Echoes Magazine - September & October 2021

MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2021 THE GENIUS OF WATER

HISPANIC HERITAGE

THEN AND NOW

IN GRAVE DANGER

Cincinnati’s Tyler Davidson Fountain

Mexicans in Ohio and the Midwest

The Scioto River Transformed

Neglected Ohio Cemeteries

Page 24

Page 30

Page 36

Page 42

MAGA ZINE

Cover: Dedicated 150 years ago this fall “To the People of Cincinnati,” the landmark Tyler Davidson Fountain celebrates the subject of water and its uses. See page 24.

The New York Public Library, Robert N. Dennis Collection of Stereoscopic Views

Vol. 60, No. 5 EDITORS

Bill Eichenberger Tom Wolf CONTRIBUTORS

Charles Chamberlain Krista Horrocks

Contents S E P T E M B E R & O C T O B E R 202 1

24

The Genius of Water— Cincinnati’s Tyler Davidson Fountain Turns 150

30

Mexicans in Ohio and the Midwest— 1918–1964

36

The Scioto River Transformed— A Photographic History

42

Ohio Cemeteries Are in Grave Danger— A Call to Action

Nicole Mar tinez-Le G rand Michelle Miao Barbara Powers

I N E AC H I S S U E

Cur tis Schieber Randall L . Schieber Tom Staf ford ADVISORY BOARD

Donna DeBlasio Youn gstown St ate Unive r sit y

Nishani Frazier Miami Unive r sit y

Rober t G enheimer Cin cinn ati Muse um Ce nte r

Stephen G eorge O hio Histor y Conne c tion

Alex Hastie O hio v. the World

G eorge Ironstrack Miami Unive r sit y

Chester Pach O hio Unive r sit y

Roger Pickenpaugh Historian an d Auth or

Daniel Rivers T he O hio St ate Unive r sit y

2 4 4 6 15 16 17 20 46 48 50

Contents What’s Your Story?

From Our Editors In the News Historic Sites & Museums At the Ohio History Center & Ohio Village Online Events Featured Events & Exhibits I Wish I’d Been There Young Eyes on the Past Reviews

Truda Shinker O hio Histor y Conne c tion

Echoes Magazine (ISSN 0012-933X) is published

THANKS TO OUR OHIO HISTORY CONNECTION STRATEGIC PARTNERS:

bimonthly and distributed by the Ohio History Connection as a benefit of Ohio History Connection membership.

Editorial Offices: Ohio History Connection, Ohio History Center, 800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, OH 43211-2474 Phone 844.836.0012 | Email echoes@ohiohistory.org Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Echoes Magazine, Ohio History Connection, Ohio History Center, 800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, OH 43211-2474 Entire contents © 2021 by the Ohio History Connection.

All rights reserved. Nothing may be reprinted or electronically reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. The Ohio History Connection accepts no responsibility for facts and opinions expressed by the authors.

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Moving?

Contact us at membership@ohiohistory.org or 800.686.1545 to share your new address.

The Ohio History Connection is a

Like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok at @OhioHistory

The Genius of Water CINCINNATI’S TYLER DAVIDSON FOUNTAIN TURNS 150

24

One of Ohio’s largest public works of art at the time, Cincinnati’s Tyler Davidson Fountain was dedicated in October 1871 and has presided over the Queen City for a century and a half. Author Tom Stafford looks at how this Cincinnati landmark came to be, the maneuvering it took to get it built and why it remains such a beloved symbol of the city “on the banks of the beautiful river.”

Mexicans in Ohio and the Midwest 1918–1964

30

While we often picture migrants to Ohio coming from east to west, Mexicans came from west to east. Multicultural Collections Coordinator Nicole Martinez-LeGrand of the Indiana Historical Society shares the story of Mexicans migrating to work in Ohio’s World War I-era steel industry, and, for some, of their involuntary migration back as Texans sought to maintain a hold on Mexican labor.

The Scioto River Transformed A PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY

36

The Scioto River through downtown Columbus has been a civic obsession for more than a century, from the slums and factories that once prompted the question “When is Columbus going to clean up his front yard?” to the gleaming neoclassical Civic Center that followed, to the Scioto Mile that builds on that heritage today. Photographer Randall Schieber and author Curtis Schieber look at the river then and now.

Ohio Cemeteries Are in Grave Danger

42

A CALL TO ACTION There are more than 14,600 known cemeteries in Ohio, though only about 4,100 are registered with the state as being active.

Active cemeteries must follow state law dealing with management and operation. You only have to do the math to realize just how many cemeteries in our state do not. Krista Horrocks of the Ohio History Connection looks at how improving protection under state law would benefit abandoned, neglected and inactive cemeteries.

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FROM OUR EDITORS Look, we don’t wake up in the morning thinking, “I’d really like to read a book about the building of a long road.” But that’s the beauty of history. Sure, Roger Pickenpaugh’s America’s First Interstate is the story of the building of the National Road from 1806 to 1853. But really his book (see review on page 50) is about people— about their stories—and those stories are quite compelling.

Driving home from a visit to the Antietam Battlefield, we took the approximate route of the old National Road from Cumberland, Maryland, across Pennsylvania and back to Ohio. The road had recently been paved, three smooth lanes in both directions, speed limit 70 mph.

That, of course, made us think about the arduous trip settlers made from the East Coast into the Ohio Territory and the Western Reserve, a trip that could take months to make, horses pulling carts over muddy trails, progress measured in a few miles per day, depending on the weather and the terrain.

“Although the transmontaine West was not far distant in miles from America’s original thirteen states, the barrier of the (Allegheny) mountains made it, in practical terms, a world away,” Pickenpaugh writes by way of introducing one of his story’s chief characters.

“Nobody was more aware of this geographic reality—or more concerned by it—than George Washington. The future father of the country was only sixteen years old when, in 1748, he made his first western venture. Crossing the Blue Ridge with his friend George William Fairfax, Washington helped survey the vast landholdings of Fairfax’s father, Col. William Fairfax.”

He would make several trips out west in the next two decades.

The parade of colorful characters includes Ebenezer and Elizabeth Zane, who blazed Zane’s Trace from Wheeling, (West) Virginia, to Maysville, Kentucky, at the end of the 18th century; Uriah Tracy, a Connecticut Federalist who served on the committee in the Senate charged with choosing a route; and David Shriver Jr. who became the “Superintendent of the U.S. Road” in 1811.

Tracy was there at the beginning, telling the Senate that his committee “have thought it expedient to recommend a road from Cumberland, on the northerly bank of the Potomac and within the state of Maryland, to the river Ohio.”

The Senate approved the recommendations eight days later.

It was a bold adventure “unique in the Jefferson era. It was a time when the national government’s domestic duties extended little beyond providing a meager defense, delivering the mail, and tending lighthouses,” Pickenpaugh writes.

The National Road opened Ohio to migration from the East. A century later, Mexican nationals began migrating to jobs in Ohio's steel mills from the Southwest. Explore their west-to-east migration story in Mexicans in Ohio and the Midwest by Nicole Martinez-LeGrand on page 30 in this issue of Echoes Magazine.

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What’s In every issue of Echoes Magazine, we feature the stories of Ohio History Connection members and other Ohioans to stoke memories and shed light on our shared past.

For this issue, we asked,

“ What unique roadside attraction have you been to in Ohio? ” Here are some of your responses:

WORLD’S LARGEST AMISH HORSE AND BUGGY In 31 years, I have seen a lot of interesting, strange, distinctive and one-of-a-kind things while meandering around beautiful Ohio with my parents and grandparents.

However, the one that stands out most for me is the World’s Largest Amish Horse and Buggy in Mesopotamia. It is made from gorgeous hand-crafted wood. We see it every time we go to the Mespo Ox Roast and End of the Commons General Store. It’s at the intersection of State Routes 534 and 87.

The next most interesting thing is the End of the Commons General Store.

Talk about a place that is cute, different, artsy, rustic and charming—it has it all! There’s a little bit of everything for everyone, promise. It is worth stopping and checking out all of its oddities and novelties. You will not be disappointed.

Ashley Morrow, Warren

Your Story?

DR. JOHN HARRIS DENTAL MUSEUM Ah, the unusual sites of Ohio! First, many years ago I happened upon Bainbridge, the home of the Dr. John Harris Dental Museum. Here the first training in dentistry took place beginning in 1827.

On view are various artifacts of bygone eras that made me appreciate fully the “delights” of modern dental offices. Quite an experience. A second “quirky” site no longer exists, but how can I ever forget the Degenhart Paperweight Museum in Cambridge? What a collection—such simple items demonstrated human imagination gone wild. And last, I must direct Echoes Magazine readers to the Hoover Historical Center in North Canton. Who would ever think that the vacuum cleaner deserves a tribute? However, since the museum was established in the 1970s, it has broadened its scope and has become a significant focus of the community. Well worth a visit in Hall-of-Fame land!

Thomas C. Sosnowski, North Canton

GRANDPA’S CHEESEBARN The first roadside attraction that came to my mind is Grandpa’s Cheesebarn in Ashland and Norton. I still remember the first time I ever went. My dad and I drove past it all the time on our road trips up to Youngstown. One day on our way back into town, we decided to stop and try it. It had a candy shop right next door (Sweeties Chocolates), so that was a bonus. When we first walked in, I was instantly shocked at how big the building was. They had cheese samples everywhere. I pretty much tried every type of cheese they had, which was a lot!

It was so delicious. Best cheese I’ve ever had. The candy shop had a lot of yummy goodies, too. I remember specifically they had a Lucky Charms cereal with just the marshmallow charms, which made my inner child very excited. So would I say this place is worth the visit? Absolutely!

Nora Gates, Columbus

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS

PIECE OF THE WALL On the Capital University campus in Bexley, a pleasant walk from the library can take you to a graffitipainted portion of the Berlin Wall.

The concrete slab, a stark symbol of the Cold War, is tucked away in a courtyard behind Huber-Spielman Hall. It reminds me of the importance of democracy and freedom, which we as Americans can sometimes take for granted. The fall of the wall in 1989 marked the start of the fall of communism in Eastern and Central Europe. One side of the slab in Bexley has graffiti, but the other side is bare.

That side faced the “death strip,” patrolled by guards who could shoot anyone who tried to flee to the other side to freedom.

Linda Deitch, Columbus

EARLY TELEVISION MUSEUM At the suggestion of a fellow bus rider several years ago, my wife and I visited the Early Television Museum in Hilliard. We are old enough to appreciate the ancient technology, though most of the artifacts preceded even us. Wandering through the well-presented TV sets makes one appreciate the amazing changes that have occurred in our lifetimes. A return visit was as eyeopening as our first.

Rob and Sally Schmidley, Columbus

A portion of the Berlin Wall in a quiet corner of the Capital University campus in Bexley.

WHAT’S YOUR STORY? We want to know your stories, so in every issue of Echoes Magazine we ask you a question, then run selected answers in the following issue. Here’s the question for November & December.

What are your fall traditions? Tell us which corn maze is the best in Ohio, which orchard is the best to pick apples, or which fall festivals you enjoy attending.

Email your responses (50 to 150 words) by Sept. 10 to echoes@ohiohistory.org or, if you follow us on Facebook, send us a Facebook message.

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In the News LOCAL HISTORY

Bone and Sinew of the Land Author Headlines Ohio Local History Alliance Meeting The Ohio Local History Alliance annual meeting will take place online Thursday, Sept. 30, through Saturday, Oct. 2.

Award-winning American historian Dr. Anna-Lisa Cox will present this year’s keynote address on Friday, Oct. 1, at 12:30 p.m., sponsored by Ohio Humanities. Her recent book, The Bone and Sinew of the Land: America's Forgotten Black Pioneers and the Struggle for Equality, on the history of African American pioneers who settled the Midwest before the Civil War, was honored

by Smithsonian Magazine as one of the best history books of 2018.

Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. praised it for being “a revelation of primary historical research that is written with the beauty and Anna-Lisa Cox

Cox

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empathic powers of a novel,” and The New York Times best-selling author Professor Ibram X. Kendi lauded it for being a “groundbreaking work of research.” (See Echoes Magazine, January & February 2021.)

Her original research underpinned two exhibits at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, and her essays have been featured in publications including The Washington Post, Lapham’s Quarterly, Smithsonian Magazine and The New York Times. In addition to frequently being invited to lecture at universities and other organizations nationally and internationally, she is an in-demand guest on radio and television shows, including NPR’s All Things Considered. A Non-Resident Fellow at Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, she is at work on two new book projects, including one on the African Americans who surrounded and influenced the young Abraham Lincoln.

This year’s Ohio Local History Alliance annual meeting theme is Challenge Accepted: Overcoming Obstacles.

The program includes online sessions on topics such as

improving access for visitors with disabilities, remaining relevant during a renovation, creating digital summer camps, marketing historic sites, making the hard fundraising ask, bringing new life to stagnant exhibits, collections care, organizational governance and managerial policies. It also includes social time to network with fellow Ohioans active in local history and presentation of this year’s Outstanding Achievement Awards.

The Ohio Local History Alliance works to advance the field of local history in Ohio through education, advocacy and collaboration.

Representing more than 300 member organizations that range from small neighborhood historical societies to large history museums, it leverages individual and collective resources to help all such organizations improve their relevance and achieve excellence. Ohio History Connection staff coordinate Ohio Local History Alliance programs with direction and oversight from the organization’s 23-member board of trustees, which also serves as the nucleus of a network of organizations and individuals interested in all aspects of community history in Ohio.

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

To learn more about the Ohio Local History Alliance annual meeting and to register, visit ohiolha.org or email ohiolha@ohiohistory.org.

HISTORY DAY

Ohio Students Shine at National History Day Fifty-nine Ohio students who were finalists in this spring’s 2021 regional and state-level History Day competitions in Ohio went on to represent the Buckeye State in this year’s National History Day contest, which took place virtually June 13–19. Seven Ohio entries in the national competition placed in the top 10 of the Documentary, Exhibit, Paper and Performance categories.

Over 2,800 students participated in History Day programs nationwide, and nearly 800 competed in the regional and state Ohio History Day contests.

Coordinated by the Ohio History Connection, in cooperation with local hosts of the 10 regional competitions held in Ohio each year, Ohio History Day is a free social studies program that meets Ohio’s learning standards and engages students in a dynamic, creative and rigorous learning process along the way. The 2022 National History Day theme is Debate & Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences.

See a full list of Ohio winners at National History Day at ohiohistory. org/historyday. Learn more about

National History Day at nhd.org and about Ohio History Day at ohiohistory.org/historyday or email historyday@ohiohistory.org.

IT’S OFFICIAL!

Poindexter Joins Ohio History Connection Sites Poindexter Village in Columbus officially joined the Ohio History Connection’s site network at the end of June, when the Ohio General Assembly approved the two-year FY2022–2023 state budget and Gov. Mike DeWine signed it into law. Completed in 1940, Poindexter Village was the first public housing project in Columbus. Although much of the complex has been demolished, the remaining buildings will become a museum and interpretive center where the Poindexter Village story can be shared. The Ohio History Connection and the John Preston Poindexter Foundation are working together on plans for the site, which is expected to open in several years.

The official designation is a key step in progress toward that goal and was celebrated at the Poindexter Village Drum Circle event held there on Saturday, Aug. 7.

Ohio History Connection Archival Collections

Two were in the top three nationally.

Michelle Miao of Oxford’s Talawanda High School won first place in the Senior Paper category for Kindling the Flame of Revolution: Communication and Committees of Correspondence in Colonial America (see Young Eyes on the Past, page 48). Omar Elbadawy of Cleveland’s Birchwood School of Hawken won second place in Junior Paper for Uncle Tom’s Cabin: The Key to Understanding the Inhumanity of Slavery Through the Power of the Story.

during a completely virtual year,” says Ohio History Day State Coordinator Samantha Rubino of the Ohio History Connection. “This year’s theme, Communication in History: The Key to Understanding, demonstrated the importance of studying history. Ohio’s students rose to the challenge to share how communication—or lack thereof— has impacted understanding across time and space.”

Cordelia Vanderveer of Toledo Technology Academy high school won the special Equality in History prize for the Senior Individual Performance Gloria Steinem and How Communication Shaped the Women’s Movement.

“Regardless of where Ohio’s students placed in the contest, we are extremely proud of their hard work, perseverance and incredible historical research Poindexter Village under construction, 1939

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AIDING OHIO HISTORY CONNECTION MUSEUMS AND ATTRACTIONS

Conestoga’s $42,000 Gift Benefits COVID-19 Hardship Relief Fund Thanks to the efforts of Conestoga, our volunteer fundraising support group, the Ohio History Connection’s COVID-19 Hardship Relief Fund recently increased by $42,000.

VINTAGE BASE BALL FESTIVAL Sat., Sept. 4 & Sun., Sept. 5 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Included with Ohio Village admission. Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission.

