It

was the largest audience ever yet assembled at Logan Elm Park.

Attorney Barton Walters of Circleville presided, and in a very

appropriate manner prefaced the splendid program of the after-

noon. He then introduced Honorable John F. Carlisle of Co-

lumbus, who spoke briefly but fittingly concerning Ohio His-

tory Day, not forgetting to remind the audience that this-to-be

annual event, had its conception in the mind of Mrs. Dr.

Howard Jones of Park Place, Circleville; and who, because of

several months of illness, was not privileged, as it would have

been her pleasure, to take part in the exercises of the occasion.

Mr. Carlisle closed his interesting remarks with the reading of

lesson from  one of the McGuffey Readers on "The North

American Indian."

Mrs. Herbert Backus, Vice Regent of the Daughters of the

American Revolution, told, in a very interesting manner how

her organization was taking steps to memorialize important

events of the Revolution.

 

Mr. C. B. Galbreath, Secretary of the Society, was

present and made a brief address devoted to prominent

points in the Dunmore War and Logan's famous mes-

sage to the peace conference with the Indians at Camp

Charlotte, seven miles distant from the Logan Elm.

He stated that the central virtue of this message,

usually spoken of as Logan's speech, was its arraign-

ment of ingratitude. He then read some verses of his

own on the Logan Elm. These were prominently pub-

lished in the local papers and in the November issue of

the Ohio Educational Monthly.      For generous notices

grateful acknowledgment is here recorded.

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