HISTORICAL NEWS
Historical Societies
CLARK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Orton G. Rust, President
Mr. Arthur Altick, the former curator of
the society, who died
recently, has been succeeded by William
F. Lohnes. The position
of secretary, which Mr. Altick also
held, has not yet been filled.
The society has published some
reminiscences of early pioneers
as the first volume of a series entitled
Yesteryear in Clark County.
The reminiscences are of the period 1810
to 1860. They cover a
variety of subjects including
stage-coaching, wages, apprenticeships,
prices, schools, law, religion,
politics, living conditions, game, and
temperance. The society is obtaining a
microfilm copy of the Simon
Kenton papers in the Draper Collection
at the Wisconsin Historical
Society.
DAYTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Roy G. Fitzgerald, President
The officers of the Dayton society are
now the same as those
of the Montgomery County Historical
Society. The present officers
are Roy G. Fitzgerald, president; Eugene
G. Kennedy, first vice
president; George W. Miller, second vice
president; and A. A.
Keiser, secretary-treasurer.
DELAWARE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Wilbur Main, President
The Marlborough Historical Society has
now merged with the
newly organized Delaware County
Historical Society. It is continu-
ing its efforts for a local museum.
THE HAYES MEMORIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Watt Marchman, Director of Research
The 125th anniversary of the birth of
Rutherford B. Hayes, in
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HISTORICAL NEWS 95
Delaware, Ohio, in 1822, was observed by
the opening to the public
of a special biographical exhibit of the
19th president of the United
States last October 4, in the Hayes
Memorial Museum. The exhibit,
on display for several weeks,
illustrated the ancestry and parentage
of President Hayes; the schools and
colleges he attended; his early
legal career and his military service in
the Civil War; his political
life as the city solicitor of
Cincinnati, as a congressman, as a gov-
ernor of Ohio for three terms, and as
the president of the United
States between 1877 and 1881; and his
life as a private citizen out
of politics, devoting his energy and
time in the pursuit of his many
public interests, including education
and reform.
The Hayes Memorial Library has in
preparation certain source
volumes of the letters, speeches, and
other writings of Rutherford
B. Hayes, and the library welcomes the
cooperation of librarians,
historians, and others in locating all
letters and documents written
by R. B. Hayes, originals or copies, in
public or private deposi-
tories.
Among the several research projects now
under way at the
Hayes Memorial Library by graduate
students are: certain contribu-
tions of Rutherford B. Hayes to reform;
the legal career of Ruther-
ford B. Hayes; the addresses and
speeches of Rutherford B. Hayes;
the life of William Henry Smith and his
influence on the Re-
publican party in Ohio; and a few
studies in the local history of the
Sandusky River region.
Since last October, the manuscript
collections of the Hayes
Memorial Library have received the
following additions: Two
letters written by William Walker, dated
at Upper Sandusky, Ohio,
March 21, 1821, and April 25, 1824,
addressed to the Rev. J. B.
Finley, co-founder with John Stewart of
the Methodist Wyandott
Mission at Upper Sandusky; a manuscript
copy of an address to
the Indians at Upper Sandusky, dated
August 16, 1820, in the hand-
writing of, and signed by, Cornelius
Springer, secretary of the
Methodist Conference, and also signed by
R. R. Roberts, bishop of
the Methodist Episcopal Church; 19
photostat copies of Hayes
letters from the Chicago Historical
Society, by courtesy of Paul M.
Angle, director of the society; 2
photostat copies of Hayes letters
in the Cleveland Public Library,
courtesy of Clarence S. Metcalf,
director; and typewritten transcriptions
of 6 Hayes letters in the
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OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
Kenyon College Library, courtesy of
Wyman W. Parker, librarian.
Other manuscripts, all originals,
include a collection of 37
letters written during the Civil War by
Charles Babbott, a Union
soldier, of Flat Rock, Seneca County,
Ohio, to his father; 8 letters
of John Sherman to S. S. Warner,
1873-1891; the C. W. Moulton
Papers, 1866-1889. consisting of 10
letters of John Sherman, one
letter of W. T. Sherman, and 4 letters
of S. B. Benson, Garfield,
N. J.; and the original copy of an
article edited by Allen Thorndike
Rice, editor of the North American
Review, entitled "Sherman's
Opinion of Grant," and published in
the North American Review,
February 1886, pp. 200-208.
HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF
OHIO
Virginius C. Hall, Director-Librarian
Mrs. Alice Palo Hook, formerly head of
the acquisition de-
partment of the University of Cincinnati
library, has become the
assistant librarian of the society.
The annual meeting was held December 1
in Laws auditorium.
Howard H. Peckham addressed members and
guests on "Rip-Roar-
ing Canal Days," with special
reference to the White Water canal.
Charles Sawyer, an Americana collector
and former ambassador to
Belgium, and Charles M. Williams,
executive vice president of the
Western and Southern Life Insurance
Company, were elected to the
board of directors.
