Ohio History Journal

HISTORICAL NEWS

 

Historical Societies

 

ALLIANCE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Alliance

Mrs. Fred R. Donaldson, President

At the March meeting of the society Melvin Van Winkle was elected to

the board of trustees, and Mrs. Melvin Van Winkle was elected the society's

representative to the Stark County Historical Society.

A current project of the organization is the placing of a marker in the

old Williamsport Cemetery at the graves of William and Martha Teeters,

co-founders of Williamsport in 1827. Williamsport is now incorporated in

the city of Alliance. Articles of historical interest for a future museum are

being collected, and the compiling of historical scrapbooks on the city of

Alliance is being continued.

 

BRECKSVILLE EARLY SETTLERS HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, Brecksville

Benjamin P. Forbes, President

Mrs. Robert Hoffman was elected secretary-treasurer of the association

at the June meeting. Benjamin P. Forbes and Raymond T. Thayer were

reelected president and vice president respectively. Mrs. Laurence Barrett

is the historian.

A special exhibit of European and Chinese porcelain was shown at the

museum in June. An herb garden has been started by the curators around

the sundial, which was a recent gift to the association.

The museum is encouraging the revival of interest in handicrafts. Classes

in chair caning have been conducted this summer; rug-braiding classes are

scheduled for fall. The woodworking shop has been opened for the use

of Explorer Scouts.

Volume I, No. 2, of The Pioneer was published recently by the association.

 

FIRELANDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Norwalk

James E. Dixon, Curator

The society was the beneficiary of a bequest of $1,500 in the will of

Mary C. Ransom, a descendant of Huron County pioneers, whose death

occurred this spring. Miss Ransom also left to the society her heirlooms,

antiques, books, and needlework. A condition of the bequest was that the

society assume care of the family lot and vault at Woodlawn Cemetery.

431

• 1
 

432      Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly

 

The curator is at present assisting a number of graduate students in

locating source materials in the society's library for master's and doctor's

theses.

FIRESTONE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES, Akron

William D. Overman, Librarian

Jay R. McKee, who holds an M.A. in library science from Kent State

University, was recently appointed archivist in the place of James N.

Young, who transferred to another department.

FRANKLIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Columbus

Daniel F. Prugh, Executive Secretary

Work on the Oral M. Heffner Collection of theatrical photographs and

volumes of early theater material has been completed. The collection has

been placed in a new file, and a catalog added. The first public showing

of the collection will be held on Friday, February 27, 1953, in connection

with the society's program, "The Staging of Early Melodrama in Columbus."

Work has begun on a Tour Guide of Franklin County, which will be

available to the Chamber of Commerce, the Convention Bureau, and similar

organizations. The guide will sell for twenty-five cents per copy. Both

the guide and the annual, 50 Events in Franklin County History, will be on

sale at the Ohio State Fair in 1953.

The society's fourth annual meeting will be held in the Ohio Union

building, Thursday evening, October 23. This will be the first dinner

meeting for the entire membership. Hugh Huntington, Columbus attorney,

will speak on "The Story of Columbus," and the senior choir of Central

High School will sing songs of early Ohio.

 

GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Cleveland

Clarence S. Metcalfe, Executive Vice President

L. Quincy Mumford, director of the Cleveland Public Library, was ap-

pointed a trustee of the society in May to fill the vacancy caused by the

death of E. J. Kulas, president of the Midland Steel Company.

GREENE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Xenia

S. O. Liming, Vice President

H. C. Aultman, president and acting president of the society since 1931,

submitted his resignation in June. Mr. Aultman was a charter member of

the society, which was organized in June 1929. S. O. Liming is the vice

president.

• 2
 

Historical News                        433

 

HAYES MEMORIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM, Fremont

Watt P. Marchman, Director of Research

The Hayes museum and library formed the subject of the Ohio State

Archaeological and Historical Society's program on Sunday, July 27, at

1:45 P.M. over WBNS-TV, with Norman Dohn as host.

The director spoke before several organizations and clubs in Fremont

during May and June, and before the Kiwanis Club, Sandusky, in July,

on northern Ohio history and the work of the Hayes library and museum.

