HISTORICAL NEWS
Historical Societies
ALLEN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Lima
James A. MacDonell, President
The meeting of the society in March was
addressed by Rabbi Milton
Schulman, who spoke on "The
Clothing Industry in the Midwest, 1850-1870";
in April a former resident of Allen
County, James O. Montague, now of
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, spoke on
"Seventy Years In and Out of Allen
County."
The April issue of the Reporter included
an article on "Bicycling in
Lima, 1880-1894," by Ferne M.
Longsworth. It contains information on
the construction of the high-wheeled
bicycle and on racing and cross-
country bicycle tours on the later
"safety" wheels.
The society is cooperating with the
Allen County Sesquicentennial
Commission, of which C. G. Lappin is
president, John Davison, vice
president, and Frank Hackman, secretary.
A
leaflet has been published recently by the society soliciting new
memberships.
BRECKSVILLE EARLY SETTLERS HISTORICAL
ASSOCIATION, Brecksville
Benjamin P. Forbes, President
The annual meeting of the society was
held on June 21.
Another issue of the Pioneer, an
occasional publication of the society, is
scheduled for release in the near
future.
CLINTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Wilmington
Robert P. Cotner, President
The society has recently acquired a
highly valued collection, a gift of
Eli Harvey of Alhambra, California, who
is a native of Clinton County.
The collection includes Mr. Harvey's
early work in oils, made while residing
in the county, and later oils and
sketches made in France and elsewhere.
It contains also notes and original
sketches of some of his best-known
sculptures.
Seventeen volumes of Ohio history have
been presented by Charles A.
Gauld.
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Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
COSHOCTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Coshocton
Harry A. Caton, President
Restoration of the Old Stone Fort near
Orange is the major project
of the society at present. The Coshocton
Tribune has carried the ball in the
effort to raise a modest sum toward the
restoration. Money and offers of
labor and material have come from the
citizens of the county for this
purpose. Henry Hackenbracht is chairman
of the building committee.
Interest in the project has added to the
membership, which is now a little
over two hundred.
The society holds its monthly meetings
in the Johnson-Humrickhouse
Museum. Recently Professor Harry
Lybarger gave a delightful talk on the
Indians of the area, and Wilbur Grandle
gave a scholarly and interesting
talk on early Coshocton County history.
CRESTLINE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Crestline
Ernest G. Hesser, President
At the regular meeting of the society on
April 15 George F. Jenny,
supervisor of education at the Ohio
State Museum, spoke on the educational
program of the state museum.
In June a historical pilgrimage was made
to "Malabar Farm," the home
of Louis Bromfield near Mansfield.
Many new gifts have come recently to the
Crestline Museum, which is
sponsored by the society.
DELAWARE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Delaware
Thomas D. Graham, President
At the regular monthly meeting in March
a paper prepared by Ezra
Vogel on "Some Facts Regarding the
Dustin Home in Galena," was read
by Mrs. Joe Vogel, and a paper
"Review of Early History of Delaware
Schools" was given by Thomas D.
Graham. At the April meeting an
illustrated lecture on "Types of
Architecture of Old Delaware Houses,"
was presented by Professor Jarvis
Stewart of the department of fine arts,
Ohio Wesleyan University.
President Graham has been elected
chairman of the Delaware County
Sesquicentennial Committee.
FAIRFIELD COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Lancaster
Roi DeLancy, President
At a meeting of the society on May 13
Roi DeLancy was elected presi-
Historical News 303
dent, succeeding Judge Harry Kilburger.
Other officers elected at that
time are Ellwood R. Butler, vice
president; Herbert M. Turner, secretary;
and Don Turnbull, treasurer. New
trustees elected for terms of from one
to five years are as follows: Henrietta
Slater, Adeline Ragsdale, W. W.
Woodward, John F. Furniss, Wynn Van
Winkle, Judge Kilburger, and
Harold Reeves. The other board members
are George Lamb, Raymond
Spitler, and Ralph R. Maccracken.
