OHIO HISTORY CONFERENCE:
PROCEEDINGS 241
item of which was a diary (1821-1826) of
Charles Willing Byrd, the last
Secretary of the Northwest Territory.
The Clark County Historical Society,
under the direction of Mr.
Arthur R. Altick, sent in a most
interesting report of the year's activities,
giving an account of additions to their
collections and a summary of ex-
ploration and field work. Mr. Altick
feels that the major accomplishment
during the past year was the inauguration
of an educational program in
connection with the public schools.
The Allen County Historical and
Archaeological Society's activities
are summarized in a very attractive and
model report submitted by the
Secretary, Mrs. Harry B. Longsworth.
Compiling historical records; com-
pleting data on Allen County's
ninety-eight cemeteries, on family records,
on Civil War diaries and Allen County's
incorporated societies have been
accomplished in addition to enlarging
and rearranging the society's mu-
seum.
A number of the local historical
societies had official representatives at
the annual meeting and it is hoped that
the representation will be in-
creased from year to year.
The next item on the program was a
paper by Dr. William
D. Overman, Curator of History.
THE RELATION OF A STATE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY TO
LOCAL HISTORICAL SOCIETIES
By WILLIAM D. OVERMAN
Fifty years ago the president of the
Western Reserve Historical
Society addressed that organization on
the subject "New Methods of His-
tory".1 He praised the work of the
Johns Hopkins graduate school for
applying the scientific method to the
writing of monographs on American
history and government, and although
history is not an exact science, this
method has been pursued by American historians for over half a
century.
Original sources have been
re-interpreted in the light of new evidence and
views cherished by former generations
have been changed in the light of
modern research. But "each age
interprets the past to suit its own pur-
poses",2 and whether we
continue to write so-called "objective history" by
the scientific method, or whether we
adopt a philosophy of history, and it
appears that we are tending in the
latter direction, we must retain the
1 Charles C. Baldwin, "New Methods
of History," Western Reserve Historical
Society, Tracts, No. 78
(Cleveland, 1891), 209-13.
2 Carl
Becker, Everyman His Own Historian (New York, 1935), 169-70.
242
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
method of the critical historian.3 That
is, "our knowledge must still be ob-
tained by the methods of bibliography,
scrutiny, authtentication, and veri-
fication",4 and it
should be the policy of a historical society, just as it is
for the historian, to be open-minded,
maintain an impartial judgment, and
welcome new truths.
Dr. Robert C. Binkley, of Western
Reserve University, read a paper5
at the annual meeting of this Society
three years ago in which he dis-
cussed the various concepts of history
from Greek and Roman times down
to those of the contemporary
dictatorships. With regard to the latter he
pointed out that such systems of
government require rigidly orthodox in-
terpretations of their history, and that
their cultures, however rugged they
may be in some aspects, are delicate in
respect to their historical digestions.
Only the most carefully prepared
history, put together according to prescrip-
tion, or according to their philosophy
of government, will nourish them.
Thus, noting that there are different
histories for different political and
social situations, Dr. Binkley marked
out a field of history to sustain certain
values which we ascribe to democracy.
Two of these are: first, our respect
for the value of individual personality,
and second, the federative structure
of our system, wherein not individuals
but groups are recognized and
given their zone of creative
activity. That is, local affairs are
left to
localities, and national affairs are
left in the hands of the whole nation.
Granting that these are two of the more
important values of democracy,
the kind of history that will preserve
our respect for individual free-
dom is a history of ourselves, a history
of individuals, family history. The
kind of history that will preserve the
federative structure of our society is
the history of our homes, our
communities, local history.
Material of value to historical research
in many communities has in
the past been partially safeguarded by
those far-sighted individuals who
were the founders and the supporting
members of the early historical
societies. But the record preserved
through this casual effort is only a
small part of what is needed to tell the
story. The documents from which
we may write the history of our
communities, our families and ourselves
is to be found in the public archives,
in newspaper files and in manuscript
collections. It is in the records of
business firms, and in the records of
social and labor organizations, or in
those to be found in the county court-
house, the town hall and churches, that
all of us, and our ancestors, have
left the evidences of our activity in
society.
The Historical Records Survey has, after
several years work, prac-
3 See Charles A. Beard and Alfred Vagts,
"Currents of Thought in Histori-
ography," American Historical
Review (New York; Lancaster, Pa., 1895- ), XLII
(1936-37), 460-83; and for opposing
theory, Harry Elmer Barnes, A History of His-
torical Writing (Norman, Okla., 1937), 393-5.
4 Beard and Vagts, "Currents of
Thought," 482.
5 Robert C. Binkley, "History for a
Democracy," in Minnesota History (St.
Paul, 1915- ) XVII (1937), 1-27. Editor's note: Dr. Robert C. Binkley died
April
11, 1940.