 

HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF OHIO, Cincinnati

Virginius C. Hall, Director

Members are chartering the Ohio River steamer, the Delta Queen, for a

historical pilgrimage to Louisville on November 1-2. An interesting program

in Louisville is planned for Saturday, and the return up the river will be

made on Sunday.

 

LORAIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Elyria

Mrs. James B. Thomas, President

Members of the society were guests of the Women's Benevolence Society

of the First Congregational Church at Ridgeville for the June meeting,

which was held in the old town hall at Ridgeville. In July the society held

a dinner meeting at the Congregational church at Brownhelm, and were

guests of the organizations of that church for the program which followed.

The attendance at these two meetings was larger than at any previous meeting

in the townships, attesting a growing interest in the program of the society.

 

MEIGS COUNTY PIONEER SOCIETY, Pomeroy

A. V. Howell, President

The official board of the society at a recent meeting perfected plans for

the annual meeting to be held in Pomeroy, September 11. At this meeting

three amendments to the constitution and bylaws will be proposed: (1) to

change the name of the society to the Meigs County Pioneer and Historical

Society; (2) to broaden the membership base to admit younger persons,

and probably, former residents of Meigs County; and (3) to provide for

either semiannual or quarterly meetings of the society.

Activities for the coming year to be considered will include the building

of a library and museum structure as a permanent home of the society;

the publication, or at least the preservation of historical manuscripts written

by the president of the society designed to connect the history of Meigs

• 3
 

434      Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly

 

County with that of the state of Ohio and other parts of the Ohio Valley;

plans to cooperate with other societies in the celebration of Ohio's sesqui-

centennial.

Excepting only the Grange, the Meigs County Pioneer Society has more

dues-paid members than any other organization in the county.

The present officers of the society are: A. V. Howell, president; William

Scott, vice president; Mrs. Edward Jones, recording secretary; Bess Sandorn,

corresponding secretary; Wilma Seargent, treasurer; and Frances Klein, pub-

licity secretary.

 

SALEM HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Salem

Roy W. Harris, President

The present officers of the society are Roy W. Harris, president; George H.

Bowman, Jr., vice president; and Cora Smith, secretary-treasurer. Meetings

are held monthly.

 

STARK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Canton

Donald K. Merwin, President

In cooperation with the Canton Repository, the Stark County Historical

Society has completed eighty-nine weekly illustrated stories on "Historical

Stark Churches," there being that number of churches in the county one

hundred years old or older. The Repository furnished the photographs and

engravings and Secretary Heald the write-ups.

Volume III of The Stark County Story contains about 850 pages and 316

illustrations instead of 750 pages and 200 illustrations as first announced.

Secretary Heald did the research and wrote the scripts for the original

broadcasts, which he has edited for publication. Notwithstanding the in-

creased size, the price of $11 is as originally announced.

 

SUMMIT COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Akron

Carl H. Pockrandt, President

The annual banquet of the society was held on Thursday evening,

June 19, at the Grace Reformed Church. On June 8 the Akron Rose

Society dedicated an old-fashioned rose garden on the grounds of the

historical society's Perkins Mansion.

The August issue of the Bulletin carries a list of the burial places of

soldiers of the Revolutionary War who lived in Summit County.

• 4
 

Historical News                        435

 

UNION COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Marysville

Guy Robinson, President

The society is continuing the collection of historical papers and documents

on the history of Union County. Meetings are held quarterly. At a recent

meeting the president, Guy Robinson, read a paper on the history of sheep

raising in Union County.

 

WARREN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Lebanon

Mrs. Edward F. Herrick, President

The society cooperated in the celebration of Lebanon's sesquicentennial,

participating in the historical pageant, "At the Sign of the Golden Lamb," in

the parade, and in all phases of the daily programs from June 15 through

June 20.

The society has had printed a series of post cards of Warren County

scenes and a Warren County scenic notepaper.

Hazel Spencer Phillips and Lawrence J. Gray, members of the society,

have recently published a sixty-one page booklet, Governors of Ohio, with

a picture and a brief sketch of each of the governors.

