Echoes Magazine | September & October 2023

MAGAZINE

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SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023 NATURAL RESOURCES

PRETTY BOY FLOYD

BEAUTIFUL FEET

SHAKERS’ HEIGHT

Managing Ohio’s Wildlife Since 1873

The Death of Public Enemy No. 1

1920s Missionary Maud Elizabeth Hoyle

White Water Shaker Village

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Page 30

Page 36

Page 40

MAGA ZINE

Cover: The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is perhaps Ohio’s best-known wildlife species. It is seen in our state’s wildlife areas, parks and nature preserves as well as in rural areas and suburban backyards.

As our state’s only big-game animal, it has provided table fare for generations of residents, from Native Americans to thousands of sportsmen and women today.

Courtesy Ohio Division of Wildlife

Vol. 62, No. 5 EDITORS

Bill Eichenberger

Contents S E P T E M B E R & O C T O B E R 2023

26 Protecting Ohio’s Natural Resources— 150 Years of Wildlife Management

30 Public Enemy No. 1—

The Death of Pretty Boy Floyd

36 Beautiful Feet—The Story of 1920s Missionary Maud Elizabeth Hoyle

Tom Wolf CONTRIBUTORS

Randy Edwards

40 Shakers’ Height—Volunteers Work

to Restore White Water Shaker Village

Tim Feran Tom Harms C ate Mahoney Mark Roth G reg Sanders 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

Truda Shinker

I N E AC H I S S U E

2 Contents 4 From Our Editors 4 What’s Your Story?

6 In the News 7 From Our Director 15 Historic Sites & Museums 16 At the Ohio History Center & Ohio Village 18 Online Events 19 Featured Events & Exhibits 46 I Wish I’d Been There 48 Young Eyes on the Past 50 Reviews

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 © 2023 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.

2 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

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

Protecting Ohio’s Natural Resources 150 YEARS OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

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In the decade after the Civil War, a movement to restore Ohio’s fish populations (primarily for eating, not so much for recreation at the time) gave birth in 1873 to the Ohio Fish Commission, our state’s first attempt at professional wildlife management. Fast-forward a century and a half to today’s Ohio Division of Wildlife, successor to the Ohio Fish Commission, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year.

Author Randy Edwards takes a look at what happened in between.

Public Enemy No. 1 THE DEATH OF PRETTY BOY FLOYD

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Pretty Boy Floyd was one of a cast of colorful criminals who captured the American imagination in the 1930s. When Floyd, who’d been named Public Enemy No. 1 by J. Edgar Hoover, felt the world was closing in on him in 1934, the only thing he wanted to do was get back to the Oklahoma hills where he’d been born and raised. He might have made it if it hadn’t been for a fender bender outside of Wellsville, Ohio, in Columbiana County near the Ohio River.

Beautiful Feet THE STORY OF 1920s MISSIONARY MAUD ELIZABETH HOYLE In an era when many denominations barred women from ministerial service, Maud Hoyle (1881–1958) was a trailblazer. After graduating from seminary and founding a United Brethren congregation in Springfield, she trained as a nurse and became a missionary in Sierra Leone, where she served, in her words, as a “surgeon, physician, nurse, optometrist, teacher, preacher, itinerant, anesthetist, dentist, dress-maker and tailor.” Author Tom Stafford looks at the life of this accomplished Ohio woman.

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Shakers’ Height

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VOLUNTEERS WORK TO RESTORE WHITE WATER SHAKER VILLAGE Just outside Harrison in southwest Ohio, not far from the Indiana line, White Water is one of 24 communal villages founded in the U.S. between 1787 and 1824 by the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, commonly called the Shakers. A thriving center of Shaker life in the 1800s, today it’s the last of five such villages that once existed in Ohio, and the subject of an ambitious volunteer effort to preserve and restore the nine Shaker buildings and share White Water’s story.

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FROM OUR EDITORS Did you or anyone in your family ever make the news in your local paper?

That’s the “What’s Your Story?” question we asked in the July & August issue of Echoes Magazine.

We figured it might be a popular question, and it was! So much so that we’re going to run your answers in this issue (see “What’s Your Story?” at right) and the next one.

I used to scan the agate page of The (Youngstown) Vindicator sports section every Sunday morning to find out Grandma and Grandpa’s bowling scores. It was always a minor thrill to see their names in print.

Less thrilling was when Mom and Dad woke up on the morning of Aug. 28, 1981, to find their child—and six of his close friends—had finally made the local newspaper … for a fiberglass bell-pilfering spree at several Taco Bells in northeast Ohio.

On the bright side, I’m pretty sure they weren’t nearly as mortified as Pretty Boy Floyd’s parents when they read about his exploits robbing banks in the 1930s. (See page 30.)

The local newspapers had a field day with our story. The Warren Tribune Chronicle ran the headline “Could It Be the Frito Banditos?” The Vindicator dubbed us The Taco Seven. United Press International picked up the story, so the folks got word from Cleveland to Utica that their child had made the papers!

Years later, Dad confided “It wouldn’t have been so bad except everyone thought it would be hilarious to have taco parties for the next year.

Everywhere we went, we had tacos. And I hate tacos.”

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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,

“ Did you or anyone in your family ever make the news in your local paper?”

Here are some of your responses: MERRY CHRISTMAS My mom and dad were both in the service during WWII, and that is how they met. Dad was in the Navy and Mom was part of the WAVES— Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service—a division of the U.S. Navy created during World War II to free up male personnel for sea duty. Although my dad was

Your Story? from New York City, after the war my parents settled down in my mother’s hometown of Gallipolis. My parents were part of the Greatest Generation.

The family they started in 1945 became part of the Baby Boom—and my parents were serious contributors!

This picture is the front-page lead story of the Gallipolis Daily Tribune from Wednesday, Dec. 24, 1958.

The story relates how my mom, Eve Moore Griffin, had given birth to my sister, Maria, on Dec. 9, 1958. The novelty of the story is that Mom had given birth to a girl (finally!) after having given birth to 10 boys in a row; this was big news in Gallipolis. After Maria, Mom would go on to give birth to another boy, Brian, in 1959, and then two more girls: Angela in 1961 and Meghan in 1963. Meghan was the final child in a family of 14 children born between 1945 and 1963. I was six years old when this article was published, and I am the seventh child, and the seventh son.

—Christopher M. Griffin, Bexley

LOCAL NEWSPAPERS

“WINSOME”

PLAY BALL!

From June to August 1965, my parents had weddings to attend for my sister, Susan, and brother, Marv, and graduations from high school (me) and college (my sister, Sue). About five years later, my sister and her husband moved from Dowagiac, Michigan, to Tempe, Arizona, where she still lives.

Not long after, she and her husband returned to Toledo to visit my parents, which became known to Toledo Blade columnist Seymour Rothman, who wrote of her homecoming in his “I’ve Heard” column in the Peach Section of the Blade. He described her as “winsome,” the first time I ever saw that word. I had attended DeVilbiss High School with Seymour’s son, Bob. It was a relatively short, light piece that mentioned that she was a teacher of blind students in the Phoenix area.

She continues use of teaching skills in retirement by housing Far Eastern students from Arizona State in her home.

I was lucky to be raised in a small town that was just big enough to have its own newspaper, the Conneaut News-Herald. The Ashtabula Star Beacon and the Erie Times-News also covered our area. In the ’60s and ’70s, local newspapers carried everything from who was in the hospital, to birthdays and anniversaries, to the weekly bowling scores. My family was active in the community, so it was not unusual to see our names in print, or our photos, on a regular basis, even into the present. Most of those articles we cut out, clipped and saved. The earliest in which my name appears lists ball scores for my brother Keith and me from 1956.

—Bert Drennen, Conneaut

—David Keck, Howard, Ohio

WHAT’S YOUR STORY? We received so many good responses to our “What’s Your Story?” question for this issue that we've decided to run more of them in the November & December 2023 Echoes Magazine, so there is no “What’s Your Story?” question for the next issue.

We’ll be back with a new question in November & December 2023 for the January & February 2024 issue of Echoes Magazine.

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In the News HAYES 200TH

CBS News Correspondent Mo Rocca to Discuss Presidential History CBS News correspondent, podcaster and TV personality Mo Rocca will be in Fremont on Saturday, Sept. 30, to talk about presidential history during the wrap-up of the 200th birthday celebration for President Rutherford B. Hayes.

AUTHOR OF MOBITUARIES

Rocca, author of the book Mobituaries, will give a presentation during a program beginning at 7 p.m. at Fremont Ross High School Performing Arts Center, 1100 North St., Fremont.

HAYES PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUMS

Hayes Presidential Library & Museums historian Dustin McLochlin will then interview Rocca about

Mo Rocca 6 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

American life and presidential history.

Afterward, Rocca will take questions from the audience.

“Mo is passionate about the untold aspects of history and life in America,” says Christie Weininger, executive director of Hayes Presidential Library & Museums. “He’s a delightful storyteller. He’ll make you laugh, he’ll make you pause and reflect. It’ll be a terrific evening.”

After the program, Rocca will sign copies of his book, and refreshments will be served.

Tickets for the program are $35 and $15 for students. Tickets are available at rbhayes.org/morocca.

Before the program, there will be a private reception with Rocca in the Hayes Home at 5:45 p.m. Limited tickets are available for $100 at rbhayes.org/morocca.

Now in its third season, each episode is richly produced, consisting of Rocca’s narrated storytelling combined with his original interviews and some neverbefore-heard voices from the past, courtesy of the CBS News archives.

The Mobituaries book, published in November 2019, includes many original stories not found on the podcast. It quickly became a New York Times best-seller.

Rocca spent four seasons as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and four seasons as a correspondent on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. On Broadway, he played Vice Principal Douglas Panch in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. He’s the author of All the Presidents’ Pets, a historical novel about White House pets and their role in presidential decision-making.

HOST OF INNOVATION NATION

Rocca has visited Hayes Presidential Library & Museums in the past, most recently in 2020 for CBS Sunday Morning, where he interviewed Weininger and McLochlin about the election of 1876.

Humorist, journalist and actor Rocca is best-known for his offbeat news reports and satirical commentary.

Currently a correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning, Rocca is also host of the CBS series The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation, and is a frequent panelist on NPR’s hit weekly quiz show Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me!

President Hayes’s 200th Birthday Celebration will end the weekend of Saturday, Sept. 30, and Sunday, Oct. 1. In addition to Rocca’s program, the annual laying of a wreath by U.S. military representatives at Hayes’s tomb on the grounds of Spiegel Grove, the 25-acre Hayes estate, will take place on Sunday, Oct. 1.

In January 2019, Rocca’s podcast, Mobituaries, debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes overall podcast chart.

Rocca’s long love of obituaries led him to launch the project, a deeply researched and personal appreciation of the people (and things) of the past who’ve long intrigued him—from an unsung Founding Father to the first Chinese American superstar, from Neanderthals to the station wagon.

President Hayes’s 200th Birthday Celebration is sponsored by Croghan Colonial Bank. Hayes’s 201st birthday is Wednesday, Oct. 4.

The Ohio History Connection's Hayes Presidential Library is America’s first presidential library and the forerunner of the federal presidential library system. For more information, call 800.998.7737 or visit rbhayes.org.

FROM OUR DIRECTOR HISTORY FUND

Apply Now Ohio History Fund grant applications are now available at ohiohistory.org/historyfund. The application deadline is Tuesday, Sept. 12.

The Ohio History Fund is a competitive matching-grants program for history projects. The program is largely supported by Ohioans’ voluntary contributions through the Ohio History Fund “check-off” on state income tax returns, purchases of “History” license plates and donations to the Ohio History Connection designated to the Ohio History Fund.

Grants support all kinds of history projects about Ohio and its communities, including rehabilitation of National Registerlisted historic buildings; museum collection-storage initiatives; educational programs; digitization of archival materials and historic photographs; surveys of historic buildings; archaeological surveys; exhibits, including virtual exhibits; oral histories; and organizational development, including board training. Visit ohiohistory.org/ historyfund for a list of recent grant recipients and projects.

Eligible applicants include historic preservation groups, local historical societies, museums, public libraries, genealogical societies, university archives and special collections, archaeological societies, county records-management offices, “friends” groups and other nonprofit and public entities.

Questions about Ohio History Fund grants? Contact History Fund Manager Andy Verhoff of the Ohio History Connection at 614.298.2000 or averhoff@ ohiohistory.org or visit ohohistory. org/historyfund.

Over two weeks this spring, I had the chance to visit many corners of Ohio.

Not all weeks in the job are this special, so it was a joy to see history in action all over our state.

My adventures started close to home with a National Museum of the Great Lakes exhibit reception at the Statehouse, where I got to connect with colleagues from Toledo who’ve created a beautiful temporary exhibit on shipwrecks that runs through Sept. 29.

Next, a carload from the Ohio History Connection traveled to Port Clinton, then ferried to Kelleys Island for the Glacial Grooves rededication. Thanks to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), it’s had an incredible transformation. The chain-link fence has been removed, and accessibility has been improved. I made the exciting announcement that after years of partnership, we’ve turned Glacial Grooves over to ODNR ownership. It’s a great outcome for Ohioans, and we’re lucky to have such an excellent partner.

The next day, my family visited The Wilds in Muskingum County for the first time—10,000 acres of reclaimed strip-mined land dedicated to wildlife conservation and education. On our way home, we meandered through a few ceramic outlets, and the kids enjoyed the rolling hills.

Sunday, I went to Fort Meigs to meet area Ohio History Connection members and friends. If you haven’t been, go meet the expert staff, check out the bookshop, see the beautiful views of the Maumee River and enjoy downtown Maumee. I was able to talk to many members.

Thanks to all who attended!

After letting the car rest for a few days, I set out for a Clermont County Commissioners’ meeting in Batavia, where I was delighted to help honor the work of the Ulysses S. Grant Bicentennial Committee. My thanks to Explore Clermont County for inviting us for coffee afterward.

My next trek was to the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum and the opening of an exhibit celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District. The watershed is the largest in Ohio, covering about 20% of our state. Founded in 1933 for flood control and water conservation, the conservancy operates an 18-county system of dams and reservoirs. The exhibit features some great artifacts of vacationing on Ohio’s waterways.

My Ohio “tour” ended with Cincinnati, including lunch in lovely and historic Mount Adams. I highly recommend a visit there to eat and explore, and to visit the Cincinnati Art Museum in Eden Park.

And what did I learn with all this travel? Aside from the best rest stops, it gives me deep appreciation for the varied experiences our home state offers. In two weeks, I was on an island, a mountain, driving among rhinoceroses and stepping back to the War of 1812. As we head toward fall—the best time in Ohio—consider some home-state adventures!

Megan Wood | Executive Director & CEO, Ohio History Connection

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CONESTOGA | OHIO HISTORY CONNECTION

these special presentations and discussions, members have an opportunity to consider many facets of Ohio’s history. Multimedia resources are provided, though there are no homework assignments—you can read or watch whatever you like!

At Conestoga's fundraising event for the Poindexter Village Museum & Cultural Center are, from left, Charlie Warner, Bettye Stull, Mike Roberts, Shelbi Toone and Charley Moses.

CONESTOGA

$60,000 Gift Supports Poindexter Village Work Since 1986, Conestoga—a volunteer fundraising support group for the Ohio History Connection—has made a huge impact through its annual gift. This year is no exception.

In June, members announced a $60,000 gift—the largest in Conestoga’s 37-year history—to support creation of the Poindexter Village Museum & Cultural Center in Columbus’s Near East Side neighborhood.

