HISTORICAL NEWS
Historical Organizations
AMERICAN JEWISH ARCHIVES, Cincinnati
Jacob R. Marcus, Director
Herbert Bronstein has been appointed
assistant to the director. His ap-
pointment became effective in June.
In celebration of the three hundredth
anniversary of the arrival of the
first Jews in America the archives has
published a special, large tercentenary
issue of the American Jewish
Archives, a second part to which will appear
in January 1955. In the next few weeks
the first of a new series of books
to be published by the archives will
appear: Eventful Years and Experiences
by Dr. B. W. Korn. Several other volumes
are in preparation, including an
exhaustive dictionary of
eighteenth-century Jewish biography. Also being
prepared for publication are an index to
the Publications of the American
Jewish Historical Society from volume 20, an index to Occident, and a
catalog of books and articles by Jews and
relating to them. The last will
appear in the late fall of 1954. A book
of genealogies of Jews is being
compiled by Rabbi Malcolm Stern.
BRECKSVILLE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION,
Brecksville
Benjamin P. Forbes, President
The present curators of the museum are
Marion Conant McPherson and
Margaret Conant. They succeeded Mr. and
Mrs. Harold Wallin, who re-
signed.
CLINTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Wilmington
C. Clayton Terrell, President
The society has an option on a property
in Wilmington and is at present
soliciting money to purchase it as a
permanent home.
CRESTLINE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF CRAWFORD
COUNTY, Crestline
Ernest G. Hesser, President
The Crestline Shunk Museum was opened
especially for the district con-
vention of the American Legion, which
met in Crestline in July. Attendance
at the museum has been very good during
the summer. Its collections have
been augmented by many recent gifts.
The weekly paper, the Crestline
Advocate, continues to print a front-page
column on the activities at the museum
and the history of the area.
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Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
DARKE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Greenville
J. Lendall Williams, President
Gertrude Holzapfel has been named
curator of the Garst Museum to
replace Margaret Stoltz. Mrs. Stoltz was
elected a member of the board of
directors to fill the unexpired term of
Earl Lakin.
DELAWARE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Delaware
Wyford Jones, President
On May 2 the society conducted its first
annual pilgrimage. Places visited
included St. Peter's Episcopal Church,
the homes of Mr. and Mrs. Robert
Powers, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dennison,
Mr. and Mrs. Wyford Jones, and
the Mansion House on the Ohio Wesleyan
University campus. The last stop
on the tour was the William Street
Methodist Church, where refreshments
were served. A printed folder with brief
descriptions of the places visited
was distributed.
Programs during the past year have
included a showing of paintings by
Sallie Thomson Humphreys with comments
by the artist and papers on a
number of subjects of local historical
interest. Among the papers were ones
on the Thomson family by W. D. Thomson;
on horse and buggy doctors of
the county by Mrs. C. Lowell Johnson; on
present-day handicraft in the
county by Mrs. Paul Cunningham and
committee; and on the gallant Forty-
niners by Mrs. George Pugh.
The March meeting, held at the Powell
Methodist Church, was devoted
largely to a history of the Powell
community, papers being presented by
Ethel Crist, May Duffy, Minerva D. Case,
Lucile Canfield, C. A. Risley, and
Carolyn Sauner.
Present officers of the society are
Wyford Jones, president; Robert Powers,
vice president; Mrs. W. F. Hahnert,
recording secretary; Dr. M. S. Chering-
ton, corresponding secretary; Bernard
Hatten, treasurer; Dr. H. C. Hubbart,
research chairman; and Mrs. Walter
Pabst, program chairman.
FAIRPORT HARBOR HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Fairport Harbor
Carroll C. Mitchell, President
At the meeting of the society on April 1
the following officers were elected
for one-year terms: Carroll C. Mitchell,
president; Bernard L. Farmer, first
vice president; Frank Converse, second
vice president; Alma W. Saari,
secretary; and Elma Converse, treasurer.
George Gedeon and John Killinen
were elected trustees for three-year
terms. The historian, Pearl Killinen, who
is elected for an indefinite term,
serves also as acquisition clerk.
Historical News 409
The museum is open to the public on
Sundays and holidays from May 30
to Labor Day each year. Officers and
members serve as museum hosts, con-
ducting tours for school, club, and
other groups.
FINDLAY COLLEGE MUSEUM, Findlay
Ida Hickernell, Director
The museum on the third floor of the
main building of Findlay College
has recently been restored and enlarged.
It is now open to the public on
Sunday afternoons and on special
occasions.
