HISTORICAL NEWS
Historical Societies
ALLIANCE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Alliance
Dorothy S. Donaldson, President
Six scrapbooks on the Alliance
Centennial of 1950 compiled by mem-
bers of the society have been completed
and turned over to the Alliance
Chamber of Commerce, the Alliance
Review, the Carnegie Library, Mount
Union College Library, and the Alliance
Historical Society. The project of
placing bronze markers at historic sites
is being continued.
The society holds its meetings three
times a year. At the meeting on
March 31, 1951, Mrs. Elizabeth Zurbrugg
was elected a member of the
board of trustees to fill the place of
Miss Queenie Barnaby whose death
occurred last October.
BRECKSVILLE EARLY SETTLERS HISTORICAL
ASSOCIATION, Brecksville
Benjamin P. Forbes, President
On June 9, Benjamin P. Forbes was
elected president of the association
succeeding Ernest Green.
CLARK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Springfield
Orton G. Rust, President
H. E. Freeman, Harris Miller, William D.
Sprague, and John McKenzie
were recently elected directors of the
society.
FIRELANDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Norwalk
James E. Dixon, Curator
At the annual meeting of the society on
June 26, the following officers
were elected: Don J. Young, Jr.,
president; Earl H. Lowe, vice president for
Huron County; Charles Frohman, vice
president for Erie County; Harriet G.
Lawton, secretary; James L. Wood,
treasurer; and C. B. Gardiner, Dr. Robert
C. Gill, Earl H. Lowe, and Harry
Bennett, trustees. James E. Dixon was
retained as curator.
The annual address was presented by Watt
P. Marchman, director of
research, Hayes Memorial Museum and
Library, Fremont. His talk dealt with
the history of Sandusky County.
407
408 Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
ASSOCIATED DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETIES, Dayton
Roy G. Fitzgerald, President
At the meeting of the society on May 28,
1951, Roy G. Fitzgerald was
reelected president; William A. Pettit,
elected first vice president; and Joseph
Sharts, reelected secretary-treasurer.
The speaker on the occasion was Edith
Faries of the Dayton Public Library who
reviewed the materials in the Day-
ton manuscript collection in the
library.
Newcom Tavern, a historic log cabin on
East Monument Avenue, Day-
ton, was opened to the public on
Memorial Day.
FRANKLIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Columbus
Charles A. Jones, President
The research department of the society
is completing work on the special
issue of the Bulletin for October
which will feature "Famous Pioneers of
Franklin County." It will be
illustrated by photographs made by Dan F.
Prugh, curator. The department is also completing
work on a brochure on
the Goodale Park Centennial, September
22 and 23.
Mr. Prugh recently made a trip to the
Chicago Historical Society to in-
terview Mrs. Russell Holmes, educational
director of that society. The
Franklin County society is working out
an education program for the fourth
and fifth grades of Columbus and
Franklin County schools.
The address by Philip D. Jordan,
professor of history at the University
of Minnesota, "The Value of the
History of the Local Community," given
at the society's first annual meeting
was published for the society by the
Ohio State Medical Journal. Copies were mailed to members of the Federa-
tion of Ohio Historical Societies.
The calendar of lectures, seminars, and
tours for the 1951-52 season
has been completed and published in the
August Bulletin. Paul M. Angle,
director of the Chicago Historical
Society, is scheduled to give the address
at the third annual meeting of the
society on October 26.
GATES MILLS HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Gates
Mills
Tinkham Veale II, President
The society issued in May the first
number of an eight-page bulletin.
The leading article was on the plank
road running east from Cleveland
Heights approximately along present
federal Route 322 built in 1877. The
article was written by Alfred Mewett,
secretary of the society.
Recent acquisitions of the society
include a stool used by Mrs. Holsey
Historical News 409
Gates, a water-color painting of the
Gates house, and an early two-seated
sleigh, gifts respectively of Miss Hazel
Sargent, Tinkham Veale II, and
Morton Stone.
At the annual election on August 8,
Richard Seymour was elected treas-
urer to replace Carter Kissell. All
other officers and trustees were reelected.
GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Cleveland
Clarence S. Metcalf, Executive Vice
President
The annual meeting of the society was
held on May 19. Speakers for
the meeting were Dr. T. H. Langlois
whose topic was "Fish in Lake Erie,"
and Captain H. C. Inches who discussed
"Radar Photographs Taken on Great
Lakes Ships."