In 2022–2023, Conestoga partnered with the James Preston Poindexter Foundation with the goal of raising the first significant private support for the planned museum and cultural center. Dedicated as public housing by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940, Poindexter Village is the Ohio History Connection’s newest historic site.

Associated with the rich history of central Ohio’s African American community, it holds an important place in the national story of the Great Migration.

Village resident Reita Smith says, “We’ve been an invisible people, and our history has been devalued from the very beginning. That’s what this museum is about. It’s not about just educating young Black children. It’s about educating everyone as to the contributions made by so many individuals that lived in this city and nation. … We can’t live in the past, but the past is our foundation. We build on it.”

Conestoga’s April 29 fundraiser generated much of this year’s gift.

Monies from Conestoga’s treasury and the Conestoga Endowment Fund brought the gift total to its record $60,000.

OFFERS MANY BENEFITS

BUILDING ON THE PAST

As the Ohio History Connection’s volunteer corps of support, Conestoga over the years has given more than $848,000 toward programs and exhibits and created an endowment fund totaling more than $306,000. Its 2023–2024 membership drive is now underway.

Last year, more than 190 people joined as Conestoga members, taking part in special Conestoga programs, field trips and the annual fundraiser.

Founding president of the James Preston Poindexter Foundation board and former Poindexter

Conestoga’s Ohio History Alive! sessions are important components of its program year. Through

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In 2022–2023, topics were as varied as the history of Cincinnati; Thomas Edison; Zane’s Trace and the National Road; and the Ohio History Connection’s work in American Indian relations. This fall, Ohio History Alive! will explore Ohio’s Underground Railroad. More 2023– 2024 programs and trips will be announced this fall, as will the focus of the 2024 fundraiser. December’s annual Member Appreciation Luncheon is a highlight of the year.

JOIN NOW

Conestoga membership ($100/ single, $150/duo) includes a oneyear Ohio History Connection membership. Conestoga members also enjoy reciprocal benefits at more than 1,000 attractions through the North American Reciprocal Museum program.

CONESTOGA MEMBERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Whether through memberships, participation in programs and trips, donations to the Conestoga Endowment Fund or gifts of time, treasure and talents to the annual fundraiser, Conestoga members provide support critical to the Ohio History Connection’s work.

To learn more about joining, call 614.297.2310 or email ggrammer@ ohiohistory.org.

Friday concludes with a ghost tour of Walnut Grove Cemetery in Worthington and time to visit the shops and restaurants of Worthington’s historic district.

YOU'RE INVITED!

Local History Alliance Meets Oct. 6–7 Love local history? Meet others who do, too, at the Ohio Local History Alliance Annual Meeting and Conference at Westerville’s Quest Conference Center on Friday, Oct. 6, and Saturday, Oct. 7. A full slate of sessions and workshops is planned, in collaboration with the Society of Ohio Archivists.

“Our theme, History as Necessity, encourages all of us to think about the ways that our work is essential to helping people create a sense of community and of themselves,” says Alliance Executive Secretary Dr. Betsy Hedler.

“We’ve got a great slate of breakout sessions planned, including a thread regarding American Indian history. Other sessions on Friday include topics such as borrowing and lending museum collections, food and drink at your site, building community partnerships, historic structure reports and more,” Hedler says. Sessions arranged by the Society of Ohio Archivists include working with community groups to tell untold stories.

TWO KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Chief Glenna Wallace of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma will provide Friday’s lunchtime keynote, speaking about American Indians in Ohio’s origin story and about the inscription of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Dartmouth University Professor Colin G. Calloway will speak from New Hampshire Friday afternoon, highlighting American Indian aspects of Ohio’s origin story as described in his research, including his recent work The Victory with No Name: The Native American Defeat of the First American Army.

Saturday sessions include topics such as volunteer recruitment and engagement, museum education and the schools, ideas for re-envisioning your museum and advocating for it, caring for historic vehicles and the Ohio Historical Markers program.

Saturday’s lunch session honors outstanding projects and people from Ohio’s local history community with the annual Ohio Local History Alliance Awards.

SPECIAL WORKSHOPS

The meeting concludes with two special workshops. Join Human Resources Director Lauren Barber of the Ohio History Connection for a discussion of human resources issues and best practices for small organizations or Megan Fitze and Simone Robinson from Art Possible Ohio for a hands-on workshop on creating sensory-friendly experiences.

Advance registration is required

by Sept. 22. Visit ohiolha.org for registration details and the full program. Questions? Email ohiolha@ ohiohistory.org.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

38 Projects Win Tax Credits Thirty-eight projects to rehab 59 historic buildings are receiving awards totaling $50,560,036 in Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credits. They’re in Akron, Caldwell, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Columbus, Hamilton, Lakewood, Middletown, Salem, Shawnee, Sidney, Toledo, Urbana and Willoughby.

Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik announced the awards, expected to leverage about $523 million in public and private investment.

“Ohio’s history is rich with innovation,” says Gov. DeWine. “Many of these

buildings were once home to the factories, shops and offices that drove Ohio forward, and they still have a place in Ohio’s future. We are excited to help revive these historic structures so they can once again be a valuable part of their communities.”

NEW, COOL AND VIBRANT

“One of the virtues of this program is the ability to preserve our historic buildings while investing in the future,” says Lt. Gov. Husted. “What was old is now new, cool and vibrant.”

Many buildings that will benefit are vacant and generate little economic activity. Once rehabbed, they’re expected to stimulate further investment.

“Historic preservation is at the heart of opportunity across our state,” Mihalik says. “By revitalizing our historic assets, we’re bringing new life to, and invigorating, our downtowns, and creating hubs for economic activity across our state.”

PARTNERSHIP

The Ohio Department of Development administers the tax credit program in partnership with the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office. The Preservation Office determines whether properties qualify as historic and that plans comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, used nationwide to foster work that’s sympathetic to older buildings. Developers are issued the tax credits once construction is complete and all requirements have been met.

Mariangela Pfister of the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office says, “Projects awarded this round could transform a historic school, carriage company, theatre, church, market and bank into modern residential units, restaurants and office space, all while preserving what makes them historic.”

Find a list of specific projects at ohiohistory.org/round30. Learn more about the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit at ohiohistory. org/ohiotaxcredit or call 614.298.2000.

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HISTORIC PRESERVATION

Recent Ohio Additions to the National Register of Historic Places CINCINNATI • HAMILTON COUNTY

 RIVERVIEW HOUSE APARTMENTS 2538 Hackberry St. Designed by John Scudder Adkins, a well-known regional architect, Riverview House in Cincinnati’s Walnut Hills neighborhood was one of the Queen City’s first high-rise suburban apartment houses. Of concrete construction clad in buff brick, the 10-story tower with Art Deco-style setbacks initially housed luxury apartments including servants’ quarters. In 1972 it transitioned to affordable housing, which it remains today. Riverview House stands at the crest of a hill. As its name suggests, it offers unparalleled views of the Ohio River and picturesque vistas of the Kentucky Bluegrass region’s rolling hills.

CLEVELAND • CUYAHOGA COUNTY

 EMPIRE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 9113 Parmelee Ave. Empire Junior High School opened in 1915 to serve the Glenville neighborhood. Walter R. McCornack, architect for the Cleveland Board of Education from 1914 to 1925, designed it. His plan reflects the Progressive Era educational philosophy Cleveland Public Schools adopted in the early 20th century, including using the junior high school model for students age 12–14 and a new focus on vocational learning and physical fitness. As a result, it features specialized spaces for manual training, home economics, boys’ and girls’ recreation and locker rooms, 10 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

and a swimming pool. Reflecting the popularity of historical styles in the early 1900s, English Renaissance buildings of the 1500s and 1600s inspired its appearance.

It’s an example of the Jacobethan style, a term coined in the 20th century to describe buildings that combine elements of two English styles, Elizabethan and Jacobean.

McCornack also designed two wings added in 1918 and a secondstory cafeteria added in 1921. Only six of the 28 schools he designed for Cleveland remain today.

DAYTON • MONTGOMERY COUNTY  COLLEGE HILL HISTORIC DISTRICT • Roughly bounded by Philadelphia Dr., Wesleyan Rd., alley south of Salem Ave. and Cornell Dr. With its southern boundary about one mile north of the Great Miami River, the College Hill Historic District is locally significant for its association with the history of Streetcar Suburbs, Early Automobile Suburbs and Post-World War II Suburbs in Dayton from 1908 to 1972. Oxford Park, its earliest subdivision, was platted in 1908.

Developed over a period of 64 years, the district includes singlefamily homes in the Craftsman/ Bungalow style and historical revival styles popular during the 1920s and 1930s, plus mid-century Cape Cod, Ranch and modern styles of the years after World War II. The neighborhood comprises mostly single-family homes plus some duplexes and apartment buildings in an area of about 260 acres, most built between 1940 and 1972 in wood, brick, stone and stucco.

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DOVER • TUSCARAWAS COUNTY

 WARTHER FAMILY HOME AND MUSEUM • 331 Karl Ave. The Warther Family Home and Museum is associated with the life and artwork of Dover’s renowned master woodcarver Ernest “Mooney” Warther (1885–1973), who began carving at age five and would carve until shortly before he died.

Completing his first official work of art in 1901, by the time he married and built the house and workshop in 1910–1912, he was prepared to become a dedicated artist. In 1923, he was designated a World’s Master Carver by the Passion Carvers of Oberammergau, Germany, regarded as the elite among woodcarvers. The National Register listing includes the Warther family home; a workshop built in 1912 behind the house; a museum built in 1936, now called the Button House; a Modernist addition to the workshop that became Warther’s new museum in 1963; and a terraced garden the Warthers created in the 1910s, featuring sandstone and concrete block retaining walls, a grape arbor, planting beds and a bird bath and windmill Warther designed.

LORAIN • LORAIN COUNTY

 LORAIN CARNEGIE PUBLIC LIBRARY • 329 W. 10th St. Lorain’s 1904 Carnegie Public Library has been added to the National

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Register for its local historical and architectural significance. It’s associated with the nationwide free public library program of Andrew Carnegie and with the history of public education in Lorain as illustrated by the development of its early collections and programming to meet specific needs of the local population. The building is also significant for its architecture as an example of a Neoclassical-style Carnegie Library by Chicago library architects Patton & Miller.

RADNOR • DELAWARE COUNTY

 RADNOR TOWNSHIP HALL 4425 OH 203 Built to provide a place in the rural Delaware County community of Radnor for social gatherings, civic meetings and entertainment purposes, Radnor Township Hall was completed in 1891. Small additions made in 1900 and 1901 enlarged the stage and extended the basement.

Another addition completed in 1962 housed the Radnor Fire Department, which operated out of this building until 1996. Since 1999, Radnor Township Hall has been the home of the Radnor Heritage Society Museum.

TOLEDO • LUCAS COUNTY  DEVILBISS MANUFACTURING BUILDING • 300 Phillips Ave. Headquarters of DeVilbiss Manufacturing Company from 1924 to 1990, this three-story, 385,000-square-foot office and manufacturing building is associated with Toledo’s 20thcentury industrial economy and the company’s contributions to the medical equipment, perfume

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and paint industries. The company illustrates the diversity of industries and products that made Toledo one of the nation’s major manufacturing centers for much of the 20th century.

The 1924 building received additions in 1945, 1946, 1947, 1963, 1969 and 1980.

TOLEDO • LUCAS COUNTY  UPTOWN TOLEDO HISTORIC DISTRICT • Roughly bounded by 10th St., Michigan St., Spielbusch Ave., Canton St., Southard Ave., alley to the northeast of Adams St., Adams St., Woodruff Ave., 21st St., 18th St., Brookwood Ave. and Washington St. Associated with the history of commerce and transportation in Toledo, the Uptown Toledo Historic District adjoins Toledo’s downtown.

Primarily commercial in the form of automobile dealerships, retail, garages and service industries, it also includes some notable buildings of local civic, social and cultural institutions. Constructed from 1872 to 1974, buildings in the district are in a range of mostly early-20th-century styles, such as Beaux Arts, Second Renaissance Revival, Commercial, Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern, along with some utilitarian commercial and light-industrial buildings. They reflect the history of the district’s mid- and late-19th century residential and commercial development, its transportationrelated and commercial development during the 20th century and its establishment as a center for automobile retail and service in Toledo.

ZANESVILLE • MUSKINGUM COUNTY  BAKER BROTHERS WHOLESALE GROCERY • 8-12 E. Main St. Associated with the history of commerce in Zanesville, the Baker Brothers Wholesale Grocery Building is downtown on the National Road near the Y Bridge, the Zanesville Canal that parallels the Muskingum River, and the B&O and Pennsylvania railroads.

The four-story 1894 building in the Second Renaissance Revival style has a similar addition designed after the 1913 flood

by Zanesville architect Harry C. Meyer. Wholesale grocers like Baker Brothers bought directly from suppliers, then distributed their inventory to individual grocers throughout a region.

Typically, they maintained one or more warehouses like this one, with easy access to water, road and rail distribution networks.

According to Zanesville City Directories, in 1930 the city’s trade territory was roughly 125,000 people living in a radius of 25–60 miles. Chain grocery companies that began to acquire control of every aspect of distribution from production to retail sale, such as A&P, developed out of this system and would largely replace it in the mid-20th century. Owned by three successive generations of the same family, Baker Brothers closed in 1970.





OHIOHIS TORY.ORG

11

ROAD TRIPPIN’ WITH TRUDA

Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries & Nature Preserve Join me as I visit the sites in the Ohio History Connection network!

This month’s trip took me to Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries & Nature Preserve in Glenford.

Flint Ridge is an intersection of natural history and human history.

The site is a nearly eight-milelong vein of Vanport flint, a unique rainbow-colored flint that was prized by ancient American Indians for its beauty and usefulness in making trade items, tools and weapons. Today it’s Ohio’s official gemstone.

Throughout the 533-acre preserve, you can see ancient pits left by American Indians who came from the surrounding area to quarry flint.

Flint Ridge seems to have been wellknown in the ancient world—small amounts of its flint have been found at American Indian sites across the present-day eastern United States.

The site includes a museum and four trails. When you drive into the site, take the first right and park in the lot. You’ll see a sign for the museum. I’d recommend making the museum your first stop.

You can explore the exhibits to learn more about the site and the flint—what you learn will inform your hike. The museum also has restrooms and a gift shop.

You’ll see the main trailhead just outside the museum. Be sure to snap a picture of the trail map

12 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

before you start your hike. Then keep an eye out for the quarry pits— they’re hard to miss!

Address: Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries & Nature Preserve is at 15300 Flint Ridge Rd. in Glenford, not far from Newark.

How much time: I would budget about two hours for your visit. You’ll want to make time to investigate the museum and all the hands-on activities there.

I’d suggest you plan your visit to coincide with the guided tours of the quarry trail led by staff members on Fridays and Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour and learned so much that we wouldn’t have had we done the trail on our own.

Truda’s Tips: Be sure to talk to the museum staff. They’re passionate about the site and can really enhance your experience. They can not only fill you in on the history of the site, but also help with handson activities, recommend trails that fit your needs and give you some pointers if you’re looking for local restaurants.

Kid-friendly? Yes! Flint Ridge is perfect for a family outing. The museum is chock-full of handson activities that will delight kids.

