Ohio History Journal

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PROCEEDINGS 241

PROCEEDINGS                          241

 

Joint Session, Saturday, April 2, 10:00 A. M., Ohio State

Museum, Harlow      Lindley, Presiding

The first speaker of the Saturday morning session was the

executive director of the Federal Government's Northwest Ter-

ritory Celebration Commission, Mr. E. M. Hawes.           A  resume

of his extemporaneous remarks follows:

 

THE HISTORICAL PROGRAM OF THE NORTHWEST TERRI-

TORY CELEBRATION COMMISSION.

By E. M. HAWES

I have had to qualify as an expert on oxen, building of boats, and as

a pilot, trying to get out of the mudhole last night. However, the caravan

is now on its way. It left West Newton a day ahead of time in order to

get out of the river, it having the lowest water in years. Perhaps it will

interest you to know that we shoved them off the last rocks at eight o'clock

last night; they were due in Pittsburgh at nine o'clock.

I do want to say and Dr. Lindley knows it--It was our hope that

Governor White would come instead of myself. It isn't easy to tell you,

but I am not going to do any bragging about what I am doing. The Gover-

nor, as chairman of the Commission, is trying to make about six towns a

day, so I am here. I asked Dr. Lindley this morning about phases which

would be most apt to interest a meeting of this sort. He thought the edu-

cational phase of it, and particularly a statement of our program. I hope

you will bear with me. I can talk it for twenty-four hours a day.

We purposely set out to make it different. We are trying to take the

show to the people. We are not asking the people to go to one area.

Marietta is one of the 169 points where the caravan will show. Twenty-

four million people are within an hour's automobile ride of the Northwest

Territory Celebration. There is no partiality shown to any community.

There may be some here from those towns. To give an illustration some

of the towns in the State, both publicly and privately, have said that Ma-

rietta was getting a great slice of the appropriation. The appropriation

was for $100,000, the smallest amount ever made for a program of this

kind; but it is the exact amount for which we asked. We are trying to

have more historic pageants at a cost which the people can stand. The

best way to teach the people history is through pageants, celebrations. The

actual fact is that Marietta is not getting one five cent piece. We are

treating them all exactly the same. During the winter we have turned

away twice as many people as could get into the halls. They showed in

West Newton to 6000, and West Newton is a town of 3000 people. Last

time they had an outdoor show.

Now let us talk about the program. I am very sincere, very earnest

in saying that we did not set out to build a Dallas, a Cleveland, Chicago.

or San Diego. We are trying to get it to the people. We all want to

know how the United States really came about. School histories do not

tell it to you. You men know that. We figured there should be a con-

siderable program. We decided in a rather crude way to start with the

A.B.C. books and from there on up. The first was the map which has

been distributed to some three million people. It is particularly for chil-

dren but a great many adults find it interesting as well.