HISTORICAL NEWS
Historical Societies
ALLEN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Lima
James A. MacDonell, President
The meeting of the society on May 5 was
addressed by John
H. Davison on the subject, "How We
Came To Be Where We Are,"
a review of the conquest of the Ohio
Country.
Recent issues of the Reporter have
carried a record of soldiers
of the War of 1812 buried in Allen
County. Persons having addi-
tional information on such soldiers are
requested to communicate
with the society so as to make the
record as complete and accurate
as possible:
AMERICAN JEWISH ARCHIVES, Cincinnati
Jacob R. Marcus, Director
The American Jewish Archives publishes a
semiannual periodi-
cal of the same name. Rabbi Bertram W.
Korn, the associate di-
rector, is preparing for publication a
book on American Jewry and
the Civil War.
ASSOCIATED DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETIES,
Dayton
Roy G. Fitzgerald, President
Roy G. Fitzgerald was reelected
president of the associated
societies at a meeting on April 26.
Eugene Kennedy was named
first vice president; Howard P.
Williamson, second vice president,
and Mrs. A. Luther Devers,
secretary-treasurer.
BROWN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Ripley
E. L. Campbell, President
The first annual dinner meeting of the
society was held on
April 18 in the Red Oak Presbyterian
Church. Dr. Miriam Urban,
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OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
professor of European history at the
University of Cincinnati, spoke
on "Recent Events in Europe."
A recently elected slate of officers was
installed at this meeting.
They are E. L. Campbell, president; Mrs.
John Markley, vice presi-
dent; T. W. Drake, secretary; A. J.
Stivers, Sr., treasurer; and
Mrs. Calno Loudon, corresponding
secretary. The new directors are
H. H. Eveslage, Mrs. John Purdy,
Lawrence Downing, Mrs. Clar-
ence Klinker, M. F. Mullinnix, and H. C.
Paeltz.
CLARK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Springfield
Orton G. Rust, President
The society has initiated a movement for
the establishment of
a memorial in Clark County to the five
sons of Rev. Harrison and
Catherine Ryman Shull who are listed in
the current issue of Who's
Who in America. A bill to create a commission to purchase a site
for a memorial was introduced in the
General Assembly in January
by Senator C. I. Powell of Springfield,
but the bill is still in
committee. The Shull family resided for
many years near North
Hampton. One of the five sons, George
Harrison Shull, is known
as the "father of hybrid
corn." Aaron F., Charles A., and J. Marion
attained distinction in other fields of
biology, and John W., as a
German scholar.
CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY,
Cleveland
William E. Scheele, Director
William E. Scheele has been named
director of the Cleveland
Museum of Natural History to fill the
vacancy left by the resigna-
tion last November of Kenneth B. Disher.
Rudolph Kula is the
new head of the preparation department.
COSHOCTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Coshocton
Kenneth M. Westfall, President
In addition to Mr. Westfall officers for
the year 1949 are Ross
K. Lawrence, vice president; Ralph
Leech, secretary; and Anna
McCabe, treasurer. The board of
directors is composed of one
representative from each township and
eight members-at-large.
HISTORIAL NEWS 351
CRESTLINE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Crestline
Ernest G. Hesser, President
The Crestline Museum, sponsored by the
society, was opened
to the public on March 18, 1949. The
museum occupies four rooms
in the town hall which have been
redecorated for museum use. The
exhibits show the development of
Crestline and Crawford County
from the period of Indian habitation to
the advent of the railroads.
The museum is open every Thursday.
FAIRPORT HARBOR HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Fairport Harbor
Austin Headland, President
Officers of the society elected at the
annual meeting March 30
are Austin Headland, president; George
Henry, first vice president;
Bruce Coleman, second vice president;
Mrs. Mary Whitmore, secre-
tary; B. L. Farmer, treasurer; and Mrs.
Mary Zimny, trustee.
FIRELANDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Norwalk
Homer M. Beattie, President
Members of the museum staff have been
renovating its exhibit
rooms, recataloging the items, and
preparing maps of the Firelands
from the original survey. The maps will
show Indian trails and
forts not shown on previous maps.
FORT RECOVERY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Fort
Recovery
Iris Longley, President
The museum and relic room of the society
was opened Sunday,
May 1. There was no formal program, but
open house was main-
tained from one o'clock until eight,
with tea served from two to five.