They can practice their flintknapping skills, use a pump drill, make a necklace, look at rocks under magnifying glasses, push buttons on the displays and pick up coloring pages to take home. The staff absolutely love having kids visit and they’re happy to show them

how to knap, drill and explore the exhibits. The trails aren’t long, and there are lots of things to see along the way. Some of the paths have roots and flint outcroppings that you’ll need to be aware of.

However, there’s also a paved path with signage about the history of the site that would be perfect for strollers or visitors with mobility challenges.

Lunch: Lunch is a very important part of any road trip! Flint Ridge has outdoor tables and a picnic shelter available if you want to bring your lunch with you. There is also a lot of grassy space where you could spread out a picnic blanket.

We opted to drive to nearby downtown Newark for lunch and coffee at local establishments recommended by the Flint Ridge site manager, Sarah. Lunch at Elliot’s Wood Fired Kitchen & Tap was amazing. It’s located in the heart of downtown and has plenty of parking nearby. The menu features wood-fired pizzas, salads, sandwiches and tacos. Our group sampled the pizzas and the Reuben sandwich. Everyone was very happy with their choices. We would all highly recommend.

Left: Tour the ancient flint quarries with a staff guide or explore them on your own. Middle: Try your hand at working flint in the museum. Right: See the natural outcroppings where ancient American Indians quarried flint.

After lunch, we took a short walk through lovely Newark to River Road Coffeehouse. We found lots of fun options, including baked goods and snacks. Sarah said the breakfast sandwiches are wonderful. I had an iced latte, which hit the spot after a day of hiking. My co-worker Heather had a frozen crème, which was coffee-free. She said it was delightful. Others in our party had mochas and were very happy.

River Road Coffeehouse has a lot of seating and would be a great place to cool off after a day at Flint Ridge.

For more information: To learn more about Flint Ridge, you can visit ohiohistory.org/flintridge.

Be sure to note the days and hours of operation. The park and trails are open all daylight hours year-round, but the museum is open seasonally and only on certain days. If in doubt, call 800.283.8707 or 740.344.0498 for up-to-date information.

Want to make a day of it? The Newark Earthworks, which are also Ohio History Connection sites, are just 20 minutes away from Flint Ridge. You can get more information at ohiohistory. org/newark.

AT THE

OHIO HISTORY CENTER & OHIO VILLAGE

BOOK YOUR PARTY TODAY! 614.297.2475 events@ohiohistory.org OHIO HISTORY CONNECTION MEMBERS RECEIVE A 15% DISCOUNT ON FACILITY RENTALS.

Traveling this fall?

Show your Ohio History Connection membership card for admission or gift shop discounts at hundreds of museums that participate in the Time Travelers program.

OHIOHIS TORY.ORG

13

FIRST WOMAN IN OHIO ELECTED TO STATEWIDE OFFICE

In 1970, Donahey became the first woman in Ohio elected to a statewide office when she won election as state treasurer. She continued to serve as Ohio’s treasurer until 1983. Donahey commanded much respect in this position, both within the state and at the national level. The members of the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers elected her as their president in 1981.

OHIO HISTORY CONNECTION ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS

Donahey was also connected by marriage to two other Ohio politicians. Her husband, John W. Donahey, was lieutenant governor of Ohio from 1959 to 1963. A. Victor Donahey, governor of Ohio and United States senator, was Gertrude Donahey’s father-in-law.

Donahey died in Bexley, Ohio, on July 11, 2004.

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

Gertrude Donahey campaign poster, 1970s.

OHIO STORIES

Gertrude W. Donahey Gertrude Walton Donahey was born in Goshen Township in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, on Aug. 4, 1908.

Donahey earned a degree from Mann’s Business College in Columbus before going to work in the Office of the Ohio Adjutant General’s Business and Finance Division.

Donahey eventually became involved in politics as a member of the Democratic Party. She was chosen as a delegate to the Democratic National

14 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

Conventions in 1964 and 1968, and represented the state of Ohio on the Democratic Party’s Platform and Resolution Committee. In 1964, U.S. Sen. Stephen M. Young hired Donahey as his executive assistant, a position that she held until 1970. These experiences prepared Donahey for an elected political position.

Our Membership Office is here for

YOU! Questions about your membership?

Need to update your address?

We’re happy to help! membership@ohiohistory.org 800.686.1545

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. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums 10. Indian Mill 11. Inscription Rock Petroglyphs 12. Johnston Farm & Indian Agency 13. Lockington Locks

NORTHEAST OHIO 14. Custer Monument 15. Fort Laurens 16. McCook House 17. Museum of Ceramics 18. Quaker Yearly Meeting House (Open by Appointment) & Free Labor Store/Benjamin Lundy House (Preservation in Progress • Not Open) 19. Schoenbrunn Village 20. Shaker Historical Museum 21. Tallmadge Church 22. Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor 23. Zoar Village

CENTRAL OHIO 24. Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries & Nature Preserve

SOUTHWEST OHIO 33. Adena Mansion & Gardens 34. Davis Memorial Nature Preserve 35. Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve 36. Fort Hill Earthworks & Nature Preserve 37. Harriet Beecher Stowe House

SOUTHEAST OHIO

38. John Rankin House

25. Hanby House

39. Miamisburg Mound

47. Big Bottom Memorial Park

26. Logan Elm

40. National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center

48. Buckeye Furnace

41. Paul Laurence Dunbar House

50. Campus Martius Museum

27. Newark Earthworks 28. Ohio History Center & Ohio Village

49. Buffington Island Battlefield Memorial Park

29. Poindexter Village Historic Site (Preservation in Progress • Not Open)

42. Serpent Mound

51. John & Annie Glenn Museum

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

Ohio History Connection members enjoy free regular admission to these Ohio History Connection sites.

Before traveling, visit ohiohistory.org/sites to confirm hours and any special requirements.

OHIOHIS TORY.ORG

15

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

OHIO CUP VINTAGE

Base Ball Festival SAT., SEPT. 2 & SUN., SEPT. 3 9 A.M.–5 P.M. Grounds of the Ohio History Center & Ohio Village, Columbus 4 Cheer 29 teams from across the nation competing by 19th-century rules for vintage base ball’s Ohio Cup! Enjoy special activities for kids, including old-time games and sports, and try your hand at 1860s base ball with our Ohio Village Muffins.

Included with Ohio History Center & Ohio Village admission. Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission. 800.686.6124 or ohiohistory.org/ohiocup HANDS-ON HISTORY

Little Historians WEDS., SEPT. 13, OCT. 18 & NOV. 8 SAT., SEPT. 23, OCT. 21 & NOV. 18 11 A.M.–NOON Ohio History Center, Columbus 4 Explore Ohio’s history with your little ones. We’re providing a drop-in, open discovery space for your Little Historian to build, create and discover everything Ohio. You and your kiddo age 3 to 7 can freely explore our hands-on stations, and we’ll wrap up our discovery time with a story. Included with Ohio History Center museum admission. Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission. 800.686.6124 or ohiohistory.org/littlehistorians

¡Celebrando!

SUN., SEPT. 17 • 10 A.M.–4 P.M. Ohio History Center, Columbus 4 Celebrate National Hispanic American Heritage Month. We’re uniting with cultural organizations from around the state to pay tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who’ve enriched our nation and society. Learn about

16 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

Hispanic heritage from the perspectives of Ohioans with different cultural backgrounds. Activities include a dialogue on placemaking and identity, dance and music performances, art and craft activities and a popup shopping experience hosted by El Mercadito Cositas Lindas. Free.

Advance registration recommended.

800.686.6124 or ohiohistory.org/ celebrando

Ohio Archaeology Day SAT., SEPT. 30 • 10 A.M.–4 P.M. Ohio History Center, Columbus 4 Delve into Ohio’s past with archaeologists from across the state. Learn what it takes to be an archaeologist, participate in a mock dig on the grounds of the Ohio History Center and hear from experts in the field. Activities will include presentations, partner booths, pottery making, flint knapping, atlatl throwing and mastodon crafts. Included with Ohio History Center museum admission. Advance tickets are available and recommended. Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission. 800.686.6124 or ohiohistory. org/archaeologyday OHIO VILLAGE HALLOWEEN FUN

All Hallows’ Eve SAT., OCT. 7, 14, 21 & 28 TIMED-TICKET ENTRY: 5:30, 6 & 6:30 P.M. • OPEN ’TIL 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. $18, $14/age 4–12, $13/Ohio History Connection member, $9/member child, Free/age 3 and under. Member tickets on sale now. Non-member tickets on sale Tues.,

Sept. 5. All visitors, including members, must reserve timed tickets in advance at 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/ hallows.

BOOK TALK

Settling Ohio: First Peoples and Beyond SAT., OCT. 21 • 1 P.M. Ohio History Center, Columbus 4 Join us for a special talk about this new book from Ohio University Press (see page 50), and meet editors Timothy G. Anderson and Brian Schoen.

Schoen chairs Ohio University’s history department and is the James Richard Hamilton/Baker & Hostetler Distinguished Professor of Teaching in the Humanities. Anderson, an Ohio University associate professor of geography, specializes in historical settlement of the United States. Talk with both authors, buy an autographed copy of Settling Ohio and tour our related exhibit, Making Ohio Home. Included with Ohio History Center museum admission with required advance registration. Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission with advance registration. 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/settlingohio

Victorian Dance Workshop SAT., NOV. 4 • 10 A.M.–4 P.M. Ohio Village, Columbus 4 Learn the art and etiquette of Victorian ballroom dancing in this one-day workshop.

Instructor Jeanette Watts will guide you through the basics of dances like the two-step in a fun and light-hearted experience that even those with two left feet can enjoy. Snacks, water and coffee are included. Bring your lunch or have lunch at the Ohio History Center’s Plaza Cafe. $45, $35/Ohio History Connection member. Advance registration required.

800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/ victoriandance

World War II Village SAT., NOV. 11 & SUN., NOV. 12 10 A.M.–5 P.M. Ohio Village, Columbus 4 See what America was like when soldiers returned from WWII and talk with them about their experiences. We’re temporarily fast-forwarding Ohio Village to the year 1946 so you can experience a slice of life from the perspective of a

*Museum admission is $16; $14/ages 60+ or student with ID; $10/ages 4–12.

Ohio History Connection members and ages 3 & under enjoy free admission.

returning GI. Learn why people fought then and see how the military has evolved to today. Included with Ohio History Center museum admission.

Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission. 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/marchthroughtime

their alignments to the solstices and the 18.6-year lunar cycle. An immersive component allows you to experience the astronomical alignments.

Ohio History Center & Ohio Village Hours

HURRY! ENDS SOON!

WEDS.–SUN. 10 A.M.–5 P.M.

Ohio—Champion of Sports

CLOSED MON.–TUES.

Ohio Village

FEATURED EXHIBITS • • •

THROUGH MON., JAN. 1 Explore more than 70 stories and 35 oral histories covering 25+ sports ranging from baseball, football and basketball to roller derby, skateboarding and e-gaming. The exhibit showcases the Ohio athletes, coaches, owners and fans at the center of the action and explores sports through the themes of Character, Adversity, Innovation, Identity, Tradition and Victory—values that relate to the human condition—to connect a broad audience to Ohio’s national sports history. You can record a “victory dance” to share with family and friends and record your own “One Minute Legends” sports story.

Making Ohio Home—Early Ohio Immigrant Experiences

1950s—Building the American Dream

March Through Time SUN., NOV. 12 • 10 A.M.–5 P.M. Ohio History Center, Columbus 4 Explore the military history of the United States and the world. Meet and talk with more than 30 reenactors representing 10+ epochs of military history from the Middle Ages through modern day, and try your skill at related activities like miniature war-gaming, which brings the knowledge of strategy and history to the board-gaming table. Included with Ohio History Center museum admission.

Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission. 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/marchthroughtime

ONGOING Immigrants from within and beyond the borders of the United States flocked to Ohio in the 1800s. They came in search of good farmland, better working conditions, political freedom and economic opportunities. Explore stories of seven representative immigrants who helped grow Ohio’s population from 45,365 in 1800 to more than 4.1 million in 1900.

Indigenous Wonders of Our World—The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks ONGOING Learn about eight 2,000-year-old Hopewell earthworks in Ohio: Fort Ancient, near Oregonia and Lebanon; Newark’s Great Circle and Octagon; and Hopewell Mound Group, Mound City, Hopeton Earthworks, Seip Earthworks and High Bank Works, all near Chillicothe. Unique in the world, they’re the focus of a nomination now underway proposing that they be named World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The exhibit examines mathematical similarities among them, their enormous scale and

ONGOING Peek in the closets and snoop in the drawers of a real, fully furnished Lustron steel house made right here in Ohio. From the contents of the cupboards to the news on TV and the toys in the yard, this hands-on exhibit is a fascinating journey back in time.

Museum

THROUGH SUN., SEPT. 3: WEDS.–SUN. 10 A.M.–5 P.M. CLOSED MON.–TUES.

Third Floor Research Room OPEN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY ohiohistory.org/learn/archives-library WEDS. 12:30–3 P.M. THURS.–FRI. 10 A.M.–3 P.M. CLOSED SAT.–TUES.

Plaza Cafe MON.–TUES. 9 A.M.–1 P.M. WEDS.–FRI. 10 A.M.–2 P.M. SAT.–SUN. NOON–4P.M.

MEMBERSHIPS MAKE

Great Gifts!

Support Ohio history while giving the gift of day trips and weekend fun to your family and friends.

World War I Display ONGOING See equipment, weapons, uniforms and memorabilia.

Across the state, the Ohio History Connection oversees

50+

historic sites and museums located in

4

40

33

historic sites

12

museums

5,000

9

archaeological sites

300

8

canal locks

4

major bridges

counties, which include:

natural history sites

acres of land

buildings built from 1788–2013

2

boats

Visit ohiohistory.org/giftmembership or call 800.686.1545 for more info.

OHIOHIS TORY.ORG

17

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

Online Events History Roundtable with Mike Gilbert SAT., SEPT. 9, 16, 23 & 30 & OCT. 14 & 21 • 10–11:30 A.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont, and Online—Attend From Anywhere! 4 Hear local historian Mike Gilbert share fascinating stories of local and national history during this popular series, which takes place on six Saturdays in September and October. SEPT. 9: Local Physicians.

SEPT. 16: Gettysburg: The First Day. SEPT. 23: Tecumseh. SEPT. 30: Kennedy Assassination. OCT. 14: Local Businesses. OCT. 21: The Reality of Dreams. Prerecorded virtual sessions will be offered for those who can’t attend in person. Each session is $5, or purchase all six for $25. Advance registration and prepayment required.

To register, contact Julie Mayle, curator of manuscripts, at jmayle@rbhayes. org, 800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org

Bill Randle in Cleveland—From Electric Elvis to the Shakers THURS., SEPT. 21 • 6:30–8 P.M. Online—Attend From Anywhere!

Join the Shaker Historical Society and Shaker Heights Public Library for a Zoom program by Roger Lee Hall, director of the Center for American Music Preservation. Based on his new book, The Bill Randle Chronicles: From Electric Elvis to the Shakers (PineTree Press, 2023), it commemorates Cleveland radio personality Randle (1923–2004), focusing on his life from the 1950s to 1970s. As a disc jockey on WERE, Randle was called the “Top Jock in America” by Time magazine in 1955. An early promoter of singers like Harry Belafonte, Tony Bennett, The Crew Cuts and Elvis Presley, he also produced recordings, notably the 1961 10-LP record set about America’s oldest communal sect titled The Shaker Heritage, featuring Shaker

18 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

women speaking about their religion, industries and inventions, cooking, poetry and music. Free with required advance registration at bit.ly/bill-randle.