Mr. DeLancy suggested a series of
programs for the coming year on
Lancaster's outstanding early citizens.
FAIRPORT HARBOR HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Fairport
Harbor
George Gedeon, President
The following persons were elected
officers of the society for one-year
terms beginning in April 1952: George
Gedeon, president; George Henry,
first vice president; Alma Saari, second
vice president; Elma Converse,
treasurer; and Lillian Luthanen
Robinson, secretary.
The society's annual award to the
captain of the first cargo vessel
entering Fairport Harbor each season was
made this year on March 25,
1952, to Captain Robert Robbins of
Marine City, Michigan, captain of the
S. S. Comet, an oil tanker owned
by Cleveland Tankers, Inc.
FRANKLIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Columbus
Frank A. Livingston, President
Myron T. Seifert, vice president of the
society, is now also a member
of the publication staff of the Bulletin.
His appointment as research as-
sistant was effective January 1, 1952.
The society conducted its annual summer
homestead tour, Friday, May 23,
with members of the Westerville
Historical Society as special guests.
Theodore Miller, a charter member of the
sponsoring society, gave a picnic
supper for the tour party at his farm
home at 4464 Parsons Avenue. Mrs.
James W. Grimes entertained with pioneer
folk songs during the evening.
Research and editing on the October
annual is progressing. This year's
annual, "50 Outstanding Events in
Columbus History," will commemorate
the Ohio sesquicentennial year. The
booklet will be sold at the Ohio State
Fair in 1952.
GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Cleveland
Clarence S. Metcalfe, Executive Vice
President
The society is sponsoring the
manufacture of dishes picturing historical
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Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
ships of the Great Lakes. The dishes
will be made by the famous English
firm of Josiah Wedgwood & Son from
designs drawn by Rowland Murphy,
Toronto artist and official painter for
the Royal Canadian Navy. The name
of the society will be carried on the
back of each dish.
The project was announced at the annual
dinner meeting on National
Maritime Day, May 22, which was attended
by over a hundred members of
the society. The organization now has
six hundred members and has set
a goal of one thousand.
Officers reelected at the annual meeting
for the coming year are Alva
Bradley, president; Clarence S.
Metcalfe, executive vice president; Lawrence
A. Pomeroy, Jr., secretary; Fred W.
Dutton, treasurer; and Janet Coe
Sanborn, assistant treasurer.
Donna L. Root, managing editor of the
society's magazine, Inland Seas,
was given recognition for her
outstanding work during the past year.
HAYES MEMORIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM,
Fremont
Watt P. Marchman, Director of
Research
Gertrude Richards resigned as librarian
on April 1, 1952. Replacing
her is Ruth Thoma of Fremont. Sylvia
Baker, also of Fremont, has been
appointed receptionist. Both appointments
were effective April 15, 1952.
Several improvements have been made
recently in the interior of the
museum. The dome of the atrium has been
painted, glass has been placed
in the skylight, and channeled lighting
has been placed at the top of the
eight stately columns. The stone of the
atrium has been cleaned. In addition,
an information desk and counter were
built for the office area in the
museum.
The director of research spoke at the
annual meeting of the Ohio State
Archaeological and Historical Society in
Columbus on April 4, on the
preservation of historical manuscripts
and at the annual meeting of the
Florida Historical Society at
Jacksonville, Florida, on April 25, on "Florida
in the Election of 1876."
HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF
OHIO, Cincinnati
Virginius C. Hall, Director
Plans are being laid for the celebration
of the Ohio sesquicentennial
in Cincinnati and Hamilton County.
Chalmers Hadley, president of the
society, and Virginius C. Hall,
director, are taking an active part in the
arrangements.
Historical News 305
HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MOUNT
PLEASANT, Mount Pleasant
William Schuster, President
The society has listed five objectives
for 1952: (1) a census of old
cemeteries, (2) the construction of
markers and the identification of local
historic sites, (3) an augmentation of
the library collections, (4) a special
drive to have the Friends Meeting House
completed in 1952 and dedicated
in 1953, and (5) participation in the
Ohio sesquicentennial celebration.