All fans must reserve timed tickets in advance.

For the full Ohio Village Muffins schedule visit ohiohistory.org/muffins. ohiohistory.org/village

ONLINE—ATTEND FROM ANYWHERE!

OHIO VIRTUAL Weds., Oct. 6, 13, 20 & 27 7 p.m.

Free to Ohio History Connection members with required advance registration

Meet Ohio archaeologists and explore archaeology through four special Archaeology Month programs, all from the comfort of home.

ohiohistory.org/archaeologymonth

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The fund was established in 2020 to aid our historic site network (see page 15), much of which is staffed and operated by community partner organizations that rely on visitor revenue. To help shoulder the burden of diminished revenue due to the pandemic, we established the COVID-19 Hardship Relief Fund to provide emergency aid.

SECOND-LARGEST GIFT IN GROUP’S HISTORY

Presented during Conestoga’s annual meeting in June, the $42,000 donation is the second-largest gift in the group’s 35-year history of support for the Ohio History Connection. Much of it was generated through a May 2021 fundraising event in Ohio Village.

Conestoga was organized in 1986.

Founders made a commitment to increase members’ knowledge of Ohio history and participation in Ohio History Connection activities, and to assist the Ohio History Connection in raising funds. Since then, Conestoga

members have raised more than $745,000 to support the Ohio History Connection as well as the Ohio History Fund.

“With our books barely closed on the past fiscal year, we’re already making plans for 2021–2022,” says Conestoga steering committee member Laura Ecklar. “In the coming year, Conestoga members will enjoy a full slate of special programs, plus trips to historic sites in Ohio and our annual fundraising event. Another Conestoga activity is Ohio History Alive!—a monthly discussion group for members that considers many facets of history and the recent past using multimedia resources.”

Ecklar says the first event for 2021– 2022 is an annual membership drive that is now underway. Conestoga membership—$100/single or $150/ dual—includes a one-year Ohio History Connection membership plus reciprocal benefits at more than 1,000 museums and attractions through the North American Reciprocal Museum program.

To join the more than 160 members of Conestoga or learn more about our volunteer fundraising support group and its upcoming activities, contact Abby Reynolds, Ohio History Connection development officer and Conestoga liaison, at 614.297.2320 or areynolds@ohiohistory.org.

Prof. Wilbur H. Siebert

Frederick Douglass’s 1893 response to Siebert’s survey

SEPTEMBER IS INTERNATIONAL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD MONTH

Many of his students, born in the decade after the Civil War and the abolishment of slavery, had heard tales and anecdotes of the Underground Railroad from their parents and grandparents. Using names and addresses his students provided, Siebert developed a sevenquestion circular that he distributed to individuals thought to have firsthand knowledge of the Underground Railroad movement around the state.

Workin’ on the Railroad From the 1890s to the 1930s, Prof.

Wilbur H. Siebert of The Ohio State University tracked the history of the Underground Railroad in Ohio and elsewhere. He became the leading expert of his time on the subject—much of what we know today about the covert network that aided fugitives from slavery to freedom is thanks to his pioneering work. You can explore Siebert’s huge collection of letters, photos, stories, notes and other Underground Railroadrelated material online, through the website Ohio Memory.

Many Ohioans may be unfamiliar with Siebert’s name, or with his contribution to our understanding of an important era in Ohio’s past. During his time as a history professor at Ohio State, Siebert worked tirelessly to compile one of the most comprehensive research collections on the Underground Railroad. And today, that collection has its home in the archives at the Ohio History Center in Columbus.

In 2009, highlights of the collection— including the contents covering the Underground Railroad in Ohio—were digitized for online access. This digital collection is available through Ohio Memory (ohiomemory.org), a collaborative digital library managed by the Ohio History Connection in partnership with the State Library of Ohio. Digitized material includes correspondence of Underground Railroad participants, photographs of agents and former slaves, maps of Underground Railroad routes and much more.

EXPLORE 5,000 ITEMS

We invite you to explore the Siebert Collection and find out more about Ohio’s Underground Railroad. See over 5,000 Ohio Underground Railroadrelated items online, where you can search the full text of documents and pan and zoom to view documents and images in detail.

••• Images in this story are from the Siebert Collection. Find the full Siebert Collection online at ohiomemory.org/ digital/collection/siebert.

This story has been updated from a story that first appeared in the January & February 2015 issue of the Ohio History Connection’s newsletter, Echoes, predecessor of Echoes Magazine.

September is International Underground Railroad Month.

Learn more at nps.gov.

CHOSE PROJECT TO SPARK STUDENTS’ INTEREST

In his 1951 book The Mysteries of Ohio’s Underground Railroads, Siebert describes how, early in his teaching career, he found that his undergraduate American history students were often “restless and inattentive,” and so he decided to engage them with a topic that he saw as “mysterious and romantic…rich in adventure.”

1894 lecture announcement

Samuel and Jane Harper of Windsor, Ontario, former slaves who were conducted

by John Brown from Missouri to Canada OHIOHIS TORY.ORG

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ARCHIVES

National Archives Grant for Harding Papers The Ohio History Connection has received a $107,058 grant from the National Archives and its National Historical Publications and Records Commission to reprocess and thoroughly catalog more than 900 boxes of the Warren G. Harding Papers and provide a comprehensive finding aid that is keyword searchable and available online. The finding aid will also describe photographs and newsreels documenting Harding’s presidency.

The papers document the life of the nation’s 29th president from his years in the newspaper business, time in the Senate, 1920 presidential campaign and presidency (1921– 1923). They also include some papers of his wife, Florence Harding.

Ohio History Connection Archival Collections

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission supports projects that promote access to America’s historical records to encourage understanding of our democracy, history and culture. The 15-member commission includes representatives from all three branches of the federal government as well as the leading archival and historical professional associations.

Since it was established in 1934 with the National Archives, the National Historical Publications and Records Commission has recommended 5,000 grants for preserving, publishing and providing access to the nation’s historical documents.

AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN’S HISTORY

Queens of the Heartland Earns Award of Excellence The Ohio History Connection’s National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center has been named the recipient of an American Association for State and Local History Award of Excellence for the exhibit Queens of the Heartland.

Queens of the Heartland features the stories of 30 accomplished African American women with Ohio ties, from the 19th through 21st centuries. Dr. Charles Wash, director of the Ohio History Connection’s National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center, says “I am so proud of our entire team because everyone worked together to complete Queens during the first seven months of the pandemic. We were able to open the exhibit last August, only to then have to close the museum again last October.

(Editor’s note: It has since reopened.)

It’s gratifying to have our team recognized for their determination, expertise and passion.”

The award will be presented on Friday, Sept. 24, at a special reception during the association’s annual meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas. This year, the association will confer 40 awards honoring people, projects, exhibits and programs in 22 states. The presentation will also honor two additional Ohio recipients, the Alliance Historical Society for the project Marking Time in Alliance, a series of short video tours of historical markers and sites in and around Alliance, and the Dayton International Peace Museum’s Dayton Peace Accords exhibit.

Headquartered in Nashville, the American Association for State and Local History is a not-for-

Warren G. Harding 10 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2021

profit professional organization of individuals and institutions working to preserve and promote history.

Learn more at aaslh.org.

See Queens of the Heartland on exhibit through 2022 at the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center, 1350 Brush Row Rd., Wilberforce. Hours are Weds.– Sat. 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Queens of the Heartland is included with museum admission: $6, $5/senior, $3/ages 6–17. Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission.

Questions? Call 800.752.2603 or visit ohiohistory.org/naamcc.

NEW EXHIBIT

Art of Soul! Opens Sept. 25 The artists have submitted their entries, the jury has made its selections and this year’s Art of Soul! exhibit at the National AfroAmerican Museum & Cultural Center in Wilberforce opens with an afternoon of special activities Saturday, Sept. 25, at 1 p.m. See works by painters, sculptors, printmakers and other artists responding to this year’s theme, Black Future. The exhibit continues through Saturday, Feb. 26, at the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center, 1350 Brush Row Rd., Wilberforce. Hours are Weds.– Sat. 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Art of Soul! is included with museum admission: $6, $5/senior, $3/ages 6–17. Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission. Questions? Call 800.752.2603 or visit ohiohistory. org/naamcc.

RESERVE STARTING SEPT. 13

Dickens Dinners

National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center

Though it’s not even All Hallows’ Eve, the Ghost of Christmas Past has asked us to share that our popular Dickens dinners and brunches in Ohio Village are just around the corner. This year, Saturday evening dinners are on Nov. 27 and Dec. 4, 11 and 18. Sunday brunches are Nov. 28 and Dec. 5, 12 and 19. Advance registration is a must for these popular holiday events, which often sell out long before the holidays arrive. Ohio History Connection members can make reservations starting Sept. 13 at 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/dickens. Nonmembers can reserve starting Sept.

27. Dickens dinners or brunches also include complimentary same-day admission to our popular holiday event, Dickens of a Christmas, which

takes place in Ohio Village on four weekends this year: Nov. 27–28, Dec. 4–5, Dec. 11–12 and Dec. 18–19.

Watch for details in the November & December issue of Echoes Magazine.

LEADERSHIP

New Trustees Ohio History Connection members have elected two new trustees, Guadalupe Ann Velasquez and Ann Bair, both of Columbus.

Guadalupe Ann Velasquez is managing director of Welcoming City, a social enterprise that focuses on a holistic approach to economic and workforce development integration.

She is a founding member and the president of Vibrant Ohio. In her leadership roles with Welcoming City and Vibrant Ohio, Velasquez collaborates with national partners and the State of Ohio to create credentialing opportunities that assist skilled immigrants and refugees in navigating career pathways.

Her mission to cultivate and bring recognition to Ohio as a “Welcoming State” is fueled by a deep devotion and commitment to serving and uplifting others.

Velasquez has served in city government for 12 years under two administrations, where she was an active resource to city departments regarding cultural competence and newcomer communities. She worked with Gov. John Kasich’s staff to create the Office of Opportunities for

New Americans for the State of Ohio, an initiative that continues under the administration of Gov. Mike DeWine.

For nearly 22 years, she has been a source for community members in providing assistance and access to city, county and state resources.

Velasquez has earned numerous honors, including the Governor’s Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan Award and the Outstanding Community Leader Award from The Ohio State University Multi-Cultural Affairs Department, and was most recently recognized by Women for Economic and Leadership Development. She is the first Latina to have served on the board of directors for The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, and is currently on the board of directors for the Columbus Council on World Affairs.

Ann Bair is senior vice president with Nationwide Financial Marketing.

Her team leads all marketing activity for Nationwide Financial, including driving brand awareness, acquisition and retention for the retirement plans, life insurance, annuities and mutual funds businesses.

Since joining Nationwide in 2006, Bair has led various teams, previously serving as chief digital officer, vice president of Nationwide Financial Retirement Plans Marketing, vice president of Nationwide Insurance Regional Marketing and vice president of Individual Protection Marketing.

Before joining Nationwide, Bair held several brand management leadership positions at the U.S. Nutrition Division of Abbott Laboratories, including five years as division vice president for Pediatric Nutritional Brands. Prior to Abbott, she gained consumer packaged goods marketing and sales expertise at Procter and Gamble and at Borden Inc. Bair graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.

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 HISTORIC PRESERVATION

Recent Ohio Additions to the National Register of Historic Places CALEDONIA • MARION COUNTY

 TEMPLE AND MASONIC BLOCK BUILDINGS 107, 109, 111 and 127 E. Marion St. Both built at the same time by the same builders to house local fraternal organizations, the Temple Block and Masonic Block buildings on Caledonia’s public square are associated with local social and commercial history.

The Temple Block is a two-story brick commercial building with ground-floor storefronts. Its upper story housed the Knights of Pythias Order of Calanthe #116 from its completion in 1897 until the 1970s. Set back from the Temple Block and adjoining it at the rear is the similar two-story Masonic Block, which was home to the Oliver Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons #447 for 99 years.

CHILLICOTHE VICINITY • ROSS COUNTY

 ADMINISTRATION BUILDING—UNITED STATES INDUSTRIAL REFORMATORY 15802 OH 104 North

Completed in 1932, this Neoclassicalstyle building was Ohio’s first federal correctional facility. Now part of the Chillicothe Correctional Institution, it

served as a federal prison before being leased by the State of Ohio in 1966 and bought outright in 1982. The building has a central corridor with five wings, moving from administrative offices at the front to a laundry and gymnasium in the rear. Along with a contemporaneous prison in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, it was the first use of the so-called “telephone pole” plan for federal correctional facilities and is nationally significant as an early use of this building type.

COLUMBUS • FRANKLIN COUNTY

 FORD MOTOR COMPANY COLUMBUS BRANCH ASSEMBLY PLANT 427 Cleveland Ave.

After introducing the Model T in 1908, Ford built 27 branch assembly plants across the country from 1912 to 1915. The Columbus plant opened in 1914. At its peak in the mid-1920s, it employed 800 people who assembled as many as 300 cars a day, responsible for every Ford delivered to a network of 255 dealers covering half of Ohio’s counties plus most of West Virginia and even western Virginia. The only state with three assembly plants, by 1922 Ohio was home to the nation’s largest number of Ford owners. The Columbus building has features commonly employed by architect John Graham Sr. (1873–1955) in designing more than

two dozen Ford plants between 1912 and 1915. Ford vacated it in 1938.

LAKEWOOD • CUYAHOGA COUNTY

 CLIFTON PARK SOUTH HISTORIC DISTRICT Portions of Clifton, Forest and Lake Roads, Captain’s Cove and West Clifton Boulevard

The Clifton Park South Historic District is part of the larger Clifton Park allotment in Lakewood, a streetcar-era suburb of Cleveland. The allotment was planned in the 1890s by Ernest W. Bowditch, a nationally prominent landscape architect known for creating bucolic residential subdivisions. Reflecting garden-suburb design principles popular at the turn of the 20th century, the district features curving streets, green space and mature trees, with 89 historic single-family homes in an eclectic mix of revival styles, the first built in 1901. The northern part of the Clifton Park allotment was added to the National Register in 1974 as the Clifton Park Lakefront District.

MARYSVILLE • UNION COUNTY

 HARMON BUILDING— OHIO REFORMATORY FOR WOMEN 1479 Collins Ave.

In 1911, with women’s groups and other reform-minded organizations pushing for it, Gov. Judson Harmon called for establishment of a women’s

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All National Register photos courtesy State Historic Preservation Office

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reformatory similar to the one for men in Mansfield. His request followed a special legislative commission report on the condition of women incarcerated at the Ohio Penitentiary.

Notably, Harmon recommended that the new facility be run entirely by women. The Colonial Revivalstyle Harmon Building opened in 1916 as the first dedicated women’s correctional facility in Ohio. Designed

by Toledo architect George S. Mills of Mills, Rhines, Bellman & Nordhoff to house administrators and 100 inmates, it still serves as the state women’s reformatory administration building.

NEW CONCORD • MUSKINGUM COUNTY

 MUSKINGUM COLLEGE CAMPUS HISTORIC DISTRICT (Boundary Increase) Roughly bounded by Stormont Street and College, Lakeside and Stadium Drives

Founded in 1837, Muskingum University, formerly Muskingum College, is one of the earliest Presbyterian-affiliated colleges west of the Appalachian Mountains. For generations, it drew on its Scots-Irish Presbyterian roots, and later its affiliation with the United Presbyterian Church, to attract students.

In 1979, a campus historic district comprising a number of buildings built before 1930 was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Now the district boundaries have been expanded to encompass all buildings and structures built before 1930, as well as those completed through 1972.

PORT CLINTON VICINITY OTTAWA COUNTY

 UNION CHAPEL 5258 E. Porter St.

From its settlement in the late 1830s into the 1960s, the principal theme in Catawba Island’s economic and social history was cultivation of fruit—first grapes and then peaches as well as apples, pears and plums. Catawba Island and adjoining Danbury Township became Ohio’s leading producers of high-quality peaches for more than 50 years. Religious education played an essential role in the life of Catawba’s peach-growing community, and the nonsectarian Union Chapel, built in 1887, was the center of local social and religious life. Today it is the only surviving religious and community building associated with the formative years of island history.

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TWINSBURG • SUMMIT COUNTY

 MOSES AND MINERVA ROACH HOUSE 9044 Church St.

Completed in 1873, the Moses and Minerva Roach House facing the town square in Twinsburg is a locally significant example of the picturesque Italianate style of architecture.

Characteristic features include its overall square shape with polygonal bay window; low-pitched hipped roofs; wide, overhanging eaves with bracketed cornice; tall, narrow windows with ornate surrounds; ornate wooden porch; and interior woodwork, molded plaster and round-arched pocket doors.