800.860.6078 or shakerhistory.org MEMBER VIP

Architectural Tour of the Ohio History Center TUES., SEPT. 26 • 3 P.M. Online—Attend From Anywhere!

Explore the Ohio History Center’s iconic architecture in this special membersonly webinar with architectural historian Barb Powers of the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office. If you’ve always wondered about our unique building, newly added to the National Register of Historic Places, this is the webinar for you! Free to Ohio History Connection members with advance registration. ohiohistory.org/ tourhistorycenter

Presidential History Book Club WEDS., SEPT. 27 & OCT. 25 NOON–1 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont, and Online—Attend From Anywhere! 4 Read and discuss books about the American presidency at this free book club. SEPT. 27: The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams by Stacy Schiff. OCT. 25: And There Was Light

by Jon Meacham. For online login information, contact historian Dustin McLochlin at dmclochlin@rbhayes.org.

800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org/events

She’ll share the stories of several shipwrecks—their “lives,” “deaths” and discoveries. How many shipwrecks are there in Ohio? Attend to find out. Free to Ohio History Connection members with advance registration. ohiohistory. org/shipwrecks SEMI-COLON BOOK CLUB

The Scarlet Sisters SAT., OCT. 28 • 10:30 A.M.–NOON Walnut Hills Branch Library, 2533 Kemper Lane, Cincinnati, or Online—Attend From Anywhere!

Hosted by Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Cincinnati 4 Discuss Myra MacPherson’s book The Scarlet Sisters: Sex, Suffrage, and Scandal in the Gilded Age for a fresh look at Ohio-born Victoria Woodhull and Tennessee “Tennie” Claflin, the most fascinating and scandalous sisters in American history. Learn how their connections to the Beecher family made headlines. Free with required advance registration. 800.847.6507 or stowehousecincy.org MEMBER VIP

Historic Department Stores in Ohio TUES., NOV. 7 • 3–4 P.M. Online—Attend From Anywhere!

History curator Marlise Schoeny talks about the history of department stores around Ohio and shares photos and objects from the Ohio History Connection’s collection.

Free to Ohio History Connection members with advance registration. ohiohistory.org/stores

MEMBER VIP

Ohio Shipwrecks— What’s in Your Backyard?

TUES., OCT. 17 • 3–4 P.M. Online—Attend From Anywhere!

Meet Ohio History Connection Curator of Archaeology Linda Pansing and learn about underwater archaeology in Ohio.

From Lake Erie to canals to rivers, Ohio’s maritime history is rich and ancient.

Serving Grab-N-Go Snacks & Meals Ohio History Connection Members Save 10% at the Plaza Cafe!

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 Many programs and events at Ohio History Connection museums and attractions 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.

Questions? Call 800.840.6127.

SAT., SEPT. 30 • 1–4 P.M. Hanby House, Westerville 4 The house is alive with the sound of music! Visit on Saturday, Sept. 30, to hear performances on the 19th-century square piano in the parlor of the historic Hanby House, a special experience in recognition of National Piano Month. Free.

800.860.6843 or ohiohistory.org/hanby

Aultman guide walking tours of the impressive Octagon Earthworks, pointing out features such as Observatory Mound and openings in the earthworks that are key to the 18.6-year lunar alignment encoded into the landscape. These programs don’t require pre-registration or reservations. Comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, hat and water are recommended. Free. 740.344.0498 or shinkelman@ohiohistory.org

Newark Earthworks Remnants Walking Tour

NORTHEAST OHIO

Music in the Parlor

FRI., OCT. 6 & SAT., OCT. 7 Quest Conference Center, Westerville See page 9.

SAT., OCT. 14 • 9 A.M.–NOON Great Circle, 455 Hebron Rd., Heath Take a guided walking tour of portions of the Newark Earthworks starting and ending at the Great Circle Museum, covering about three miles of mostly level terrain on public sidewalks.

Walking shoes and a water bottle are all you need, plus sunscreen or a hat— there’s little shade on the tour, so dress accordingly. Free. 740.344.0498 or shinkelman@ohiohistory.org

CENTRAL OHIO

Newark Earthworks Open House

STATEWIDE STATEWIDE APPLICATION DEADLINE

Ohio History Fund Grants TUES., SEPT. 12 See page 7.

Ohio Local History Alliance Annual Meeting & Conference

CENTRAL OHIO PLAY OUTSIDE

Activities on the Lawn SAT., SEPT. 2 • 1–4 P.M. Hanby House, Westerville 4 Enjoy activities for youth on the lawn of the Hanby House. 800.600.6843 or ohiohistory.org/hanby

The Underground Railroad in Westerville SAT., SEPT. 16 • 1–4 P.M. Hanby House, Westerville 4 Visit the Hanby House, a documented “station,” and learn about Underground Railroad activity in 19th-century Westerville.

Local historian Beth Weinhardt will share information about the people and places that were involved in aiding freedomseekers traveling through central Ohio to a new life in Canada. Free. 800.860.6843 or ohiohistory.org/hanby

SUN., OCT. 15 • 7 A.M.–7 P.M. INFORMATION TABLES NOON–4 P.M. GUIDED OCTAGON EARTHWORKS TOURS 12:30, 2 & 3 P.M. Great Circle, 455 Hebron Rd., Heath • Octagon Earthworks, 125 N. 33rd St., Newark • Wright Earthworks, north of Grant Street on James, parallel to State Route 79, Newark 4 Visit three parts of a vast 2,000-year-old complex collectively known as the Newark Earthworks, the largest set of geometric earthworks ever known. A National Historic Landmark and Ohio’s official prehistoric monument, the Newark Earthworks served social, ceremonial and astronomical functions for the ancient American Indians who built them. On this special day, enjoy full access to Octagon Earthworks, open in its entirety just four days a year. Explore on your own or take a guided tour. 12:30, 2 AND 3 P.M.: Ohio History Connection archaeologists Brad Lepper and Jen

NORTHEAST OHIO

Civil War School Day FRI., SEPT. 15 • 9 A.M.–2 P.M. Zoar Village, Zoar 4 On this special day open to all public, private and home-schooled students, learn how Separatists in Zoar, and citizens in the Union, lived during the Civil War years.

Meet Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, Ohio abolitionist John Parker and more figures from history. See cavalry and artillery demonstrations, learn about life on the homefront and participate in related hands-on activities. $7/ student, Free/age 4 & under. One adult per group is free, each additional adult is $7. Teachers enjoy free admission.

Advance registration required. Schools may call 330.874.3011 or email tshrum@ zca.org to register. 800.262.6195 or historiczoarvillage.com

Fall Lantern Tours FRI., SEPT. 15 & SAT., SEPT. 16 7:30–9:30 P.M. Schoenbrunn Village, New Philadelphia 4 Step back in time and experience life in this settlement of the 1770s on the Ohio frontier. Travel through the candle-lit village and enjoy the taste of warm cider while you see people of the time busy with daily activities. $8, $6/age 60+, $4/ age 6–17, Free/Ohio History Connection member or age 6 & under. 800.752.2711, 330.808.4815 or ohiohistory.org/ schoenbrunn

OHIOHIS TORY.ORG

19

wear closed-toed shoes (e.g., sneakers), tall socks and long pants. This rainor-shine event will be canceled only in the event of extreme weather. Free with required advance registration.

Each participant must register separately. 800.860.6078, education@ shakerhistory.org or shakerhistory.org

Building Doctor Clinic

¡Celebrando!

All Hallows’ Eve

OHIO HISTORY CENTER, SEPT. 17

OHIO VILLAGE, OCT. 7, 14, 21 & 28

Civil War Weekend SAT., SEPT. 16 • 10 A.M.–5 P.M. SUN., SEPT. 17 • 10 A.M.–4 P.M. Zoar Village, Zoar 4 Be on hand when Ohio’s largest Civil War event comes to historic Zoar Village, as Civil War reenactors “invade” the town. This year’s reenactment battle is the September 1863 Battle of Chickamauga. Battles take place on both Saturday and Sunday, and this 20th annual event also includes artillery night fire, a historical ball and the Anvil Tavern. $12, Free/ age 12 & under. 800.262.6195 or historiczoarvillage.com

Bill Randle in Cleveland—From Electric Elvis to the Shakers THURS., SEPT. 21 • 6:30–8 P.M. Online—Attend From Anywhere!

See page 18.

ZOAR SPEAKER SERIES

History of Ohio Barns SAT., OCT. 7 • 11 A.M. School House, Zoar Village, Zoar Learn about barns in Ohio from speaker Tom O’Grady, a founding board member of Friends of Ohio Barns. 800.262.6195 or historiczoarvillage.com

AppleFest SAT., OCT. 7 • NOON–4 P.M. Shaker Historical Museum, Shaker Heights 4 Enjoy a family-friendly festival for all ages celebrating fall traditions of the local North Union Shaker community, founded in 1822.

Held on the museum grounds that 20 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

were once home to the Shakers’ apple orchards, AppleFest features crafts and educational activities for kids, craft demonstrations by local artists, Shaker dance performances, a history tour, food, fall-themed drinks and more.

Free. 800.860.6078 or shakerhistory. org/applefest

Ghost Tours OCT. 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 & 28 DEPART EVERY 15 MINUTES STARTING AT 6:30 P.M. Zoar Village, Zoar 4 Tour historic buildings in this National Historic Landmark village by lantern light as the ghosts of Zoar share their haunting tales. $19. Advance registration required. 800.262.6195 or historiczoarvillage.com

Warrensville West Cemetery Gravestone Interpretation Workshop SAT., OCT. 14 • 11 A.M.–NOON Warrensville West Cemetery, 3451 Lee Rd., Shaker Heights 4 Learn how to interpret symbols on gravestones at this interactive tour-workshop hosted

by Shaker Historical Society, Shaker Heights Public Library and the City of Shaker Heights. Historian Katherine Ranum, a visiting assistant professor at Cincinnati’s Xavier University who specializes in 17th- to mid-19th-century funerary and mortuary practices, will lead the tour-workshop. You’ll also learn about the Warrensville West Cemetery Historic Preservation Master Plan (shakeronline.com/cemetery). Due to tall grasses at the cemetery, please

TUES., OCT. 24 • 7–9 P.M. Lorain Historical Society, 329 W. 10th St., Lorain 4 Who can old-building owners turn to for good advice about problems like wet basements, peeling paint and deteriorating masonry? The Ohio History Connection’s Building Doctors, that’s who! Cosponsored by the Ohio History Connection and Main Street Lorain, this two-day Building Doctor Clinic consists of an evening seminar about common old-building issues and best practices for oldbuilding owners and enthusiasts. The next day, the “doctors” make in-person “house calls” by appointment to provide customized advice. Free with required advance registration. 614.298.2000 or building-doctor.org

Oral History Workshop SAT., OCT. 28 • 10 A.M.–1 P.M. Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor, Youngstown From preserving family memories to collecting eyewitness accounts of local and national events, oral histories are a great way to learn about the past, and you can use them in a variety of ways. In this workshop, learn how to conduct oral history interviews using best practices and how to transcribe and use them. Sponsored by the Ohio Humanities Council. Free with advance registration. 330.941.1314 or youngstownohiosteelmuseum.org FEATURED EXHIBITS • • • LECTURE & EXHIBIT OPENING

Remembering the Coal War THURS., OCT. 5 • 6–7 P.M. Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor, Youngstown Enjoy light refreshments and the opening celebration for this special traveling exhibit. At 6 p.m., hear a short presentation on coal and its significance to the Mahoning Valley.

Remembering the Coal War will remain on exhibit through Nov. 30.

Included with Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor admission.

Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission. 330.941.1314 or youngstownohiosteelmuseum.org

the reconstructed War of 1812 fort to learn about its history and see a War of 1812 military recruiting office and military training demonstrations. $10, $8/age 60+, $5/student, Free/ Ohio History Connection member or age 5 & under. 800.283.8916 or fortmeigs.org

NORTHWEST OHIO NORTHWEST OHIO

Presidential History Book Club

Gates and Trees Tour of Spiegel Grove SAT., SEPT. 2 • 10–11 A.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 On this guided tour, visit and learn about the former White House gates that mark several entrances to the Rutherford B. Hayes estate, Spiegel Grove, and explore trees on the grounds, also an arboretum. $10, $7/age 6–18, Free/age 5 & under.

800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org

Ice Age in Ohio SAT., SEPT. 9 • 10 A.M. Cedar Bog Nature Preserve, near Urbana and Springfield 4 Learn about Ice Age Ohio with Molly Hunt. $5, Free/ Ohio History Connection member.

800.860.0147 or cedarbognp.org

History Roundtable with Mike Gilbert SAT., SEPT. 9, 16, 23 & 30 & OCT. 14 & 21 • 10–11:30 A.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 See page 18.

Mellow Yellow Walk SUN., SEPT. 17 • NOON–2 P.M. Cedar Bog Nature Preserve, near Urbana and Springfield 4 Take a selfguided tour of Cedar Bog, a National Natural Landmark. Cedar Bog naturalists will be on the boardwalk to answer questions. Free. 800.860.0147 or cedarbognp.org

Life in Early Ohio SAT., SEPT. 23 & SUN., SEPT. 24 9:30 A.M.–5 P.M. Fort Meigs, Perrysburg 4 At this special living history encampment, explore civilian and military trades of early Ohio in the years surrounding the War of 1812.

See skilled tradespeople demonstrate frontier skills such as blacksmithing, clothing production, leatherworking, rope making, foraging and cooking. Tour

WEDS., SEPT. 27 & OCT. 25 NOON–1 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont, and Online—Attend From Anywhere! 4 See page 18.

Tree Tour of Spiegel Grove SAT., SEPT. 30 • NOON–1:30 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 Walk the arboretum and learn about the various trees. Bring a sack lunch and enjoy a picnic on the grounds. Advance registration required. $10, $7/age 6–18, Free/age 5 & under. 800.998.7737 or rbhayes. org/events

Private Reception with Mo Rocca SAT., SEPT. 30 • 5:45–6:20 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 CBS News correspondent, podcaster and TV personality Mo Rocca returns to Fremont to talk about presidential history, wrapping up the year-long 200th birthday celebration for President Rutherford B. Hayes. (See page 6.) Before the event, enjoy a private reception with Rocca in the historic Hayes Home. $100. Limited tickets are available. 800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org/morocca

An Evening with Mo Rocca SAT., SEPT. 30 • 7–8:30 P.M. Ross Performing Arts Center, 1100 North St., Fremont 4 Hosted by Hayes Presidential Library & Museums 4 See page 6.

Yoga in the Grove SAT., OCT. 7 • 9–10 A.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 Enjoy a relaxing morning of yoga in the rose garden behind the historic Hayes home, presented by Yoga Haven, a Fremont yoga studio.

This class is for all levels, and teachers will modify it to meet students’ needs.

It includes basic yoga poses, breathing practices and deep relaxation. $12. Get tickets at theyogahavenfremont.com.

800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org/events

Boo in the Bog FRI., OCT. 13 • 7–9 P.M. SAT., OCT. 14 • 7–9 P.M. Cedar Bog Nature Preserve, near Urbana and Springfield 4 Join us for this family-friendly night walk along our jack-o’-lantern-lit boardwalk.

Volunteer guides will lead you to learning stations where volunteer naturalists will tell you about some of the creatures you can find at Cedar Bog. Enjoy not-so-scary stories from our storyteller around the bonfire and children’s crafts in the Nature Center. Food and beverages available. $6. Advance registration required.