The museum is located in the public
library at Fort Site Park
and houses a fine collection of Indian
and pioneer relics. Of
special value is a collection of
sandal-shaped gorgets, said to be
the largest in the world. The museum is
open on Sunday and
holiday afternoons from one to six.
FRANKLIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Columbus
Charles A. Jones, President
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OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL
QUARTERLY
The society recently acquired the
records and funds of the
Franklin County Pioneer Association
which became defunct in 1935.
The presentation was made by Edward D.
Howard, the last secretary
of the pioneer association.
Dr. Jonathan Forman spoke at the April
meeting of the society
on the epidemic of Asiatic cholera in
Columbus in 1833.
A feature of the May Bulletin is
a picture and story of West-
crest, the home built in Truro Township
by David Taylor in
1842-43.
GEAUGA COUNTY HISTORICAL AND MEMORIAL
SOCIETY, Burton
B. J. Shanower, President
A woman's auxiliary composed of
representatives from each
township was organized early in April
with Mrs. E. P. Derthick as
general chairman. The purpose of the
group is to raise funds for
maintaining the work of the society. One
method determined upon
was the selling of hand-made articles at
the society's headquarters.
GRANVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Granville
Willis A. Chamberlin, President
Present officers of the society are Dr.
Willis A. Chamberlin,
president; Prof. Richard Howe, vice
president; Louis Reeder, treas-
urer; Miss Blanche Horton, recording
secretary; Dr. Clarence S.
Gee, annalist; Arthur Jones, Donald
Young, and E. Clark Morrow,
directors.
A revised constitution submitted by a
special committee was
adopted by unanimous vote.
GREENFIELD HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Greenfield
Dean T. Waddell, General Chairman
A society was incorporated to sponsor
the Greenfield sesqui-
centennial to be observed September 2,
3, 4, and 5. The articles of
incorporation were signed by Dean T.
Waddell, Prof. F. R. Harris,
Glen Shrock, and Frank DePoy. An
administrative committee to
plan different features of the
sesquicentennial is composed of Dean
HISTORIAL NEWS 353
T. Waddell, general chairman, and George
M. Waddell, Mayor J.
Wesley Kelley, Leroy J. Bergen, Mrs.
Sarah Duncan, and Mrs.
Dorothy Anderson Lynch, vice chairmen.
The society will be per-
manently organized after the
sesquicentennial.
HAYES MEMORIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM,
Fremont
Watt P. Marchman, Director of
Research
A project of indexing the seventeen
manuscript volumes of
abstracted letters received by President
Rutherford B. Hayes be-
tween March 5, 1877, and March 4, 1881,
will be completed by
fall. These volumes, kept by the
president's secretaries, give date
of receipt, author, abstract of
contents, and department to which
the letter was referred.
The director of the Hayes Memorial
Library served as a mem-
ber of the committee for planning the
seventy-fifth anniversary
celebration of the founding of the
Birchard Library, Fremont and
Sandusky County public library. The
library was founded as the
result of a bequest of $50,000 by Sardis
Birchard, uncle of Presi-
dent Hayes, and was first opened on June
2, 1874, in Birchard's
Hall but moved to the building (since
enlarged) which it now occu-
pies on the site of the old Fort
Stephenson. After his uncle's death
President Hayes, as president of the
library board of trustees, per-
sonally supervised the financial
arrangements and the selection of
the five thousand volumes of the
original library.
The library and museum is planning an
exhibition illustrating
the history of Fremont and Sandusky
County in connection with the
one hundredth anniversary of the
changing of the name of "Lower
Sandusky" to Fremont. The
celebration will be held in conjunction
with the annual Croghan Day celebration
on August 2, 1949. The
petition for the change of name was
presented to the judge of the
Sandusky County Court of Common Pleas by
Rutherford B. Hayes,
then a young attorney representing the
businessmen of the city.
In March and April the Hayes Memorial
Library and Museum
offered an exhibition of fashion designs
of the nineteenth century,
including local agents' catalogs of
eastern clothiers. This exhibit
was followed in May by a display of
numerous steel and wood
engravings of portraits of Rutherford B.
Hayes.