Today it is one of the few remaining properties that reflect Twinsburg’s history as a village in the years after the Civil War, before its 20th-century suburban growth.

ZALESKI VICINITY • VINTON COUNTY

STOUT • SCIOTO COUNTY

 100 MILE HOUSE 4866 US 52 #D

The architectural focal point of an early-20th-century estate overlooking the Ohio River, 100 Mile House was designed

by Portsmouth architect Erik Strindberg (1871–1944). Built in 1928 for local business leader Charles D. Scudder, the Colonial Revival-style house was later owned by Roger A. Selby, president of Portsmouth’s Selby Shoe Co. Selby made major additions in 1937, while preserving the principal elements of Strindberg’s original design. Guests from around the world visited Selby’s hobby farm, many of whom came to see his premier Arabian horses.

 MOONVILLE TUNNEL Hope-Moonville Road, two miles southwest of Lake Hope State Park

Built by the Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad in the rugged Appalachian foothills of southeast Ohio, the Moonville Tunnel is associated with the history of transportation, engineering and economic development in the Hanging Rock region, where abundant minerals were discovered in the 19th century.

Completed about 1856, the tunnel supported a burgeoning local mining economy, enabling the output to be transported by rail. Its construction led directly to the founding of the town of Moonville, which could not have existed without the railroad and tunnel. It is an impressive civil-engineering feat given the tools available at the time. Today, no structures survive in Moonville except the tunnel and nearby cemetery.

OHIOHIS TORY.ORG

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Marion County Historical Society

National Archives

Inspecting artillery cartridge cases during World War II IMPETUS TO WOMEN’S RIGHTS MOVEMENT

Line workers at Marion’s Scioto Ordnance Plant during World War II OHIO HEROES

Rosie the Riveter During World War II, millions of American women assisted the war effort by working in various industries. Before the war’s outbreak, 12 million American women found employment in factories. The number of women working in such positions during the conflict soared to 19 million. More impressively, middle-class women increasingly sought employment, accepting positions previously held principally by men or working-class women.

WOMEN ENCOURAGED TO SEEK EMPLOYMENT IN WARTIME INDUSTRIES

The United States government and Americans in general referred to these women as “Rosie the Riveter.”

Rosie the Riveter was based on Rose Will Monroe, an assembly line worker at the Ford Motor Company plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Monroe helped build B-29 and B-24 airplanes for the war effort. Hollywood producers selected Monroe to act in a movie encouraging women to seek employment in wartime industries.

Women who worked in such positions became known as Rosie the Riveters.

14 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2021

The idealized Rosie the Riveter exhibited numerous characteristics that the government and men found acceptable. First, these women were to work both outside and inside of the home, contributing to the war effort, while still maintaining their traditional roles as housewives and mothers. Secondly, they exhibited patriotism, helping their loved ones in the military attain victory, while still longing for a return to pre-war normalcy. Finally, most men believed that the women would want to return home after the conflict, and thus, these men did not have to worry about losing their civilian jobs while serving in the military.

The federal government utilized the image of Rosie the Riveter throughout World War II. One of the most famous posters of World War II, the “We Can Do It!” poster, used Rosie the Riveter to encourage women to seek factory positions.

Women clearly responded, with approximately one-half of all adult American women in war positions by 1944.

Rosie the Riveters experienced many opportunities during World War II. New job opportunities and increased wages were undoubtedly the two largest advancements.

Also, many of these women joined unions. Before World War II, most unions refused to represent women workers, believing that women should remain in the home. Despite these advancements, most women, whether they wanted to or not, returned home upon World War II’s conclusion. Those who tried to remain in the workforce faced lower wages and discriminatory hiring and promotion tactics. The men’s expectations that women would forsake their wartime positions added impetus to the women’s rights movement during the 1950s and the 1960s. Nevertheless, women across the United States, including in Ohio, contributed to American victory in the war, serving as Rosie the Riveters.

Today, the National Park Service has created a special museum in California to honor all of the Rosie the Riveters who worked during World War II. Learn more at nps. gov/rori.

This biography is from Ohio History Central, our online encyclopedia of Ohio history. Discover many more great Ohioans and more stories of Ohio history at ohiohistorycentral.org.

O HI O HIS TO RY CO NNEC T I O N

Historic Sites & Museums NORTHWEST OHIO 1. Armstrong Air & Space Museum 2. Cedar Bog Nature Preserve 3. Cooke-Dorn House 4. Fallen Timbers Battlefield Memorial Park 5. Fort Amanda Memorial Park 6. Fort Jefferson Memorial Park 7. Fort Meigs 8. Fort Recovery Museum & Monument 9. Glacial Grooves Geological Preserve 10. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums 11. Indian Mill 12. Inscription Rock Petroglyphs 13. Johnston Farm & Indian Agency 14. Lockington Locks

NORTHEAST OHIO 15. Custer Monument 16. Fort Laurens 17. McCook House 18. Museum of Ceramics 19. Quaker Yearly Meeting House 20. Schoenbrunn Village 21. Shaker Historical Museum 22. Tallmadge Church 23. Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor 24. Zoar Village

SOUTHWEST OHIO 33. Adena Mansion & Gardens 34. Davis Memorial Nature Preserve 35. Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve 36. Fort Hill Earthworks & Nature Preserve

CENTRAL OHIO

37. Harriet Beecher Stowe House

SOUTHEAST OHIO

38. John Rankin House 39. Miamisburg Mound

47. Big Bottom Memorial Park 48. Buckeye Furnace

26. Hanby House

40. National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center

27. Logan Elm

41. Paul Laurence Dunbar House

50. Campus Martius Museum

28. Newark Earthworks

42. Serpent Mound

51. John & Annie Glenn Museum

29. Ohio History Center & Ohio Village

43. Story Mound

52. Leo Petroglyphs & Nature Preserve

30. Shrum Mound

44. U.S. Grant Birthplace

53. National Road & Zane Grey Museum

31. Wahkeena Nature Preserve

45. U.S. Grant Boyhood Home & Schoolhouse

54. Ohio River Museum

32. Warren G. Harding Presidential Sites

46. William Henry Harrison Tomb

55. Our House Tavern

25. Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries & Nature Preserve

Before traveling, visit ohiohistory.org/sites or call 800.840.6127 to confirm what’s open, hours and any special requirements.

49. Buffington Island Battlefield Memorial Park

OHIOHIS TORY.ORG

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P R O G R A M S & E X H I B I T S AT T H E

Ohio History Center & Ohio Village

Clintonville Farmers’ Market SATURDAYS THROUGH NOV. 20 9 A.M.–NOON South Parking Lot, Ohio History Center, Columbus 4 The Clintonville Farmers’

Market features 60+ producers who grow or make everything they sell.

At the market, you’ll find fruits and vegetables, poultry, pasture-raised meats, cheese, honey and jams, baked goods of all kinds, eggs, grains, cut flowers and more, all produced locally and brought to market at the peak of freshness. Preorder and/or shop onsite at the market! clintonvillefarmersmarket.org

Ohio Village Open THROUGH SUN., OCT. 31 WEDS.–SUN. 10 A.M.–5 P.M. SATURDAYS IN OCTOBER UNTIL 4 P.M. CLOSED SEPT. 24–26 Ohio Village, Columbus 4 Visit our

living 1890s village, open through September and October for an extended autumn season that runs through Sun., Oct. 31. You’ll find more villagers and artisans on hand daily to share new stories of 19thcentury Ohio life. $13, $11/age 60+ or college student with ID, $7/ages 4–12, Free/age 3 & under. Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission. All visitors, including Ohio History Connection members, must reserve advance timed tickets.

Order at ohiohistory.org/ohiovillage or 800.686.1541.

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Ohio Cup Vintage Base Ball Festival SAT., SEPT. 4 & SUN., SEPT. 5 10 A.M.–5 P.M. Ohio Village, Columbus 4 See base ball

played by 1860s rules as more than 25 teams from across the nation come to Ohio Village to compete for the Ohio Cup. Enjoy special activities for kids all day, including old-time games and sports and a chance to try your hand at 1860s-style base ball with our own vintage team, the Ohio Village Muffins. $13, $11/ages 60+, $7/ages 4–12. Ohio History Connection members and ages 3 & under enjoy free admission. All visitors, including members, must reserve advance timed tickets at ohiohistory.org/ohiovillage or 800.686.1541.

Ohio History Center Museum Reopens Sept. 8 WEDS.–SUN. F 10 A.M.–5 P.M. Ohio History Center, Columbus 4 Been

awaiting our return? Now we're awaiting your return! Museum doors reopen Weds., Sept. 8. Explore Ohio—Champion of Sports, 1950s— Building the American Dream, The Nature of Ohio and more exhibits, then step into the 1890s in Ohio Village, our recreated 19th-century community, included with museum admission (and vice versa). (Note: While you were away, the exhibit Following in Ancient Footsteps has made way for a new archaeology exhibit coming in 2022. Watch for details.) $13, $11/age 60+ or college student with ID, $7/ages 4–12, Free/age 3 & under. Ohio History Connection members enjoy free

admission. All visitors, including Ohio History Connection members, must reserve advance timed tickets. Order at ohiohistory.org/ohiovillage or 800.686.1541.

FAMILY HALLOWEEN FUN

All Hallows’ Eve

SAT., OCT. 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 5:30–9:30 P.M. Ohio Village, Columbus 4 Enjoy an

evening of 1890s-style family fun, with fortunetelling, crafts, games, pumpkin carving, creepy (but not too creepy) characters roaming Ohio Village and a retelling of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by the bonfire. $16, $12/ages 4–12, $11/ Ohio History Connection member, $7/member ages 4–12, Free/ages 3 & under. All visitors, including members, must reserve tickets in advance at 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/ hallows.

Ohio History Center & Ohio Village Hours Museum REOPENS WEDS., SEPT. 8 WEDS.–SUN. 10 A.M.–5 P.M. CLOSED MON.–TUES. CLOSES AT 4 P.M. SATURDAYS IN OCTOBER

Third Floor Research Room OPEN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY WEDS. 12:30–3 P.M. THURS. & FRI. 10 A.M.–3 P.M. CLOSED SAT.–TUES.

ohiohistory.libcal.com

Ohio Village OPEN THROUGH OCT. 31 WEDS.–SUN. 10 A.M.–5 P.M. CLOSED MON.–TUES. CLOSED SEPT. 24–26 CLOSES AT 4 P.M. SATURDAYS IN OCTOBER

The Ohio Village Emporium offers a selection of grab-n-go foods and beverages from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy your purchase at nearby picnic tables and other outdoor seating in Ohio Village or bring your blanket for an old-fashioned picnic.

Ohio History Connection members save 10%.

AT T E N D FROM A N Y W H E R E !

Online Events AFTER UNCLE TOM’S CABIN

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Black Voices for Justice— James Baldwin and “the Failure of the Protest Novel”

Black Farming—Community Land & Food Sovereignty Conference

WEDS., SEPT. 1 F ONLINE DISCUSSION BEGINS AT 7 P.M. F RSVP FOR LINK

FRI., SEPT. 10 F 7 P.M. In-Person or Online—Attend from Anywhere! 4 Hosted by Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice and the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center, Wilberforce 4 Hear Jessica Gordon Nembhard, Ph.D., author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice, present the Community Land & Food Sovereignty Conference keynote address. The conference looks at the economic impact and power of growing your own food, seed saving, community gardening and celebrating the contributions of Black food and farming communities.

Keynote and conference both free with required advance registration: blackfarmingconference2021.eventbrite. com

Online—Attend from Anywhere! 4 Hosted by Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Cincinnati 4 In 1949, 25-year-old James Baldwin accused both Harriet Beecher Stowe and his own contemporary Richard Wright of debasing fiction by reducing it to propaganda. We’ll evaluate Baldwin’s complaint and examine an essay and a short story by him that show what he thought Black authors should do. Led

by John Getz, Ph.D., professor emeritus, Xavier University, and Tyrone Williams, Ph.D., professor of English at Xavier University. Find suggested readings at stowehousecincy.org. $5 suggested donation. Advance registration required.

800.847.6507 or stowehousecincy.org

The Ohio Literary Trail THURS., SEPT. 9 F 7–8 P.M. Online—Attend from Anywhere!

Hosted by the Ohio History Center, Columbus 4 Join us for a tour of highlights from the Ohio Literary Trail, which spotlights our state’s role in shaping culture and literature worldwide. Discover historic homes, museums, library collections and historical markers honoring great authors, poets and influencers of the literary landscape. Presenter Betty Weibel of Chagrin Falls is author of The Ohio Literary Trail: A Guide. She’ll be joined by Ohio History Connection guest speakers who’ll share details on key literary sites and historical markers. $15, Free/Ohio History Connection member. Advance registration required. 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/ virtual

History Roundtable with Mike Gilbert SAT., SEPT. 11, 18 & 25 & OCT. 9, 16 & 23 10–11:30 A.M. Online—Attend from Anywhere! 4 Hosted by Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 During this popular series, local historian Mike Gilbert will discuss a new history topic each week. SEPT. 11: Women Spies in World War II. SEPT. 18: Ohio’s Presidents. SEPT. 25: Hidden in Plain Sight. OCT. 9: The Fitzgerald and Kennedy Dynasties. OCT. 16: Northwest Ohio Stories. OCT. 23: Historical Hauntings. $25 for six sessions or $5/session. Advance registration and pre-payment required. 800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org

¡Celebrando!

THURS., SEPT. 16 F 7–8 P.M. Online—Attend from Anywhere!

Hosted by the Ohio History Center, Columbus 4 The term Latinx refers to a vast variety of unique people and cultures that share similarities but also have differences. Celebrate National Hispanic American Heritage Month.

We’re uniting with cultural organizations from across America to pay tribute to generations of Hispanic Americans who’ve enriched our nation and society.

Join us to learn about Latinx heritage from the perspectives of four Ohioans with different cultural backgrounds: Jose Morales-Crispin, Miguel Felipe Daza, Irene Gil-Llamas and Carla Mello.

Moderated by Curator Rosa Rojas of the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center. Free with required advance registration. 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/virtual

LGBTQ+ Genealogy— Inclusion of All Our Ancestors SAT., SEPT. 18 F 10 A.M.–NOON Online—Attend from Anywhere!

Hosted by the Ohio History Center, Columbus 4 Join Stewart Blandón Traiman to learn about clues in photographs, census records, newspapers, obituaries, cemeteries, military records, marriage records and LGBTQ archives to ancestors who may have been lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. The second part of this program focuses on genealogy software and the difficulty faced by LGBTQ and adoptive families, for whom sometimes it just doesn’t fit.

Increase your awareness of clues in the genealogical record that raise a rainbow flag, and learn to write openly and honestly about LGBTQ ancestors. $25, $20 Ohio History Connection member. Advance registration required.

800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/ genealogy

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HISTORIAN-IN-TRAINING—PRE-K

Victorian School Days

WEDS., SEPT. 22 OR SAT., SEPT. 25 F 10 A.M. Online—Attend from Anywhere! 4 Hosted

by Ohio Village, Columbus 4 Kids ages 3 to 6 can join our museum educators to learn what school was like in the 1890s.

Sign up for this live online activity and you’ll receive a Historian-in-Training kit with related activities for your little historian to try. $10. Advance registration required by Sept. 1. The Zoom activity will not be recorded, and an adult will need to be present. 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory. org/virtual PLEASURES OF THE CUP

Spooky Spirits

SAT., SEPT. 25 F 7–8 P.M. Online—Attend from Anywhere! 4 Hosted by the Ohio History Center, Columbus 4 Join us from the comfort of home for our spookiest Pleasures of the Cup event. We’ll send you recipes in advance so you can mix drinks along with our mixologist, then chill to eerie tales from across the Buckeye State. Segments include ghost stories, Halloween traditions and debunking a séance. Advance registration required.

You’ll receive a link to the presentation about two hours before it starts. $15, Free Ohio History Connection member.

Alcohol not provided. You must be 21+ to attend. 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/ virtual

Presidential History Book Club WEDS., SEPT. 29 & OCT. 27 F NOON–1 P.M. Online—Attend from Anywhere! 4 Hosted

by Hayes Presidential Center, Fremont 4 See page 21.

Ohio Local History Alliance Annual Meeting THURS., SEPT. 30–SAT., OCT. 2 Online—Attend from Anywhere! 4 See page 6.

OHIO ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH

Ask the Archaeologist WEDS., OCT. 6 F 7 P.M. Online—Attend from Anywhere! 4 Hosted by the Ohio History Center, Columbus Curious about archaeology and buried history? Join Circleville native Nate Young of the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office to

18 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2021

learn about what an archaeologist does, what an archaeologist’s daily life is like, recent discoveries and the coolest things he’s ever found. $5 or enjoy all four Ohio Archaeology Month programs for $18. Free/Ohio History Connection member. Advance registration required.

