HISTORICAL NEWS
Historical Societies
CAMPUS MARTIUS MUSEUM
Edith S. Reiter, Curator
On May 2 the Museum was the subject of the second of a
series of semimonthly broadcasts given
over station WMOA by
the Marietta Chamber of Commerce. The
broadcasts are done in
the manner of the "Information,
Please" broadcast. Questions
were on the Museum, its exhibits, and
the early history of
Marietta.
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Charles Stickell, President
The annual birthday party of the Society
was held in the
Urbana Public Library April 29. A talk
given by Orton Rust of
Springfield included some early history
of Champaign County
when the boundaries of the county took
in the present Clark and
Logan counties as well as Champaign. Mr.
Rust also exhibited
the markers which are to be erected in
cooperation with the Clark
County Historical Society to honor Simon
Kenton and Col. William
Ward.
FAIRPORT HARBOR HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Pearl E. Killinen, Acting Historian
The following new officers were elected
in March: Lillian
Luthanen Robinson, President; Frank S.
Converse, First Vice
President; Alma W. Saari, Second Vice
President; Mary M.
Whitmore, Secretary; Bernard L. Farmer,
Treasurer.
The presentation of the annual
"Navigation Award" was
made April 1 to Capt. H. J. Booth of
Marine City, Michigan, for
bringing the first cargo vessel of the
season into Fairport Harbor.
Capt. Booth's ship was the steamer Wyandotte
of the Wyandotte
Transportation Company.
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306
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
On May 14 a ship's binnacle and compass
were presented to
the Society by the Columbia
Transportation Company at a meeting
held in the Marine Museum. The
presentation was made to
Lillian Robinson, President, by Henry W.
Wiersch, the Com-
pany's fleet captain, and G. S. Wellman.
The Museum will be open to the public on
Sundays and holi-
days beginning Memorial Day, May 30, and
will remain open
through Labor Day. Hours are from one to
five o'clock.
THE HAYES MEMORIAL
Watt Marchman, Director of Research
Among the recent accessions of
manuscripts to the Hayes
Papers is the letter of General Sherman
written on February 2,
1876, in which he said: "I have
never been, am not now--and
never will be a candidate for the high
office of President before
any Convention or the People." In
addition to this letter there
have been acquired at least ten original
letters written by Presi-
dent Hayes, one photostat copy of a
letter, an original letter writ-
ten by President Grant to Hayes shortly
before leaving on his trip
around the world, several Hayes
manuscript notes, a signed docu-
ment, several photographs and engravings
of Hayes, and numerous
newspaper clippings.
The entire map collection has just been
completely cataloged,
and a special map, atlas, and chart room
is in the process of being
established.
HIRAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Harold E. Davis, Secretary
The Society has recently issued a
booklet entitled Two Early
Hiram Houses, the second in a series of historical booklets. The
Hiram houses are the Buckingham house,
now the Hiram College
president's residence, and the Garfield
house. The booklet was
written by Adelaide Rudolph, Ellen C.
Hinsdale, and Henry Buck-
ingham Mowbray. There is an introduction
by Judge Frederick
A. Henry.
HISTORICAL NEWS 307
HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
Virginius C. Hall, Director-Librarian
The Spring Regional History Show for
members and guests
of the Society opened at the Taft Museum
the evening of April
18. The exhibit was thereafter opened to
the public, continuing
through May 3. Paintings, prints,
manuscripts, rare books, and
a collection of museum objects were lent
by members of the So-
ciety and by Cincinnati institutions.
About 2,500 persons attended
during the fifteen days.
The current issue of the Bulletin of
the Society, a regular
quarterly publication, is a special
river number. Membership in
the Society has increased by 130 since
the first of the year. Regu-
lar membership dues are ten dollars.
KNOX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Charles V. Critchfield, President
The following officers were elected at
the annual meeting of
the Society held April 22: Charles V.
Critchfield, President; E. H.
Johnson, Vice President; Belinda S.
Beam, Secretary-Treasurer.
LAKE COUNTY CHAPTER, WESTERN RESERVE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Elijah Brown, President
The following officers of the Society
were elected at the an-
nual meeting held April 24: Elijah
Brown, President; Ethel
Ostrander, First Vice President; T. H.
Blakely, Second Vice Presi-
dent; R. J. Soules, Treasurer; A. O.
Beamer, Secretary.
LOGAN COUNTY ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
O. K. Reames, President
The present officers of the Society are
O. K. Reames, Presi-
dent, and Paul Osborn, Secretary.
The Society is making preparations to
erect markers at his-
torical spots within the county with
funds made available by the
County Commissioners. The first marker
is to be placed at the
site of Solomontown, near New Richland.
A bulletin is now being published by the
Society which, it is
hoped, will soon appear monthly.
308
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL
AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
MARLBORO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Wilbur Main, President
The Society was organized at a meeting
held on May 4 at
the home of Mrs. W. S. Cole, Route 1,
Ashley. The following
officers were elected: Wilbur Main,
President; D. C. Sherwood,
Vice President; Mrs. W. S. Cole,
Secretary; Arlington Cline,
Custodian of Records and Relics.