354
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF
OHIO, Cincinnati
Virginius C. Hall, Director-Librarian
The April Bulletin of the
society, consisting of seventy-two
pages, contains articles by Mrs. Ophia
D. Smith, Virginius C. Hall,
David Mead, E. N. Clopper, Walter B.
Hendrickson, Rosamond
Reed Wulsin, John A. Diehl, and Marie
Dickore. Lee Shepard is
the editor.
In addition to various speaking
engagements by the director,
Mrs. Alice P. Hook, assistant librarian,
recently addressed the Three
Arts Club and the women's group of the
Westwood Y. M. C. A.
HUDSON LIBRARY AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Hudson
Raymond Mickel, President
Chairmen of the standing committees of
the society for 1949
are as follows: Committee on
arrangements, Mrs. W. D. Shilts;
books and bookmobile, Mrs. Myron Taylor;
finance, R. J. Izant;
house committee, F. G. Oviatt; lecture
committee, M. D. Harbaugh;
legislation, H. K. Bell; museum
committee, Mrs. John Donahey;
nominating committee, E. G. Phillips;
and publicity and member-
ship, Burton Schellenbach.
LAWRENCE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Ironton
Mrs. M. B. Edmundson, President
Preparation for the Ironton centennial
to be observed in Oc-
tober this year is one of the major
current projects of the society.
The officers are John Rist, Mrs. M. B.
Edmundson, Glenn Handley,
Sara Keaton, Mrs. W. T. Moore, E. E.
Meyers, Art Dickens, and
Mrs. Carl Moulton.
LICKING COUNTY ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND
HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Newark
Charles R. Jones, President
The March meeting of the society
featured an address by John
Montgomery on the iron industry in
Licking County. Among the
first industries in the county was Mary
Ann Furnace, an iron foun-
dry operated by David Moore near Rocky
Fork.
HISTORIAL NEWS 355
LORAIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Elyria
Mrs. James B. Thomas, President
The society celebrated the 132d
anniversary of the founding of
Elyria on March 17 by a costume party
and exhibition of antiques
dating from the early days of the
community. Among the outstand-
ing exhibits were century-old bonnets,
shawls, pewter grog cups,
books, scrapbooks, newspapers, and other
items. A silver punch
ladle brought to Elyria by Gardner
Hayward in 1865 is nearly two
hundred years old.
Membership in the society has grown from
one member in
April 1948 to nearly ninety as reported
at the annual meeting on
April 11. Officers elected at that time
are Mrs. James B. Thomas,
president; Robert S. Fletcher of
Oberlin, first vice president; Mrs.
Cloyd Gull, second vice president; Mrs.
Milton Wilcox, secretary;
Mrs. Frank S. Horan, corresponding
secretary, and Max Podley,
treasurer.
PRESIDENT JAMES A. GARFIELD HOME, Mentor
Frederic M. Wood, Sr., Executive-Secretary
and Director
Officers for 1949 are Miss Ethel
Ostrander, president; Mrs.
William A. Ahlstrom, first vice
president; Robert D. Soules, treas-
urer, and Frederic M. Wood, Sr.,
executive-secretary and director.
The most recent publication of the
organization is a sixteen-
page booklet titled Lawnfield: Home
of President James A. Garfield,
published last year.
SALEM HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Salem
Roy W. Harris, President
The society's meetings in recent months
have been addressed by
guest speakers on subjects of local
historical interest. Members of
the society have been collecting
historical objects for a museum
opened June 7 in a room in the city
building granted the society
for this purpose.
Prof. W. H. Mathews and Mrs. Roy W. Harris
have addressed
a number of meetings in the vicinity of
Salem on subjects relating
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OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
to its history. Mrs. Harris is compiling
a history of Salem for the
Ohioana Library.
STARK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Canton
Paul B. Belden, President
The February issue of American
Heritage, quarterly publica-
tion of the American Association for
State and Local History, de-
voted nearly two pages to an account of
"The Stark County Story,"
weekly broadcasts sponsored by the
society. The program, which
began in May 1947, will be continued
throughout 1949.
The society is planning to publish under
the title, The Stark
County Story: Cities, Towns and Villages
of Stark County, the first
seventy-six scripts which have been
broadcast over WHBC and
WHBC-FM on the Good Neighbor Hour. E. T.