800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/virtual OHIO ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH

The Mystery of the C.B. Lockwood

WEDS., OCT. 13 F 7 P.M. Online—Attend from Anywhere! 4 Hosted by the Ohio History Center, Columbus Almost 300 feet long, the steamer C.B. Lockwood was one of the largest wooden ships lost in Lake Erie when it sank in 1902 off the Grand River in Ohio. Marked with a buoy and extensively surveyed by the U.S. government soon after it sank, the wreckage has not been located since divers started searching for it over 40 years ago. Diver Kevin Magee, co-founder of Cleveland Underwater Explorers (CLUE), solves this mystery and reveals the final resting place of this elusive shipwreck. $5 or enjoy all four Ohio Archaeology Month programs for $18. Free/Ohio History Connection member. Advance registration required. 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory. org/virtual OHIO ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH

Tracking Down Ancient Earthworks with High-Tech Devices—New Results from the Ohio Valley WEDS., OCT. 20 F 7 P.M. Online—Attend from Anywhere! 4 Hosted by the Ohio History Center, Columbus 4 Sure, you’ve heard of Serpent Mound, but what of the other 600+ ancient earthworks sites in Ohio, not to mention those in neighboring states? Presenter Jarrod Burks, Ph.D., uses high-tech instruments like magnetometers, LiDAR and drones to reveal the hidden foundations of earthen enclosures built by American Indians nearly 2,000 years ago.

He works for Ohio Valley Archaeology and is president of Heartland Earthworks Conservancy, an organization that works to study and save Ohio earthworks. $5 or enjoy all four Ohio Archaeology Month programs for $18. Free/Ohio History Connection member. Advance registration required. 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/virtual

OHIO ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH

Arrowheads, Lead Seals & Kodak Film— The Archaeology of a Reconstructed Schoenbrunn Village Cabin WEDS., OCT. 27 F 7 P.M. Online—Attend from Anywhere! 4 Hosted by the Ohio History Center, Columbus 4 Archaeology is offering a new look at the story of Schoenbrunn Village in New Philadelphia, including the 1770s Delaware Moravian settlement, the Native peoples who lived there before Europeans arrived and its 20th-century role as a reconstructed historic site.

Earlier this year, archaeologists from Lawhon & Associates of Columbus excavated the site of Schebosh cabin, an 18th-century home reconstructed in 1927 and later destroyed by fire. Hear what they learned, from archaeologist Andrew Sewell. Free with required advance registration. $5 or enjoy all four Ohio Archaeology Month programs for $18. Free/Ohio History Connection member. Advance registration required.

800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/virtual

Alice Walker and the Search for Black Women’s History WEDS., OCT. 6 F ONLINE DISCUSSION BEGINS AT 7 P.M. F RSVP FOR LINK Online—Attend from Anywhere! 4 Hosted by Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Cincinnati 4 In the 1970s, Alice Walker asked why more Black women weren’t included on lists of important artists and authors. Her answer: “We have constantly looked high, when we should have looked high—and low.” We’ll discuss the relevance of her question and answer then and now, and discuss two short stories in which she tries to address the imbalance. Led by John Getz, Ph.D., professor emeritus at Xavier University, and ShaDawn Battle, Ph.D., assistant professor of Gender and Diversity Studies at Xavier University. Find suggested readings at stowehousecincy. org. $5 suggested donation. Advance registration required. 800.847.6507 or stowehousecincy.org

Newspaper Research for a Fuller Family History THURS., OCT. 7 F 7–8:30 P.M. Online—Attend from Anywhere! 4 Hosted by the Ohio History Center, Columbus What family history information can you find in newspapers? In this online workshop with Jen Cabiya, digital projects coordinator for the Ohio History Connection, learn about birth, death and marriage announcements as well as gossip columns, fashion trends, legal news and religious life. We’ll discuss how to locate niche topics like these in newspaper repositories like Ohio Memory and the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America. $25, $20/Ohio History Connection member. Advance registration required. 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/genealogy

Mothman— American Cryptid THURS., OCT. 14 F 7–8 P.M. Online—Attend from Anywhere!4 Hosted by the Ohio History Center, Columbus4 Newspapers gave Mothman his name after the winged, red-eyed creature was spotted on Nov. 15, 1966—followed by almost 100 other eyewitness accounts.

Exactly 13 months later, the paranormal activity culminated in a very real tragedy: collapse of the Silver Bridge in Point Pleasant, Ohio. Some claimed Mothman was the cause of the accident. Others said he was meant to forewarn the town.

The bridge collapse claimed 47 lives, so why does Point Pleasant celebrate Mothman with a yearly festival? Get a look at the history of, and continued fascination with, the American cryptid, from harbinger of death to pop-culture icon, with Emily Zarka, creator, writer and host of the popular YouTube series Monstrum. $20, $5 Ohio History Connection member, Free/Ohio History Connection premium member. Advance registration required. 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/virtual

Learning More About Your Family Photographs TUES., OCT. 19 F 7–8:30 P.M. Online—Attend from Anywhere!4 Hosted by the Ohio History Center, Columbus4 Do you have a collection of old family photos? Are you curious about the details? Photographs often capture more than we realize. In this

online program, get tips and techniques for researching your family in photos.

Learn to sharpen your observation skills and discover details such as time period, location and lifestyle in 19th- and 20th-century photographs with Lisa Wood, visual resources curator for the Ohio History Connection. $25, $20/Ohio History Connection member. Advance registration required. 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/genealogy

How Deep Thy Religious Roots—Searching Church Records and Family That Joined a Religious Sect SAT., NOV. 13 F 10 A.M.–NOON Online—Attend from Anywhere!4 Hosted by the Ohio History Center, Columbus4 Did your ancestors go to church or synagogue or become a member of a religious sect? Learn about using religious records for family history research with Jayne Shoots Davis, a professional genealogist for 25 years.

Get a look at various types of Catholic, Protestant and Jewish records and where to locate them. $25, $20/Ohio History Connection member. Advance registration required. 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/genealogy

Honoring Native American Military Service—The National Native American Veterans Memorial SAT., NOV. 13 F 7–8 P.M. Online—Attend from Anywhere!4 Hosted by the Ohio History Center, Columbus4 On Veterans Day 2020, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian opened the National Native American Veterans Memorial on its grounds, honoring the extraordinary tradition of military service by generations of American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian men and women. Learn about the memorial and the history of Native American military service with Rebecca Head Trautmann, project curator for the National Native American Veterans Memorial and assistant curator of contemporary art at the National Museum of the American Indian. $20, $5/Ohio History Connection member, Free/Ohio History Connection premium member. Advance registration required. 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory. org/virtual OHIOHIS TORY.ORG

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F E AT U R E D O H I O H I S T O R Y C O N N E C T I O N

Events & Exhibits Due to the evolving status of COVID-19, we recommend that you call the number or visit the website listed after each program to confirm hours and any special requirements before you travel.

Many programs and events at Ohio History Connection museums and attractions currently require advance registration. To register, call the number or visit the website listed with each program.

Our online calendar offers more upto-date information about programs and events at Ohio History Connection museums and attractions. Find it at ohiohistory.org/calendar.

Most Ohio History Connection museums and attractions are managed by local partner organizations who set their own standards for COVID safety. Masks and social distancing may be required.

Questions? Call 800.840.6127.

STATEWIDE STATEWIDE APPLICATION DEADLINE

Ohio History Fund Grants

TUES., SEPT. 28 Know of a worthy history- or preservation-related project that could benefit from an Ohio History Fund grant? Find application forms and more information at ohiohistory.org/ historyfund or call 800.686.6124 or 614.298.2000.

Ohio Local History Alliance Annual Meeting THURS., SEPT. 30–SAT., OCT. 2 See page 6.

CENTRAL OHIO CENTRAL OHIO

Octagon Earthworks Open House SUN., OCT. 17 F 7 A.M.–8 P.M. Octagon Earthworks, 125 N. 33rd St., on the grounds of Moundbuilders Country Club, Newark 4 Explore the 2,000-yearold Octagon Earthworks, part of 20 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2021

Newark Earthworks, the largest set of geometric earthworks ever known. A National Historic Landmark and Ohio’s official ancient monument, the Newark Earthworks served social, ceremonial and astronomical functions for the American Indians who built them. This is a special opportunity to explore the whole 50acre site of the Octagon, which will be open daylight to dusk with staff on hand from noon to 4 p.m. to answer questions. 800.840.6127, 740.344.0498 or ohiohistory.org/octagon NORTHEAST OHIO NORTHEAST OHIO

Civil War School Day FRI., SEPT. 17 F 9 A.M.–2 P.M. Zoar Village, Zoar4 Discover Zoar in the Civil War. Throughout the village, learn how Separatists in Zoar, and citizens in the Union, lived during the conflict.

Interact with famous figures such as Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, Underground Railroad conductor John Parker and others. Watch cavalry and artillery demonstrations, learn about life on the home front and participate in hands-on activities. Open to all public, private and homeschool students. $7/ student. One adult per group is free, each additional adult is $7 and all teachers are free. Advance registration required.

800.262.6195 or historiczoarvillage.com FORT LAURENS SPEAKER SERIES

Anatomy of a Massacre SAT., SEPT. 18 F 11 A.M.–NOON Fort Laurens, near Bolivar4 Hear author Eric Sterner talk about his book Anatomy of a Massacre: The Destruction of Gnadenhutten, 1782. Sterner’s presentation will focus on the differing perspectives of all groups involved in the massacre and leading up to it. He’ll examine the political movement of the settlers, Continental officials, British officers, western American Indian tribes, missionaries and the American Indians practicing Christianity and how their interactions created a climax that led to the Gnadenhutten Massacre. Free.

800.262.6195 ZOAR CIVIL WAR REENACTMENT

Battle on the Ohio and Erie Canal

SAT., SEPT. 18 F 10 A.M.–5 P.M. SUN., SEPT. 19 F 10 A.M.–3 P.M. Zoar Village, Zoar 4 Witness one of Ohio’s largest Civil War reenactments when soldiers “invade” historic Zoar Village to commemorate the 20th anniversary of this event, with battles both Saturday and Sunday, as well as artillery night fire. $10.

800.262.6195 or zoarcivilwar.com

Tallmadge Church Open House SUN., SEPT. 26 F 2–4 P.M. Tallmadge Church, Tallmadge4 Step inside the 1825 Tallmadge Church, a Federal-style architectural landmark and reminder of northeast Ohio’s New England heritage, and the nearby Old Town Hall and Museum (1859)—both on Tallmadge Circle and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Free. 990.283.5993 or ohiohistory.org/ Tallmadge

Fort Laurens Pumpkin Festival SAT., OCT. 2 F 11 A.M.–6 P.M. Fort Laurens, near Bolivar 4 Enjoy a classic fall festival celebrating the importance of pumpkins throughout our history, with pumpkin-themed games and prizes, food, music, pumpkin painting, campfires, reenactors, 18thcentury-style cooking and, of course, pumpkins! $10, Free/age 12 & under. Get tickets online via Eventbrite, over the phone or at the gate. 800.262.6195 or fortlaurensmuseum.org

Archaeology School Day FRI., OCT. 15 F 9 A.M.–2 P.M. Fort Laurens, near Bolivar 4 This special day at the site where Ohio’s only Revolutionary War fort once stood offers public, private and homeschool students the opportunity to engage in archaeological practices through a mock dig, flint knapping, atlatl throwing,

cabin construction, LEGO stratigraphy, mosaic puzzles, metal detecting and recreating famous archaeological discoveries. $7/student. One adult per group is free, each additional adult is $7 and all teachers are free.

Advance registration required by Oct. 8.

800.262.6195 FORT LAURENS SPEAKER SERIES

Reverse Colors—Music and Musicians of the American Army

SAT., OCT. 16 F 11 A.M.–NOON Fort Laurens, near Bolivar4 Learn about military use of music throughout American history, from its colonial beginnings to the present day, with composer, educator and professional musician John HC Thompson, head of the site’s fife-and-drum corps and field music interpretation. The presentation will include live demonstrations. Free.

800.262.6195 or fortlaurensmuseum.org

Spooky S’more Tour FRI., OCT. 22 & SAT., OCT. 23 F 7–9 P.M. Fort Laurens, near Bolivar 4 Spooky S’more Tour is back, this time with an added twist. Start at the museum with a list of clues. When you find the answers, head to the fire pit where your prize awaits: S’MORES! (You may encounter a few ghosts along the way, so be on the lookout!) $15, $5/age 12 & under.

Advance registration required by Oct. 21.

800.262.6195, fortlaurens@gmail.com or fortlaurensmuseum.org

VINTAGE BASE BALL

Spiegel Grove Squires vs.

Pluggy’s Town Base Ball Club SUN., SEPT. 12 F 1 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont4 See the Spiegel Grove Squires, vintage base ball team of Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, take on Pluggy’s Town Base Ball Club of Delaware, Ohio, in a game played by 19th-century rules. Free. 800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org KIDS DAYS @ HAYES

Follow the Drinking Gourd SAT., SEPT. 25 F 10–11:30 A.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 Presented in partnership with Birchard Public Library, this event is based on the book Follow the Drinking Gourd. It’s geared toward kids in fourth through sixth grades, though kids of all ages are welcome. $7/kid. No charge for adults who bring kids to this program. Advance registration required.

800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org

Presidential History Book Club WEDS., SEPT. 29 & OCT. 27 NOON–1 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 Read and discuss books about the presidency at this free book club. Bring your lunch if you’d like. SEPT. 29: His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life,

by Jonathan Alter. OCT. 27: Reagan: An American Journey, by Bob Spitz.

800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org

NORTHWEST OHIO

NORTHWEST OHIO

SECOND SATURDAYS R 4 KIDS

Around the World with Col. Webb Hayes SAT., SEPT. 11, OCT. 9 & NOV. 13 9:30–11:30 A.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 Enjoy a monthly activity for kids in grades K–3 inspired by the travels of Col. Webb Hayes, son of President Rutherford B. Hayes and first lady Lucy Webb Hayes. These events are open house-style, so kids can stop by any time between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. SEPT. 11: U.S. National Parks. OCT. 9: India. NOV. 13: Morocco. Free. 800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org

The Presidential History Book Club meets in person and online. For information on joining virtually, contact Dustin McLochlin at dmclochlin@ rbhayes.org.

Fall Celebration at the Johnston Farm SAT., OCT. 2 F NOON–5 P.M. Johnston Farm & Indian Agency, Piqua Join us for this special fall afternoon at the home of U.S. Indian Agent John Johnston. Tour the Johnston home, take part in activities and demonstrations and visit the Historic Indian and Canal Museum. Enjoy rides aboard the reconstructed 19th-century-style canal boat Gen. Harrison of Piqua at 12:30, 2:30 and 4 p.m. and get a look at what

“canawlers” saw as they traveled on the Miami & Erie Canal in 1845. $9, $8/ senior, $4/student, Free/Ohio History Connection member or age 5 & under.

800.752.2619 or johnstonfarmohio.com

Wreath-Laying at President Hayes’s Tomb SUN., OCT. 3 F 1–1:45 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 See a wreath-laying ceremony at the tomb of 19th president Rutherford B. Hayes on the grounds of the Hayes estate, Spiegel Grove.

Honoring Hayes’s birthday (Oct. 4), the ceremony will feature comments by military representatives of President Biden and other officials, the playing of “Taps” and a salute with rifles. Free.

800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org

Boo in the Bog FRI., OCT. 8 & SAT., OCT. 9 6:30-8:30 P.M. SPECIAL NEEDS GUESTS 6 P.M. Cedar Bog Nature Preserve, between Springfield & Urbana 4 Join us for a one-hour non-scary guided night walk, with children's activities and learning stations along the boardwalk. Advance registration required. $6, $5/child, Free/ age 5 & under. Ohio History Connection members save $1. 800.860.0147 or cedarbognp.org.

KIDS DAYS @ HAYES

Civil War Camp SAT., OCT. 23 F 11 A.M.–12:30 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont4 Kids will experience what life was like in a Civil War camp and meet Civil War reenactors. $7/kid. No charge for adults who bring kids to this program. Advance registration required.

800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org

Civil War Winter Camp SAT., OCT. 23 F 12:30–8 P.M. F TOUR TIMES TO BE ANNOUNCED Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 Experience what life was like for President Rutherford B. Hayes’s Civil War regiment while it camped for the winter in what is today West Virginia.

Civil War reenactors will offer free infantry demonstrations on the grounds of the Hayes estate, Spiegel Grove, plus afternoon and evening lantern tours of

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a Civil War winter camp based on those of Hayes’s regiment, the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. This outdoor tour lasts about 50 minutes. Please dress for the weather. $10, $7/ages 6–12, Free/ age 5 and under. Important note: If you buy a kids’ ticket for the winter camp tours, you will automatically be included in the reservation list for Kids Days @ Hayes Civil War Camp. You do not need to make a separate reservation for Kids Days. If you cannot attend both, that’s fine. 800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org

Spirit Stories at Spiegel Grove FRI., OCT. 29 F 7–10 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 Enjoy a frightful night at the Grove. $15. Advance registration required.