In line with the fifth objective,
members of the society participated in a
dinner conference on March 25 with
representatives from clubs and other
organizations at which plans were laid
for the local celebration of the
sesquicentennial. Senator Arthur Blake,
a member of the Ohio Sesqui-
centennial Commission, outlined the
state-wide program.
KNOX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Mount
Vernon
James Beam, President
The present officers of the society,
elected at the meeting on April 21,
1952, are James Beam, president; Verna
T. Pinkley, vice president; and
Pauline Riley, secretary-treasurer.
LOGAN COUNTY ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND
HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Bellefontaine
O. K. Reams, President
At a meeting of the society on March 25,
1952, O. K. Reams of Zanesfield
was elected president succeeding Elmer
O. Heath of Middleburg, who
was named vice president. Guy W. Furbay,
Zanesfield, and Guy Inskeep,
East Liberty, were reelected secretary
and treasurer, respectively.
Additional roadside markers were
prepared and erected this spring.
LORAIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Elyria
Mrs. James B. Thomas, President
At the annual meeting of the society on
April 14, 1952, the following
officers were elected for the coming
year: Mrs. James B. Thomas, president;
Victor D. Lytle, first vice president;
Prof. Robert S. Fletcher, second vice
president; Mrs. Kenneth Boylan,
secretary; Mrs. Frank Horan, corresponding
secretary; Frank Ayres, treasurer; and
Julian Fowler, program chairman.
Judge Horace Nye spoke at the March
meeting on "Courts of Ohio and
Lorain County."
The society is planning to collect
histories of each township as told by
some of the descendants of the early
settlers.
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Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
NORTHWEST OHIO HISTORICAL AND ANCESTRAL
SOCIETY, Toledo
Mrs. William E. Noble, President
The society is an association of several
local historical and genealogical
societies. It has as its purpose the
collection of documents and records
having historical and ancestral value
for the historical department of the
Toledo Public Library.
The present officers are Mrs. William E.
Noble, president; Dr. N. Worth
Brown, vice president; Mrs. John
Daniells, secretary; Mrs. Fisher Ranney,
treasurer; Mrs. Ray C. Spilker,
publicity secretary; and Mrs. Max Shepherst,
librarian.
The board of directors is composed of
Randolph C. Downes, Mrs. Henry
Horn, Mrs. N. Worth Brown, and Mrs. Howard
Overmeyer.
OHIO FOLKLORE SOCIETY, Granville
Tristram P. Coffin, Secretary
The third annual meeting of the society
was held in Columbus on
April 18-19 in connection with the Ohio
College Association. On Friday
evening, April 18, an open house was
held at the home of Anne Grimes.
The business session on Saturday morning
was followed by three addresses:
"Music and the Broadside
Ballad," by Claude Simpson of Ohio State Uni-
versity; "The American Folk Stories
in the Ohio Scene," by Moritz
Jagendorf, president of the New York
Folklore Society; and "The Folksong
of Social Protest," by John
Greenway of Rutgers University.
OHIO HISTORY DAY ASSOCIATION,
Circleville
Anna Chandler, Corresponding
Secretary
M. E. Noggle, treasurer of the
association, is the author of a leaflet,
"Tradition of the Circle in
Circleville," recently published by the Business
& Professional Women's Club and
sponsored by the Third National Bank
of Circleville.
SCIOTO COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Portsmouth
Franklin E. Smith, President
The 1952 officers of the society are as
follows: Franklin E. Smith,
president; Mrs. Stewart D. Ruggles,
Harry M. Dodson, Robert R. Leesom,
and Mrs. Harry W. Miller, vice
presidents; Mrs. William H. Schwartz,
recorder and secretary; Mrs. Frank Webb,
corresponding secretary; Mrs.