800.860.0147 or cedarbognp.org

Partial Solar Eclipse SAT., OCT. 14 • 9 A.M.–2 P.M. Armstrong Air & Space Museum, Wapakoneta 4 While many in Ohio are gearing up for the total solar eclipse in 2024, a partial annular solar eclipse will be happening on Saturday, Oct. 14!

Get a look into the fascinating science behind this rare phenomenon, including a kids’ activity. Free. 800.860.0142 or armstrongmuseum.org

Fall Celebration SAT., OCT. 14 • NOON–5 P.M. Johnston Farm & Indian Agency, Piqua Board the canal boat General Harrison of Piqua at 12:30, 2:30 or 4 p.m. to see what “canawlers” saw as they traveled across western Ohio at four miles an hour by mule-drawn boat in the autumn of 1845. Take part in harvest-season activities at the restored home of U.S. Indian Agent John Johnston, hear stories of events that took place at the Johnston Farm and visit the Historic Indian & Canal Museum. $10, $9/ senior, $5/age 6–12, Free/Ohio History Connection member or age 5 & under.

937.773.2522 or johnstonfarmohio.com

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Sun., Sept. 17 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

OHIO HISTORY CENTER

Celebrate National Hispanic American Heritage Month with dance and music, art and crafts and more!

800.686.6124 ohiohistory.org/celebrando

Civil War Winter Camp HAYES PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUMS, FREMONT, OCT. 28

Poe in the Parlor

Garrison Ghost Walk

TUES., OCT. 17 • 6:30–8 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 No writer is more closely associated with the Halloween season than Edgar Allan Poe. Credited with inventing the detective story, he was an early contributor to what later became the genre of science fiction and is known for his unnerving and macabre poetry and short stories. President Rutherford B. Hayes, a lifelong avid reader, had a three-volume anthology of Poe’s work in his personal library.

Enjoy a dramatic live reading of some of Poe’s work, set against the dark ambiance of a Victorian mansion in the evening. $10. Advance registration required. 800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org/ events

FRI. & SAT., OCT. 20–21 & 27–28 6–8 P.M. Fort Meigs, Perrysburg 4 Hear ghastly tales of this frontier Ohio fort’s twisted past. Follow your guide by lantern light to five watch fires, each hosted by a storyteller who’ll share tales of the War of 1812 with themes only appropriate for late October. $15, $12/age 60+, $10/ age 6–17. Not suitable for age 5 & under.

Advance timed tickets required. No tickets sold at the door. 800.283.8916 or store.fortmeigs.org

Building Doctor Clinic THURS., OCT. 19 • 7–9 P.M. Municipal Building, 305 N. Main St., Bowling Green 4 Who can old-building owners turn to for good advice about problems like wet basements, peeling paint and deteriorating masonry? The Ohio History Connection’s Building Doctors, that’s who! Cosponsored by the Ohio History Connection and the City of Bowling Green, this two-day Building Doctor Clinic consists of an evening seminar about common old-building issues and best practices for historic oldbuilding owners and enthusiasts. The next day, the “doctors” make in-person “house calls” by appointment to provide customized advice. Free with required advance registration. 614.298.2000 or building-doctor.org 22 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

Boo! On the Moon TUES., OCT. 24 • 5–7 P.M. Armstrong Air & Space Museum, Wapakoneta 4 Grab your masks and candy bags and head to Armstrong Air & Space Museum for this annual event.

Explore the museum’s spooky galleries to collect candy from staff members and enjoy other fun, family-friendly activities and games. $12, $7.50/age 6–12, half-off admission for children dressed in costume, Free/Ohio History Connection member. 800.860.0142 or armstrongmuseum.org

Spirit Stories at Spiegel Grove FRI., OCT. 27 • 7–10 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 Enjoy a spooky evening at Spiegel Grove, with lantern tours through the dark and wooded grounds and popcorn, cider and hot chocolate by the campfire before and after your tour. 800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org/ events

was in 1806, and the next will be in 2099. Explore the story of humanity’s fascination with eclipses in this special exhibit. Get a look at how they work, and learn about one that drove Americans to the Western territories when Rutherford B. Hayes was president. Included with Hayes Museum admission. Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission. 800.998.7737 or rbhayes. org/events

Resolute—The Spirit of Arctic Exploration

Life in Early Ohio FORT MEIGS, PERRYSBURG, SEPT. 23–24

Civil War Winter Camp SAT., OCT. 28 • 10 A.M.–6 P.M. Grounds of Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 Experience what life was like for the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, President Rutherford B. Hayes’s Civil War regiment, while it camped for the winter. See reenactors fire their muskets, hear military bands perform, and tour a Civil War camp. New this year are a demonstration by the 5th U.S. Colored Troops Company G and a performance by the 73rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment Band.

Band performances and military demonstrations are free and do not require tickets. Camp tours, which last about 50 minutes, require advance timed tickets: $10, $7/age 6–12, Free age 5 and under. $25/Family Pass (two adults and up to four kids).

Please dress for the weather. Find a full schedule of the day’s events at rbhayes.org. Sponsored by Birchard Financial Services LLC. 800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org FEATURED EXHIBITS • • •

Chasing Totality—The History and Science of Eclipses FRI., SEPT. 29, THROUGH DECEMBER 2024 • 9 A.M.–5 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 On April 8, 2024, people within a 124-mile-wide band in Ohio will be plunged into total darkness as the moon completely blots out the sun. A total solar eclipse like this one is rare. The last one visible in Ohio

THROUGH JUNE 30, 2024 • VISIT RBHAYES.ORG FOR DAYS AND HOURS Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 For centuries, the Arctic was the ultimate unexplored frontier. This exhibit examines the Arctic’s strange, treacherous environment and profiles the adventurers who tried to tame it.

Navigational tools, some of President Hayes’s books on the Arctic and a model of the Gjøa, the first ship to successfully navigate the Northwest Passage, are on display. Included with Hayes Museum admission. Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission.

800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org

VINTAGE BASE BALL FESTIVAL Sat., Sept. 2 & Sun., Sept. 3 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

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

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

SOUTHEAST OHIO SOUTHEAST OHIO

Buckeye Furnace Fall Festival SAT., OCT. 7 • 10 A.M.–5 P.M. • RAIN DATE: SUN., OCT. 8 • 10 A.M.–5 P.M. Buckeye Furnace, Wellston 4 Visit this Civil War-era iron-making furnace in rural Jackson County and enjoy live bluegrass music by Red Brush. Browse and shop 50+ vendors and take part in games and competitions such as pie eating, hog calling, skillet tossing, a beard contest, baking contest and an auction. Activities for kids include pumpkin decorating, sack races, a duck pond, bobbing for apples and a petting zoo. Food will be for sale, too.

Free. 800.860.0144 or ohiohistory.org/ buckeyefurnace

MAIL

TEXT

OHIO HISTORY CONNECTION 800 E. 17th Ave. Columbus, OH 43211

“OHIOHISTORY” to 44-321

Cemetery History Walk SAT., OCT. 7 • 1–4 P.M. Pine Street Cemetery, Gallipolis 4 Hosted by Our House Tavern Museum Learn about notable local people of the past interred in historic Pine Street Cemetery, from members of the “French 500” who settled Gallipolis in 1790

ONLINE ohiohistory.org/give

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and early Black citizens to Civil War veterans. At the grave of each featured person, hear a role-player dressed in the style of the time share their story.

Free. 800.752.2618, 740.446.0586, ohiohistory.org/ourhouse or “Our House Tavern” on Facebook

Holiday Open House

Sat., Sept. 30 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Dig archaeology?

Find real archaeologists on hand with special displays and related hands-on activities.

Bring your own finds to learn more about them.

Ohio History Center 800.686.6124 ohiohistory.org/archaeologyday

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.

24 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

WEDS., NOV. 22 • 5–8 P.M. Our House Tavern Museum, Gallipolis Visit 204-year-old Our House Tavern, where Lafayette stayed in 1825, and enjoy French-inspired holiday decorations and refreshments plus dulcimer and guitar music by Robert and Kendra Bence. Children can learn about and experience a traditional French Christmas, including an introduction to Père Noël—the French Santa Claus—and get a candy cane.

Free. 800.752.2618 or ohiohistory.org/ ourhouse SOUTHWEST OHIO

SOUTHWEST OHIO

Murder Mystery Dinner FRI., SEPT. 8–SUN., SEPT. 10 6–8 P.M. GROUNDS OPEN AT 5:15 P.M. Adena Mansion & Gardens, Chillicothe Hone your skills as a rookie crimesolver in an entertaining atmosphere with great food. This year’s mystery, The Dead Horseman, is an all-new production written and directed by Delmar Burkitt. It begins at 6 p.m. After you’ve gathered your clues, dinner will follow in a tent near historic Adena Mansion. Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes, as there will be walking involved. Transportation will be available to those with limited mobility. $65/person. Advance registration required. 800.319.7248, info@adenamansion.com or adenamansion.com/events

Fall Nature Discovery Tour SAT., SEPT. 9 • 10:30 A.M.–12:30 P.M. Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve, near Oregonia and Lebanon Walk the trails with Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist Rick Hoffman and learn about the preserve’s plants, bugs, trees and wildlife. Included with Fort Ancient admission: $7, $6/ age 6–17 or 60+, Free/Ohio History Connection member or age 5 & under.

800.283.8904 or ohiohistory.org/ fortancient

Paul Laurence Dunbar Literary Circle SUN., SEPT. 10, OCT. 15 & NOV. 12 • 2 P.M. Paul Laurence Dunbar House Visitor Center, Dayton 4 Share and talk about poetry at this monthly event that begins and ends with Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poems. Hosted by the Paul Laurence Dunbar Branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History and Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. Free tours of Dunbar’s home are available from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 937.673.8684 or 937.225.7705

Archaeological Tour FRI., SEPT. 15 & OCT. 20 • 1 P.M. Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve, near Oregonia and Lebanon Take a walk through 2,000-year-old Fort Ancient with Ohio History Connection archaeologist Bill Kennedy as your guide.

This tour offers a thorough overview of Fort Ancient’s archaeological history and the ingenuity of ancient American Indians in building what’s today the bestpreserved hilltop enclosure of its kind in the United States. Learn more in the onsite museum. Included with Fort Ancient admission: $7, $6/age 6–17 or 60+, Free/Ohio History Connection member or age 5 & under. 800.283.8904 or ohiohistory.org/fortancient

Stargazing Event FRI., OCT. 20 • 7–8:30 P.M. Grounds of the John Rankin House, Ripley 4 Explore the heavens from a bluff high above the Ohio River. Held in conjunction with the Cincinnati Observatory. $10, $5/K–12, Free/ Ohio History Connection member.

In the event of rain, stargazing will be rescheduled to Oct. 26. 800.752.2705 or ohiohistory.org/rankin SEMI-COLON BOOK CLUB

The Scarlet Sisters SAT., OCT. 28 • 10:30 A.M.–NOON Walnut Hills Branch Library, 2533 Kemper Lane, Cincinnati, or Online— Attend From Anywhere! 4 Hosted

by Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Cincinnati 4 See page 18.

NOW ON EXHIBIT

Scrapbooking Crop FRI., NOV. 3–SUN., NOV. 5 FRI. & SAT. 9 A.M.–9 P.M. SUN. 9 A.M.–4 P.M. Adena Mansion & Gardens, Chillicothe Join us for a three-day retreat to scrapbook those wonderful memories of families, friends, vacations and more. You’ll have a personal sixfoot table with electrical and Wi-Fi access. Vendors will be on hand Friday and Saturday, and everyone will receive a welcome gift and be eligible to win door prizes. Friday and Saturday include lunch, dinner and snacks. Sunday includes snacks. $130/ person includes all three days or $60/ Friday, $60/Saturday and $25/Sunday.

Reservations and advance payment required. No refunds. 800.319.7248 or adenamansion.com/events

Wilderness Skills SAT., NOV. 4 • NOON–4 P.M. Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve, Oregonia 4 Learn about hunting, fishing, trapping and tanning with the Ohio History Connection’s Keith Bengtson, who’ll demonstrate how to set traps, tan hides and make jerky among other skills of living in the natural world. This outdoor program is ongoing throughout the afternoon.

Please dress for the weather. Included with Fort Ancient admission: $7, $6/ age 6–17 or 60+, Free/Ohio History Connection member or age 5 & under.

800.283.8904 or ohiohistory.org/ fortancient

Music in the Parlor WESTERVILLE, SEPT. 30

FEATURED EXHIBITS • • •

African Art—Form, Function and Fraught Histories THROUGH SAT., NOV. 4 9 A.M.–4 P.M. National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center, Wilberforce Explore African art and its impact on the world. African aesthetics challenged and shaped Western perceptions and are often misunderstood. This exhibit examines forms and functions of African art objects, their global influence and modern questions of cultural appropriation, representation and repatriation. Wright State University graduate students in public history assisted in creating it, using the museum’s extensive African art collection. Three more exhibits, African Americans Fighting for a Double Victory, Rhythm of Revolution and Queens of the Heartland are all included with museum admission: $6, $5/senior, $3/age 6–17, Free/ Ohio History Connection member or age 5 & under. 800.752.2603 or ohiohistory.org/naamcc

800.686.6124 ohiohistory.org/wonders

See Base Ball (Yes, Two Words) Played by 19th-Century Rules!

Are you also an Ohio Farm Bureau member?

Log into our website via your Ohio Farm Bureau portal to claim your Ohio History Connection membership discount.

HOME & AWAY SCHEDULE ohiohistory.org/muffins 800.686.6124 OHIOHIS TORY.ORG

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26 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

Protecting Ohio’s Natural Resources 150 YEARS OF OHIO WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT BY RANDY EDWARDS

Top left: Released ring-necked pheasants provided additional recreation opportunities for Ohio hunters, a tradition that continues today.

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Top right: Ohio’s first wildlife area, Roosevelt Game Preserve in Scioto County, was established in 1922.

To Europeans, the bounty seemed inexhaustible, but that didn’t stop them from trying. They made short work of the forests, cutting 85% of them by the end of the 19th century. Some timber was used for construction; most was piled up and burned to make way for crops. Wars were fought over the fur trade until the last beaver was trapped in Ohio in 1830. Elk, bison, wolves, bears and mountain lions all were hunted out, too.

Middle left: The first state fish hatchery opened in London, Ohio, in 1896.

Middle right: Ohio game protectors were first hired in 1886.

he first non-Indigenous people to explore or settle the territory between Lake Erie and the Ohio River reported a land of great natural abundance, with vast primeval forests teeming with wildlife, and freshwater lakes and rivers awash in fish, including more than 50 species large enough to be considered food.

Early wildlife laws were designed to eradicate “pest” species, such as the 1800 bounty on wolves. In 1807, Ohioans were required to submit gray squirrel pelts when paying their taxes, because the animals caused so much damage to crops.

Bottom left: In the early 1900s, fish were transported via rail car to be stocked in waters across the Buckeye State.

Erosion from rapid deforestation and untreated sewage clogged previously clear rivers and lakes. Hundreds of mill dams stopped fish from traveling to spawn. By the mid-1800s, commercial fishing operations were in full swing, even as populations of some larger species, such as muskellunge, pike and sturgeon, had begun to decline.

Bottom right: Ohio’s first resident hunting license was issued in 1913.