800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org SOUTHEAST OHIO

SOUTHEAST OHIO

Historic Our House Tavern Open SEPTEMBER THROUGH DECEMBER: FRI.–SUN. 10 A.M.–4 P.M. Our House Tavern, Gallipolis 4 Tour a restored Federal-style tavern built in 1819 that hosted the Marquis de Lafayette when he visited French-founded Gallipolis in 1825. 800.752.2618 or ohiohistory.org/ourhouse

Brunch with Mark Twain SAT., SEPT. 18 F 9–10:30 A.M. & 11 A.M.–12:30 P.M. Valley Gem Sternwheeler, Marietta Hosted by the Campus Martius and Ohio River Museums, Marietta 4 Enjoy a breakfast buffet, an hour-and-a-half cruise on the sternwheeler Valley Gem and live entertainment by Mark Twain. A 50/50 drawing will be available on board.

Proceeds benefit the Campus Martius and Ohio River museums. $30/person.

Advance registration required by Sept. 10.

800.860.0145 or mariettamuseums.org

An Insider’s Tour SAT., SEPT. 18 F 1:30–3:30 P.M. Campus Martius Museum, Marietta Get a closer look at the early citizens of Marietta who figure in David McCullough’s book, The Pioneers—their lives, their possessions and the home

22 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2021

of Gen. Rufus Putnam—on this special tour with historian William Reynolds of the Campus Martius Museum, a research contributor to the book. $10 plus admission to Campus Martius Museum. Advance registration required.

800.860.0145 or mariettamuseums.org BROWN BAGGIN’ THRU HISTORY

The Talking Machine Works FRI., OCT. 1 F NOON–1 P.M. Campus Martius Museum, Marietta Guest speaker Greg Brown is one of a passionate group of people whose interest is in preserving antique phonographs, gramophones and records. Learn more about his passion for preserving the history of recordings and why he thinks Thomas Edison was a remarkable person as well as inventor. Free. 800.860.0145 or mariettamuseums.org

James Backus’s Life at Picketed Point THURS., OCT. 7 F 7–8 P.M. Campus Martius Museum, Marietta 4 In this presentation by David Baker, meet pioneer James Backus and learn about life in early Marietta. Backus was an agent for the Ohio Company, a deputy sheriff, a surveyor’s assistant, a partner in Marietta’s first retail store and built the first house in Marietta. Fortunately, he kept a journal and detailed records. Baker is active in local history research and author of the local history blog Early Marietta. $5. Advance registration required.

800.860.0145 or mariettamuseums.org

“Digging the Past” Archaeology Day SAT., OCT. 16 F 9:30 A.M.–4 P.M. Campus Martius Museum, Marietta 4 This special day at the museum is great for any student or adult interested in archaeology! October is Archaeology Month in Ohio, and we’ll also be looking at different aspects of geology and changes to the Earth. Local collectors and others from throughout the state will display ancient and historic artifacts.

Bring your finds for identification.

Younger students can explore the Young Archaeologist area, with a discovery table and display of artifacts featuring dinosaur bones, fossils and other rarities. $7, $4/student. 800.860.0145 or mariettamuseums.org

Appraisal Clinic SAT., NOV. 6 F 10 A.M.–2 P.M. Campus Martius Museum, Marietta Have you ever wondered whether that knickknack you’ve been dusting all these years is valuable? Is it something to pass on to your children? Should you insure it? Have your questions answered by Andrew Richmond, a professional in the field of antiques and appraisals. $5 donation per item. Proceeds benefit Campus Martius Museum. 800.860.0145 or mariettamuseums.org SOUTHWEST OHIO

SOUTHWEST OHIO

Paul Laurence Dunbar House Open FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY THROUGH OCTOBER F NOON–4 P.M. Paul Laurence Dunbar House, Dayton Tour the restored home of poet Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872–1906), who gained international acclaim as a writer and voice for equality for African Americans. In 1926, the Ohio General Assembly dedicated the house as a memorial to Dunbar—the first state memorial in Ohio to honor an African American. Free. 800.860.0148 or ohiohistory.org/dunbar KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Black Farming—Community Land & Food Sovereignty Conference FRI., SEPT. 10 F 7 P.M. National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center, Wilberforce See page 17.

Fall Nature Discovery Tour SAT., SEPT. 11 F 10:30 A.M.–12:30 P.M. Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve, near Oregonia & Lebanon Join Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist Rick Hoffman to walk the trails and learn about the plants, insects, trees and wildlife of Fort Ancient. $7, $6/senior or student, Free/Ohio History Connection member. Advance registration required.

Maximum 20 participants. 800.283.8904 or ohiohistory.org/fortancient

The Harvest Gathering of the Crops SAT., SEPT. 18 F NOON–4 P.M. Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve, near Oregonia & Lebanon

Throughout the afternoon, Keith Bengtson will explore pioneer cooking methods and preservation of food, with demonstrations of making hominy, stringing beans, grinding corn and other activities. Participants may drop in on this activity in the garden. Included with museum admission: $7, $6/senior or student, Free/Ohio History Connection member. 800.283.8904 or ohiohistory. org/fortancient

Nocturnal Walk and Talk WEDS., SEPT. 22 F 6:30–8:30 P.M. Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve, near Oregonia & Lebanon 4 Most of us think of raccoons, opossums, bats and owls as the nocturnal animals in Ohio, though there are many more! Join Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist Rick Hoffman for a photo review of all the nocturnal critters we have in Ohio, followed by a night hike in the woods to discover what’s moving about after sunset at Fort Ancient.

Come dressed for the weather and hiking and bring your flashlight or headlamp. $7, $6/senior or student, Free/Ohio History Connection member. Advance registration required. Maximum 20 participants.

800.283.8904 or ohiohistory.org/ fortancient EXHIBIT OPENING

2021 Art of Soul!

Juried Art Show SAT., SEPT. 25 F 1 P.M. National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center, Wilberforce 4 Be on hand for the opening of this annual juried exhibit featuring works created by artists from across the United States in response to this year’s theme, Black Future. Included with museum admission: $6, $5/senior, $3/ ages 6–17, Free/Ohio History Connection member or ages 5 & under. 800.752.2603 or ohiohistory.org/naamcc

Tea, Poetry and Music— An Afternoon of Dunbar Inspirations SUN., SEPT. 26 F 1–2:30 P.M. Paul Laurence Dunbar House, Dayton 4 Hear local poets read their own poetry along with selections of Paul Laurence Dunbar's works, plus turn-of-the20th-century music, with tea to enjoy while listening. Free. 800.860.0148, 937.224.7061 or ohiohistory.org/dunbar

Wilderness Skills SAT., OCT. 9 F NOON–4 P.M. Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve, near Oregonia & Lebanon Learn techniques of hunting, fishing, tanning and trapping with presenter Keith Bengtson, including how to set traps, tan hides and make jerky, among other skills for living in the natural world.

Please dress for the weather, as we’ll be outdoors. $7, $6/senior or student, Free/Ohio History Connection member.

Advance registration required. Maximum 20 participants. 800.283.8904 or ohiohistory.org/fortancient

Trees Please SAT., OCT. 30 F NOON–4 P.M. Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve, near Oregonia & Lebanon 4 Study forest ecology with presenter Keith Bengtson of Fort Ancient. Learn to identify trees and measure them. See a presentation on the importance of each species and how foresters count the trees in the park. There will be much scientific information in this session, which will be held in the garden. $7, $6/senior or student, Free/Ohio History Connection member. Advance registration required.

Maximum 20 participants. 800.283.8904 or ohiohistory.org/fortancient FEATURED EXHIBITS • • •

2021 Art of Soul!

Juried Art Show OPENS SAT., SEPT. 25 F 1 P.M. SAT., SEPT. 25, THROUGH SAT., FEB. 26, 2022 • WEDS.–SAT. 9 A.M.–4 P.M. National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center, Wilberforce 4 See an annual juried exhibit featuring works created by artists from across the United States in response to this year’s theme, Black Future. Also on exhibit: African Americans Fighting for a Double Victory; Behind the Mask—Black Power in Comics; Queens of the Heartland; Rhythm of Revolution; and What’s in Your Attic? Selections from Our Permanent Collection, including a special miniexhibit, Playing with Identity—Selections from the Lillian M. Bartok Black Doll Collection. Included with museum admission: $6, $5/senior, $3/ages 6–17, Free/Ohio History Connection member or ages 5 & under. Masks and social distancing required. 800.752.2603 or ohiohistory.org/naamcc

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24 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2021

National Archives and Records Administration | Photographer Tom Hubbard

The Genius of Water CINCINNATI’S TYLER DAVIDSON FOUNTAIN TURNS 150 BY TOM STAFFORD

T

oday, the word “collation” usually means a sorting-out of the kind a digital printer does when it sorts and orders the pages of a document.

But on Feb. 22, 1869, guests at Henry Probasco’s $500,000 mansion in the Clifton neighborhood of Cincinnati knew it as the assortment of foods their host served them before turning to the business at hand.

Probasco had invited (perhaps summoned) the entire Cincinnati City Council to his princely home . After his collation, the agenda for the evening was to sort out a problem that might in turn lead to a new order in the Queen City itself.

Probasco’s ultimate triumph will be remembered on Oct. 6 of this year, the 150th anniversary of the Tyler Davidson Fountain on Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati.

But history reminds us that any project of this sort involves complications, which the fountain indeed had. For one, the $200,000 price tag was four times the original estimate. Then came a war between France and Germany. A dozen metal artisans from a German foundry were sent into battle, delaying the casting of the fountain.

Only the Fifth Street Market space would do, he decided. But that’s the very place where the market’s butchers of the city’s old order had held sway for 40 years.

Cincinnati Art Museum

Finally, there was the issue that led Probasco to summon the city council to his home: his discovery that the fountain he’d purchased could not be shoehorned into its intended space without eliminating the esplanade and carriage path that were to surround it like the setting for a jewel.

PORKOPOLIS

In 1879, a second generation of Procters and Gambles would sanitize Cincinnati’s reputation as “Porkopolis” with the claim that a white bar of soap made largely of animal renderings could be 99-and-44/100ths percent pure.

But as the Civil War came to an end, the city had entered an era in which it would tick off a number of firsts that invested it with the trappings of big city wealth and culture.

In 1865, the towers of the Isaac M. Wise Temple, designed by James Keys Wilson, first president of the American Institute of Architects, rose above

Above: Saul Steinberg completed an 89-foot mural for the Skyline Room in the city’s new Terrace Plaza Hotel in 1948. Depicting the Tyler Davidson Fountain and other Queen City landmarks, it is now in the Cincinnati Art Museum. Left: In suggesting that four images of children be added to the fountain, donor Henry Probasco rightly foresaw what a draw the images would provide for successive generations for whom fountain visits have become rituals.

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Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library

Davidson’s hardware business had provided him and Probasco the means by which they would rise and the leisure that allowed them to tour cultured Europe, as so many of the Gilded Age’s merchant class would. Davidson’s passing had, in fact, interrupted a conversation the two had been having about visiting Europe again and returning with a gift for their city.

The year after Davidson’s death, Probasco found that gift in a bronze foundry in Munich. Called The Genius of Water, the fountain had been designed by Nuremberg artist August von Kreling for King Louis I of Bavaria. And while the design did not please the king, the merchant prince from Cincinnati considered it nearly perfect for a Queen City on the banks of the Ohio River.

Cincinnatians of the trolley age enjoy moments of leisure at the Tyler Davidson Fountain.

Plum Street. On Jan. 1, 1867, the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge opened to traffic from Covington, Kentucky, to Cincinnati, becoming the longest suspension bridge in the world.

And, in the following decade, the Cincinnati Zoo would open its gates, the Cincinnati Art Museum its doors and Cincinnati Music Hall its schedule of live performances.

For a generation, Probasco and his partner and brother-in-law, Tyler Davidson, had been part of the financial and cultural enrichment that set the stage for that era, as the Cincinnati Gazette noted after Davidson’s passing Dec. 16, 1865.

Relocating to Cincinnati from cholera-stricken New York City in 1832, “no sooner did (Davidson) possess the requisite means” than he erected “the first building of its class from which have sprung the now countless merchant palaces, which make Cincinnati distinguished as a commercial emporium,” the paper averred.

Designed to rise 43 feet into the air, it featured a female figure representing water; four statue groupings illustrating its essential uses; four designed bas-relief panels illustrating water’s role in shipping, milling, fishing and power; and, on its main pedestal, some of the childhood pleasures associated with water.

To that original configuration, Probasco added four boyhood figures of the sort a later generation of Americans would associate with illustrator Norman Rockwell.

In his 1988 book, The Tyler Davidson Fountain, William F. Poole writes, “One is riding and striving to tame a dolphin; another is catching and playing with ducks; a third is struggling with a snake which has coiled itself round his foot; and the fourth is riding on the back of a huge turtle.”

Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library

19th-century stereoscopic view.

The New York Public Library, Robert N. Dennis Collection of Stereoscopic Views

26 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2021

Early 1900s postcard of Fountain Square, "sixth busiest corner in the U.S."

Cincinnati Art Museum

All were designed to charm first-generation visitors in a way that would cause them to bring the next generation back in a cycle that likely will repeat itself as long as the Ohio River flows.

THE FOUNTAINS OF ST. PETER’S AT ROME

In his post-collation speech, Probasco told council members that “instead of spending money on tasteless and valueless monuments, the fashion of the hour, we should invite art, and that art which finds beauty in its simplest form, as seen in the bronze fountains of St. Peter’s at Rome.”

In a nod to American egalitarianism, he urged them to “Let our fountains be multiplied until every ward of the city has at least one that may claim admiration.”

When the cheers subsided, Probasco arrived at his sticking point: “Let us not grudge the space they require.”

The space, of course, was the Fifth Street Market, which all knew was vulnerable because it had been condemned by the health department.

“Tear away these dark, damp disease-creating market buildings, as they are doing in Paris and elsewhere,” he urged them, “and give us sunshine, light, air and water.”

Probasco finished with a more practical reason to support the project: potential votes in the next election.

“Shall not the work of German artists and German artisans, appealing to our German citizens from the Fatherland, stimulate them with the desire and hope that we shall continue to beautify and adorn every part of our city?”

Model for the Tyler Davidson Fountain, Cincinnati, August von Kreling (German, b.1819, d.1876), sculptor, about 1868.

Eleven days later, a mere three of the council members who had enjoyed his collation voted against removing the Fifth Street Market. But even the council’s super majority was unable to prevent what Poole tells us happened next.

“The butchers and other occupants of the marketplace instituted legal proceedings … to prevent its removal, on the ground that some of the deeds by

Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library

Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library

Fountain esplanade.

Tyler Davidson Fountain dedication Oct. 6, 1871.

19th-century stereoscopic view.

The New York Public Library, Robert N. Dennis Collection of Stereoscopic Views

OHIOHIS TORY.ORG

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“From the center of the pedestal rises a shaft. On the north side a workman is standing upon a roof from which the flames are bursting, and with outstretched arm is looking up to heaven imploringly for water. On the south side, a farmer is praying for rain … his dog is panting with heat and thirst. On the west side is an old man with crutches, holding to his lips a goblet of water, which his daughter has supplied. On the east side … a mother partially nude is leading her naked and sportively reluctant boy to the bath.”

– The Tyler Davidson Fountain, William F. Poole, 1872

which the city acquired the land had conditions that a market-house should be there maintained.”

park waiting for orders. The chief of police had a detail of 50 policemen ready for action.”

So Henry Probasco had to wait another year for an Ohio Supreme Court decision.

Once the motion carried, the commotion began, described in Poole’s book by newspaper accounts of the day:

THE COUNCIL’S REVENGE

Poole’s account shows that once the court ruled in the city’s favor, the council unleashed its revenge.

“The decision … was not made public till Tuesday, Feb. 1, 1870. The next meeting of the city council was on Friday, Feb. 4 (and) a large majority of the council were in favor of the immediate removal of the market-house.”

So, much as Probasco had summoned the city council to his home, “The chief of police and superintendent of the street cleaning department were … notified that it would be well for them to have all the men at their disposal within easy reach of the city building at 3 o’clock on Friday afternoon.

In consequence, Col. Robinson, superintendent of the street cleaning department, had 90 men with axes, picks and crowbars in the vicinity of the city

28 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2021

“When the force … filed into the market square, there was a sensation among the tradesmen in that locality. The tools of the assaulting party came in wagons, with hooks and ladders from the fire department.