The museum was started during the 1880's
by William Taylor, a Hancock
County resident, who used as a nucleus a
collection of Japanese relics as-
sembled by his brother, an early
missionary to Japan. The collections now
include also American Indian relics,
geological and mineralogical specimens,
bird collections, and East Indian
relics.
A period room, 1835-75, contains early
American furnishings which were
the property of Elder John Hickernell,
grandfather of Ida Hickernell, the
director of the museum, who lent the
materials for exhibition.
It is hoped to establish an
alumni-sponsored room at the museum in the
near future.
Miss Hickernell is assisted by Glenna
Whities Sanner, curator of the
museum.
FRANKLIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Columbus
Frank A. Livingston, President
The society's sixth annual pilgrimage to
historic sites in Franklin County
was an event of May 22. This year's tour
visited sites in Blendon Township,
including the pioneer homestead of
Gideon Hart and a historic dormitory
of old Central Presbyterian College.
Special features were the dedication
of Central Cemetery, in which
descendants of the first settlers of the town-
ship participated, and a picnic at
Central College.
Two tours by chartered buses were
sponsored by the society last summer.
The first tour, on June 12, was made to
historic sites in Ross County, in-
cluding Mound City National Monument,
Adena, and the Ross County
Museum. The second, a two-day tour on
August 21-22, visited historic
points in and near Marietta.
The society's July-August Bulletin has
announced the programs for the
1954-55 season. The season opened with a
German Folk Festival in
Schiller Park on Saturday, October 2.
All immigrant groups in the city
participated, but the occasion honored
especially the German soldiers from
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Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
Columbus who fought in the Mexican War.
The society's sixth annual
meeting will be held at the First
Congregational Church, Friday, October 22.
H. E. Cherrington, former theater critic
of the Columbus Dispatch will
speak on "Personalities of the
Early Columbus Theater." Music will be
furnished by the chapel choir of Capital
University. The theme of the
November meeting, which will be held at
the Ohio State Museum, will be
"The Spinning Wheel and the
Loom."
GREAT LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Cleveland
R. W. G. Wilson, President
The annual meeting of the society was
held on June 5 at Hotel Cleveland
with seventy members and guests in
attendance. The president announced
the adoption in May of a new code of
regulations revising the number of
trustees and their terms and providing
for a chairman of the board. Donald
C. Potts, president of the Pittsburgh
steamship division of United States
Steel, was elected to this position.
Colton Storm, director of the Western
Reserve Historical Society, was elected
a new member of the board. All
other trustees were reelected.
During the session, Clarence S. Metcalf,
curator of the society's new
Wakefield Museum at Vermilion, reported
gratifying attendance at the
museum this summer, with as high as 150
in a single day.
The complete series of Wedgwood
commemorative plates, "Historic Ships
of the Great Lakes," which is
sponsored by the society is now available.
There are four plates of seagreen
queensware bearing drawings by Rowley
Murphy of the Griffon, Niagara,
Eureka, and Nancy, selling at $3.75 each
or $15.00 the set. The society has the
exclusive right of sale in the United
States.
HAYES MEMORIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM,
Fremont
Watt P. Marchman, Director
The library has recently obtained a very
fine collection of papers of
Governor and Mrs. William Claflin of
Massachusetts. The collection con-
tains about nine thousand pieces.
Governor Claflin was a representative in
congress during the Hayes
administration; Mrs. Claflin was a writer. They
were personal friends of President and
Mrs. Hayes.
The wind storms in the spring caused
some damage to Spiegel Grove.
Five or six trees were blown down and a
few large limbs torn off. The
storm damage and the severe drought in
the northern part of Sandusky
Historical News 411
County placed a heavy burden on the
Hayes Memorial staff. Recent rains
have, however, made Spiegel Grove as
beautiful as ever.
A considerable increase is noted in the
number of groups visiting the
Hayes Museum and Library during the
spring and summer, particularly
out-of-town clubs and organizations and
school groups.
A special exhibition on Colonel George
Croghan and early Fremont
history was opened in the museum on
August 2 as part of Fremont's
Croghan Day Festival. The exhibition
remained on display throughout the
month. The director served on the
executive committee for the three-day
festival, wrote half of the official
program, and gave talks before the local
Kiwanis and Rotary clubs on little-known
facts about George Croghan.
The director had an article, "The
Washington Visits of Jenny Halstead,"
in the July number of the Bulletin of
the Historical and Philosophical So-
ciety of Ohio.