NATURAL RESOURCES IN PERIL

“People came home from the Civil War, ready to rebuild their nation and their state, and they began to realize how poor the resources were … that the fish were depleted,” says Kendra Wecker, chief of the Ohio Division of Wildlife. “There was a movement to restore the fish populations, primarily for eating—not so much for recreation at the time.”

Thus was born, in 1873, the Ohio Fish Commission, the state’s first attempt at professional wildlife management and the original precursor to what we now know as the Ohio Division of Wildlife. As it celebrates its 150th anniversary, the division has numerous successes to trumpet. The early members of the Fish Commission, however, faced an uphill battle.

The new agency had three commissioners and a budget of $1,000, augmented in 1875 with $10,000 to begin a fish propagation program.

It wasn’t enough. According to one report, fish populations were in such decline that by 1880, the commission predicted “the total extinction of fish life in Ohio is drawing near.”

All images courtesy Ohio Division of Wildlife

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Left: An Ohio Division of Wildlife fish-stocking truck in the mid-1980s. Fish are often released directly at the boat launch. Middle: Division of Wildlife staff band doves in the mid-1990s. Dove hunting is a popular activity for many Ohioans. Right: Ohio Division of Wildlife staff put on a Learn to Fish program in the mid-1980s. Teaching Ohioans to fish remains an important program for the Division of Wildlife.

FISH & GAME

In 1886, the commission became the Commission of Fish and Game, and the state legislature began to pass wildlife protection laws, although there was little enforcement. Early game wardens were political appointees, unpaid and unpopular. Fishing and hunting licenses weren’t approved until the early 1900s.

The young agency persevered, and attitudes began to shift in the early 20th century, as Theodore Roosevelt made conservation a presidential priority, and sportsman-centered conservation groups—including the League of Ohio Sportsmen (1908) and the Izaak Walton League (1922)—began to exert influence on lawmakers.

Wildlife officers became paid civil service employees. An extensive network of fish hatcheries was constructed, and the first state wildlife area was established (and named for Roosevelt).

Early efforts focused entirely on game—including fish and mammals not native to Ohio, such as ring-necked pheasants and landlocked salmon. This focus on “hookand-bullet” conservation was partly a response to public demand but also a matter of who was paying the bills.

Much of the commission’s early work was funded by hunting and fishing licenses, and in 1937, the federal Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act imposed an excise tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition, with the revenues going to state wildlife agencies. This was followed in 1950 by the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act, which established similar taxes on fishing equipment. In both cases, the money came with strings attached, and those strings were largely tied to recreational hunting and fishing.

ONE GOOD TURN …

Protecting habitat for game animals, however, often benefits a wide range of species, Wecker notes. “If you do one good thing for deer, you’re going to benefit black bears and bobcats as well.”

28 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

Today, the Division of Wildlife owns about 250,000 acres of wildlife areas and manages twice again that much in private property open to hunting. It operates six hatcheries that annually deliver up to 40 million fish to Ohio waters.

Hunting, fishing and trapping dominated the agenda during most of the first century of professional wildlife management in Ohio, but as the modern environmental movement developed in the 1960s and 1970s, the Division of Wildlife saw its mandate expand to include species that weren’t considered game animals— including some that had been nearly wiped out.

These were the days leading up to, and immediately following, the first Earth Day (1970) and included passage of modern versions of the nation’s bedrock environmental laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act (1969), the Clean Water Act (1972), the ban on DDT (1972) and the Endangered Species Act (1973).

ENDANGERED SPECIES

In 1974, Ohio published its first list of endangered species and named 34-year-old biologist Denis Case to lead the new non-game and endangered species program. Of the 71 animals on that first list, the bald eagle was the species that captured the most public attention.

Along with osprey and other birds of prey, America’s national symbol was driven nearly to extinction for a variety of reasons, including DDT, a widely used chemical pesticide that accumulates in the tissues of fish and moves up the food chain. The chemical inhibits the ability of the birds to produce strong eggshells and, therefore, hampers reproduction.

By 1974, there were only four nesting pairs of eagles left in Ohio, all concentrated in a small stretch of Lake Erie shoreline. Concerned about their decline, wildlife

What will the next century bring for the Division of Wildlife?

Left: An Ohio wildlife officer releasing a rehabilitated snowy owl Right: Ohio had more than 800 breeding pairs of bald eagles in 2023.

managers began tracking them as early as 1959, but with a new mandate, Case and the division worked to restore them, using captive-bred eagles from Ohio zoos. Case would climb high into the massive eagle nests, cradling a two-week-old eaglet in a pouch. As the parent birds wheeled overhead, shrieking their protests, he’d replace failed eggs with chicks.

“It was sort of a last-ditch effort to retain the existing population and not lose it,” Case says. “It was a holding action, really, until parts of the puzzle that addressed the bigger picture came into play, like the Clean Water Act’s protection of wetlands and the ban on DDT.” The bald eagle’s comeback is now known as one of the most successful wildlife restoration efforts in history, but Case laughs about how little they really knew at the time.

“I think I had predicted that our goal was to reach 20 nesting pairs by 2000,” he recalls. “And I actually thought that the 20 nesting pairs might represent the maximum we could expect to have in Ohio.

“When we cleared 700 nesting pairs a year or so ago, it was jaw-dropping.” The most recent count? More than 800 breeding pairs.

As in the rest of the nation, there’s been a steady decline in hunting and fishing licenses sold in Ohio over the past 50 years (disregarding an uptick during the pandemic, when all outdoor activity increased). The division’s much broader mandate, however, means there’s still plenty of work to be done, Wecker says. Managing game species and stocking fish remain important, but the division also develops educational materials and supports a variety of projects aimed at changing public demands, like the Lake Erie Birding Trail, and an expansion of the state’s public shooting ranges.

Despite concerns about the digital world taking over our lives and keeping young people in the house, Wecker sees continued interest in the outdoors.

“People have an innate need to be out where there is clean air, clean water and green things. I think there will still be hunting and fishing, as well as bird watching, nature photography, hiking—all are going to be an important part of people’s lives.”

Randy Edwards is a freelance writer who lives in Columbus.

LEARN MORE LEARN MORE You can read A Legacy of Stewardship: The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, 1949–1989 at ohiohistory.org/ODNR1.

This year, Wild Ohio has included a bit of Department of Natural Resources history in each issue. Subscribe at ohiohistory.org/ODNR2.

WELCOME BACK, BLUE

And so began a long list of wildlife reintroduction success stories in Ohio, from the tiny but stunning Karner blue butterfly to the nation’s largest waterfowl, the trumpeter swan. There are myriad reasons for the revival of any species, including habitat restoration, managed hunting and water pollution controls. But for many of these comeback critters, it’s been because the Division of Wildlife, working with federal counterparts and private conservation groups, has taken an active role in the restoration of river otters, sandhill cranes, osprey, peregrine falcons, white-tailed deer, Canada geese and, most recently, lake sturgeon, the oldest and largest native fish species in the Great Lakes.

WATCH Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera to watch a short Echoes Extras companion video about the history of wildlife management in Ohio.

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Federal Bureau of Investigation

The Kansas City Massacre involved the attempt by Charles Arthur “Pretty Boy” Floyd, Vernon Miller and Adam Richetti to free their friend, Frank Nash, a federal prisoner. This photograph was taken in front of the Kansas City railroad depot moments after the attack on June 17, 1933.

30 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

Public Enemy No. 1 THE DEATH OF PRETTY BOY FLOYD BY MARK ROTH

W

hen he felt the world was closing in on him in late October 1934, the only thing Pretty Boy Floyd wanted to do was get back to the Oklahoma hills where he was born and raised.

And Charles Arthur Floyd, who’d been named Public Enemy No. 1 by J. Edgar Hoover, might have made it if it hadn’t been for a fender bender near the Ohio River outside of Wellsville, Ohio. Because of that accident and the events it triggered, Floyd’s life ended in the stubble of a cornfield near Calcutta in eastern Ohio, where he was shot dead by local police and federal agents.

Pretty Boy Floyd was just one of a cast of colorful criminals who captured the American imagination in the 1930s. Some of them were big-city gangsters who came to power during Prohibition, like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano. But many were bank robbers like Floyd, John Dillinger and Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.

Although he was a good-looking young man, the source of his nickname is unclear. Floyd’s relatives in Oklahoma instead called him Choc, after Choctaw beer, a homemade brew that Floyd enjoyed.

According to the Okahoma Historical Society, Floyd was a “notorious and glorified folk bandit … (who) became one of the nation's most celebrated criminals.

“He was immortalized in song by Woody Guthrie and by the fictional Joad family in John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath.

This Robin Hood figure, beloved of America's dispossessed and downtrodden of the Great Depression, was also a wanton bank robber and a man known to J. Edgar Hoover and the law enforcement establishment as ‘Public Enemy Number One.’" Pretty Boy Floyd Picture Gallery

THE HOOVER ERA BEGINS

Bank robberies mushroomed during the Great Depression, partly because bank security was negligible and partly because the advent of faster cars meant thieves could get away quickly. The headline-grabbing criminals of the Depression shared the limelight with a young federal lawman named J. Edgar Hoover, who was at the beginning of his nearly Charles Floyd and his wife, Ruby.

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50-year career. It was Hoover who was responsible for Floyd’s desperate attempt to get back home to his familiar hiding places.

found a 65-year-old florist, James Baum, loading plants into his Nash. Floyd then forced Baum and McMullin to keep driving.

In June 1933, at a Kansas City train station, gunmen intercepted a group of police officers and federal agents who were trying to escort robber Frank Nash to prison.

A lethal burst of gunfire killed Nash and four officers.

They ended up heading northwest on Route 30 toward Lisbon, the county seat of Columbiana County, which was about 15 miles away from Silver Switch. That’s when they saw an empty boxcar blocking the road.

Two witnesses claimed that Floyd and his partner in crime, Adam Richetti, were the trigger men, but Michael Wallis, author of Pretty Boy: The Life and Times of Charles Arthur Floyd, the definitive biography of Floyd, said there has never been solid evidence putting the two men at the scene, and they’d never before served as hit men for the criminal underworld.

Floyd ordered his kidnap victims to turn around, but soon they were being pursued by more officers. The police officers later claimed they had been trading shots with Floyd, but it turned out he had already hightailed it on foot into nearby Spence’s Woods, about five miles southeast of Lisbon.

PUBLIC ENEMY NO. 1

Nevertheless, Hoover was convinced that Floyd and Richetti were guilty, and after federal agents gunned down John Dillinger in Chicago in July 1934, Hoover replaced Dillinger with Pretty Boy Floyd as Public Enemy No. 1.

To avoid capture, Floyd and Richetti had teamed up with two Kansas City sisters, Rose Baird Ash and Beulah Baird, to get as far away from Oklahoma and Kansas as they could. They holed up in an apartment in Buffalo, New York, for more than a year, living under assumed names.

But with the feds closing in, the four fugitives decided to make a mad dash back to Oklahoma.

They drove with only a couple of stops through New York and Pennsylvania and into Ohio.

On Oct. 20, Floyd ran his car into a tree near a railroad siding outside Wellsville called Silver Switch, which today is just a gravel pull-off beside Route 7. The sisters took the car into East Liverpool, just up the Ohio River, for repairs. Floyd and Richetti sat on blankets on the hillside above the river, their weapons close at hand.

A neighbor alerted the flamboyant Wellsville Police Chief, John Fultz, about the two suspicious men. Fultz and two unarmed deputies went to the site, and a gun battle ensued. Fultz managed to arrest Richetti, but Floyd got away. He kept running until he found a man named George McMullin eating breakfast with friends. He offered McMullin $10—worth $225 in today’s money—to drive him to Youngstown.

Back in Wellsville, Fultz had notified federal authorities.

Soon, Hoover’s top agent, 5-foot-4-inch Melvin Purvis, flew into Wellsville to coordinate the search.

By this time, Floyd was marching along Beaver Creek between Calcutta and Clarkson. He stopped at one farmhouse and, in the open-handed tradition of the Depression, was given a sandwich, ginger cookies and apples.

LOST IN THE WOODS

On Oct. 22, he emerged from the woods again at the farm of Ellen Conkle, telling her he had gotten lost when he was hunting squirrels with his brother. Since Floyd was wearing a rumpled suit, Conkle knew he was lying, but agreed to feed him. She got spareribs from cold storage and added potatoes and rice pudding.

Floyd asked if she knew how he could get a ride to Youngstown, and she said her brother, Stewart Dyke, might be able to help once Dyke finished husking corn. Just as they were getting ready to leave, two cars packed with officers arrived at the farm, alerted by a neighbor who’d seen Floyd tramping through the forest.

Floyd ordered Dyke to hide the car behind a corncrib.

He then decided to make a dash for the woods across an open field, zigzagging as he went.

TANK ON ‘E’

Chester Smith, an East Liverpool officer trained as a sharpshooter in World War I, claimed he was the man who brought Floyd down with his .32-20 Winchester rifle. Purvis claimed his agents shot Floyd with their handguns. And to complicate matters further, in 1979— 45 years after the event—an aging Smith told a magazine that Floyd had still been alive after he was disabled, but Purvis ordered his agents to kill him on the spot because Hoover wanted him dead.

Once they got on the road, Floyd pulled his weapons and told McMullin to stick to back roads. But McMullin’s car ran out of gas, and the two men walked until they

Regardless of who killed Floyd, he died at the scene, probably from internal bleeding. One bullet had passed through his right arm, and two others had penetrated his

32 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

Associated Press Associated Press

The body of Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd is propped on a slab in the Columbiana County morgue after he was shot and killed in a gun battle with federal agents on a farm near East Liverpool, Oct. 22, 1934. The officers in the background from left are Chief Hugh J. McDermott, G.G. Montgomery, Chester Smith, Herman Roth and E.G. Sturgis.

Federal agents brought down Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd in a farmyard near East Liverpool, Ohio. The hunted gunman's body is shown here after being measured and fingerprinted. At left, in uniform, is J. McDermott, East Liverpool’s police chief, who was active in the manhunt. Others are detectives and federal agents.

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If you’ll gather ’round me, children, A story I will tell ’Bout Pretty Boy Floyd, an outlaw, Oklahoma knew him well.

It was in the town of Shawnee, A Saturday afternoon, His wife beside him in his wagon As into town they rode.

There a deputy sheriff approached him In a manner rather rude, Vulgar words of anger, An’ his wife she overheard.

Pretty Boy grabbed a log chain, And the deputy grabbed his gun; In the fight that followed He laid that deputy down.

Then he took to the trees and timber Along the river shore, Hiding on the river bottom And he never come back no more.

Yes, he took to the trees and timber To live a life of shame; Every crime in Oklahoma Was added to his name.

But a many a starvin’ farmer The same old story told How the outlaw paid their mortgage And saved their little homes.

Others tell you ’bout a stranger That come to beg a meal, Underneath his napkin Left a thousand-dollar bill.

It was in Oklahoma City, It was on a Christmas Day, There was a whole car load of groceries Come with a note to say: “Well, you say that I’m an outlaw, You say that I’m a thief.

Here’s a Christmas dinner For the families on relief.”

Yes, as through this world I’ve wandered I’ve seen lots of funny men; Some will rob you with a six-gun, And some with a fountain pen.

And as through your life you travel, Yes, as through your life you roam, You won’t never see an outlaw Drive a family from their home.

—Woody Guthrie, 1958

34 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

torso, with one tearing through his pancreas. He never fired his .45 pistol. He was just 30 years old.

Floyd’s body was transported to Sturgis Funeral Home in East Liverpool, where an autopsy was performed and he was laid out for an impromptu public viewing.