In addition to the quarterly Bulletin
and occasional historical
publications, the society has recently
begun issuing a News Letter
intended to keep the membership informed
on occurrences within
the society and especially on new
acquisitions.
HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF NORTHWESTERN OHIO
Randolph C. Downes, Director
The society has created junior and
student memberships for
students of the public, parochial, and
private schools and colleges
and universities in the county. Fall
voting membership in the
society has been extended to all persons
in Lucas County for an
annual fee of $2.50.
Mrs. Mildred Shepherst, librarian of the
society, is compiling
HISTORICAL NEWS 97
a list of Lucas County authors and their
publications. She now has
over 500 items.
HUDSON LIBRARY AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Lois A. Reed, Librarian and Curator
An exhibition of early children's books
was held during Book
Week, November 17 to 22. A number of the
books were loaned
by local owners. An exhibition of war
trophies was held in
September.
MEIGS COUNTY PIONEER SOCIETY
J. H. Grate, President
New officers of the society are J. H.
Grate, president, and John
Blaettner, vice president.
The society had a display at the Harvest
Festival held in
Middleport, Ohio. Hundreds visited the
booth and 95 new members
were secured.
OHIO INDIAN RELIC COLLECTORS SOCIETY
Raymond C. Vietzen, Secretary-Treasurer
Two fall meetings of the society were
held in Marietta and at
the Ohio State Museum. The December
issue of the Bulletin con-
tains an article by Mr. Vietzen on
"Petroglyphs on the Ohio," with
pictures of the petroglyphs at Smith's
Ferry.
Officers of the society are Frank G.
Burdett, president; H. C.
Wachtel, vice president; and Mr.
Vietzen, secretary-treasurer.
PUTNAM COUNTY PIONEER ASSOCIATION
Glenn S. Sarber, President
The following new officers of the
association were elected at a
meeting held September 15: Glenn S.
Sarber, president; H. J.
Heitzman, vice president; Andrew
Brinkman, treasurer; Mrs. Sue
E. Veach, secretary. New directors were
elected on September 6.
On August 13, Charles Veach, vice
president of the association
died. The October Pioneer News, publication
of the association,
carried the following tribute to Mr.
Veach:
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OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
"Although Mr. Veach kept himself in
the background,
and gave public credit to others, those
who know the facts
feel that his contribution to the
association has been
greater than any other member of his
generation. Space
forbids the listing of these
contributions, except to say that
he has edited most of the editions of The
Pioneer News
since it was started, has worked
tirelessly to collect his-
torical facts and information, was
responsible for the pro-
curement of a permanent home for the
association, and
furnished both the ideas and the
"push" for the pageants
presented the past few years. No present
member of the
association has the will, the
qualifications, or the knowl-
edge to fill his place, so the
association has suffered an ir-
reparable loss. The Pioneer Association
was his hobby, and
he invested both of his time and money
lavishly, with no
thought of any return, except the
satisfaction of a job
well done."
Earl H. Hanefeld, for some years
president of the association,
resigned because of ill health. Mr.
Hanefeld has been an effective
leader of the organization, and was
especially active in arranging
the annual pioneer programs. He will
return to active participation
after recovery from a recent operation.
SENECA COUNTY MUSEUM
A. C. Shuman, Curator
Groups coming from Fostoria recently to
visit the museum
have included the women's club, the
garden club, the business men's
club, the granges, the professional and
business women's club, the
Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, and certain
grades from the public and
parochial schools.
SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF PIONEER RIVERMEN
Frederick Way, Jr., President
All incumbent officers were reelected at
a meeting held on
September 13. They are as follows: Capt.
Frederick Way, Jr.,
president; Robert G. Thomas and C. W.
Stoll, vice presidents; Wil-
liam McNally, secretary; Ruth Maddy,
treasurer.
HISTORICAL NEWS 99
The annual meeting, attended by 200
delegates, was held at the
Neville Island, Pennsylvania, marine
ways of the Dravo Corporation
aboard the steamer Delta Queen. Dean
Cromwell, a New York
muralist, presented an original painting
of the race between the
side-wheelers Robert E. Lee and Natchez.
J. W. Rutter of Marietta has been
appointed chairman of the
museum committee to succeed W. K.
Richardson, who died recently.
This committee directs the river museum
at the Campus Martius
Museum.
Capt. Way has written a book entitled Mississippi
Stern
Wheelers, which was published by the Kalmbach Publishing Com-
pany of Milwaukee in September. The book
contains 47 illustra-
tions.
STARK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
E. T. Heald, Secretary-Treasurer
The weekly WHBC broadcasts on Stark
County cities, towns,
and villages, which began May 11, have
continued with only two
interruptions. Twenty-five broadcasts
had been given through No-
vember 9. Broadcasts are definitely
scheduled through April, and
there is enough material in sight to
carry them on at least until
July 1948. The time of the broadcasts is
Sunday at 1 P.M. The
research, writing of scripts, and
narrating of the broadcasts are
done by E. T. Heald, secretary-treasurer
of the society.
WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Dr. Russell H. Anderson, Director
Microfilming of the Scioto Gazette (Chillicothe)
from 1800
through 1866 has been completed. Issues
were drawn from eighteen
libraries in the United States and
England. A microfilm copy of
the Lincoln letters has been received in
the library.
Recent changes in the society's museum
have included the addi-
tion of two new dioramas to the series
on the history of Cleveland;
additions to the Richard Warren
miniature room series, which has
been relocated in a larger room; and the
establishment of a marine
room featuring ship models owned by the
society.
The following new appointments have been
made in the
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OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
museum and library: Evelyn C. Bingham,
assistant curator; Flor-
ence L. Dawley, museum assistant; Alene
Lowe White, acting li-
brarian; and Bessie H. Kelsey, assistant
librarian.
The society continues the monthly
publication of the Historical
Society News.
About Historians
The staff of the department of history
at Cedarville College now
includes Frank A. Jurkat, C. W. Steele,
Mendell E. Beattie, and
Frederick M. Carlsen.
Dr. Howard C. Perkins is the new head of
the department of
history at Mount Union College and holds
the George Reeves chair
of history and political science. He was
appointed to succeed Dr.
John S. Galbraith, who resigned to join
the staff of the history
department at Ohio University.
An article by Dr. H. Clifford Fox, the
new president of Findlay
College, entitled "The
Autobiography of Jacob Conzett" appeared
in the September issue of the Journal
of the Presbyterian Historical
Society.
Dr. W. E. Binckley of Ohio Northern
University was visiting
professor at Columbia University during
the summer of 1947 and
will serve there again in 1948. His new
book, President and Con-
gress, was published by Knopf last spring. During the past
year
his American Political Parties: Their
Natural History was pub-
lished in German in Wiesbaden and in
Spanish in Buenos Aires.
Dr. Robert H. Hilliard is a recent
addition to the department
of history.
Dr. John I. Kolehmainen, professor of
history and political
science at Heidelberg College, has
received a grant from the Ameri-
can Philosophical Society for the
completion of a historical study
of the Finns in America. Earlier phases
of the study were financed
by grants from the Social Science
Research Council and the Uni-
versity of Wisconsin Committee on
Studies in Wisconsin Economy
and Culture. Dr. Kolehmainen has also
been named chairman of
HISTORICAL NEWS 101
a Special Microcopying Program Committee
for Finland working
under the direction of the American
Historical Association and the
Library of Congress. The Finns in
America: A Bibliographical
Guide to Their History, compiled by Dr. Kolehmainen, is in press
and will be issued shortly as the first
of a series of volumes to be
published by the Finnish-American
Historical Society of Suomi
College.
Dr. Clayton Ellsworth, professor of
history at the College of
Wooster, is on leave of absence working
on a social history of the
United States.
Dr. Paul I. Miller was made chairman of
the department of
history at Hiram College on September 1.
Dr. Stanton L. Davis, chairman of
the department of history
at Case Institute of Technology, reports
the addition to his staff of
John T. Middaugh as a part time
instructor.
At Xavier University, graduate work in
history was begun this
fall. At present a master's degree in
American diplomatic and
Latin American history is offered. For
the undergraduate major in
history a comprehensive examination has
been instituted in place
of the thesis, W. Eugene Shiels, S. J.,
chairman of the department,
reports.
Dr. Walter L. Dorn, professor of history
at Ohio State Uni-
versity, has returned to the department
after several years in Ger-
many, where he served as adviser to
General Lucius D. Clay.
Robert S. Cope has been named Ohio
History Fellow of the
Ohio State Archaeological and Historical
Society. The fellowship
is devoted to research in Ohio history
and will be given annually
to an outstanding graduate student of
the department of history of
Ohio State University. Mr. Cope was
selected by the society on the
recommendation of the department of
history, of which Dr. George
A. Washburne, is chairman.
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OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
Fair Oxford, the third volume in a series on Oxford by Ophia
D. Smith was published in November by
the Oxford Historical
Press. The present volume is on the town
of Oxford and Miami
University, Western College, and Oxford
College for Women from
1865 to 1900. Dr. W. E. Smith,
professor of history at Miami,
is editor of the Oxford Historical
Press.
New instructors in the department of
history at the University
of Toledo are Lauren Johnson and Clayton
Mundy. Dr. Emil Sucki,
formerly associate professor of history
and assistant dean of the
college of arts and sciences, is now an
associate professor at the
University of Utah. Dr. Randolph C.
Downes, who was recently
appointed director of the Historical
Society of Northwest Ohio, is
continuing in the department as
associate professor on a part time
basis.