Patricia Smith has been appointed as
secretary, effective June 1, replacing
Ruth Raifsnider, who resigned.
HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF
OHIO, Cincinnati
Virginius C. Hall, Director
The society is planning to charter a bus
(or buses) for a trip to Adena
on October 16. Members have been asked
to sign up for the trip, and the
response is expected to be good.
Cooperation is being given by the Ohio
Historical Society.
The society's annual meeting is
scheduled for the evening of December
6 in the auditorium of the Cincinnati
Art Museum.
LAKEWOOD HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Lakewood
Mrs. Clyde H. Butler, President
A "sneak" preview of the Stone
House was held on August 11 for mem-
bers of the society to view the
remodeled kitchen and the new period herb
and flower garden. In connection with
this event, a garden party was given
at the home of one of the members, Mrs.
C. R. Heilig, directly opposite
the Stone House.
MIAMI COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Troy
Leonard U. Hill, President
The Miami County Historical Society was
organized in May 1954. Officers
elected to serve until the October
meeting are as follows: Leonard U. Hill,
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Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
Piqua, president; Walter Anderson, West
Milton, vice president; Mrs.
Hartman Kinney, Tipp City, secretary;
and J. A. Thoma, Piqua, treasurer.
The society grew out of the county
sesquicentennial committee and re-
ceived from that organization some cash
and about two hundred copies of
the Miami County history published by
the committee, to be sold for the
benefit of the historical society.
At its first regular meeting on July 12
Charles E. Drury of Van Wert
gave a talk on Indians. Several local
troops of Boy Scouts participated in
the program by demonstrating Indian
dances, the building of an Indian
bark cabin, and starting fire by
primitive methods.
The society had a display of interesting
documents pertaining to the
history of the county at the Miami
County Fair in August.
MORGAN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, McConnelsville
Maydell Alderman, President
The society was organized on November
30, 1953, with the following
officers: Maydell Alderman, president;
William O. Porter, vice president;
Ruth F. Knechtges, secretary; Mrs. B. D.
Richardson, treasurer. Mrs.
Richardson has since died, and Mrs.
Knechtges resigned, but the positions
had not been filled at this writing.
OHIO ACADEMY OF HISTORY, Columbus
John S. Still, Secretary
The awards committee of the Ohio Academy
of History is preparing to
select the most outstanding historical
achievement by an Ohio historian in
1954. The award, which is announced
annually at the April meeting of the
academy, is conferred in recognition of
a book, a major research project, or
some comparable contribution to the
field of history. Copies of historical
works published in 1954 or detailed
descriptions of any other achievements
which would qualify, should be mailed by
January 1, 1955, to Dr. Paul I.
Miller, chairman of the department of
history, Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio.
Suggestions for awards may be made by
persons other than the candidates.
OTTAWA COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM, Port Clinton
May Hesselbart, Curator
The curator reports that Paul F. Laning,
president of the Erie County
Historical Society, has presented to the
museum a manuscript embracing his
researches pertaining to the railroads
of Ottawa County.
Joseph R. Prentice, superintendent of
Perry's Victory National Monu-
Historical News 413
ment at Put-in-Bay, is the author of a
manuscript on the Battle of Lake
Erie, Commodore Perry's ships, and
related topics. He is available as a
speaker on these subjects.
PORTAGE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
Ravenna
M. Herbert Heighton, President
The meeting of the society on May 28 was
held in the town hall at
Charlestown. Charles Phile, who is
eighty-seven, gave a history of the
Charlestown church built in 1829-32. He
also sang "My Grandfather's
Clock." Hon. V. W. Filiatrault of
Ravenna spoke on "Past Government
and Politics in Portage County."
On June 25 a meeting was held in the
township hall at Kent with Mrs.
G. Frank Elgin, Mrs. Cecil Bumphrey,
Mrs. James B. Holm, Sr., and Metta
Kunsman as hostesses. Lewis L. Burkhart,
superintendent of Kent Public
Schools, gave a sketch of Kent's
historic township hall, and John B.
Nicholson, Jr., librarian of Kent State
University, gave an address on
"Adventures in Book
Collecting."
The July 30 meeting at Fuller Park,
Kent, featured a basket picnic and an
address on "Recollections of Kent
State University" by Dean Raymond E.
Manchester.
RADNOR HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Radnor
George L. Pugh, President
The society holds a yearly meeting in
November. A number of interest-
ing papers on the early history of
Radnor, a Welsh settlement, have been
presented at past meetings and are on
file in the society's collection.