MEDINA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Florence Phillips, President
New officers of the Society are Florence
Phillips, President;
Mrs. C. L. Griesinger, Vice President;
S. H. Brainard, Secretary
and Treasurer.
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY HISTORICAL
ASSOCIATION
Clara S. Paine, Secretary-Treasurer
The following resolution was unanimously
approved by the
Association at its meeting in Columbus
in April:
The members of the Mississippi Valley
Historical Association, as-
sembled in annual business meeting, wish
to express our appreciation and
gratitude to the following individuals
and organizations for the excellent
hospitality and consideration shown our
membership during the session of the
Fortieth Annual Meeting held April
24-26, 1947, at Columbus, Ohio.
1. To the Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Society and par-
ticularly to Arthur C. Johnson,
president, and Erwin C. Zepp, director, for
the gracious reception and musical
program provided at the Ohio State
Museum on the evening of April 24, 1947.
2. To the Ohio State University for its
general sponsorship of our
meeting and for entertaining "the
wives" at tea this afternoon.
3. To the Program Committee under the
chairmanship of Clarence
S. Paine, II, for providing a program of
unusual scope, reflecting post-war
interests and historical research.
4. To the committee on local
arrangements under the co-chairman-
ship of Francis P. Weisenburger and
James H. Rodabaugh for their excel-
lent planning which produced a
"well run" convention and provided for our
physical comfort.
HISTORICAL NEWS 309
MONTGOMERY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Virgil Wysong, President
To further the study of the historical
background of the
county, meetings of the Society are
under the direction of the re-
spective township chairmen, who present
in turn the history of
their townships.
A special effort is now being made to
help save the "old"
courthouse at Third and Miami streets,
Dayton.
The Society is planning the publication
of a monthly to be
known as "The Arrowhead" which
will be distributed to all high
school students in Dayton and throughout
the county.
OHIO ACADEMY OF HISTORY
William D. Overman, Secretary
New officers of the Academy selected at
its annual business
meeting in April are as follows: Dr.
Hastings Eells, President;
Dr. George F. Howe, Vice President; Dr.
William D. Overman,
Secretary.
Dr. Foster Rhea Dulles was given the
Academy's annual
award for distinction in historical
publication during 1946. The
book on which he won the award was China
and America.
OTTAWA COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM
May Hesselbart, Curator
The Museum, although small, is gradually
acquiring news ar-
ticles, records, books, and pictures of
value to students of local
history. Rooms for the Museum are
provided by the village coun-
cil which also furnishes financial
support.
PUTNAM COUNTY PIONEER ASSOCIATION
Earl H. Hanefeld, President
The Association has a new home on the
second floor of the
town hall in Kalida. The present
circulation of The Pioneer News,
which contains only news pertaining to
the history of the county
and the program of the annual Pioneer
Day celebration, is about
600 copies. The annual celebration is a
kind of homecoming for
former residents of Kalida and the
county.
310
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
SCIOTO COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Russell Stockham, President
A campaign was begun May 20 for $12,000 to
purchase and
equip the Kinney house in Portsmouth as
a museum for the So-
ciety. The campaign is being directed by
Harry Wagner and
Franklin Smith. Sampson Eckhart and Ira
Coriell are in charge
in the county outside Portsmouth.
SENECA COUNTY MUSEUM
A. C. Shuman, Curator
The Museum has recently published a
32-page booklet pre-
pared by the Curator, the Reverend A. C.
Shuman, containing
historical and biographical sketches.
Officers of the Museum are A. C. Shuman,
Curator; Jesse
W. Brown, Assistant Curator; Mrs. J.
William Sholty, Secretary-
Treasurer.
STARK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
E. T. Heald, Secretary-Treasurer
The new series of broadcasts sponsored
by the Society and
given over station WHBC Sunday
afternoons from 1:45 to 2
o'clock is intended to acquaint
listeners with their Stark County
neighbors. Beginning with Canton a different
city, town, or vil-
lage is the subject of each broadcast,
the selection being made
according to the chronological order in
which the towns and vil-
lages were originally recorded at the
County Recorder's office.
Research and preparation of the scripts
have been in progress for
several months under the auspices of the
Society. The project
has had the encouragement and support of
the Stark County Com-
missioners.
The first story, on Canton, was given
May 11. The larger
cities and towns will have several
broadcasts. Sixteen scripts
have been prepared, and others are
scheduled to be completed
until all the incorporated and many of
the unincorporated towns
and villages of the county are covered.
E. T. Heald, Secretary-Treasurer of the
Society, is the nar-
rator of the programs. The broadcasts
are a public service of the
Ohio Broadcasting Company.
HISTORICAL NEWS 311
SUMMIT COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Robert E. Mohler, Secretary
The following are the officers of the
Society for the year
1947: Carl H. Pockrandt, President;
Oliver Wolcott, Vice Presi-
dent; E. J. Cauffield, Vice President;
Robert E. Mohler, Secre-
tary; Amelia H. Schulz, Treasurer.