New trustees elected at the meeting are
Gerald Wellman, Cleveland,
to fill the place vacated by the death
of Colonel Louis C. Sabin, and Dr.
Blake McKelvey, Rochester, N. Y., to
replace John A. Lowe. Fred W. Dut-
ton was elected treasurer and Janet Coe
Sanborn, assistant treasurer.
HAYES MEMORIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM,
Fremont
Watt P. Marchman, Director of
Research
The William L. Clements Library, Ann
Arbor, Michigan, has made a
substantial donation of files of
newspapers in the Hayes period to the Hayes
Memorial Library.
The library has secured microfilm copies
of the Fremont (Ohio) Mes-
senger beginning June 1, 1925, until its merger with the News
in October
1938, and of the Fremont News-Messenger
since 1938, making a complete
microfilm file from 1925.
HIRAM TOWNSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Hiram
Clinton M. Young, President
A new Hiram Township Historical Society
was organized on June 7,
1951, replacing an earlier society of
the same name which had been dis-
banded. Officers elected for a one-year
term are Clinton M. Young, presi-
dent; Mrs. William Squire, vice
president; Mrs. Gerald E. Bennett, secretary;
and W. Reese Spencer, treasurer.
The immediate projects of the society
include research work on early
settlers, schools, trails, roads, homes,
land grants, inventors and inventions,
and the preservation of relics.
410 Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
LORAIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Elyria
Mrs. James B. Thomas, President
Francis X. Roellinger, Jr., of Oberlin
addressed the society at its May
meeting on "Oscar Wilde in
Cleveland." The June meeting was held at
the Raymond C. Vietzen home where Mr.
Vietzen's latest archaeological
specimens were exhibited and discussed
by Mr. Vietzen. In July eighty
members and friends of the society were
guests of the Misses Virginia and
Eleanor Burrell in their Sheffield,
Ohio, home which was built in 1817.
The society recently acquired by gift
from Miss Caroline Monteith a col-
lection of data on her grandfather, the
Rev. John Monteith, and her father,
John Monteith.
PORTAGE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Ravenna
Cyrus T. Plough, President
At a meeting of the newly organized
Portage County Historical Society
in June officers were elected to succeed
temporary officers elected on April
17. The new officials are Cyrus T.
Plough, president; Mrs. J. R. Turner,
executive secretary; Fred Bloomhardt,
vice president; Mrs. Iva B. Seymour,
recording secretary; J. B. Holm,
historian; A. J. Lauderbaugh, treasurer; and
J. T. Johnson, curator. The trustees are
Judge Albert L. Caris, Miss Merri-
ble Myres, Hugo H. Bietz, Ernest M.
Jones, A. S. Roberts, E. J. Kline, Mrs.
Ora P. Taylor, Mrs. Edith Miller, and A.
R. Horton.
PRESIDENT JAMES A. GARFIELD HOME, Mentor
F. M. Wood, Executive Secretary
President Garfield's campaign office on
the grounds of the Garfield
Home at Mentor has been restored during
the past year and was formally
reopened on June 24 with appropriate
ceremonies. The principal address
at the rededication was made by Rudolph
H. Garfield, great grandson of
President Garfield.
SHAKER HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Cleveland
Mrs. Harry D. Piercy, Secretary
The society sponsored a tour of
historical Shaker sites in Shaker Heights
on September 8. The tour began at the
site of the Center House of the
North Union Church Family and ended at
the home of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred
Gibson, where an authentic Shaker gate
has been erected and two Shaker
wells have been restored.
The Shaker Business Men's Association held
a street fair on September
19 at which there was an exhibition of
early Shaker implements and tools.
Historical News 411
SHELBY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Sidney
George O. Harshbarger, Secretary
Three new trustees were elected at a
general meeting on June 26. A. F.
Moon and the Rev. R. Wobus were named
for three-year terms and Mrs.
Maude Carey for a one-year term to
replace Paul Sherman, Dr. C. L. Hall,
and Judge Robert Eshman.
An illustrated lecture, including scenes
from the Miami-Erie Canal, was
presented at the meeting by L. S.
Pearson of Troy, Ohio.
SUMMIT COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Akron
Carl H. Pockrandt, President
The annual banquet of the society, held
on June 21, featured an address
by Judge Earl R. Hoover on "Your
Flag and Your National Anthem."
Music was furnished by the Seiberling
Singers, a group of forty voices under
the direction of Clyde Reighard. No
general meetings were held in July
and August.
