Ohio History Journal

THE GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY

 

 

by DONNA L. ROOT

 

Managing Editor, INLAND SEAS, and Head, History, Biography, and Travel

Division, Cleveland Public Library

 

To the librarian and book dealer, and possibly to the historian

and analyst of human nature too, trends in authorship and in

reading are a subject for interested examination not without the

lure of the inexplicable. These trends, although related in their

most obvious expression to the whole pattern of current events

and the immediate concerns of nations and individuals, frequently

shape themselves in an unaccountable direction and take a strong

lusty spurt into hitherto neglected fields of literature.

Such a healthy growth has appeared in recent years in Ameri-

can and Canadian history concerned with the Great Lakes. If

writers have accounted for it, their solutions have not come to my

attention, but it has been accompanied so closely and simultane-

ously in our experience in the Cleveland Public Library with a

new, vital reader and research interest that it is difficult to say

which is the cause, which the effect. It was because of our aware-

ness of the growing, spreading, many faceted, widely varied in-

terest of a large group of people in the Great Lakes area and be-

cause of their need for expression of this interest that the Great

Lakes Historical Society was born.

It may well be that this budding of another new historical so-

ciety is part and parcel of the growing pains of an America newly

become aware and prideful of her historic past. In our own time

two wars of world-wide participation, along with world revolu-

tions, bloody or bloodless, which have altered irrevocably our

political and social thinking, plus the change of pace of accelerated

communication via radio and airplane, have brought an awareness

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180  OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

 

of the making of history to all and most significantly to young

Americans.

It is common knowledge that successive decades have seen a

shift in historical treatment and in the change of emphasis in the

work of our historians and research scholars. From an interest

purely in remote historical events and the records of wars engaged

in and battles lost or won, history writers have turned to the study

of men in relation to their times, the impact of economic and so-

cial conditions on human behavior leading to the growth and de-

cline of nations. For the modern student, history happily has

ceased to be the mere record of dates of remote occurrences or the

bewildering epic of diplomatic intrigues of monarchs and men.

In America we are growing up and turning with proper pride

to the examination and preservation of our richly varied past.

Not only the history of the United States as a nation but the inti-

mate stories of her cities, towns, villages, and the people who live

in all these communities of her valleys, plains, mountains, and lakes

have been reappraised and woven into human and realistic his-

tory. Perhaps the huge metropolitan growth of vast and imper-

sonal living centers has augmented this trend. City-bred children

must learn vicariously what the farm or small-town boy learned at

first hand concerning neighbors' lives, his community's civic prob-

lems, the local economics of the country store, the influence of

weather, crops, and geographical location and their interrelation-

ship which make history. Today the understanding of history

needs to be brought close to personal experience through the study

of the men and women who were our ancestors, how they earned

their living, how they dressed, ate, thought, played, traveled,

voted, what they read, thought, said,--in short all that the study

of local history reveals.

The increase lately of many new local history societies and

museums is evidence that this concern with the social approach to

history has outgrown the classroom and the sphere of the research

student, turning from pedantry to popular interest. Much has

been written on the subject of the evolution of old settlers' asso-

ciations and local patriotic societies into local or regional historical

societies and, too, the frequency and popularity of the celebration

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GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY              181

 

of historical anniversaries is spurring pride in local history. The

increase of recreational travel has had its effect too. Many a

small community has rescued an historic site from oblivion or

opened a little museum to catch the stream of tourist dollars, a

not unworthy motive since the by-products are community pride

and welfare, consolidation of group interests, and civic develop-

ment. History itself benefits from the impetus given to the preser-

vation of original sources by such societies.

No group has done more to "aid and abet" the growth of

local historical interest than the American Association for State

and Local History whose stated purpose is "to coordinate the

efforts of both institutions and individuals interested in state,

provincial and local history and to serve as the central clearing

house in this field." Through their series of useful bulletins and

their program of support new historical societies may receive

great help and encouragement.

The story of the origin of the Great Lakes Historical Society

is evidence that a local, or, as in this case, regional, historical so-

ciety can start almost spontaneously when a way is opened to

channel the natural strong interests of a group. It is a curious and

amazing fact that, in spite of the wide interest throughout all the

bordering states and Canadian provinces in Great Lakes history,

shipping, yachting, and scientific research among the hundreds of

people who derive their living from and find their recreation on

the Great Lakes, no single organization had previously been formed

to bring these people together and coordinate their interests.