OHIO HISTORY CONFERENCE:
PROCEEDINGS 243
tically completed a nation-wide
inventory of the archives in some 3,000
counties in the United States and these
inventories when published will be
of great value to those engaged in
research and writing history. Much
needs to be done, especially with regard
to the listing of manuscript col-
lections. Many collections, which would
be of great value to historical re-
search, are safely preserved in libraries
and in historical societies but they are
inaccessible because of the absence of
finding lists or catalogs. Historical
agencies can perform a great service
through cooperative effort in bringing
to light and making available for use,
the great body of "unknown" ma-
terial now in private hands or
uncataloged in depositories. The writer
does not advocate the centralization of
archives or of local manuscript
material but he does urge the necessity
of its being inventoried and eventu-
ally cataloged. A significant collection
of manuscripts of national import-
ance should go to the Manuscript
Division of the Library of Congress, like-
wise collections pertaining to specific
regions or localities, if properly housed
and made accessible, might well be
preserved in those communities where
the investigator would expect to find
them. The spirit of cooperation now
in evidence among historical societies,
respecting this effort to place material
where it belongs geographically is
laudable; however, the low cost of mak-
ing reproductions of manuscripts by
micro-photography makes it possible
for manuscript librarians or individuals
to have film copies of primary
source materials from distant
depositories delivered to them for a few cents
a page. This service is now maintained
by dozens of historical societies
and libraries and will in the future
render the problem of location of
original materials of relative small
importance as far as research is con-
cerned. Obviously, however, it makes it
all the more necessary to have
good finding lists and published
catalogs available.
Historical societies have been
performing important services in most
states of the Union for a long time,
some of them for upwards of 150 years.
This is not the place to write the
history of historical societies, although I
have no doubt that some day it may be
done, but let us consider briefly
what such an organization might consider
as its function.
The president of a newly organized
society in this State, who had
discussed his plans with several members
of our staff before the organiza-
tion meeting, wrote an editorial which
appeared in his local newspaper en-
titled, "Why a Local Historical
Society?"6 He wrote, in part ,as follows:
"Just when did Newcomerstown
officially begin? Who were
the early settlers? How
many of our present inhabitants are
descendants of these pioneers? In what
kind of work and trades
did they engage? Which is the oldest
building in town? . . . Who
were our leading educators, writers,
professional men, law-makers,
etc.?
How does this community rate today in matters of good
6 C. E. Lieser in Newcomerstown News, Feb. 1, 1940.
244 OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL
QUARTERLY
citizenship, health, education, industry
and other marks of a pro-
gressive people? These and hundreds of
similar questions arise in
the minds of our thinking people. . . .
As communities grow older,
it is . . . necessary to preserve the
historical landmarks to prevent
them from passing into oblivion.
Tradition is not sufficient to per-
petuate a record of memorable events. It
is necessary that they be
carefully preserved for the use of our
posterity. What organization
other than a historical society would
feel it their duty to carry on
such a task. . . ."
And so another of Ohio's fifty-seven
historical societies was born in
February of this year. Ohio has many
active organizations. The first in
order of establishment was the
Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio
founded in 1831; other early ones were
the Western Reserve Historical
Society and the Firelands Historical
Society. There were thirty-five
founded before 1875. Among the more
active at present are: the Allen
County Archaeological and Historical
Society at Lima, the Clark County
Historical Society at Springfield, the
Ross County Historical Society at
Chillicothe, the Summit County
Historical Society at Akron, and many
others.
Ohio has seventy museums. In addition to
the large institutions in
Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo and
Columbus are those smaller but none
the less well-directed museums
performing valuable educational service to
their communities, such as: the
Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum in Co-
shocton, the Campus Martius Museum in
Marietta, and the Dayton Li-
brary Museum. Among others that should
be mentioned is the East Liver-
pool Historical Society's ceramic
collection, and several historic house
museums of which "Our House"
in Gallipolis is outstanding.
Such institutions, as the 129 historical
societies and museums in Ohio,
are as diverse in their specific aims as
the localities in which they work,
but this should be encouraging.
Decentralization means broader interpre-
tation of American history for each
section providing it does not mean
isolated effort.7 As
individual scholars find it necessary to cooperate, so
historical societies also find it
necessary, if they are to realize their aims
and fulfill their mission in the
community. The lack of an effectively or-
ganized influence or cooperation of this
kind at least partially accounts for
the unevenness in the work of some of
these organizations.
No society, state or local, is so
powerful that it may not profit by
cooperation with its fellow
organizations. Small ones need advice, assist-
ance and inspiration that comes from the
larger and more influential groups;
and the latter would attain resh vigor
by coming into contact with smaller
7 Henry C. Bourne, "The Work of
American Historical Societies," American
Historical Association, Annual Report
(Washington, D. C., 1885- ), 1904 (1905),
117ff.
