Ohio History Journal

ROBERT BUTLER

 

Book Notes

 

 

The Journal of Dr. William Schooley. Edited by George A. Schooley. (Bal-

timore: Gateway Press, 1977. ²61p.; illustrations, index.) As Dr. Schooley

noted, his intention in writing this journal was not merely to record his life

"but at the same time to instruct." Hence personal recollection is kept to a

minimum; a large part of the journal is composed of didactic letters and

newspaper articles from the early nineteenth century by the liberal Quaker

doctor. Though he wrote against slavery and special taxes on Friends (in

place of military service) the journal above all reflects his overwhelming

interest in theology, and most of it is a record of his thoughts on religion and

its application in everyday life. The editor has added several of Dr. Schooley's

medical prescriptions and a genealogy of his family, as well as a compen-

dium of wills, sermons, and leases relating to the Schooleys.

 

The Ohio Theatre 1928-1978. Edited by Jim Marsico and Alan Woods.

(Columbus: Ohio Theatre Jubilee, 1978. 144p.; illustrations.) This volume

portrays beautifully a premier example of the opulent cinemas of the inter-

war years. It describes the Ohio from its gala opening in 1928, when movie-

going was a nationwide weekly habit, through the war years and into the

1950s, as tastes in entertainment began to change, to its literally last-minute

rescue from destruction in 1969. The restoration work of the Columbus As-

sociation for the Performing Arts, nothing less than fanatical in its devotion

to the original design, is carefully illustrated in the final chapter. The book

is filled with magnificent photographs of the theater then and now: the

great stars and anonymous ushers when the Ohio was at its height, the statu-

ary that has long since disappeared as well as the often extraordinary sculp-

ture that still remains. This superbly produced, limited edition retrospective

is a valuable record of one of Ohio's prominent national landmarks.

 

The Samuel M. Jones Papers. . . An Inventory to the Microfilm Edi-

tion. Compiled by Morgan Barclay and Jean W. Strong. Toledo-Lucas County

Public Library. (Columbus: Ohio Historical Society, 1978. 96p.; illustrations,

bibliography.) Samuel M. "Golden Rule" Jones epitomized the Progressive

movement with his multi-faceted approach to urban problems and his wide-

ranging municipal experimentation. As one of the earliest Progressive mayors

in the nation, Jones attempted to infuse the golden rule into Toledo's munici-

pal government, just as he had applied it in the administration of his own

company. In doing so, Jones became one of the leading advocates of the

Social Gospel. The Jones Papers (on deposit at the Toledo-Lucas County

Public Library) represent the largest collection of urban reform materials in

Ohio. The microfilm edition and guide were funded by the National Historical

Publications and Records Commission. Eleven of the fifteen rolls in the micro-

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Book Notes                                                        481

 

film edition contain correspondence (1892-1919); also included are speeches,

scrapbooks, pictures, and two rolls of business correspondence (1903). Both

microfilm edition and guide are available from the Ohio Historical Society.

 

 

 

We Have Met the Enemy. By Richard Dillon. (New York: McGraw-Hill,

1978. xvii + 231p.; map, index.) This popular biography of Oliver Hazard

Perry is a good introduction to the man and his times. Dillon recounts the

early history of the Republic from Perry's point of view, often through his

own letters, to illuminate the background of the commodore's life. His Hercu-

lean efforts to build and man a fleet and the climactic battle at Put-In Bay in

1813 are described in a clear, careful manner. Throughout the book, the

author shows us the qualities that his men so admired in Perry-his courage,

integrity, and compassion. A bibliography would be a valuable addition

to this book, since many of the sources are said to be available here for the

first time, but the lack of one will not bother most readers.

 

Rathbone Chronicles: A History and Genealogy. By Frances E. Collard.

(Seattle: copyright 1977 by Frances E. Collard. viii +  169p.; illustrations,

index.) The Chronicles is a well-researched genealogy of the Rathbone fami-

lies from  1574 to the present, emphasizing the history of the clan during

the nineteenth century, and especially that of the family of Thomas Worth-

ington Rathbone, who kept a detailed record of his life. Collard follows him

on his way to "the Ohio" as a boy, crossing Panama on the way to the Cali-

fornia gold rush as a young man, and serving in the Union Army during the

Civil War. At the age of 70 he migrated westward to settle with his sons and

daughters already living in the Washington Territory (extracts from their

diaries and letters are also included). Persons interested in the problems and

possibilities of family history should find this book rewarding.

 

A Historical Study of East Hubbard Township and Parts of Hubbard and

Pennsylvania. By George Elmer Fiedler. (Privately printed, 1976. 150.; il-

lustrations.) Somewhat eclectic in plan, this study traces the ownership of

farms, churches, and coal mines through several generations since the settle-

ment of the area in the late eighteenth century. The author offers an interest-

ing but uncoordinated history, listing, for example, the varieties of apples

grown in orchards, the fire hazards to early homes, and the travel time on the

first electric trains (30 minutes) to the factories and mills of Youngstown.

Fiedler also provides a number of anecdotes: wedding parties often walked

across the state line to be married for free in Pennsylvania, rather than pay

Ohio's one dollar license fee. Those interested in community studies should

find this book useful.

 

 

A 1976 Photographic Record of New Madison Community. (New Madison

Bicentennial Committee, 1976. xix + 114p.; index, illustrations.) This pictorial

study of New Madison (in Darke County, Ohio) contains a photograph of

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482                                                       OHIO HISTORY

 

each parcel of land, residential and commercial, as it appeared in 1976. Some

of the structures were built in the early twentieth century and should appeal

to students of architectural history. Of greater interest, however, is the series

of eight plat maps from 1832 to the present, detailing the slow growth of the

town. There are brief chapters on the history of education, religion, and fire-

fighting in the town. A "Nostalgia" chapter concludes the book; one of the

items here is a warrant for the arrest of twelve men playing baseball on a

Sunday in 1906.

 

Euclid Beach Park Is Closed For the Season. By Lee O. Bush, Edward C.

Chukayne, Russell Allon Hehr, and Richard F. Hershey. (Cleveland: Dillon-

Lieberbach, 1977. viii + 331p.; index, illustrations, appendices, bibliography,

notes, maps.) Amusement parks are an important facet of America's social

and urban history, though historical studies are a rarity. This account of

Cleveland's premier fun park provides a thorough and detailed record of

the physical development of the institution from its founding in 1895 until

its abandonment in 1969. Numerous photographs, maps, drawings, and ad-

vertisements highlight the large format book, which is largely devoted to a

description of the various rides, amusements, pavilions, and other facilities

of the shorefront park. An interesting appendix lists, among other items,

annual attendance figures and a record of company and union group outings

at the park.

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