They fell to work with busy strokes; the dust flew, the shingles and rafters lost their occupation as shingles and rafters never lost it before. In precisely 43 minutes from the time the edict of destruction passed the city council, Fifth Street Market was a roofless fabric.”

Not only did the butchers not know what hit them, many then attending a meeting with the city solicitor were unaware that the Supreme Court had even decided the case.

“The drinking fountains, and the two lower jets of the main fountain, are supplied from the low-pressure city reservoir. This pressure, however, is not sufficient to supply the upper jets coming from the hands of the central figure, and hence, pipes were laid connecting with the Mount Auburn reservoir, which is 350 feet above the esplanade.”

– The Tyler Davidson Fountain, William F. Poole, 1872

L AND DEEDED FOR A MARKET

Findlaymarket.org/history reminds us that in 1829, George Jones, Elizabeth Ramsan, David Cathcart, Jozabad Loudge and others deeded land to the city “solely for the construction of a market house,” on Fifth Street. Presumably, they did so in civic spirit, acting in a way that served the best interests of the city at the time.

It’s arguable that Probasco was doing the same 40 years later in a one-time Porkopolis that had yet to become 99-and-44/100ths percent pure.

Tom Stafford spent 35 years as a reporter at the Springfield (Ohio) News-Sun, 20 of those writing more than 1,000 local history stories for weekly publication. He continues to write a Sunday column for the paper in retirement and does freelance reporting for WYSO in Yellow Springs.

LEARN MORE LEARN MORE Explore the fountain’s many sculptural groups and their water-related symbolism through 45 photographs in A Guide to the Elaborate Imagery of Cincy’s Famous Tyler Davidson Fountain on the website Cincinnati Refined at ohiohistory.org/ fountain 1.

The Works Projects Administration’s Writers’ Program produced and published Cincinnati: A Guide to the Queen City and Its Neighbors in 1943.

The book includes a concise description of the fountain that you can read by visiting ohiohistory. org/fountain.

Other books about Cincinnati that mention the fountain include David Stradling’s Cincinnati: From River City to Highway Metropolis, Daniel J. Kenny’s Illustrated Cincinnati and Charles Theodore Greve’s Centennial History of Cincinnati and Representative Citizens, Volume 1.

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Midwestern Mexican Diaspora 1918–1964

BY NICOLE MARTINEZ-LEGRAND EDITOR’S NOTE Last October, Nicole Martinez-LeGrand, multicultural collections coordinator at the Indiana Historical Society, conducted a webinar for the Ohio History Connection on overcoming the obstacles inherent in researching Hispanic ancestry. There is a dearth of documentation due in large part to the uneven history of Hispanic migration to Ohio and other Midwestern states. In this feature, Martinez-LeGrand provides us with an overview of Mexican migration. We’ve interspersed Mexican American oral histories conducted by Youngstown State University and the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor.

I

n Ohio, like many other Midwestern states, there is awareness of a Latino and Hispanic community, but their historical narrative is largely untold in the holdings of institutions like libraries and archives.

Although Mexicans had appeared in small numbers in Ohio beginning in 1850, there wouldn’t be significant growth in the population until the early 20th century. From the late 1910s to 1940, there were periods of exponential growth and decline, and it’s important to understand why. There were many factors pushing, pulling and sticking or grounding these early pioneers to targeted areas of Ohio.

Ohio was one of the few states that was part of the Midwestern Mexican Diaspora that began in the late 1910s. It’s important to note that Mexicans weren’t the only Spanish-speaking population to settle in Ohio—many Spaniards and South Americans would settle in the Buckeye State. The overall characteristic of a Spanish-speaking, Mexican-majority community would only add to the invisibility of the diversity of the Latino and Hispanic Ohio community.

There were policies and industries that played a hand in the circumstances that shifted the flow of migration to the Midwest, which is a mostly untold narrative in Latino history.

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Library of Congress | Photo by Jonas Dovydenas

Library of Congress | Photograph by Dorothea Lange

There were policies and industries that played a hand in the circumstances that shifted the flow of migration to the Midwest, which is a mostly untold narrative in Latino history.

Above: Mexican migration to the Midwest picked up steam in the early 2000s. This photograph was taken along 26th Street between Kedzie and Pulaski in Chicago’s predominantly Mexican American Little Village neighborhood. Left: Homes of Mexican field laborers in Brawley, Imperial Valley, California, 1935.

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On October 26, 2019, Youngstown State University student Brea Tinsley interviewed Armando Labra, who was born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and now lives in Ohio.

BT: You work for GM. Could you describe a typical day at work?

AL: I drove a forklift at General Motors.

A typical day—well, it’s moving materials from one place to another, supplying materials to the operators on the assembly [line] so that they can work.

BT: Could you tell me something rewarding about your job?

AL: It allows me to live a nice lifestyle and [it’s] rewarding ARMANDO because we make a good product. LABRA

BIRTH OF A MIDWESTERN MEXICAN DIASPORA

In Ohio from 1910 until 1920, Mexican national origins total would dramatically increase from 79 to 915 individuals, a shift due largely to when the United States government utilized citizens of Mexico as temporary laborers in the name of war relief in 1918.

This would be the first of two times in the 20th century when the U.S. government would turn to Mexico and its citizens for labor during times of war.

The Department of Labor and the Immigration and Naturalization Service authorized the importation of 30,000 Mexican nationals to work in defenserelated industries such as agriculture, railroads, slaughterhouses, packing houses and steel mills.

Before this labor agreement or guest-worker program, most Mexican nationals did not venture east in large numbers. Mexican labor mostly existed in southwestern and western states due to two major factors: proximity to the Mexican border and the historical reality that a third of the present-day states of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Nevada and Utah were part of Mexico prior to 1848.

This accounted for 55% of Mexico’s territory at the time. Borders may have changed, but commerce remained the same.

With this labor agreement in place, labor agencies and their agents (enganchistas) would travel west, in particular to Texas, to recruit and put on contract large numbers of Mexican workers to be sent east to the Midwest.

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Enganchistas contracted by large industries would be solely responsible for the redirection of the stream of Mexican labor from the Southwest to the Midwest, and as far east as Pennsylvania. The initial and primary demographic would be single men or solos, who were readily available to relocate at a moment’s notice.

DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES FROM 1910 TO 1930

Throughout the 1920s, the demographics of the Hispanic community would change, from solos to families, creating colonias, or colonies, in larger industrial cities in Ohio like Cleveland and Dayton.

Two factors would spur this demographic change from solos to families. First would be the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920) and subsequent isolated periods of violence with the Cristero War or La Cristiada (1926–1929), an anti-Catholic movement that heavily affected the states of west-central Mexico.

Secondly, stateside, their migration was further accommodated by restrictive quotas on eastern and other southern European immigration. Mexican nationals and other foreign nationals of the Western Hemisphere were afforded a non-quota status by the immigration acts of 1921 (Emergency Quota Act) and 1924 (National Origins Act or Johnson-Reed Act).

Rapid dispersal of the Mexican laborers out east caused alarm to employers in Texas. From 1923 to 1929, the state enacted a series of Emigrant Labor Agency laws to help slow the rate of recruitment of Mexican laborers away from the state.

Heavy industrial work like that in steel mills and agricultural work in sugar beet fields and their processing facilities in Ohio and Michigan would be responsible for the annual recruitment of 10,000 Mexican laborers.

Throughout this period, the laws were augmented with the addition of fines, fees and bonds to deter recruitment or to ensure the return of Mexican laborers to Texas. Initial fines for the labor agents would be $1,000 for the simple act of recruiting laborers for non-Texas jobs. (To understand the severity of this issue, today that fine would equate to $15,742.)

Mentions of an actual Mexican community in Ohio newspapers would be scant for much of the 20th century. However, on May 31, 1918, the Dayton Daily News boasted the headline “Mexican Editors

Touring Country to Visit Dayton.” Neighboring states like Michigan and Indiana also hosted this same group of 22 touring Mexican editors and journalists.

Impetus for this national tour was to improve relations between both countries and for the United States to have more favorable coverage in Mexico’s press.

This national tour to other Midwestern locales is indicative of an existing population. Ohio cities like Dayton, Springfield, Columbus, Akron, Toledo, Cleveland and Cincinnati were the industrial hubs and likely had at least a small population of Mexican laborers. The journalists’ planned visit was scheduled for June 14, 1918, and a week and a half before their visit, Dayton was inexplicably removed from the itinerary.

By 1920, a reported 915 Mexican nationals were living in Ohio, a more than 1,000% increase from the 79 reported in 1910. From 1920 until 1930, there would be a 341% increase of Ohio’s Mexican population, with the census reporting 4,037 Mexican nationals (227.9 males per 100 females). Counties such as Cuyahoga, Lorain and Mahoning had the highest population counts. While this number is remarkable, scant mentions of this community in local newspapers in comparison with census statistics would make it seem as if this population happened overnight.

In terms of employment, you do find quick mention in local newspapers of Mexican steelworkers living in boarding houses in areas such as Zanesville and Mansfield.

Carlos Ramirez was born in Copandaro, Michoacan, Mexico, and now lives in Ohio.

He was interviewed by Brea Tinsley on July 26, 2019.

BT: What was your first job in the United States?

CR: There was a factory close to where we are. It was called Penn-Ohio Power Supply.

So it was a factory where they cleaned and ironed what was needed in hospitals, hotels, kitchens, all the restaurants. And that was my first job when I came, like within a month.

Within a month of arriving here, I came in February and in March I applied for and got a job here, nearby here (in Youngstown). It was located where YSU is now. Now none of it exists anymore.

BT: Could you describe a typical day on this job?

CR: Well, in this job, when they gave me the opportunity to work, they asked me if I wanted to take clothing, iron it, wash it and all that, or if I preferred to unload trucks that had everything piled up in them, all dirty. So I asked which one paid more. They told me unloading trucks, and that is when I told them I’ll do that then (laughter).

CARLOS

RAMIREZ

MEXICANS IN STEEL MILLS

Economist Paul Schuster Taylor’s multiple-volume report in 1928 titled Mexican Labor in the United States examines this population from California to Pennsylvania, particularly settlement patterns and employment conditions from the late 1920s into the early 1930s, ending right before the repatriation movement.

Although Ohio is not a studied focus area, Great Lakes states like Indiana and Pennsylvania share similarities with Ohio. Industries like steel mills that dotted the shoreline of Lake Michigan and Lake Erie attracted Mexican laborers out of the southwest by contract or by word of mouth. Taylor notes through interviews that steel work, although harsh, paid the most and was more attractive to those seeking higher wages than agricultural and railroad work.

Early Mexican colonies likely were formed in the rooming and boarding houses that were within a short distance of mills and factories. In 1923, the Telegraph-Forum of Bucyrus ran an article titled “Mexicans in Steel Mills,” citing the concern of Bethlehem Steel Corporation steelworkers in Pennsylvania about an “invasion” that had happened over the course of a few weeks.

Anti-Mexican sentiment was endemic in U.S. newspapers and it is evident in this article in how it intentionally framed the increase as retribution for steelworkers refusing to accept the 30-cent-per-hour wage. Taylor’s report often frames the reality of their working conditions as low-paid and exploitative.

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Library of Congress

Mexicans emigrating to the U.S. from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, about 1912.

DEPRESSION AND REPATRIATION

The stock market crash of 1929 would halt prosperity across the nation. Once-thriving industries would sputter along or grind to a halt during the Great Depression.

Nationally, existing racial tensions would become exacerbated. In 1928, Georgia Democratic senator William J. Harris sponsored a bill that explicitly called for an annual national quota on Mexican immigration.

In April 1930, the bill was sent back to committee.

It was noted that President Hoover opposed the bill due to its sole focus on Mexico and not on other Latin American countries, in contradiction of the Johnson-Reed Act. This bill would have restricted Mexican laborers drastically, from 58,000 to 1,900 annually. However, Mexico placed its own restrictions on emigration in March 1929, decreasing it by 76.7% without a U.S. quota.

Talks regarding national origins set the foundation for a nationwide repatriation program of Mexican nationals, including, in most cases, U.S. citizens. This national deportation program was to be implemented and funded at the local level. Specially commissioned train cars would hold repatriates, returning either forcibly or voluntarily.

In Ohio, H.H. Hardesty, former relief director of Paulding County, was chief of the Repatriation Bureau of the state relief commission. Hardesty had a long career in the railroad sector and was able to get the normal $15 fare waived. States like Indiana would have their local township trustees’ offices offer their fare at half price. On May 29, 1934, the Mansfield News-Journal would report the first round of deportation. Of the 70 Mexicans set for the June 1 deportation, 58 were from Lorain, 10 were from Cleveland, one was from Cincinnati and one was from Mansfield.

At that time, it was reported that more than 100 34 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2021

would apply for state-funded relief to return to Mexico. Anti-Mexican sentiment, the Depression and lack of social relief assistance would make it easy for individuals and families of mixed status to decide to return home, where uncertainty was a better option than hostility.

Francisco Nolasco’s parents brought him to Ohio from the Mexican state of Michoacán during World War II. He was interviewed by Youngstown State University student Brea Tinsley in February 2019.

BT: Where were you born?

FN: I was born in Mexico, in the city of Zamora, in the state of Michoacán.

BT: Why did your family decide to come to the United States?

FN: My parents weren’t really my parents. They went to Mexico to [pick me up and bring me to Ohio.] I don’t know, really, where my family and my parents are from, but they brought me here and to me, they are my parents, or were my parents.

It was a story. It was during World War II. Many troops crossed the border because Mexicans had to help Americans with many things at the border. Along with my mother, I was here undocumented—and my father too.

Median Household Income: $44,813

is comparable households. I households fr a median inco [They knew] that they couldn’t bring me to the while househ U.S. They crossed the border before me, and my Central Ameri mother put me on a train which had Mexican troops on it, coming to the U.S. The troops put me Twenty-four p there, I had to be taken care of, they had milk and Hispanic Ohio everything to keep me quiet. So, we crossed the the poverty lin border and when we arrived to the United States 89,000 Hispan my mother and father went immediately to the households, o poverty. Forty train and got me and we came here to Ohio. these househ BT: How many years have you lived in children youn Youngstown? of age. Ninete Hispanic hous FN: All my life. I am 73 years old. All of my life, Food Stamps I’ve lived here. I’ve had many jobs. I have 12 months. traveled throughout the whole world. Spanish helps me a lot.

I’ve had work here, I’ve gone to Mexico many times to work there in the factories that were set up there ... I really like Mexico, but FRANCISCO NOLASCO I am more American than Mexican.

Ohio Department of Development

Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University

Map at Left: There are more than 16,000 Hispanic-owned businesses in Ohio, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau Survey of Business Owners. Of them, 1,533 collectively employ more than 23,600 workers with an annual payroll of more than $528 million.

Above Left: Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co. workers leave the plant after work had resumed following the Little Steel Strike of 1937, tired but happy after a 12-hour shift of refiring the huge furnaces.

Above Right: Section of the seamless tube mill at the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co., where hot rounds of steel were pierced to make pipe. Cities like Youngstown, Lorain and Cleveland welcomed Mexican immigrants to work in their steel mills after World War II.

The median income of Hispanic Ohioans is lower than that of all Ohioans. The THE 1940 U.S. CENSUS LEARN MORE median household income for Hispanics is nearly $45,000; for all Ohio LEARN MORE d households, the median household income is $56,000. The income for Hispanic The 1940 U.S. Census summary accounts for the You can read more Mexican oral histories immigrant Mexican population being cut almost in half, to 1,232. conducted by Youngstown State University and households $150,000 or more Nevertheless, with the rise of World War II, the United the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry e to all Hispanic $100,000 $149,999 oncetoagain turn to Mexico in the name & Labor at ohiohistory.org/Latinx.

Immigrant States would war relief with the Bracero Program (1942–1964). rom Mexico of have $75,000 to $99,999 Ohio History Central writes about Hispanic ome of $43,000 This ushered in a new era of growth. Ohio would $60,000 to $74,999 Ohioans at ohiohistory.org/Latinx2. hold income from continue to diversify in population with others of $50,000 to $59,999 ica is $36,000.

For more about Hispanic immigration to Ohio, other Latin American heritages, despite a long history visit the Ohio Department of Development’s of discrimination and challenges. $40,000 to $49,999 percent of recent snapshot at ohiohistory.org/Latinx3. $30,000 to $39,999 oans live below ne. Of Ohio’s $20,000 to $29,999 nic family Nicole Martinez-LeGrand is the multicultural $10,000 to $19,999 one fifth live collections in coordinator in the Library and Archives y-four percent of than $10,000 Division at theLess Indiana Historical Society. She has holds have been collecting and researching Latino 0% 3% and Hispanic 6% 9% 12% 15% nger than 5 years Hoosier history since 2016.