William L. Fannin, membership secretary;
Frank C. Balmert, treasurer;
Harry W. Wagner, assistant treasurer;
and Lucy Hall, historian.
Historical News 307
At the present time improvements are
being made in the museum build-
ing. Ralph Marting is chairman of the
museum committee.
SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF PIONEER RIVERMEN, Marietta
Frederick Way, Jr., President
The Columbus Dispatch Magazine, Sunday,
March 23, 1952, carried an
illustrated article, "Paddlebox
Paintings," written by Captain Frederick
Way, Jr.
STARK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Canton
Donald K. Merwin, President
The Stark County Historical Society has
signed a contract with the
Stoneman Press of Columbus for
publishing 1,100 copies of Volume III
of The Stark County Story under
the title, Industry Comes of Age. It
will cover the history of the county for
the period 1901-17, between the
death of President McKinley and American
entry into World War I. The
book is expected off the press about
September 1. A prepublication offer of
$10 is good until September 1, after
which the price will be $11.
This is the fourth volume published by
the society since its organization
six years ago. The first two, Bezaleel
Wells, Founder of Canton and Steuben-
ville, and Volume I of The Stark County Story (Cities,
Towns and Villages
of Stark County), are sold out. A limited number of Volume II (The
McKinley Era) remain unsold.
SUMMIT COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Akron
Carl H. Pockrandt, President
At the March meeting of the society
Arnold M. Davis gave an illus-
trated lecture on the "History of
New England Architecture-Its Influence
on the Western Reserve." In April a
panel of old-timers led a "Do You
Remember When" round table, and in
May a Central High School group
under the direction of Beatrice Sprague
presented a program of vocal
and instrumental music.
The April number of the Bulletin carried
articles on the First Baptist
church of Akron and its historical bell.
TALLMADGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Tallmadge
Gilbert Root, President
The ninety-fourth annual meeting of the
Tallmadge Historical Society,
the oldest in the state, was held at the
town hall, March 11, with Henry
Barnes as the speaker. Reports on all
the activities of the society were re-
308 Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
ceived and officers elected for the
current year. They are as follows: Gilbert
Root, president; Claude Sackett, vice
president; Stanley Watts, secretary;
and Clara Huffman, treasurer.
WARREN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Lebanon
Mrs. Edward Herrick, President
The annual dinner meeting of the society
was held in March of this
year. The speaker was Fred J. Milligan
of Columbus.
The sixth annual pilgrimage sponsored by
the organization was made
on June 14-15.
WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Cleveland
Russell H. Anderson, Director
Helen P. Williams resigned as museum
assistant on April 15 and re-
turned to her home in Virginia. Maud C.
Pay of Shaker Heights succeeds
her.
The society participated in the Parade
of Progress held on April 27 to
celebrate the removal of street cars
from Euclid Avenue. Ladies wearing
old-fashioned costumes and riding in old
conveyances represented the his-
torical society. Costumes from the society's
collection were loaned to other
participants also.
The first of a series of activities of
the Women's Advisory Council was
a tour of historic places held on May
21. A motor caravan visited the
Girdled Road; the society's outlying
house museum, Shandy Hall, near
Unionville; the Dean C. Matthews home in
Painesville (a Goldsmith house
recently removed to the campus of Lake
Erie College); and Lawnfield,
President Garfield's home in Mentor. The
second event in the series was
an annual garden party for members and
friends held June 18 at the
society buildings on East Boulevard.
Recent exhibits of the society have been
well attended. A photographic
exhibit featured early equipment and
prints and a selection of prints on
"Historic Ohio." A series of
programs of colored slides was given in
connection with this exhibit. The
Cleveland Railroad Club, a group of model
builders, cooperated in a showing of
models of steam and electric equip-
ment. Colored movies on railroading were
correlated. During the opera
season a number of costumes worn by
Eleanor Painter in various operatic
roles were shown. A special textile
exhibit during April featured daily
demonstrations of carding and weaving of
wool. The demonstrations were
continued until May 14 for school
groups. Buck Segelin's collection of
Historical News 309
music boxes was exhibited in May. An
exhibit of bells was shown in June
with a special display during the
meeting of the American Bell Association
on June 20-21.