The Society now has three projects in
the process of develop-
ment: the restoration of the Old Stone
School; the conversion of
the John Brown Home into a historical
library and museum, and
the refurnishing of a part of the
building in the pioneer period;
and the establishment of the Perkins
Mansion as a historical
museum of the city of Akron. A six-page
leaflet on the three
buildings has recently been published by
the Society.
The membership committee of the Society
has begun a cam-
paign to increase the Society's
membership; it now totals 1,520,
the largest in the State.
WARREN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Perle Riley, President
The present officers of the Society are
Perle Riley, President;
G. H. Townsley, Vice President; Mary R.
Lincoln, Secretary;
Hazel Brookes, Treasurer; Mary Forgy,
Genealogist; Marion
Snyder, Historian. Recently elected to
the Board of Trustees
were Harry Schwartz, Sr., Chairman;
Hazel S. Phillips, Secre-
tary; Seth Furnas, John E. Holden, and
Charles D. Maple.
An "Open House" sponsored by
the Society as a money-mak-
ing project to assist with the
publication of the local war history
and other historical writings was held
June 7-8 at the Durbin
Ward House and other historic homes in
Lebanon.
"Iron Lace of Lebanon," an
article by Hazel S. Phillips,
Secretary of the Board of Trustees,
appeared in the May 1947 issue
of Antiques.
WESTERVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Ila Grindell, Secretary
Officers elected for 1947 are the
following: Dr. E. W. E.
Schear, President; Mrs. Robert Wilson,
First Vice President;
312 OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL
QUARTERLY
Earl V. Needham, Second Vice President;
Ila Grindell, Secre-
tary; Alice Shott, Treasurer.
Organized in 1941, the Society now has
114 active members.
Meetings are held every two months
during the fall, winter, and
early spring.
About Historians
Professor T. N. Hoover is retiring at
the end of the present
year after forty years of service at
Ohio University as professor
of history. Professor A. T. Volwiler has
been appointed chairman
of the department of history to succeed
him. Dr. John S. Gal-
braith, head of the department of
history at Mount Union College,
has been appointed assistant professor,
and Frederick D. Kershner,
Jr., a candidate for the Ph.D. degree at
the University of Wiscon-
sin, instructor in the department.
Dr. Volwiler is serving as visiting
professor of history at the
University of Missouri during the summer
quarter of 1947.
Dr. Louis Filler of Antioch College has
contracted to prepare
a study of Abolition and Reform for the
new Rise of the American
Nation Series planned by Harper and Brothers.
Frank Peters, who is finishing his
doctoral studies in politics
and history at Duke University, has been
appointed to the staff
of the department of history and
political science at Xavier Uni-
versity.
Dr. E. J. Urch has been added to the
staff of the history de-
partment at Defiance College to replace
Professor J. M. Klock,
who will go to Michigan State College as
instructor.
Dr. Harold E. Davis, dean and professor
of history and
political science at Hiram College, has
accepted a new position as
head of the department of history and
government at American
University, Washington, D. C. This
summer he is directing a
Latin-American workshop at Occidental
College, Pasadena, Cali-
fornia.
HISTORICAL NEWS 313
Dr. John I. Kolehmainen, professor of
history and political
science at Heidelberg College, has
received a summer appointment
to the University of Wisconsin. He will
work with the Commit-
tee on Studies in Wisconsin Economy and
Culture, preparing a
historical survey of the Finnish
settlements in the state.
William F. Zornow has been appointed
instructor in history
at the Case Institute of Technology.
Dr. Stanton L. Davis has about completed
the manuscript of
"An Atlas of Western
Civilization," a general historical atlas
from the earliest times to the present.
Dr. John W. Long, Jr., has been serving
as assistant professor
in the department of history at Western
College since September
1946. Martha Wickard was recently
appointed instructor in the
department for 1947-48. She has been a
graduate student at the
University of Michigan.
An article by Dr. Frank L. Esterquest,
entitled "History
Without Geography or Chronology,"
appeared in the April 1947
issue of the Mississippi Valley
Historical Review. The article is
based on a paper read at the 1946
meeting of the Ohio Academy
of History.
A History of Agriculture in Ontario,
1613-1880 (University
of Toronto Press, 1946) has recently
been published by Robert
Leslie Jones of Marietta College.
Dr. C. A. Clausen has resigned from the
department of his-
tory at Wittenberg College to accept a
permanent position in the
State Department, Washington, D. C.
Dr. William J. McNiff of the department
of history at Miami
University is teaching at the Summer
Session at Oberlin College.
Dr. William M. Miller of the department
of romanic lan-
guages has recently begun work on a
study of the appearances of
Sarah Bernhardt in Ohio.
Dr. Howard Robinson, professor of
history at Oberlin Col-
lege, is teaching at the University of
Michigan this summer.