You can catch een percent of Hispanic All Ohio more of her written work on the Indiana seholds received Household Income Distribution within the last Historical Society’s blog at indianahistory. org/ihs-blog.

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The Scioto River Transformed A PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY BY CURTIS SCHIEBER PHOTOGRAPHS BY RANDALL L. SCHIEBER

C

olumbus came out of the blocks a few steps behind many other Ohio cities. It was founded on four parcels of unoccupied land in 1812 in order to centralize the state capital after Zanesville and Chillicothe had served that purpose.

COLUMBUS CULTURAL ARTS CENTER

A

B

Unlike Cleveland, which was founded in 1796, Columbus didn’t have a major lake and access to the outside world, nor a major river like Cincinnati, founded in 1788.

The railroad came to town in 1850 and soon dominated industrial transportation. The city’s population went from 6,048 in 1840 to 125,560 in 1900. The Scioto River’s brief day in the sun was over.

Before the Columbus Feeder of the Ohio and Erie Canal opened in 1831, folks came to town either on the National Road or on the modest Scioto River.

By the end of the century, industry and individuals alike had largely relegated the river to the status of a dump.

The 11-mile feeder linked the Scioto downtown with the canal, which gave the city a route to the Ohio River to the south and Lake Erie to the north. With the canal access, the population of Columbus nearly tripled in the first decade after its opening. Industry flourished as well, especially breweries, which came with the dominant influx of Germans.

CRISIS PROMPTED 1908 STUDY

A. Downtown Columbus as it looked March 25, the day after the devastating Easter flood of 1913. Nearly 100 people died, the city was shut down for weeks and the east bank of the Scioto River was washed away.

COSI

A crisis in water and sewage prompted an exhaustive study of the city, its amenities and especially its values. In 1908, The Report of the Plan Commission for the City of Columbus, Ohio, contained 57 pages of diagrams, photos and text evaluating the condition of Columbus infrastructure, architecture and quality

B. The view in September 2017. The rebuilt bridges are, from right, Broad Street, Rich Street and Main Street.

Randall L. Schieber/Fred Miller NORTH BANK PARK

Columbus Metropolitan Library

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Still, not much came of it, at least for a time.

In 1913, a biblical-level flood nearly destroyed Franklinton (on the low, west side of the river), part of downtown Columbus and all but one of the downtown bridges. An estimated 93 people died, and the city was shut down for weeks. The Scioto River, which had nurtured growth in Columbus since its start, was no longer a partner, but a force of nature to be tamed.

In the decade that followed, elements of the Civic Center plan slowly began to take shape. The east-west, over-river orientation was rethought, replaced by a north-south axis along the river. “This enabled part of the 1908 vision to be achieved with construction of civic buildings and spaces along both banks,” Overbeck says. (See The Columbus Civic Center, page 40.)

of life before offering far-reaching plans for its future. The Scioto and its tributaries were central to its vision of the capital’s downtown, extending to a three-mile radius. The most ambitious recommendation was a huge Civic Center, which would begin at the Statehouse and extend east with blocks of monumental architecture and west over the river with a grand plaza. More than a little of it was inspired by the turn-of-the-century City Beautiful movement, which similarly echoed designs, values and strategies from Europe’s grand cities.

Several dams were built as flood deterrents, swelling the river downtown to 600 feet, twice its original width. Four inches deep at the bank, just four feet deep in the middle, and isolated from downtown to the east by a massive wall, it became unusable for transportation and was a brown, muddy mess.

FAIR SPARKED CIT Y BEAUTIFUL MOVEMENT

Various planning studies undertaken from the 1950s through 1980s, including the 1955 Report on the Central Business District, the 1973 Action Program

As far-fetched as some of the 1908 plan seems now, it sounded familiar to at least a few wealthy

B

STATEHOUSE

Columbus Metropolitan Library

MAIN FLOODWALL

A. Construction of Central High School in 1923. The eastern bank has been built up to ensure against flooding.

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B. The Latino Festival in 2019.

Randall L. Schieber

A

Columbus Department of Development

Columbus Department of Development

The grand design for a civic center proposed in the 1908 plan, looking west. It included an elegant plaza, the Capitol building and government buildings stretching across the Scioto River into Franklinton.

Columbus citizens and lawmakers, according to Andrew Overbeck, AICP, a principal/planner at urban design and landscape architecture firm MKSK, which 90 years later began to plan and design the huge changes that have taken place on the riverfront over the last 23 years. “Many had been to the Chicago’s World Fair—the World’s Columbian Exposition—in 1893, which sparked the City Beautiful movement,” he says.

BROAD ST. BRIDGE

Randall L. Schieber

BROAD ST. BRIDGE

Randall L. Schieber

BROAD ST. BRIDGE

Left: Industries along the bank no longer depended on the river to transport goods but rather used it as a place to dump waste.

Center: Though the river is being held by a floodwall in this shot (center) from the fall of 2013, it is still far wider than it was originally. Right: The completed project, here in August 2018.

for Downtown Columbus and the 1988 Downtown Columbus Strategic Plan—which focused on downtown theatres—placed little emphasis on green space or the river.

In 1908, Columbus cried out for parks, for recreation, physical development and overall enrichment of city life, according to the planning commission. “However dull ears may be to an esthetic appeal,” it stated, “this is social, humanitarian. It is also economic.” The final point might have become the big payoff, after Columbus reembraced the spirit of the 1908 plan and the City Beautiful movement in general in the 1990s.

“In the 1990s, there was a growing community consensus that the Columbus riverfront was underutilized and that there was potential for more,” Overbeck remembers. “This resulted in the creation of a non-profit Riverfront Commons Corporation in the early ‘90s. This group was responsible for leading the 1998 Riverfront Vision Plan.”

The projects that came out of that crucial study were hits and traced a path toward a riverfront rebuilt along the spiritual aims expressed in 1908.

First was adapting the former Central High School for the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) and building Genoa Park in front of it in 1999, followed

by North Bank Park in 2005, Scioto Audubon Metro

Park in 2009, the Scioto Mile in 2011, a redesigned Bicentennial Park in 2012 and Dorrian Green in 2017.

The Columbus Downtown Development Corporation took the reins in 2010, beginning with the Scioto Mile, which narrowed Civic Center Drive and made it pedestrian-friendly.

SCIOTO GREENWAYS

It issued a report that went further into the future called the 2010 Downtown Strategic Plan. “People loved that we had redeveloped the area along the river,” says Amy Taylor, president of Columbus Downtown Development Corporation, “but they wanted to keep going, to revitalize the river itself and make it an amenity. So the community made the Scioto Greenways the number one project in the 2010 downtown strategic plan.”

Surely the bravest of the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation’s recommendations— which were derived from the input of thousands of Columbus residents—was to take out the dams downtown and allow the river to return to its original, narrower configuration and then add the newly created land to the Scioto Greenways. MKSK’s Overbeck says it was determined that the Main Street dam, the replacement for a wooden dam built in the mid-1800s, was designed to divert water into the canal and would not prevent flooding.

The Columbus Dispatch

So in November 2013, the dam came down. Even the landscape architects at MKSK were surprised by how much new land was created. The sediment was repurposed as fill, revealing 33 linear acres of newfound space.

The 28-foot drop from Civic Center Drive was graded at five percent over the stretch of hundreds of feet of pathway, creating gentle serpentine walkways and a bike path. A balustrade at the apex of the river’s curve, in front of the classically designed Ohio Judicial Center and across from Genoa Park and COSI, helps 1926 Billy Ireland cartoon from The Columbus Dispatch scolding the city for ignoring the mess that was the Scioto River downtown.

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Curt Teich Archive | Courtesy Barbara Powers

slow the erosion of the river and supports a lovely plaza. The riverbank begins with 30 feet of filtration area, with native grasses and the like.

In the spirit of the 1908 report, the plan is to extend the Greenways north to the Ohio State campus and North Columbus.

All of this has brought Columbus in line with other major cities that have invested in public space. And, as the 1908 plan so presciently predicted, it has begun to pay off in dollars and cents. The downtown population grew from 3,000 in 2000 to 7,500 in 2015. More important, it has resulted in $1.78 billion in private sector investment since 1998, according to an MKSK case study.

THE COLUMBUS CIVIC CENTER At the beginning of the 20th century, Columbus, like many cities, faced the challenges of urban growth and industrialization: increased population; air, water and noise pollution; and overall congestion. The City Beautiful movement, a major influence in American urban planning and design from the 1890s to the 1930s, provided a solution to many of these urban issues by combining social reform with public aesthetic improvements to create a new sense of civic grandeur. This planning concept was grounded in the belief that creating beautiful and well-organized places for people to live and work would improve the quality of their lives.

Hopefully some of that infusion of money and population, together with the popularity of the Scioto River parks, may help counter one of the side effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the prospect of a crumbling tax base that many cities face if workers do not return to downtown offices.

Curtis Schieber is a freelance writer in Columbus. He has written for The Guardian, Dialogue Magazine, The Columbus Dispatch and other publications. He has been the host of WWCD’s Invisible Hits Hour for 30 years.

An important influence in the development of these grandiose city plans was the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The fair’s display of monumental white classical buildings, brilliantly electrified, sparked in America the idea of beautifying entire cities. The fair’s influence was widespread—it was well-attended and images of the fair buildings and grounds were widely published.

Randall L. Schieber is a professional photographer based in Columbus, Ohio.

He specializes in editorial, architectural, location and landscape photography and has published eight books and over 20 calendars. His work has appeared extensively in a variety of local and national publications.

LEARN MORE LEARN MORE

THE CIT Y BEAUTIFUL

The 1908 Report of the Plan Commission for the City of Columbus, Ohio, is available at ohiohistory.org/scioto1.

Randall L. Schieber

The newly directed river runs far cleaner than before, with pools, glides and riffles dug into the bed after the edges were drained. The new riverfront provides five boat-launching points.

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City Beautiful projects often display similar defining characteristics, all of which are evidenced in the Columbus Civic Center, as proposed in the 1908 city plan and as ultimately realized along the banks of the Scioto River downtown. Projects ranged from civic center plans with grouped buildings and grand vistas to a single building, bridge, playground or garden.

Political and local citizen involvement led by civic-minded citizens, professionals and elected officials led to successfully executed plans. The aesthetics reflected classical design principles

of beauty, order and harmony, with Neoclassicalstyle architecture and unified designs incorporating balance, symmetry and use of similar materials.

Projects were carried out collaboratively by architects, engineers, sculptors and other artists contributing toward a unified design.

During the early 1900s, Columbus faced concerns over typhus and cholera epidemics’ impact upon the capital city’s water supply and the adequacy of the sewer system and treatment facilities. These were coupled with a general concern for more and better parks and playgrounds.

So in 1906, City Council appointed an expert group of architects and planners to create a city plan. In February 1908, the Columbus Plan Commission released The Plan of the City of Columbus with Preliminary Suggestions for an Arterial Highway System, a Park System, and Civic Center. One of the plan’s major points encouraged the city to act toward redefining itself as a major state capital and government center. The plan called for opening up a government center with a grouping of new buildings around a mall linking the two sides of the river with the Ohio Statehouse and Capitol Square. The scheme was illustrated in a widely published image.

(See page 38.)

REDIRECTED ALONG THE RIVER

Columbus’s experience was similar to that of other cities, such as Cleveland’s Group Plan, in that these plans were as much promotional pieces as actual blueprints. They served to bring local leaders, organizations and influential public officials together to discuss the issues facing the city. In Columbus, after several failed attempts to carry out a plan, Mother Nature took matters into her own hands. In March 1913, flooding resulted in the loss of lives and much damage to the low-lying neighborhoods and industrial areas along the Scioto River. In the aftermath, the plan’s iconic civic center grouping of public buildings was reoriented from Capitol Square to along the river.

Show,” called for cleaning up Columbus’s front yard through the development of the civic center.

American Insurance Union founder John Lentz was another supporter of the riverfront civic center.

The Columbus Civic Center became a reality in 1922 with construction of the classically designed concrete-arched former Broad Street and Town Street bridges and the retaining wall running along the east riverbank. Central High School was the first building completed, in 1925, and its Neoclassical style influenced the style, design and materials for the later public buildings. The first group of government buildings to locate in the civic center was City Hall and the former Central Police Station in 1928.

Completed in the early 1930s, the Ohio Departments of State Building (now the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center) was built on the east side of the river opposite Central High School. The school and the state office building reinforced the original idea of linking both sides of the river and forming an axis to the Ohio Statehouse.

The last riverfront government building completed before World War II was the Federal Courthouse and Post Office, constructed in 1935. The State Office Building and the Federal Courthouse are examples of modern, stylized classical architecture. The Art Decostyle American Insurance Union Citadel or LeVeque Tower, a skyscraper completed in the late 1920s, complements the low-scale public buildings grouped along the riverfront.

After World War II, the Franklin County Veterans Memorial Auditorium and a pair of state office buildings flanking the Ohio Departments of State building were added to the civic center grouping.

—Barbara Powers, Architectural Historian, Ohio History Connection

Curt Teich Archive | Cour tesy Barb

Civic leaders promoted this change in emphasis.

That included architect Frank Packard, who was president of the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the Chamber of Commerce. Also advocating for a riverfront civic center was Robert F. Wolfe, publisher of the Columbus Evening Dispatch and the Ohio State Journal, and cartoonist Billy Ireland, whose regular cartoon feature in the Dispatch, “The Passing

ara Powers

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42 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2021

Ohio Cemeteries Are in Grave Danger A CALL TO ACTION

BY KRISTA HORROCKS

O

n April 1, 2020, a new cemetery was discovered in Ohio.

If the cemetery originally had a name, it’s been lost to history. We now call it the Brown-Harris Cemetery, after Mary Brown and Jeremiah Harris, who owned the land where the cemetery is located.

Containing about 22 graves, the cemetery is a lost African American burial ground, likely used by a small community of emancipated slaves who lived on what is now Shier Rings Road in Dublin.

The cemetery had been farmed over for decades after the sale of the land in 1915.

A small fragment of a footstone with the surname initial of “H” was the only aboveground remnant of the cemetery left, found by Ohio Valley Archaeology Inc. while completing a survey of the site using ground-penetrating radar.

Archaeologists from Ohio-based public works engineering company EMH&T uncovered the grave shafts of 22 individuals. There was no record of the cemetery in the Ohio Genealogical Society’s Ohio Cemeteries: 1803–2003 directory. Ohio Genealogical Society members worked for decades to compile this list of all known cemeteries around the state. It documents over 14,600 cemeteries organized by county and township. And now, we can add one more to the list. While the City of Dublin plans to memorialize the Brown-Harris Cemetery, the identities of those buried there will likely be forever unknown.

A L ACK OF LEGISL ATION

Ohio’s cemeteries are in grave danger. The lack of legislation around the protection and preservation of cemeteries is startling. Only about 4,100 of the 14,600+ cemeteries in Ohio are considered active, registered with the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing.

Left: The gravestone of Bartlet Norton (1791–1845) in Wayne Baptist Cemetery, Knox County, Ohio, is a beautiful example of a sandstone marker with an angel motif. Above: Vandalism, storms and improper lawn maintenance cause the most damage to gravestones.

All images courtesy Krista Horrocks OHIOHIS TORY.ORG

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Family cemeteries (defined by Ohio Revised Code as a cemetery containing the human remains of persons, at least three-quarters of whom have a common ancestor, or who are the spouse or adopted child of that common ancestor) and cemeteries in which no interments have occurred in the last 25 years are exempt from registration.

The 4,100 cemeteries registered in the state of Ohio are required to follow certain portions of the Ohio Revised Code dealing with the management and operation of active cemeteries. If there is an issue with one of these cemeteries such as vandalism or disrepair, a person can file a dispute with the Ohio Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission.

One only has to do the math to realize just how many cemeteries in Ohio do not fall under this active cemetery status and have no formal board to consider complaints.

Those of us who spend our free time in cemeteries are known as taphophiles, originating from the Greek word táphos, meaning “funeral,” “tomb” or “grave,” and philos, meaning “dear, beloved.” Most of us discover our love of cemeteries through other hobbies.

Genealogical research is one way taphophiles are born. The search for one’s ancestors will inevitably lead the descendant to a cemetery.

Oftentimes, the descendant finds a cemetery in disrepair, with leaning, broken or completely missing gravestones. The cemetery might be overgrown, and even appear abandoned. Or the descendant might not be able to access the cemetery at all, as it is located on private property with large “No Trespassing” signs.

They begin asking questions like “Who owns this cemetery?,” “Why is no one taking care of it?” and

“What rights do I have if my ancestors are buried in this cemetery?” You can scour the Ohio Revised Code, but chances are that you won’t find answers to your questions.