Heald, secretary-
treasurer of the society, has done the
research, written the scripts,
served as narrator, and is now editing
the manuscripts for publica-
tion. The book will have some 150
illustrations including pictures
of all churches in the county organized
during the period covered
by the scripts, that is, prior to 1874.
It is planned to print one
thousand copies which are scheduled to
be off the press by October
1. A second volume of scripts is
contemplated for the future.
SUMMIT COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Akron
Carl H. Pockrandt, President
The March meeting of the society
presented Earl R. Hoover
whose subject was "Judge Roy
Bean--The Law West of the Pecos."
At the April meeting Charles A. Pfahl
showed a color motion pic-
ture film, "Scenic Glories of the
Far West," which was made during
his trip through the region.
UPPER OHIO VALLEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Wheeling, W. Va.
Virginia Ebeling, President
The purpose of this society is to
promote historical research
throughout the upper Ohio Valley in
adjacent counties of West
Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. The
society issues a bulletin
which is sent to the members prior to
each of the five meetings
during the year. The annual meeting for
reports and election of
officers is held in January.
HISTORIAL NEWS 357
The present officers are Miss Virginia
Ebeling, president; W.
M. Westwood, vice president; John A.
Moore, secretary-treasurer;
and Arthur Stricklin, J. H. Essington,
Austin Prager, Mrs. Cath-
erine H. Smith, Percy Hornbrook, Sam
Shaw, James A. Sigafoose,
and Delf Norona, directors.
WARREN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Lebanon
Gardner Townsley, President
The third annual historical pilgrimage
sponsored by the so-
ciety was an event of June 25-26. Twenty
houses were included
in the tour.
Members of the society have contributed
to the American An-
tiques Journal for June 1949 which is a special Warren County
issue.
WELLSVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Wellsville
Edgar Davidson, President
The society completed its first year in
April with a member-
ship of about one hundred. There are
nineteen life members.
Three officers were reelected for the
second year: Edgar Davidson,
president; C. W. Arnold, vice president;
and Clarence Nickels,
curator. Miss Thelma Baum was elected
secretary-treasurer. Chair-
man of the publication committee for the
coming year is Edwin
Pugh.
The society is one of the sponsors of
the celebration of the
155th anniversary of the founding of Wellsville.
The president
served as temporary chairman at the
first meeting of the Anni-
versary Celebration Committee in April.
The purchase of a home for use as a
museum and community
house is being considered. Recent
acquisitions of historical mate-
rials include a lamp which hung in the
blockhouse at Yellow
Creek, hand-made ice skates, a History
of Bethel Church, 1821-1921,
manuscript deeds, journals, and letters.
358
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Cleveland
Russell H. Anderson, Director
The society recently opened an
exhibition showing shoulder
capes of the nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries and spring
millinery from a hat collection given by
Mrs. Fred R. White and
Harold T. Clark.
WYANDOT COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Upper
Sandusky
Harry E. Kinley, Secretary
Current activities of the society
include issuing pamphlets,
erecting large signboards advertising
the museum, and sponsoring a
movement to have the Indian mill made a
state memorial.
A genealogical section has been started
with the cooperation
of the state historical society and a
number of family histories and
old photographs have been filed. The
custodian, Doris Smith, has
been repairing Bibles and other old
books which are to be cata-
loged.
Among recent acquisitions of the society
are a fine old melo-
deon and a double and a single-seated
sleigh for the pioneer vehicle
collection at the fair grounds.
About Historians
Dr. C. W. Steele of Cedarville College
will continue on leave
of absence during the summer session.
Donald R. Edington and Frederick Carlson
of the regular
faculty will teach the history courses
offered during the summer
session, June 12 to August 19.
Dr. Freeland K. Abbott, assistant
professor of history at Miami
University, has resigned to accept a
position at Tufts College in
September.
Dr. O. J. Fredriksen, associate
professor of history, has been
granted a leave of absence for two years
to serve as a government
official in Germany. He is an authority
on Russian history and
language.
HISTORIAL NEWS 359
The chairman of the history department,
Dr. William E. Smith,
will lecture at the University of
California during the summer
session.
The introduction of a course in American
culture the next
term has been announced by Dr. A. P.
Rosselot, chairman of the
department of history at Otterbein
College.
Elbert B. Smith has been appointed to
the department of his-
tory at Youngstown College for the term
beginning September 1949.