Hundreds of people, dressed in their best clothes, showed up to file past the famous outlaw’s body.

Sometime before the viewing began, an experienced craftsman in this city famous for its pottery arrived and made a plaster death mask of Floyd, many copies of which still exist.

LARGEST FUNERAL IN OKLAHOMA HISTORY

Floyd’s body was transported by train back to Akins, Oklahoma, for burial. While the numbers may be exaggerated, reporters at the time claimed that up to 40,000 people attended Floyd’s burial rites, the largest funeral in Oklahoma history.

Wallis, Floyd’s biographer, said that many of the Depression-era bank robbers cultivated a Robin Hood reputation, but Floyd is one of the few where there’s actual evidence that he sometimes shared the proceeds of his robberies with needy citizens.

Wallis interviewed Floyd’s son, Jack Dempsey Floyd, who remembered a time he went with his father to an Oklahoma farmhouse.

“Jackie, get that box of groceries out of the back seat and take it up and leave it on that porch,” he recalled his father saying, as his father stuffed money into the box. When the door opened and a farmer and his barefoot children emerged, Floyd and his son drove off.

It’s easy to understand how the bank robbers captured the public imagination, says Barry Latzer, an expert on the history of crime in America.

“There was so much resentment of the banks and the big corporations during the Depression,” Latzer says, “when nearly 70% of Americans were living below the poverty line. People were so scared and miserable and impoverished, I think it was understandable they resented the banks, and I think these criminals played on that theme.”

Today, nearly 90 years since the shooting, Pretty Boy Floyd’s Ohio escapades have become a cottage industry for Tim Brookes, president of the East Liverpool Historical Society, and Kelsey Hedrick, a St. Clair Township officer who established East Liverpool’s Ohio Police Museum in 2002.

EARN LEARN MORE MORE The FBI’s website features a detailed article on the June 1933 Kansas City Massacre and follows Floyd’s exploits until he was gunned down near East Liverpool more than a year later, in October 1934.

Read it at ohiohistory.org/prettyboy1.

In 1998, Kent State University Press published The Life and Death of Pretty Boy Floyd by Jeffery S. King, an account of the life of “one of the last of the so-called Robin Hood outlaws in the tradition of Jesse James, Billy the Kid, and John Dillinger.” To write about Floyd’s life, crimes and death, King “makes extensive use of FBI reports, government records, local newspapers, and contemporary journalistic accounts.”

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Just this year, the East Liverpool Historical Society and the Ohio Police Museum released the documentary The Death of Pretty Boy Floyd Near East Liverpool Ohio. View it at ohiohistory.org/prettyboy2.

This mask of Pretty Boy Floyd’s face was made after his death on October 22, 1934.

They give frequent talks about Floyd, and if they’re speaking to people in their region, there’s always someone in the audience who claims their relative was present at Floyd’s death.

“There are so many people who make that claim,” Brookes says, “that at one of the sessions, I got fed up and said, ‘Well then, they must have had bleachers at the Conkle farm to accommodate everyone who saw him die.’”

Mark Roth is a freelance writer who used to teach science writing at Carnegie Mellon University. He retired from daily journalism in 2015 after 33 years as a writer and editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. As an editor, he oversaw one Pulitzer Prize-winning entry and one Pulitzer finalist, as well as several other award-winning projects, including a detailed look at the United Flight 93 crash in which passengers rose up against terrorists on the plane.

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“

Here comes a man with a downcast look. He is full of leprosy, a mass of corruption, dying bit by bit. Following him is a child of about 1 year of age …. The mouth is (so) sore it can hardly swallow, yet it tries to nurse from the mother’s breast, which is so swollen from elephantiasis it hangs into her lap …

—Nurse Maud Elizabeth Hoyle, Sierra Leone, 1921

Maud Elizabeth Hoyle was issued this passport by the U.S. Department of State in 1927.

36 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

”

Beautiful Feet

THE STORY OF 1920s MISSIONARY MAUD ELIZABETH HOYLE BY TOM STAFFORD

“A

s it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.”—Romans 10:15 NIV

The men of the faith were supportive and encouraging, to be sure.

But it was the Women’s Missionary Committee of the United Brethren in Christ that bought the denomination’s first acreage on the Bompeh River in 1875 to establish a mission to Sierra Leone.

Michele Cash Russo gives us a sense of the challenges of that service— and the courageous women who carried it out—in Beautiful Feet, a biography and tribute to her great-aunt, Maud Elizabeth Hoyle.

The story begins on a sleepless, prayerful night in Springboro, Ohio, in 1881. “When there was little hope that tiny Maud would survive,” Russo tells us, “her mother knelt beside her and prayed, promising to dedicate Maud to God if God would restore her to health.”

When Maud survived, Ida Hoyle kept her promise—as did Maud years later when she willingly volunteered to do work in a country in which more than 100 United Brethren missionaries had died before she was born, half of them women.

Maud was 12 when the family bought a five-acre truck farm (a farm that produces vegetables for market) in Springfield. She attended the east side’s Lagonda United Brethren Church and memorized books of the Bible while planting potatoes her family sold at the City Market next to their prized white celery.

GOD’S BUSINESS

But in her mid-20s—with God’s business in mind—Maud earned a diploma from the International Sunday School Association’s correspondence program, a credential that helped her become one of four women in a class of 12 entering the United Brethren seminary in Dayton—this in an era when many denominations barred women from ministerial service.

Maud’s thesis, Practical Christianity, is reprinted in Beautiful Feet and provides this trenchant assessment of a believer’s life work: “The substantial essence of religion does not consist in deep experiences, but in duty performed.”

Michele Cash Russo

Although Maud passed the Boxwell-Patterson Exam that qualified her for a free high school education, she continued to work instead for the family business.

Maud Hoyle’s ring denoting membership in the United Brethren’s “I am His” Circle, an international organization founded by David C. Cook to help young people “to live faithfully for Jesus.”

Assigned to Springfield and asked to organize a new church for neighbors attending the Sunday school she was leading, the woman Except where noted, all images courtesy of Otterbein University, Courtright Memorial Library, Special Collections

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Postcard depicting a side view of Krootown Road, Sierra Leone, early 1900s.

Postcard view of Rotifunk, Sierra Leone, early 1900s.

Russo describes as “young (29), single … petite (5 foot 1) and just out of seminary” got straight to work.

TALES OF SERVICE

After attending the organizational meeting of Jan. 27, 1912, Maud turned the first shovel at the groundbreaking that March 14, conducted the first service as pastor Aug. 27 and, with a congregation that had nearly doubled, set fire to the mortgage of the Columbus Avenue United Brethren Church on Jan. 3, 1915. Maud was one of three on the all-women finance committee.

OLD-SCHOOL NURSING

Then, with her 40th birthday five years off and the denomination rule that prohibited people over that age from foreign mission work, she prepared in the nurse training program at Springfield City Hospital.

Russo provides a sense of the nursing curriculum by citing a professional nursing organization’s recommendation: That in “her first year,” a nurse must be exposed to “enough of certain tasks naturally perhaps distasteful or repulsive, to get finally rid of whatever inhibitions or repugnancies she may feel towards them. … If she retains them, she had better seek her vocation elsewhere.”

Family stories about Maud’s nine years in Sierra Leone include her bravely walking past cannibals while on her way to a mission site, her using a piece of ironwood to kill a snake threatening a child at the Rotifunk Clinic and of her close relationship with the resident pastor at Rotifunk, James Alfred Karefa-Smart, who named a daughter after her.

Maud’s own testimonies speak to the achievement of so many who’ve taken on missionary and humanitarian work across the globe: the capacity to witness and endure the magnitude and depth of suffering in a world of unending need.

•

“Here comes a man with a downcast look. He is full of leprosy, a mass of corruption, dying bit by bit. Following him is a child of about 1 year of age.

The little hand is ready to drop off from the wrist.

From a sore in the thigh, you can see up into the abdomen. The mouth is (so) sore it can hardly swallow, yet it tries to nurse from the mother’s breast, which is so swollen from elephantiasis it hangs into her lap.”

•

“As we meet these cases day after day among all types of people—some eager and willing to hear the Word, others obstinate and impatient—we have cause at times for rejoicing; then at other times we do not dare to think, only trust, knowing if we continue to do His will the people will someday know Him, believe in Him and surrender their lives to Him.”

•

“I believe it would be easier to tell what I have not than to tell what I have done. But, as a summary, I will say that I have filled the office this year of a surgeon, physician, nurse, optometrist, teacher, preacher, itinerant, anesthetist, dentist, dressmaker and tailor. … I only wish it were possible to remain longer.”

En route to Sierra Leone in 1921, she likely received advance training in repugnance management during a visit to a center for the study of tropical diseases in Liverpool, England.

When she reported to her mission in 1921, she would have understood the risk to her safety she was taking.

Inside the Rotifunk compound stood the Martyrs Chapel honoring the eight United Brethren missionaries who were variously stripped, raped, hacked to death or beheaded during the Hut Tax War of 1898. (The Hatfield-Archer Dispensary, where Maud would do most of her work, was named for two martyred doctors, both women: Dr. Marietta Hatfield, who was from Miami County, Ohio, and Dr. Mary Archer.)

38 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

•

And there is this insightful passage written while serving in the eastern village of Jaiama: “Here I found the people different, the language different.

While I had the same work, it was carried on in a different way. Sometimes I thought I was different too. … The greater part of the year, I made up 17 feedings a day for motherless babies.”

Having watched her at work in the final posting of her nine years of service, Rev. T.B. Williams wrote this tribute: (Before Hoyle’s arrival) “It was never known that there were so many sick folks of diverse diseases in the Taiama chiefdom. The fame of this wonderful woman … spread rapidly as fire among the stubble into the remotest corners of the chiefdom. … Young and old, near and distant, deeply regret her departure and unanimously express the sanguine hope for her return at the end of the furlough.”

FINAL FOOTSTEPS

But at 49—with cataracts clouding her vision and worries over her aged mother’s health—Hoyle left the mission field, arriving home just in time for the Great Depression.

In the coming years, Russo tells us, Maud’s brothers slipped dollar bills into her Bible to help her make ends meet, and she endured one of her life’s greatest disappointments: being unable to afford the white lace collar she so wanted to adorn the funeral dress of the mother who had set her on a path of service.

For much of the remainder of her 82 years, Maud continued nursing, including at the Otterbein Home in Lebanon, Ohio, which cared for aging members of her faith and where she occasionally rubbed shoulders with others who had served in Sierra Leone.

Even after her official retirement and while suffering from congestive heart failure, Russo writes, “Maud was known to tie handkerchiefs around her (swollen) feet as she prepared to go to a patient’s room to sit with them at night so that they would not die alone.”

Hoyle died in Springfield on July 12, 1958, ending a life that kept her mother’s promise to God and whose epitaph might be found in the title of S.S. Hough’s 1958 history of the Women’s Association of the United Brethren in Christ: Faith That Achieved.

Maud Elizabeth Hoyle graduated from the Bonebrake Seminary in 1909. This is her graduation photograph.

LEARN MORE LEARN MORE Beautiful Feet: The Story of Maud Elizabeth Hoyle, by Michele Cash Russo, is available for purchase online.

History of the Women’s Missionary Association of the United Brethren in Christ by Lillian Resler Harford and Alice Estella Bell (1921) was, according to BiblioLife LLC, recently “selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.” It was reprinted by the Legare Street Press.

For several entries about the history of the United Brethren in Christ, visit ohiohistorycentral.org and search “United Brethren.”

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

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40 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

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Steve Kistler Collection, Friends of White Water Shaker Village

Shakers’ Height VOLUNTEERS WORK TO RESTORE WHITE WATER SHAKER VILLAGE BY TIM FERAN Top: Shakers posing in front of the Meeting House at the North Family of White Water.

From left to right, Elder Stephen Ball, Joseph Kennedy, Sara Smith, Florence Green, Cora Stephens, a hired man and Elder Charles Sturr.

Rosalie Andrews Collection, Friends of White Water Shaker Village

Portrait: From left to right, Riley Cook, Brother Henry Frederick and Henry Grop. Grop, raised by the Shakers, maintained friendships in the community after he left in 1890.

Bottom: Henry Grop, left, and Brother August Frederick posing in front of a CH&DR locomotive at Dayton’s Union Station, about 1900.

M

ost homeowners will agree that renovation projects always take longer to complete and cost more than expected.

Now imagine if that little renovation project happens to involve 10 original Shaker buildings in southwestern Ohio that have survived almost 200 years of tornadoes, neglect and misguided remodeling efforts—one of which included putting a hot tub in a previously austere bathroom.

That’s what Friends of White Water Shaker Village has faced since the nonprofit, all-volunteer group was founded in 2002.

FOUNDED IN 1823

White Water is one of 24 communal villages founded in the United States between 1787 and 1824 by the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, commonly called the “Shakers” because of their ecstatic dancing during worship services. White Water was the last society formed at the end of rapid Shaker expansion in the West.

Located on Oxford Road just outside of Harrison, Ohio, White Water was founded in 1823 by early settlers in Hamilton County and Butler County and is the only remaining village of five original Ohio Shaker villages.

Prior to the settlement at White Water, Shaker communities established in Ohio were Union Village (near Lebanon, 1805), Watervliet (Kettering, 1806), North Union (near Cleveland, 1822) and Darby Plains (Union County, 1822).

For 93 years, White Water Shaker Village was a thriving center for the Shakers. They were known for their simple way of life, technical innovations, music and hand-crafted furniture. They also believed in the importance of gender equality.

At its height before the Civil War, there were 180 Shakers living at the White Water Village. After the Civil War, its population declined. By 1916, with fewer than 10 Shakers left, the village closed and the land was sold to three local farming families.

AN UNUSUAL DESIGN

The village is unique in various ways. For instance, the Meeting House, built in 1827, is made of brick.

“It’s the only brick Shaker Meeting House remaining in existence,” says Friends board member Jennifer Bornemann. “All of the others—on the East Coast—are made of wood.”

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The design of the Meeting House was also unusual for its era, with the second floor suspended by a trussand-hanger system in the attic. This design meant that the first floor is completely open and without the obstruction of columns, providing room for the Shakers to dance unimpeded during their religious services. Wood pegs embedded flush in the floor mark where the dancers should stand during the choreographed service.

Another unusual feature of the Meeting House is the double doors in both the front and back, with the back doors for Shakers and the front doors for “the World’s people.” The double doors were in keeping with the Shaker policy of strict separation of the genders—and of celibacy, which meant that the Shakers could only continue to exist by recruiting new members from outside in “the World.”

THE OUTSKIRTS OF SHAKERDOM

The Ohio group was able to skirt those rules partly because “it was on the fringe of Shakerdom,” the sect’s farthest outpost west, and also because the Shakers knew how to make do with whatever material was at hand, says Friends board president Richard Spence.

“The sawmill wasn’t running yet, plus there were a lot of young men available to work—and a lot of clay around here from a nearby pond,” he says.

Providentially, the brick construction has proved to be durable.

“The building survived a tornado in 1952,” Spence says. “It took the roof off, but the building survived.”

But what couldn’t be destroyed by nature has been damaged by human activity. A private owner took out the original attic stairway in the Meeting House second floor when he brought up his Jacuzzi, Spence says, sighing.

And of course no photos were taken of how the stairway looked.

The White Water Shakers used brick in constructing the Meeting House despite rules in the Millennial Laws that prohibited such material. Painted wood in the structure was different from the color specified in the rules, too.