Important accessions to the library
included the papers of Warner M.
Bateman, Sr., presented by his children.
They cover his law career and his
service as state senator and United
States district attorney (1855-97) and
include letters from prominent Republicans
especially relating to John
Sherman's campaign for the Republican
presidential nomination in 1880.
Herman L. Vail has added his collection
of World War I books to the
library's splendid collection. The
society has acquired also costumes worn
by Mrs. Harry K. Devereux and her
daughter, Mrs. Lawrence L. Winslow;
a model of the sloop Osprey, sailed
by Hubbard & Co. before the Civil
War; and a collection of tools,
houseware, and other items presented by
Edward H. Kelley.
The director recently completed a trip
to New York and Massachusetts
to microfilm Shaker and Connecticut Land
Company manuscripts. Alta B.
Claflin, cataloger, recently returned
from a six weeks' trip to Italy.
WOMAN'S CENTENNIAL ASSOCIATION OF
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Marietta
Daisy Henderson, President
The present officers of the society are
Daisy Henderson, president; Gertrude
Strahl, first vice president; Etta
Collins, second vice president; Lucy Cole
Fleming, secretary; and Mrs. Carl Combs,
treasurer.
An effort is being made to build up the
membership, especially to attract
younger members into the group.
About Historians
George Fadenrecht will be replaced this
fall as instructor in history at
Bluffton College by Karl Kreider.
A. P. Rosselot, chairman of the
department of history and government
at Otterbein College, has retired, and
Harold Hancock is acting head of the
department for the current year.
Harold M. Helfman published an article,
"'Good Time' Laws Come
to the Michigan State Prison,
1857-1861," in the December 1951 number
of Michigan History. Dr. Helfman,
formerly an instructor in history at
Ohio State University, is now director
of the field program of the Office
of Command Historian of the Air Research
and Development Command
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Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
at Baltimore, Maryland. He left Ohio
State to assume his present position
in March 1952.
Dwight L. Smith will be visiting
instructor at Centre College of
Kentucky for the eight-week summer
session, and during August and
September will be a Newberry Fellow at
the Newberry Library, Chicago.
Charles D. Cremeans, professor of
history at Oberlin College, has a
two-year leave of absence while he is in
Washington. His place will be
taken by Barry McGill, now a graduate
student at Harvard. The appoint-
ment was made in May.
Thomas LeDuc is serving as chairman of
the committee on local arrange-
ments and reservations for the annual
meeting of the Economic History
Association, which will be held at
Oberlin, September 12-13.
A. T. Volwiler, chairman of the history
department at Ohio University,
participated in a conference held
recently at the Newberry Library, Chicago.
The conference, composed of nine
historians and nine anthropologists,
explored the interrelationship of
history and anthropology and their
methodology.
Merle Curti of the University of
Wisconsin delivered two Charles
Phelps Taft lectures this year at the
University of Cincinnati.
Dean Andrew J. Townsend resigned his
chairmanship of the history
department at the University of Toledo
effective in February 1952. The new
chairman is Duane D. Smith. Dr. Smith
was given the rank of full pro-
fessor for the 1952-53 academic year,
and Willard A. Smith was promoted
to associate professor. Dr. Townsend
will devote full time to his duties as
dean of the college of arts and
sciences.
Harvey Wish, professor in the department
of history at Western Reserve
University, is the author of an article,
"The Racialist Factor in American
History," in the Chicago Jewish
Forum, Winter 1951-52 issue.
Karol Marcinkowski of Wilberforce
University recently published pri-
vately a 98-page book, The Crisis of
the Polish-Swedish War, 1655-1660.
E. B. Smith, professor of history of
Youngstown College, has recently
been appointed director of the United
States State Department Summer
Foreign Affairs Seminar for the summer
of 1952.