The society's Bulletin has
inaugurated a plan of publishing in a "Folk-
lore" column excerpts from family
history contributed by members of the
society.
UPPER OHIO VALLEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Wheeling, W. Va.
John A. Moore, Secretary-Treasurer
Don McVeigh of the history department of
West Virginia University
was the speaker at a dinner meeting of
the society on June 20.
The committee on the collection of
photographs of local historical in-
terest is continuing its activity.
WARREN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Lebanon
Harry C. Schwartz, Sr., President
The society participated in the Warren
County Centennial Fair and con-
tributed the history of the fair for the
centennial fair programs.
The society's collection of documentary
materials on early Warren
County has been augmented substantially
by recent purchases.
WELLSVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Wellsville
Edwin V. Pugh, President
Miss Thelma Baum was appointed recording
secretary and Miss Louella
Thompson was named treasurer on July 20
for one-year terms.
The society is planning numerous
activities in the immediate future.
These include a Wellsville pilgrimage
and motorcade to historic sites and
412 Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
the gathering of a collection of
snapshots of events, local citizens, and family
and organization reunions for the
society's "Photographs for Posterity."
Plans for participation in the Ohio
Sesquicentennial are being made also.
Mr. Pugh represented the society on the
history tour of Marietta on
July 21, sponsored by the Western
Pennsylvania Historical Society, the Uni-
versity of Pittsburgh, and several Marietta
groups.
About Historians
Irwin Abrams has been promoted to
professor of history at Antioch
College. Louis Filler is returning to
Antioch after a year at the University
of Bristol, England, on a Fulbright
teaching fellowship.
The senior seminar in history at Antioch
is increasingly concerned with
the history of the college and the
utilization of the materials in the An-
tiochiana Collection in the library.
Last year three papers were written using
these documents, two on the period of
Horace Mann and one on the first
years of Arthur Morgan's administration.
Warren Beck, part-time instructor in
history at Capital University, has
become an instructor in the department
on a full-time basis.
Irene W. Meister has resigned her
position as instructor in the depart-
ment of history at Miami University to
accept a fellowship for the coming
year at Fletcher School of Law and
Diplomacy, where she will complete work
for a Ph.D.
The Russo-American Affairs Institute and
Conference, July 19-21, was
successful beyond expectations.
Theodore Fisch, instructor in history at
Ohio State University, has been
granted a university research
fellowship. He will be working in New York
on a biography of Horace Greeley during
the coming year.
William Williams has been appointed
instructor in history.
Clifford Morrison, formerly instructor
in the department, has accepted
a position in historical research with
the Air Materiel Command at Wright-
Patterson Air Force Base.
Charles Morley has been promoted to the
rank of associate professor
of history. He has also been elected a
corresponding member of the Polish
Institute of Arts and Sciences in
America.
Harold Grimm, professor of history, contributed
a chapter, "Luther,
Historical News 413
Luther's Critics and the Peasant
Revolt," to Herman Ausubel's volume, The
Making of Modern Europe, published in New York.
Robert H. Bremner has been promoted to
the rank of assistant professor.
Roman J. Zorn has been appointed acting
assistant professor of history
at Ohio University for the year 1951-52.
The Sixth Annual Summer Conference on
Current Problems was pre-
sented at Ohio University on July 30-31.
This year's topic was "Russo-
American Foreign Policies in Europe
Today." The principal speakers were
Lawrence C. Vass, who is officer in
charge, political and military affairs,
Office of European Regional Affairs,
Department of State, and Dr. Robert
J. Kerner, director of the Institute of
Slavic Studies and professor of history
at the University of California.
Oliver H. Radkey of the University of
Texas will be visiting professor
during the coming year at the University
of Cincinnati, lecturing on Russian
history.
Willard A. Smith, assistant professor of
history at the University of
Toledo, contributed an article,
"The Diplomatic Background of the Spanish
Revolution of 1868" to The
Historian, XIII, No. 2 (Spring 1951).
Randolph C. Downes, professor of
history, is the author of Lake Port,
a volume published recently by the
Historical Society of Northwestern Ohio.
Harvey Wish of the department of history
at Western Reserve Uni-
versity, who taught during the summer
session of the University of Michi-
gan, has a leave of absence for the
first semester of 1951-52. Donald Grove
Barnes has a leave of absence for the
second semester.
Three members of the department have
been raised to the rank of full
professor: A. B. Erickson, John Hall
Stewart, and Harvey Wish.