OHIO HISTORY CONFERENCE:
PROCEEDINGS 245
institutions representing smaller
geographic areas and being nearer the
people.8
In some states a measure of cooperation
between state and local
societies has been attained by one means
or another. In many there has
been a declaration of faith in the
principle of cooperation but such move-
ments have been conducted nearly always
on a casual basis.
About twenty years ago Dr. Joseph
Schafer, Secretary of the Wis-
consin Historical Society, set himself
about the task of organizing a move-
ment to gather data about that state's
population from maps, plat-books,
and other sources in each locality. This
great corpus of material will
eventually constitute a Wisconsin
Domesday Book, of which four volumes
have been published. In a movement of
this kind he had a definite pro-
gram which not only enlisted the active
cooperation of historical and other
local agencies but the interest and
assistance of school children all over the
state. The idea worked out very well and
Mr. Schafer's only regret is,
that the idea has not taken hold as
effectively as it might in other states.9
The survey was not designed primarily
for the purpose of securing coopera-
tion among local societies, but it
illustrates the fact that some common plan
will effect such a result.
In Minnesota a measure of cooperation
has been effected through
historical conferences and tours since
1921,10 but it is their present plan to
evolve an organization called a Local
History Conference, which would be
affiliated with the state society and
would be a better means of coordinating
all historical activity in that state.11
The Oklahoma Historical Society is
seeking to encourage the forma-
tion of local societies and museums and
they are working on a plan to
bring representatives of these
organizations together for an annual meeting
with a purpose of correlating historical
work.12
The Indiana Historical Society in some
respects was the pioneer in the
movement for the correlation of state
and local historical activities. It was
during the time that Dr. Harlow Lindley
was a member of the Indiana
Historical Commission, some twenty-five
years ago, that a history con-
ference became an annual event in that
state. Dr. Christopher B. Coleman,
the present Secretary of the state
society, indicates that their chief success
has come from taking advantage of the
opportunities where various groups
have solicited assistance.13 The
Indiana society has also conducted historical
pilgrimages annually since 1925.14
The Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Society, as in the past,
8 Ibid., 1905, I
(1906), 268.
9 Joseph Schaefer to the author, Jan.
27, 1940.
10 Theo. C. Blegen, "State
Historical Agencies and the Public," Minnesota
History, IX (1928), 127-8.
11 Arthur J. Larsen to the author, Feb.
8, 1940.
12 James
W. Moffitt to the author, Jan. 31, 1940.
13 Christopher B. Coleman to the author,
Jan. 21, 1940.
14 Indiana History Bulletin (Indianapolis, 1923- ), X (1932-33), 484.
246 OHIO ARCH EOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL
QUARTERLY
is ready to assist other organizations
in any manner possible and to make
our resources available to all. Our
program has been similar to that in
other states and if we can get a large
number of the local societies to send
representatives to this Ohio History
Conference, we will have succeeded
about as far, in the direction of
cooperation, as have most other state or-
ganizations. However, in order to effect
such a result and develop the
cooperative idea as speedily as
possible, the following suggestions are of-
fered for your consideration:
1. That this Ohio History Conference, or
if there is no desire to
organize the conference, that this
Society select a Secretary whose duty
it would be to keep in close touch with
all historical agencies in Ohio, and
serve as a clearing house for
information on problems of organization, pro-
gram and publication for historical
societies, or for more technical museum
and library problems dealing with
cataloging, repair and preservation.
2. That the editor inaugurate a new
section of the Ohio State Arch-
aeological and Historical Quarterly called "Notes and News" or "Local
History" in which the activities of
such organizations be recorded, and
that this section be reprinted and
distributed free to all organizations not
affiliated with the Society and who now
receive the publication.
3. That representatives of state and
local societies meet occasionally
during the year to exchange ideas and
discuss common problems.
4. That an annual tour or historical
pilgrimage be sponsored by this
Society in cooperation with any or all
organizations wishing to join.
This is a declaration of what this
Society may regard a part of its
obligation, but the necessity of local
societies taking a certain amount of
initiative must be emphasized. Local societies must make their needs
known--cooperation requires at least two
parties.
It was moved and carried that the
recommendations made
by Dr. Overman be referred to the Board
of Trustees for further
consideration.
Following Dr. Overman's paper,
announcement was made by
the Secretary that due to the illness of
Dr. K. C. Leebrick, Presi-
dent of Kent State University and the
speaker for the evening,
the program and the annual dinner of the
Society had been can-
celled. He presented an invitation from
the College and Univer-
sity Presidents Association, which was
meeting at the same hour
with Dr. Clarence A. Dykstra, President
of the University of
Wisconsin as speaker, to join them in
their evening program and
dinner. This invitation was accepted by
the Society.
The meeting then adjourned.