 

WELLSVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Wellsville

Edgar Davidson, President

Plans are being made for the purchase of the Aten property located on

State Routes 39 and 7 by the Wellsville Historical Society and the Carnegie

Library Board. The old stone house, the oldest in Wellsville, was erected

in 1811 by Henry Aten, who flatboated produce to New Orleans. It will

be restored and maintained jointly by the two organizations as a river

museum and library. This will be the first museum to be devoted exclusively

to river material. The society sponsored the "kick-off" dinner and is in

charge of raising a fund of between $6,000 and $7,000 in material, labor,

and money, which will be needed to repair and restore the property. Money

contributions may be mailed to Miss Louella Thompson, treasurer, Wellsville

Historical Society, Box 101, Wellsville, Ohio. Gifts of building materials

and labor will be cheerfully received by Edgar Davidson, president of the

society. Materials dealing with river affairs are being sought, and any

persons having such materials to loan or contribute to the museum are

invited to contact Clarence Bell, 610 Main Street, Wellsville, Ohio. The

library and museum will be opened in 1953 as a part of Wellsville's ob-

servance of the Ohio sesquicentennial.

• 5
 

436      Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly

 

One of the early events in the sesquicentennial celebration at Wellsville

will be a train trip in observance of the anniversary of the arrival in the

town of the first train from a Lake Erie port on February 14, 1852,

inaugurating the "Second Century of Service" over the route. The historical

society will re-create the ceremonies of 101 years ago as recorded in a

contemporary newspaper, the Wellsville Patriot. Another sesquicentennial

event will be the re-creation of the ride and raid of General John Hunt

Morgan on Sunday, July 26, 1863, which is scheduled for Sunday, July 26,

1953 (ninety years later). Material collected by the society will be used,

including a carefully checked route, the work of Vice President Don

Newbold.

The society sponsored a motorcade in August to historic Mt. Pleasant,

Ohio. Vice President Newbold is the tour chairman.

 

WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Cleveland

Russell H. Anderson, Director

A special number of the Historical Society News with a map showing

the location of the society's buildings, and an account of the physical

plant, the collections, and the services available, was issued in August.

The Women's Advisory Council has sponsored three one-day historical

tours: to Lake County, including Shandy Hall and the Matthews House

in Painesville; to Kinsman, North Bloomfield, and Burton; and to the

Firelands. The council is also planning a series of lectures and other pro-

grams for the third Wednesday of each month during the winter.

Preceding the national conventions of the political parties, the society,

under the auspices of the Women's Advisory Council, held two pre-

convention meetings. On June 25, the Republican women presented in-

formation and arguments in favor of the two principal candidates to come

before the Chicago convention. The Democratic women held a similar

meeting on July 9. They were preliminary to a ladies' "Lincoln-Douglas

Debate" to be held in October to debate the issues of the campaign.

A special exhibit, A Quest for Power, has been installed recently. It

includes guns, sabers, gorgets, shako plates, and other items not recently

exhibited, from the David Z. Norton Collection of Napoleonana. It supple-

ments the permanent Napoleon exhibit.

The Shaker materials in the New York State Library-about 12,000

pages-have been microfilmed and added to the library collection. Added

• 6
 

Historical News                        437

 

also were 400 exposures of Connecticut Land Company records from the

same source.

The society employed Dorcas Strong for the summer months to catalog

maps.

 

WYANDOT COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Upper Sandusky

Charles P. Artz, President

A column devoted to pioneer incidents in Wyandot County appears each

week in the Upper Sandusky Chief-Union. Secretary Harry E. Kinley is

making the research for these articles.

The society is promoting the reopening of the Indian spring at Upper

Sandusky.

About Historians

Bernard Weisberger has been appointed assistant professor of history at

Antioch College for the academic year 1952-53.

Louis Filler has published recently the following articles: "Arts and the

Man," in the Midwest Journal (Winter 1951-52); "Parrington and Carlyle:

Cross-Currents in History and Belles-Lettres," in the Antioch Review

(Summer 1952), and "East and Middle West: Concepts of Liberalism in

America During the Late Nineteenth Century," in the American Journal

of Economics and Sociology. Dr. Filler now holds a faculty study fellow-

ship from the American Council of Learned Societies for half-time work in

exploring aspects of anthropology, sociology, and psychology and their

possibilities for the study of American civilization. He has also a grant-in-

aid from the Social Science Research Council to further work on his book

on Abolition and Reform.