Several factors brought about the sponsorship of the Great

Lakes Historical Society by the Cleveland Public Library. The

present Director of the Library, Clarence S. Metcalf, himself long

interested in the Lakes, observed the lack of availability of source

materials for students of Great Lakes history, together with a uni-

versal unawareness on the part of the general public of the vital

part the Great Lakes have played, specifically, in the development

of Cleveland and generally, in the history of the North American

continent. To bring before Clevelanders in visual form the color-

ful history of the Great Lakes from the days of the French ex-

plorers to the era of iron ore and the empire of steel, Metcalf con-

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GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY             183

ceived the idea of a Great Lakes Exhibit in which the Cleveland

Public Library, private collectors, Great Lakes shipping companies,

and our distinguished Western Reserve Historical Society could

share.

We installed this exhibit in the winter of 1942 and found that

the cordial and cooperative response from individuals and organi-

zations alike exceeded our expectations. The public response was

great and wide flung. Although planned as a local affair, word

spread and many visitors came from out of town to see the dis-

play. Being primarily a library affair, the backbone of the exhibit

was a selection of rare books of history, travel, and transportation

on the Great Lakes. To this we added a wide variety of loaned

objects ranging from a Sperry gyrocompass to samples of the

ship-in-a-bottle craft, and including paintings, ships' logs, original

manuscripts, all sorts of ship relics, maps, charts, and a special

display of lighthouses and life-saving equipment lent by the United

States Coast Guard.

Visitors were not content to look and depart but sought some-

one with whom to discuss their own lake experiences. Long after

the exhibit was removed inquiries were received from disappointed

callers. From the obvious desire of so many people to share their

common enthusiasm and from the library's observation of the

lack of coordinated information as to historical sources and the

rich untapped original sources of history in the minds and posses-

sions of men who themselves had made Great Lakes history, came

the Great Lakes Historical Society.

There is much precedent for close relationship between

libraries and historical societies. Frequently they are housed in

the same building, often, as in Trenton, New Jersey, being affiliated

and working with the library with the book collections merged.

Sometimes, as in Detroit, the library of the historical society is a

division of the public library, while the society's museum is main-

 

MARBLEHEAD LIGHTHOUSE. One of the most graceful lights on

Lake Erie as well as one of the oldest, Marblehead Light was constructed

in 1821 to mark the entrance to Sandusky Bay. It is a tapering, 90-foot

tower, built of heavy stone.

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184   OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

 

tained separately.  In the State of New York the law requires

every town and city to have a city historian. In Rochester, where

this position is financed by the Rochester Public Library, it may be

assumed that the Historian is virtually on the library stiff. The

Librarian of the Toledo Public Library is also Librarian of the

Historical Society of Northwestern Ohio, and there are many other

examples of close association of official and non-official organiza-

tions in the interrelation of state historical associations with state

departments of archives and history. In the case of the Great

Lakes Historical Society it seemed logical and mandatory that the

Cleveland Public Library should sponsor its origin since it had

received so strong an impact of desire for an expression of Great

Lakes interest. That a historical society can evolve from specific

interest of the residents in a dominating geographic feature of a

region is demonstrated in this group. Actually, the Great Lakes

Historical Society is a regional society rather than "local" in the

usual limited sense and is essentially a sponsorship society for the

initiation, stimulation, and promotion of major activities relative

to its field whereby the local historical societies of the area may

benefit and grow strong in their own communities. Its function

aims to be that of a unifying agent for the many individuals and

groups concerned with various phases of Great Lakes affairs. It

is hoped that in this way valuable historical material may be pre-

served in the proper places and made accessible to all scholars and

writers; also that through this community of interest the people of

the Great Lakes area may become aware and justly proud of the

significance of the Lakes in the development of our country and

Canada and of their contribution to the whole world through

transportation of resources.

The objectives of the Society are stated thus:

Promote interest in discovering and preserving material on the Great

Lakes and the Great Lakes area of the United States and Canada such as

books, documents, records and objects relating to the history, geography,

geology, commerce and folklore of the Great Lakes.

Centralize information regarding such collections through the co-

operative efforts of local historical societies and libraries throughout this

area.

Sponsor an inclusive bibliography or finding list of.materials on Great

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GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY                185

 

Lakes history and historical material scattered over the entire area and to

be found in public, private and college libraries, in historical societies and

religious institutions of the United States and Canada.