A CALL TO ACTION

The perpetual neglect of our cemeteries will not improve until better legislation is passed. While many citizens across Ohio raise private funds and create “Friends of” groups to help preserve our cemeteries, the fact remains that our laws are lacking. The lack of protective legislation not only allows burial grounds like the Brown-Harris Cemetery to be lost to time, it also neglects the burial places of those who fought and died for our country.

We know that in 1939 and 1940, the Works Progress Administration documented over 250,000 Revolutionary War to World War I veterans buried in Ohio during its efforts to create the Ohio Grave Registration of Soldiers. It was estimated that about 450,000 veterans were buried in Ohio at that time.

All across Ohio at the end of May, Memorial Day ceremonies take place honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Flags are placed beside broken gravestones, with the names of those honorable veterans almost indecipherable due to neglect. While countries like France memorialize and honor our veterans in immaculate burial grounds like the Normandy American Cemetery, in Ohio, little more than indifference is shown to noble veterans who fought for the land we now call our home.

In 2013, House Bill 59 of the 130th Ohio General Assembly created the Ohio Cemetery Law Task Force to review all cemetery laws. One tenet became clear

Left: The Works Progress Administration’s Veteran Grave Registration Card for War of 1812 veteran William Johnston.

Middle: Zabrena Zellers Stahl (standing) and Wendy Everett (sitting) clean the gravestone of Mary Cochran (1828–1862) in the Old Fredericktown Cemetery in Knox County, Ohio, with D/2 Biological Solution. Right: The gravestone of Mary Cochran (1828–1862) after being cleaned with D/2 Biological Solution.

44 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2021

to members during their meetings: All burial sites and human remains, regardless of historic period or culture, deserve the same level of protection and respect.

CEMETERY GRANT PROGRAM

But little has come from the results of this task force in the last eight years. House Bill 168 of the 132nd General Assembly, enacted in 2018, did incorporate recommendations of the task force, but the revised laws do not help those 10,500 inactive cemeteries. The bill did create the Cemetery Grant Program, which allows for registered cemeteries to apply for a yearly grant to “defray the costs of exceptional cemetery maintenance or training cemetery personnel in the maintenance and operation of cemeteries.” As many active cemeteries have historic sections, it is at least a start that these grants could be used for the preservation of older sections of burial grounds.

There has been some interest nationally in the protection of cemeteries, and one of those efforts has come from Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown. On Dec. 20, 2020, the African American Burial Grounds Network Study Act passed the 116th Congressional Senate, but the bill was never introduced to the House before the end of the session on Jan. 3, 2021.

The goal of the legislation is for the secretary of the interior, acting through the director of the National Park Service, to “conduct a study of ways to identify, interpret, preserve, and record unmarked, previously abandoned, underserved, and other burial grounds related to the historic African American experience.”

NEGLECTED CEMETERIES

Sen. Brown was inspired to introduce the legislation after visiting the Union Baptist Cemetery in Cincinnati after reports of vandalism. Brown said, while on the Senate floor, “We know that for too long in too many parts of our country, Black families were blocked from burying their loved ones in white cemeteries.

These men and women were freed slaves, civil rights champions, veterans, mothers, fathers, workers in communities. We need to act now before these sites are lost to the ravages of time or development.”

Left: The gravestone of Uriah Gregg (1786–1865), a War of 1812 veteran, was found buried at the Old Fredericktown Cemetery in Knox County, Ohio. Right: Uriah Gregg’s gravestone at the Old Fredericktown Cemetery in Knox County, Ohio, was cleaned, repaired and reset.

While national efforts like Sen. Brown’s law should be commended, they don’t make up for our lack of laws and protections here in Ohio. Gravesites and burial grounds in Ohio are being destroyed and lost, mostly due to neglect.

Our ancestors deserve to be remembered. Our veterans deserve a cared-for and respectable burial place. Those who fought so hard against oppression during their lives should not have their burial places plowed under and forgotten.

We have to do more here in Ohio. We cannot continue to ignore the deterioration of our cemeteries. We cannot continue with little to no legislation around the protections of our most endangered burial grounds.

LEARN MORE LEARN MORE Join Krista Horrocks on Tues., Oct. 26, at 3 p.m. for Taphophiles Unite: How You Can Help Protect and Preserve Cemeteries in Your Hometown, an online webinar just for Ohio History Connection members, to learn about starting a cemetery preservation group from the ground up. She’ll talk about researching your cemetery, how to get training in gravestone preservation or hiring a professional, and options for grants and funding. Visit ohiohistory. org/cemeteries to register for this free webinar.

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I Wish I’d Been There

CROWDS DESCEND ON CARLISLE BY CHARLES CHAMBERL AIN

On Oct. 3, 1868, the sleepy little southwestern Ohio village of Carlisle was the site of probably the largest group of people ever assembled in that part of the state, outside of Cincinnati.

They were there to hear former Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, an Ohio native, deliver a campaign speech for the re-election of the local congressional candidate, Gen. Robert Schenck.

The event was unknown to local historians until it was mentioned in the recent biography, Stanton, Lincoln’s War Secretary, by Walter Stahr.

The Oct. 1, 1868, Dayton Journal notice was headlined “Great Mass Meeting at Carlisle Station” and read in part, “Take your families, your sweethearts and your dinners. All the Grant Cavalry in the county should go on horseback. A special half-fare train will leave Dayton at 9:15 o’clock in the morning. Rally for GRANT, COLFAX and SCHENCK.” (1868 was a presidential election year, and Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was running for his first term as president. Schuyler Colfax was Grant’s vice presidential running mate.)

Gen. Robert Cumming Schenck was an attorney and former officer in the Civil War then residing in Dayton. He was a native of the nearby town of Franklin and was running as a Republican for reelection as a representative to Congress from the 3rd district.

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CRUCIAL TO THE UNION CAUSE The featured speaker at the Carlisle rally was ex-Secretary of War Edwin McMasters Stanton. A lawyer born in Steubenville, Stanton was appointed

by President Lincoln in 1862 and was crucial to the Union cause during the war. He was a highly controversial figure and was at the heart of President Andrew Johnson’s impeachment, just months before the rally.

Another reason for the high degree of interest in this rally was the fact that Gen. Schenck’s opponent in the election was Clement Vallandigham, also of Dayton. Vallandigham was the head of the Copperheads or peace Democrats, who had been a thorn in President Lincoln’s side during the Civil War and who were considered by many to be traitors.

Cincinnati Enquirer said there were 2,000 to 3,000 “radicals” present.

So there were between 2,000 and 60,000 people at the rally, depending on whom was doing the estimating.

The Dayton Journal said all seven passenger cars on the excursion train from Dayton were filled.

Stanton and Schenck were on the train. A martial band was also on board. The paper stated that “arriving in Carlisle at 10:00 a.m. we found the houses decked with flags …

Streamers were stretched across the roads, bearing patriotic mottoes. A large number of people were already on the speaking ground, a beautiful grove adjoining the town.”

The paper continued, “the music from ten bands, the masses of people shouting, the cavalry moving through the grove with flags flying and banners, the thunder of six pieces of artillery stirred the hearts of all.”

Unfortunately, George Bundy, of the Grant Artillery of Lebanon, neglected to swab his gun and was “dreadfully wounded in the face and body” by its premature explosion. It was feared that he might lose sight in both eyes.

ESTIMATES VARIED WIDELY

AN IMPRESSIVE SPEECH

Estimates of the number of people present at the rally varied widely. Area newspapers of Dayton, Lebanon and Cincinnati estimated the attendance as being from 20,000 to 60,000. On the other hand, the anti-Republican

Stanton, the first speaker, was introduced by Gen. Schenck, who praised his “great brave heart and strong will that saw us through the recent conflict.” The Dayton Journal said Stanton’s speech was impressive and that it was more like a sermon than a political address.

... the cavalry moving through the grove with flags flying and banners, the thunder of six pieces of artillery stirred the hearts of all.

It said that Stanton spoke highly of the services Gen. Schenck had rendered as a military officer and as chair of the military commission in the House of Representatives.

He said that President Lincoln had

All images Library of Congress

Left: A photographic print of Edwin M. Stanton on carte de visite mount, taken in 1860. Middle: Full-length portrait of Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, drawn in 1865. Right: The Honorable Robert C. Schenck, a general in the U.S. Army, photographed by Brady-Handy in 1860. Schenck defeated Clement Vallandigham in 1862 for Dayton’s 3rd Congressional District.

held the general in high esteem and related a story of a visit he and President Lincoln had made to Gen. Schenck’s room at a time when the general was greatly suffering from war wounds. He said that Lincoln “could not repress his emotions and, covering his face with his hands, gave way to tears.”

In the afternoon, Gen. Schenck spoke from the same stand from which Stanton had spoken. The Dayton Journal reported that “for nearly two hours he held his audience in the closest attention as he discussed issues of the campaign.” Schenck was followed by several other speakers.

Around four o’clock the speaking ended and the large crowd started leaving for home. Thus ended the Great Rally in my hometown of Carlisle, an important event that had been lost to history for nearly 150 years. I wish I’d been there.

Charles Chamberlain grew up in Carlisle, Ohio.

He is a retired director of human resources at the University of Dayton. Together with Dr. Robert Bowman, he secured an Ohio Historical Marker through the Ohio History Connection commemorating this event.

LEARN MORE

The Wall Street Journal praised Walter Stahr’s Stanton as an “exhaustively researched, well-paced book” that “should take its place as the new, standard biography of the ill-tempered man who helped save the Union,” adding that the biography is “fair, judicious, authoritative and comprehensive.”

Leave a Legacy Passionate about preserving history for future generations?

Consider including the Ohio History Connection as a beneficiary in your estate plans. Our staff can help you choose options that best fit your needs.

Call 800.647.6921 to learn more.

OHIOHIS TORY.ORG

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Committees of Correspondence in Colonial America YO U N G E Y E S O N T H E PA S T BY MICHELLE MIAO

This was my first year participating in National History Day. I’ve always loved history and writing, so I chose to create a historical paper.

The theme of this year’s National History Day was Communications in History: The Key to Understanding, and I wanted to shed light on the foundations of communication and freedom of speech in the United States.

Along this vein, I chose to write about committees of correspondence in colonial America. The committees were led by radical, educated, influential men who demonstrated the power of communication through pamphlets, letters, newspaper articles and town hall meetings. The committees successfully kindled the flame of revolution among colonists by creating an innovative system of mass communication that shared information and spread enlightening ideas.

A FOUNDATION FOR COMMUNICATION Prior to the 1760s, the American colonies were largely permitted to selfgovern and manage their own affairs.

However, the French and Indian War (1754–1763) proved a turning point.

Though Britain emerged victorious, it was saddled with war debt. Parliament quickly imposed a series of strict taxes on the colonies to raise revenue.

48 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2021

The colonies, accustomed to autonomy, became frustrated by “taxation without representation.” Their protest manifested with a system of committees of correspondence. The committees originated with the Boston Committee, formed by Samuel Adams, a political leader and the cousin of John Adams.

Samuel Adams wrote and distributed The Boston Pamphlet, which outlined the inherent rights of colonists, the British encroachment upon these liberties and the power of correspondence in seeking redress of grievances. Written in clear, concise vernacular, it was easily understood by the common people of Massachusetts.

Similarly, town hall meetings gave regular citizens an avenue for making their voices heard and allowed them to stay informed about political events.

Gradually, a network of committees formed between colonies. Committee leaders communicated frequently to ensure collective action. For example, after the Boston Tea Party, Britain levied punishment against Bostonians.

Colonial leaders wrote to one another and, as a result, each colony rallied behind Massachusetts, organized non-importation agreements against British goods and decided to establish a firm union of colonies to preserve their liberties.

DIVING INTO SOURCES I first started my research with secondary sources that provided insight into the colonial atmosphere and a broad overview of the work of the committees. Then, I moved onto primary sources found in online archives and compiled into books.

I found that these were the most helpful to me, as they illuminated the full scope of both local and intercolonial communication between committees.

For example, committees worked closely with governing bodies such as the Virginia House of Burgesses and the Massachusetts House of Representatives. They were cognizant that this would give their communication greater legitimacy, creating an official channel of communication and public discourse.

Also, newspaper records from the 1770s demonstrated how colonial leaders used the power of the press to disperse their messages. A letter originating from Rhode Island could be printed in a newspaper and spread to committees and citizens of Virginia, proof of the chain of common knowledge shared among the colonists.

Library of Congress

Destruction of Tea in Boston Harbor, Currier & Ives, 1846

Participating in History Day has deepened my passion for history and underscored the relevance of understanding and studying the past.

HISTORICAL LESSONS Personally, writing this paper was a valuable lesson in conducting research. Participating in History Day has deepened my passion for history and underscored the relevance of understanding and studying the past.

I harbor a deep gratitude toward all who helped me as I created my project.

I’m exceedingly grateful to the Ohio state coordinators, my history teacher and my peers and family members for their guidance and support.

The goal of my paper was to emphasize not only the network of communication that the committees formed, but also the role the committees played in empowering the common people and creating unity and understanding from the sharing of ideas.

At the time, inclusivity of this scope was novel. It was only through extensive communication that all colonists began to understand Britain’s encroachments upon their rights and found the inspiration to act on their anger.

The committees’ outreach led to the changing and unifying of a society, laying the foundations of freedom of speech and public debate. They exemplified the high ideals of democracy that America was founded upon.

Leaders of the committees, such as Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson, would greatly contribute to the formation of the new government and the writing of the Constitution after the Revolutionary War. America today continues to build off of the committees’ foundation.

Michelle Miao is a senior at Talawanda High School in Oxford, Ohio. She is involved in Model United Nations and in Academic Challenge and is a youth representative to her city council.

She has been a contributing writer to the local newspaper, the Oxford Observer. She would like to study political science or international relations in college. In her free time, Michelle enjoys reading, hiking and playing classic rock on the piano.

LEARN LEARN MORE MORE Revolutionary Politics in Massachusetts: The Boston Committee of Correspondence and the Towns, 1772–1774, written by Richard D. Brown, delves into the ideology of the Boston committee and closely examines major events that galvanized its leaders.

To read primary sources from colonists who began to protest after receiving inspiration from the committees, visit ohiohistory.org/ committee1 and ohiohistory.org/ committee2.

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Reviews

Shop our Ohio History Store at ohiohistorystore.com for this book and more.

BOOK

America’s First Interstate: The National Road, 1806–1853 by Roger Pickenpaugh

—Bill Eichenberger, Echoes Magazine

Library of Congress

Above: The first cast iron bridge in the United States—over Dunlap’s Creek in Brownsville, Pennsylvania— was built largely by reason of proximity. Iron foundries situated nearby rendered this feasible.

Completed in 1839, the bridge was opened to stagecoaches and Conestoga wagons on the Fourth of July. Top (Right): Wheeling, Virginia, in 1855, showing the suspension bridge across the Ohio River. Middle: An artist’s rendering of traffic on the National Road. Bottom: One of the early hotels on the National Road, Cambridge.

Library of Congress

50 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2021

more local, and in less of a hurry,” Pickenpaugh writes. “The interstate system’s speed and efficiency are both highly prized in the 21st century. U.S. 40 instead offers charm, nostalgia, and a slower pace.

To those of a certain age or attitude, these are also prized.”

Library of Congress

When their petitions went unheeded, Dayton leaders encouraged a turnpike that ran through Eaton and hooked up with the National Road in Richmond, Indiana. The so-called “Dayton cut-off” eventually became the de facto route of most travelers on their way west. The National Road has fallen in and out of favor with travelers for more than 180 years, supplanting the canal system, giving way to the railroad and roaring back in the early 1900s with the advent of the automobile. “It is likely that today’s National Road traveler trends older,

Federal Highway Administration

The National Road, the first improved highway to be built by the federal government between 1811 and 1837, ran mostly in a straight line, thanks to the Army Corps of Engineers, from Cumberland, Maryland, west to Vandalia, Illinois. The 1803 law admitting Ohio as the 17th state in the union included a provision for such a road to better connect the state—and points west—to its eastern counterparts and to facilitate travel and trade. The National Road, writes Echoes Magazine advisory board member Roger Pickenpaugh in America’s First Interstate, “made significant contribution to an expanding country. It filled a void that waterways could not fill.” But not everyone was pleased with the straight line the road took from Maryland to Illinois. The road ran seven miles to the south of Newark, Ohio, which “did not sit well with Newark’s civic leaders, particularly because the highway would pass through a community (Zanesville) they had long viewed as a rival.” Dayton, too, took umbrage at the proposed route, which ran several miles to the north of that burgeoning city.

Travel U.S. 40, the old National Road in Ohio, and you may spot stone mile markers like this one. Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission to the National Road & Zane Grey Museum in Norwich between Zanesville and Cambridge, where you can explore the story of early America’s busiest route West.

Find more to see along the way on the Ohio National Road Association website, ohionationalroad.org.

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