SALEM HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Salem
George H. Bowman, Jr., President
The society is planning active
participation with other city organizations
in Salem's sesquicentennial in 1956. A
proposed organization chart for
setting up the celebration, prepared by
President Bowman, was presented
to the members at the June meeting. Further
plans were outlined at a
meeting in August.
SHAKER HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Cleveland
Caroline B. Piercy, Secretary
A number of pieces of Shaker furniture
made at North Union Shaker
Community have been added to the museum
collection, which was opened
to the members in October.
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Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
Current projects are the collection of
pictures of North Union for screen
presentation and the preparation of a
map of early Warrensville.
SHELBY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Sidney
George O. Harshbarger, Secretary
The society participated in the
dedication of the memorial to Colonel
Hardin at Hardin, Ohio, on July 22.
SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF PIONEER RIVERMEN,
Marietta
Frederick Way, Jr., President
The resources of the historical files of
the organization were utilized in
compiling a new and enlarged edition of The
Ohio River Handbook and
Picture Album edited by Benjamin and Eleanor Klein and published in
August 1954 by Young and Klein,
Cincinnati. The new volume of 432
pages explores the Ohio River and its
principal tributaries from pioneer
times to the present. Several members of
this organization rendered volun-
teer assistance: Robert Thomas, Capt.
Frederick Way, Jr., J. Mack Gamble,
Roy Barkhau, Lucilia Hock, and Andrew
Lodder.
S. Durward Hoag, proprietor of the Hotel
Lafayette, Marietta, has pre-
sented the Sons and Daughters of Pioneer
Rivermen with a complete actual
pilothouse interior, including
pilotwheel, signal indicators, steering levers,
bell pulls, and necessary hardware. Most
of this was recovered from several
steamboats recently dismantled near
Pittsburgh. When this pilothouse is
built in the River Museum, the illusion
of reality will be vivid as the
spectator looks forward over the
pilotwheel into a large photo mural in
full color. Mr. Hoag took the photograph
from the pilothouse of a tow-
boat approaching Marietta, one of the
most attractive locations along
the Ohio.
STARK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Canton
Joseph M. Markley, President
E. T. Heald, historian of the society,
spent the summer at Harvard Uni-
versity taking a course in the Institute
of Historical and Archival Manage-
ment. One of the papers he prepared for
this course was a "Comparison of
the Ohio and Massachusetts Historical
Societies."
SUMMIT COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Akron
Carl Pockrandt, President
The annual banquet of the society was
held on Thursday evening, June 17.
Historical News 415
Judge Donald F. Lybarger, judge of the
court of common pleas of Cuyahoga
County, was the speaker.
The society has recently received a
substantial fund as the gift of Mrs.
Crandall Morgan and is also the
beneficiary of the estate of the late Mrs.
Carrie Koplin. These two funds will make
possible several important
projects in the museums.
William D. Overman, director of the
Library and Archives of the Fire-
stone Tire and Rubber Company, has been
recently elected a trustee to fill
the unexpired term of Harlan Kent.
UNION COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Marysville
Clarence Hoopes, President
At a meeting of the society on August 6
plans were formulated for a
canvass for money to repair the Morey
property, bequeathed to the society
last year. Repairs will cost an
estimated $880, and a fund of $1,500 is
sought. Paul Hultz is responsible for
organizing the membership and fund
drive in the various townships.
The officers of the society hope to
develop a museum in the Morey home.
The society has the beginnings of a
collection stored in the Marysville public
library, and other items have been
promised when suitable housing is
available.
WARREN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Lebanon
Hazel S. Phillips, President
Positive copies of microfilmed court
records of Warren County are being
made and filed by the society for
research purposes.
The society encourages the study of
history in the local high schools by
providing annual awards for outstanding
work.
WELLSVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Wellsville
Edgar S. Davidson, President
In June the society sponsored a
motorcade to Wheeling, West Virginia,
to visit the Oglebay Park and Museum. In
July a tour of the Sandy and
Beaver Canal was sponsored.
On Friday, July 23, Arlene Scotton, past
president of the society, ap-
peared on the "Look, Ladies"
program over WSTV-TV, Steubenville, pre-
senting the story of the society and its
river museum in an interesting
manner. She exhibited a number of items
from the archives of the society
and the museum.
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Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
The University of Pittsburgh Press
published in June A Traveler's Guide
to Historic Western Pennsylvania. The society's vice president, Edwin V.
