OHIO STATE
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL
SOCIETY
REVIEWS, NOTES AND COMMENTS
BY THE EDITOR
DR. WILLIAM H. ALLEN'S REPORT ON THE
OHIO
STATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HIS-
TORICAL SOCIETY
Dr. William H. Allen, head of the
Institute of Pub-
lic Service, New York, was employed by
the Joint Legis-
lative Committee on Administrative
Reorganization to
make an examination of all state
educational agencies.
In his report on the work of the
Society he sketches
briefly the aims and purposes of the
Society; the prop-
erties that have been transferred to
its custody; the ex-
tent and character of its exhibits; its
needs and its op-
portunities for greater service.
He praises highly some of the
publications of the
Society and declares that "the
Archaeological Atlas pub-
lished should be in every school house
because of the in-
formation on local remains which it
contains."
He directs especial attention to the
overcrowded con-
dition of the museum and library
building and states that
"much valuable material is not on
exhibition due to lack
of space."
He concludes his report with eleven
recommendations
which are here reproduced in full:
(176)
Reviews, Notes and Comments. 177
1-That the state department of public
instruction be
charged with responsibility for studying
the work of
this society with a view to the use of
its results by pub-
lic schools, teacher training schools
and universities,
and that the results of such inspection
and analysis of
its budget estimates be submitted
biennially to the gov-
ernor, legislature and public.
2 - That the society be encouraged and urged to establish
a consistent and systematic method of
enlisting citizen
memberships by way of public information
concerning
local history, mounds and relics of the
various counties
with popular appeal.
3 -That special pamphlets and handbooks
be prepared for
use in the schools with special
reference to local history,
mounds and relics of the various
counties.
4--That the society be especially
encouraged to continue
the collection of war data which it has
begun and to
use in that service local schools for
the double purpose
of building up in each locality a war
cabinet and of
furnishing to the state a complete as
possible history
of each locality's participation in the
World War and
the reconstruction work following it.
5 - That both the society and the Ohio
state university be
urged to make far greater use of the
society's research
problems for the training of students in
research
methods and of the society's
publications and exhibits
for interesting and informing students
and visitors
during their stay at the university and
during their
study of Ohio archaeology and history.
6--That so far as distance permits the
society make of
vital usefulness to Miami and Ohio
universities and to
the normal schools of the state its
exhibits, its publi-
cations and its outline of studies in
the making.
7-That the society be asked to extend
its loans of ma-
terials to schools not only in Columbus
but throughout
the state.
8-That the state house be used again for
museum pur-
poses as is entirely practical in the
corridors; and that
the society be asked to arrange for
trained attendants
who can explain to the thousands of
people who visit
the state house each month and the many
thousands
more who would visit it Saturday
afternoons and Sun-
days if its present portraits and flags
were explained
entertainingly and were supplemented by
loans from
Vol. XXX - 17.
178 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
the archaeological museum; and to that
end employ
modern publicity methods of popularizing
its messages,
advertising its needs for funds as
opportunities for pub-
lic-spirited citizens, following up
interest once awak-
ened by interested and interesting
correspondence, and
guiding local historical societies,
teachers of history and
individual students in search for and
enjoyment of
important facts about Ohio's archaeology
and history.
9- That Sunday exhibits at the museum
itself be
featured not only for university
students but for resi-
dents of and visitors to Columbus.
10--That the society become aggressive
and militant and
employ the methods which have made a
great power
for entertainment and education of the
National Geo-
graphic Society and the American Museum
of Natural
History.
11 - That as part of its
archaeological museum it collect and
exhibit graphic descriptions of progress
in teaching
history with a view to hastening the
abandonment of
methods in Ohio's schools or colleges
that chill and
crush the natural interest in the study
of history which
it is so important for a democracy to
develop.
THE MAUMEE VALLEY IN THE DAYS OF WAYNE
In the Indiana Magazine of History for
March is
published a paper by Elmore Barce in
which there is an
interesting description of the valley
of the Maumee
River as it appeared before the
conquest of the white
man. It is described as a land of great
richness and wild
game was said to have been very
plentiful. Ohio read-
ers will be interested in the following
excerpt:
"It was a region greatly beloved by
the Indian tribes, and the scene
after the Revolution, of many grand
councils of the northwestern con-
federacy * * *
"The army spent many days after the
battle of Fallen Timbers in the
destruction of the fields of grain. One
who marched with Wayne's army,
in August of the above year, describes
Indian corn fields of four or five
miles in length along the Au Glaize, and
estimated that there were 1000
acres of growing corn. The whole valley
of the Maumee from its mouth
to Fort Wayne, is described as being
full of immense corn fields, large
vegetable patches, and old apple
trees."