Irwin Abrams will supervise the work and field trips of a team of

five German students and one instructor sent to Antioch College by the

United States Department of State to study democratic organization and

student government at Antioch and neighboring colleges.

 

Hilmar G. Grimm has been promoted from associate professor to pro-

fessor of history at Capital University.

 

Philip L. Ralph, head of the department of history at Lake Erie College,

has recently been awarded the thirtieth fellowship of the Eugene Saxton

Memorial Trust to assist him in an interpretive study of Western civilization

in which he is engaged.

• 7
 

438      Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly

 

Richard G. Salomon of the department of history at Kenyon College

had an article, "A Fuseli Drawing in the Huntington Library," in the

Huntington Library Quarterly (May 1952). Dr. Salomon also contributed

an article, "Prunksuppliken in einer amerikanischen Sammlung," to the

Stengel-Festschrift published at Cologne, Germany, this year.

 

The Economic History Association held its twelfth annual meeting at

Oberlin College on September 12-13. The theme was "The Evolution of

Modern Business Organization and Management." John G. B. Hutchins

of Cornell University was chairman of the program committee; Thomas

LeDuc of Oberlin served as chairman of the committee on local arrange-

ments. This was the first meeting of the association in the Middle West.

The Mind of the Middle Ages, 200-1500 A.D. by Frederick B. Artz,

chairman of the history department at Oberlin, is now in press.

 

Ohio University's Annual Summer Conference on Current Problems and

World Affairs was held this year on July 14-15, again under the direction

of A. T. Volwiler, chairman of the department of history. The topic of this,

the seventh of such conferences, was "The Middle East in World Affairs

Today." Principal speakers were Samuel K. C. Kopper, acting director of

the department of state's office of Near Eastern affairs; Nasrollah Saifpour

Fatemi, a former member of the Iranian Parliament, now a lecturer in the

department of oriental languages and literature at Princeton University;

and Miss Affife Sayin, a native of Turkey, now a member of the staff of

the department of economics at Marietta College.

 

William Williams has resigned his instructorship in the department of

history at Ohio State University to accept an assistant professorship at the

University of Oregon. New    instructors in the department, beginning

October 1, 1952, are Clayton Roberts and James Smith.

Sidney N. Fisher, associate professor of history at Ohio State, has been

granted a year's leave of absence from the university to become director of

publications for the Middle East Institute and editor of the Middle East

Journal with offices at 1830 Nineteenth Street, N.W., Washington 9, D.C.

He will fill the post during the absence of the present director, who has

received a grant to travel and study in the Near East for the year.

• 8
 

Historical News                         439

 

Myron L. Tripp, chairman of the department of history at Dayton Bible

Institute, will teach part-time each academic quarter of the current year at

Wilberforce University.

 

Zenos E. Hawkinson, associate professor of history at Youngstown

College from September 1950 to July 1952, became professor of history at

North Park Junior College, North Chicago, Illinois, in September 1952.

Stephen V. Fulkerson, who has been pursuing graduate study at the

University of Chicago, was named associate professor of history at Youngs-

town College, effective in September 1952.

 

Three World War II veterans who were recalled to active duty during

the current emergency are expected to complete their tours of duty in the

near future and return to the Historical Office, Headquarters Air Materiel

Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. They are: Lt. E. C. Snyder,

Lt. M. J. Miller, Jr., and Lt. (Navy) C. R. Rowdybush.

A conference of field historians was held at Headquarters Air Materiel

Command on August 12-13.

Dr. M. Maurer has an article in the July 1952 issue of the London

quarterly Music and Letters. The title of the article is "Alexander Malcolm

in America."

 

Western Reserve Academy has on hand a limited number of copies of

Dr. Frederick C. Waite's Western Reserve University, The Hudson Era,

which it will distribute to any libraries interested, as long as the supply

lasts, for the cost of mailing. This volume, a five hundred and fifty page

history of the early years of Western Reserve College and Academy at

Hudson, Ohio, from 1826 to 1882, is a source of much authentic informa-

tion about the educational and social history of the Western Reserve which

should be a valuable addition to any library. The academy will be glad

to forward one or more copies upon request at the rate of fifty cents per

volume to cover handling, or the books may be picked up without charge

at the dean's office at the academy.

• 9