Pugh, collaborated with Lois Mulkearn,
librarian of the University of
Pittsburgh's Darlington Library, in
collecting the material and writing this
valuable guide book.
WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Cleveland
Laurence H. Norton, President
Special exhibitions during the summer
months have included selections
from Civil War collections (July), Mrs.
Walter G. Nord's collection of
antique fans (August), and teaching aids
(September).
The Women's City Club of Cleveland was
entertained at the museum in
July with a tour, a talk by the
director, and a tea. Another group, the
Collectors Club, held a picnic at the
museum during the summer.
The society sponsored a historical tour
to Marietta in June, one to Fremont
in July, and one to Poland and Canfield
in August.
The director, Colton Storm, spoke at the
annual meeting of the Brecks-
ville Historical Association in June, at
the Cuyahoga Educational Association
workshop in July, and before the Women's
City Club, also in July.
About Historians
Richard Griffin, who received his Ph.D.
from Ohio State University in
June 1954, has been appointed instructor
in history at Capital University
for the year 1954-55.
Erving E. Beauregard has been promoted
to associate professor of history
at the University of Dayton. Prof.
Beauregard has an article, "A Suggestion
to Professors," in the Winter,
1953-54, issue of the American Association
of University Professors Bulletin. He
has participated as a panelist recently
in several television programs on
international matters sponsored by the
Dayton Council on World Affairs.
Miss Helen Gray, professor of history
and government at Lake Erie
College, who retired at the close of
1952 and in 1953 was on a trip to
Europe and the Near East, assisted with part-time
teaching at the college
during the past academic year.
Philip L. Ralph, chairman of the
department of social studies, was chosen
"Author of the Week" (week of
August 2) by W. G. Rogers, book review
Historical News 417
editor of the Associated Press, for his
book, The Story of Our Civilization,
published by E. P. Dutton & Company.
At Miami University, Ronald Erwin Shaw
(A.B. Charleston College,
Ph.D. University of Rochester) has been
employed to teach in the history
department for the year 1954-55 to
replace Paul Erwin, who will be on a
year's leave of absence to teach at
Northwestern University. Charles Budd
Forcey (A.B. Princeton University, A.M.
Columbia University, and Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin) will replace
Dwight Smith, who is on leave of
absence to teach at Columbia University.
The department of church history at Mt.
St. Mary Seminary sponsored
an archival exhibition during the alumni
reunion, Easter Monday and
Tuesday, 1954, according to the Rev.
Carl R. Steinbicker, chairman of the
department.
Two new appointments have been made to
the history faculty at Ohio
State University. Frank J. Pegues,
formerly of the University of Colorado,
has been named assistant professor. He
will teach courses in medieval
history. Gilman Ostrander, who has his
Ph.D. from the University of
California, will serve as an instructor
in survey courses.
Sidney N. Fisher taught during the past
summer at the University of
Southern California.
James M. Smith was awarded a
grant-in-aid for the summer of 1954 by
the American Philosophical Society. He
has been granted a leave of absence
by the college of arts and sciences for
1954-55 so that he may accept an
appointment by the graduate council as
Elizabeth Clay Howald Scholar for
the year to continue his researches on
the Alien and Sedition Laws. Dr.
Smith had articles published during the
summer in the Journal of Southern
History, the Mississippi Valley Historical Review, and
the Review of Politics.
Ohio University's ninth annual Summer
Conference on Current Problems
and World Affairs was held on July
19-20, the topic being "Contemporary
Africa." The guest professors were
Kenneth Robinson and James S. Cole-
man. Professor Robinson, who was
educated at Oxford, served with the
British colonial office for twelve
years, being in West Africa, 1942-43, and
has traveled extensively in Africa since
1950. He is now a fellow of
Nuffield College, Oxford, 'and
university reader in colonial government. Dr.
Coleman (Ph.D. Harvard) spent 1951-52 on
a Fulbright award studying
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Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
political developments in British and
French West Africa. He has taught
at Harvard and is now on the political
science staff at the University of
California.
Hastings Eells, chairman of the
department of history at Ohio Wesleyan
University, is the author of Modern
Europe (Since 1500), published this
year by Doubleday.
Chapter Epsilon Zeta of Phi Alpha Theta
was installed at Wesleyan on
May 24.
Warren Griffiths, professor of history
and political science at Wilmington
College, left Wilmington in September to
spend his sabbatical year with
the Friends Committee on National
Legislation in Washington, D. C.
A chapter of Phi Alpha Theta was
recently installed at Wilmington. This
is the 123d chapter of the organization.