Publish Inland Seas, a quarterly bulletin containing articles and

memoranda pertinent to the interests of The Great Lakes Historical Society

and those interested in the history and commerce of the Great Lakes.

 

Encouraged by the quick enthusiastic response to its initial

meetings, the Great Lakes Historical Society incorporated in April

1944 as a non-profit organization sponsored by the Cleveland

Public Library. Its President, who has served from the beginning,

is Alva Bradley, grandson of Cleveland's pioneer lake shipper.

The Director of the Library, Metcalf, was elected Executive Vice

President and the writer was chosen Secretary. The Board of

Trustees reflects the wide range of interest of our membership.

Its members are lake captains, shippers, marine editors, industrial-

ists, college professors, writers, and members of the Coast Guard,

United States Power Squadron, and Lake Carriers' Association.

The only requirement for membership is an interest in the Great

Lakes.

Since the Society's executive officers are people with full-

time jobs, news of the Society and membership has spread and

grown primarily by the efforts of the early members and through

the promotion and circulation of its quarterly bulletin, Inland Seas.

While further expansion is desirable to insure the future of the

Society, a break-down of present membership is unusually in-

teresting considering the specialized field of interest. The mem-

bers are drawn from 22 states and Canada, with Ohio, Michigan,

and Illinois leading in order named. Ninety-eight libraries and 29

associations and historical societies of the United States belong,

among them the American Antiquarian Society, the Association

for State and Local History, the American Geographical Society,

and the National Parks Bureau of Canada. Business and shipping

firms, yacht clubs, and newspapers are among the other members.

We owe much to the active interest and support of the Steamship

Historical Society of America, the Detroit Marine Historical So-

ciety, the Lake Carriers' Association, the Cleveland Power Squad-

ron, and the Coast Guard.

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186  OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

 

With the return of men from the armed services, increasing

activities within the Society are taking place. A new committee

to secure and preserve pictures of lake ships and ports, old and

new, is getting under way. There is talk of radio programs and

films and a healthy desire for growth.

Following our stated objectives we have nearly completed a

bibliography of Great Lakes holdings in the Cleveland Public

Library and surveyed the libraries of other lake cities in support

of the plan for an inclusive finding list. We have supported

numerous lake history projects, among others the movement in

Erie to preserve the old U.S.S. Michigan and the start of a marine

museum at Fairport Harbor, Ohio. We have had exhibits booths

at the Mid-America Exposition and meetings of Great Lakes asso-

ciations. The Society is becoming a repository for many docu-

ments, ships' logs, captains' journals, clippings, pamphlets, publi-

cations, and other printed materials which are valuable as source

records of Great Lakes history. Plans are under consideration

whereby these may be permanently cared for with the cooperation

of the Western Reserve Historical Society. In the care and han-

dling of this material the Society is indebted to the staff of the

Cleveland Public Library who also aid in the hook reviewing for

Inland Seas.

As in other historical societies, the publication of the bulletin

ranks high in the list of activities. It is in the pages of Inland

Seas that our members find a common interest. Here they may

record their experiences or- expound their hobbies. Here we hope

to preserve the permanent record of Great Lakes affairs; to print

heretofore unpublished historical manuscripts such as those in the

Burton Collection which the Detroit Public Library has generously

permitted us to use; to record present events which will be the

history of the future, as in our Great Lakes Calendar; and to

tell the many anecdotes, stories, and legends that are the heritage

of the stalwart men who sail the Lakes. So deep is the interest of

our members and so generous their contribution of time and

thought to the Society, that they have not only contributed valu-

able articles but even suggested make-up and departments. "Marine

Intelligence of Other Days," which is a regular feature of Inland

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GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY             187

Seas and in which we reprint stories of the Lakes buried in old

newspapers, was suggested by a Chicago member who supplies

the material. Our Canadian members are equally active and their

contributions and interest are additional proof, if it were needed,

of the neighborliness and similar concerns of our friends on the

opposite shores, an example of perfect accord between nations.

The Great Lakes Historical Society has only a brief past, but,

it is hoped, a brilliant future. The flow of correspondence across

the desk of the Editor of Inland Seas bears ample proof that its

membership is spontaneously enthusiastic in its support and that

the Society is succeeding in the initial and basic purpose for which

it was conceived, namely to achieve "public appreciation of the

courage, enterprise and sacrifice of the people who built up this

great region and for the permanent preservation of its history."

These are the words of our motto: "To preserve a great past for a

great future."

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