When the Friends needed to replace rafters in the attic, “we asked the architect if we could just spread the posts—and he fainted, so we used sliding tenons to avoid stressing—and possibly wrecking—the brick walls,” Spence says.

Collection of James R. Innis, Jr.

While the sect’s rules—the Millennial Laws—mandated everything from celibacy to the proper materials to be used in constructing buildings like the Meeting House, those rules could be bent.

Elder Charles Faraday and boys in front of the Shaker Broom Shop about 1890. The Center Family dwelling is in the background.

42 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

A HIDDEN GEM

After the Great Parks of Hamilton County purchased the buildings from private owners between 1989 and 1991, the park district stabilized the structures. Since the Great Parks mission doesn’t focus on historic preservation, in 2007 the Friends began leasing eight acres and 10 buildings from the park district to take on the big job of restoring this little-known historic gem.

Despite its uniqueness, the village has been relatively unknown in recent years, even among local residents, says Friends board member Linda Poynter.

“I live two-tenths of a mile up the road,” Poynter says during a recent tour of the village. “I’ve always been interested in history, and on vacations we’d always hit historical sites. I know that there are lots of ‘somebodies’ who have saved those places. It is my turn to help save White Water for others to enjoy.”

Unbeknownst to her, “my dad used to sit on the steps of the North Family Dwelling House as a little boy while his parents played cards inside,” Poynter says, adding in astonishment, “when I saw there was going to be an open house here, my dad—who is now 88—said, ‘Oh, yeah, I’ve been inside.’

“We have members in 21 states, but getting word out even here is important,” Poynter says. “We often hear people say, ‘I didn’t know it was here, and I live 4 miles away.’ But they’ve been to Pleasant Hill,” the Shaker religious community in Kentucky that is now a National Historic Landmark.

BIG PLANS

This year, as White Water Shaker Village celebrates the 200th anniversary of its founding, the Friends continue to press forward with restoration. Their goal, when all the work is done, is to offer docent-led tours, Shaker craft workshops, demonstrations and fairs, and a shop selling Shaker-style crafts and books.

Their efforts have, predictably, come up against unexpected complications. “The previous owners of the Dwelling House poured concrete into peg rail channels because they wanted wallpaper,” Poynter says. “We had a gift shop in one of those rooms and wanted to put the peg rails back, but didn’t expect it to take this long to remove the concrete. And we’re getting bids on the upstairs to fix the ceilings and skim coat so we can paint.

“We’re trying to stretch as much as we can. There have been a lot of donors, a lot of volunteers.”

The Shaker Museum & Library, Old Chatham, NY

Elder Frederick Faulhaber and the White Water Meeting House about 1890.

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Among those donors was Hedda Windisch von Goeben, whose roots were in Cincinnati’s historic Windisch-Muhlhauser Brewing Company. When she died in 2021 in Granville, Ohio, she left the Friends an endowment of more than $460,000.

“She appreciated the fact that we are all-volunteer and doing the majority of the work ourselves,” Poynter explains.

Rosalie Andrews Collection, Friends of White Water Shaker Village

The Friends have already completed work on a modern restroom and septic system, and are working on installing parking lots, walkways and exterior lighting while meeting other code requirements. Their restoration of the Meeting House continues, and they’ve begun to restore the Milk House, built in 1849.

At the turn of the 20th century, a visitor to the village, A.D. Emerich, called it the best collection of Shaker buildings in private hands in America.

Sister Melissa Carpenter

“More than 200 years later, our ultimate goal is to restore all the buildings to how they looked,” Spence says.

Tim Feran is a native of Cleveland and a

Rosalie Andrews Collection, Friends of White Water Shaker Village

graduate of Harvard University. For more than 40 years, he’s been a professional journalist, first at the Lorain Journal, then for 30 years at The Columbus Dispatch, and currently as a freelance writer. He lives in Columbus with his wife, Maryellen O'Shaughnessy, Franklin County Clerk of Courts.

LEARN MORE LEARN MORE In June, Cincinnati Magazine featured a story about White Water Shaker Village. Read it at ohiohistory.org/shaker1.

Rosalie Andrews Collection, Friends of White Water Shaker Village

Unknown White Water Sister

Sister Lucinda Parker 44 Echoes | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023

Visit the Friends of White Water Shaker Village website at whitewatervillage.org. The group is hosting open houses on Sept. 24 and Oct. 7 from 2 to 5 p.m. They’re also scheduling small group tours.

Email them at friendsofwwsv@gmail.com.

Steve Kistler Collection, Friends of White Water Shaker Village Linda Poynter, Friends of White Water Shaker Village

Top: North Family vista from the north, about 1890.

Bottom: Present day view of the 1827 Meeting House (far left), 1832 Dwelling (center) and 1826 Woodhouse (right) at the White Water Shaker Village North Family site.

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I Wish I’d Been There THE TOLEDO MUSEUM OF ART’S PERISTYLE

BY TOM HARMS

The Great Depression took a terrible toll on the construction industry, so it was joyful news in early 1931 when the Toledo Museum of Art announced it was fast-tracking long-range plans to add two wings.

The founder of the Libbey Glass Company, Edward Drummond Libbey, had funded the construction of the museum and created a sizable endowment for it in 1901. Libbey passed away in 1925, but as the Depression hit the nation, his wife, Florence Scott Libbey, pushed for a pet project of hers to begin sooner than planned: the construction of a concert hall inspired by a Greek amphitheatre.

For two years, more than 3,000 workers were employed during some of the hardest years of the Depression.

By January 1933, the theatre was ready for its premiere.

The Peristyle was a breathtaking work of art from its inception. The seats were arranged in tiers resembling a Greek theatre. At the top of the seating stood a row of 28 Ionic-style columns. Across the proscenium arch, five colorful medallions represented Pegasus, Mercury, Apollo, Terpsichore and Daedalus.

STATE OF THE ART Noted acoustical engineer Clifford Swan had painstakingly designed the state-of-the-art concert facility.

Above the audience hung a dome of acoustical plaster, the first of its kind in America. Twenty acoustic panels in the wall of the promenade above the seating featured felt covered in canvas with rows of pinprick holes to provide sound absorption. Cork flooring and plaster walls resembling marble also contributed to the exceptional sound quality in the concert hall.

My grandfather, Fred J. Lauer, was the assistant chief engineer on the project. His signature appears on most of the correspondence and documents archived in the museum’s library. This was one of the projects of which he was most proud, and several times he told our family the story of his meeting with a world-renowned orchestra conductor at the premiere concert at the Peristyle.

Grandpa had moved from his home in Ottoville, Ohio, in 1906 to nearby

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Delphos to attend high school. Each morning after completing his chores on his uncle’s farm, he made his way to school. A teacher detected his aptitude for math and urged him to consider attending college.

He joined the A. Bentley & Sons Co. engineering and construction firm in Toledo in 1914 following his graduation from The Ohio State University and stayed there through his entire career.

ENTER LEOPOLD! A lifelong classical music enthusiast, my grandfather was excited for the Peristyle debut, for none other than Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra would perform at the premiere on Jan. 10 and 11, 1933, and Grandpa was one of the people assigned to show the conductor around the facility.

Stokowski fancied himself an expert on acoustics and was famously hard to please when it came to concert halls. Museum officials had negotiated with him for months over his exacting demands and, in an effort to please him, installed a canvas ceiling above the orchestra to prevent sound from echoing in the hall.

Now, as the conductor approached the felt panels along the promenade, he insisted the manufactured pinpricks were too small to succeed and, borrowing a pencil, he proceeded to poke larger, deeper holes into the panel to indicate how big the holes should actually be. The engineers and museum dignitaries stood in stunned silence as the conductor

casually vandalized the walls of their new concert hall.

Stokowski had long held the opinion that ventilating equipment in auditoriums raises stale air and the sound of all the coughing and fidgeting from an audience, interfering with the purity of the sound of the music. He insisted that no fans be run during the orchestra’s performances.

BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE At this point, Grandpa spoke up: It was early January, the audience would be uncomfortable without heat and it was a code violation not to provide heat and ventilation during a performance.

The maestro insisted, but the engineer stood his ground. The fans must run throughout all performances.

Oh, to have been there to see that young engineer who had gone bald in his early 20s and the world-famous conductor with his distinctive shock of white hair squaring off just hours before an audience in black tie and evening gowns began to arrive for the inaugural event.

Toledo Museum of Art

Toledo Museum of Art

A photograph of the Peristyle under construction, taken on June 22, 1931.

The interior of the Peristyle, taken shortly after it opened in the 1930s.

Later that evening, high society arrived at the Peristyle to admire the new concert hall and to hear one of the finest orchestras in the country. The next night, the general public attended a second concert with a separate program.

The reviews were glowing, the newspapers full of celebratory articles and photos of the notable attendees.

My grandparents attended the opening performance, as did many of the engineers and members of the Bentley family. The orchestra played magnificently; the ventilating fans performed efficiently. Stokowski was either none the wiser or chose to remain silent about it.

Grandpa enjoyed telling the story of how he once stood up to the renowned Leopold Stokowski, and we never tired of hearing it. I wish I’d been there.

Tom Harms taught English for 38 years at St. John’s Jesuit High School in Toledo. He enjoys reading, travel, music and spending time with his family.

LEARN MORE LEARN MORE The Toledo Art Museum has a timeline of significant events— including the construction of the Peristyle—on its website. Read it at ohiohistory.org/Peristyle1.

The acoustics of the Peristyle were upgraded in 2002. Read about the improvements at akustiks.com.

Learn about Toledo’s rich architectural history—including the history of the Peristyle—in William Speck’s Toledo: A History in Architecture, 1914 to Century’s End (Arcadia Publishing).

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Young Eyes on the Past ELLA P. STEWART—A PIONEER IN PHARMACEUTICS BY CATHERINE MAHONEY

Ella P. Stewart had to break through gender and racial barriers to become the first African American female practicing pharmacist in the United States. Stewart used her career as a platform for civil rights.

She’s an example of a pioneer on the frontier of pharmaceutics because of her race and gender.

Stewart was born Ella Nora Phillips on March 6, 1893, to Henry H. Phillips and Eliza T. (Carr) Phillips, who were sharecroppers. Born in Stringtown, Virginia, she was the oldest of four children.

Bowling Green State University Libraries

An excellent student, she accepted several scholarships to the Storer Normal School (now Storer College).

She attended Storer starting at the age of 12 and graduated in 1910.

This was the only school in the area that would accept students of all races. At this time, most women didn’t go to school after the primary years, and most schools at the time only accepted white students. This was a major accomplishment for a Black woman in 1910.

Stewart’s Pharmacy in Toledo.

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When she first applied to the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Pharmacy, she was turned down.

But she was very persistent, and finally gained admittance in 1914.

She was the first African American woman to graduate from Pitt’s pharmacy program, with a degree in pharmaceutical chemistry.

In 1920, Stewart and her second husband, William Wyatt Stewart, moved to Youngstown. She applied for a job at a local hospital despite the job listing stating it was only open to white people. She got the job and worked there for a short time. The Stewarts eventually moved to Toledo and opened Stewart's Pharmacy in July 1922. They operated it until they sold it in 1945 and retired.

CIVIL RIGHTS PIONEER Not only was Stewart’s Pharmacy a place to purchase medicine, it was also a place where people of all races and backgrounds would hang out.

Although Toledo accommodations were not legally segregated, Black guests were not always welcomed at local hotels. The Stewarts welcomed them into their apartment above the pharmacy as overnight guests in one of the eight bedrooms she’d fixed up for the purpose. Famous people stayed with the Stewarts, including opera singer Marian Anderson and jazz musician Art Tatum.

Stewart was a member of many community groups in Toledo, including the Young Women’s Christian Association and the Enterprise Charity Club. She was president of the Ohio Association of Colored Women from 1944 to 1948, and from 1948 to 1952 was president

of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs. Stewart talked about discrimination and segregation while in these positions. Later, in 1961, she was a member of the Toledo Board of Community Relations and advocated for civil rights.

THE VIRGINIA CONTROVERSY The Virginia controversy happened in 1957 when the Virginia State Chamber of Commerce disinvited Stewart along with other Black Virginians from a banquet. The event was honoring individuals who’d been born in Virginia and done great things in other states.

The governor of Virginia, Thomas B. Stanley, publicly disinvited her and asked for the invitation back. The people planning the event said it was only going to honor whites.

Stewart didn’t send the invitation back and didn’t attend the banquet.

RETIREMENT After Stewart retired from the pharmacy, she worked with the Frederick Douglass Association, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and other organizations to fight for race and gender equality.

In 1952, she was appointed a delegate to the International Conference of Women of the World and subsequently spent time traveling as a goodwill ambassador for the United States. In 1963, she was asked to join the United States National Commission for UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

In a press release announcing the

Ella P. Stewart died on Nov. 27, 1987, in Toledo at the age of 94.

MY HISTORY DAY EXPERIENCE After narrowing down my choices to a few interesting people, I chose Ella P. Stewart not only because she founded her pharmacy, but also because she fought for women’s rights and helped fight for civil rights in her community, country and the world.

I found it interesting to learn about her life and her achievements. In the end, Ella P. Stewart inspired me to stand up for what is right and always follow your dreams. When you do, you can make a difference. I hope her story has inspired you as well.

Catherine (Cate) Mahoney is a freshman at Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati. Her favorite subjects are science and band. Cate plays the French horn in concert band and is a member of local youth symphonies and a Cincinnati Public Schools high school jazz group. Cate also plays mellophone in the marching band. She plans to pursue French horn in some fashion. In her free time, Cate enjoys horseback riding, is a voracious reader and recently discovered her love of writing.

Bowling Green State University Libraries

Ella P. Stewart Award, the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Biological Sciences said the pharmacist and civil rights activist fought her entire life against the barriers of racism and triumphed over them with great dignity and an effortless grace.

Left: Ella P. Stewart as a young woman. Right: In her scrapbook, Ella Stewart wrote below this photograph, “on the steps of the Ambassador en route to Washington, D.C. March 7, 1951.”

LEARN MORE LEARN MORE Cate created a website for the National History Day contest. On her website under the “Legacy” tab, she includes audio clips from an oral history interview with Stewart.

If you’d like to learn more about Stewart, visit ohiohistory.org/ pharmacist.

Young Eyes on the Past highlights work by Ohio students in grades 4–12 participating in regional, state and national History Day competitions organized annually by the Ohio History Connection and local sponsoring organizations statewide.

AWARDS AND HONORS Ella P. Stewart was given many awards and honors during her life and even after she died: 1961: A new school in Toledo was named after her, called the Ella P. Stewart Elementary School, which was later named the Ella P. Stewart Academy for Girls. She volunteered there regularly for several years.

1969: Stewart was named to the roster of Distinguished Alumni of the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy.

1974: Stewart was given an honorary doctorate at the University of Toledo. The Ella P. Stewart Academy for Girls created a museum for Stewart’s diplomas, awards and other personal items.

1978: Stewart was inducted into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame.

1999: Stewart was posthumously inducted into the Toledo Civic Hall of Fame.

Stewart said that the naming of a Toledo elementary school after her was the recognition that she valued the most.

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Reviews

Shop our Ohio History Store in person at the Ohio History Center or online at ohiohistorystore.com for this title and more.

BOOK

Settling Ohio: First Peoples and Beyond, edited by Timothy G. Anderson and Brian Schoen with a foreword by M. Duane Nellis and an afterword by Chief Glenna J. Wallace Ohio historians reacted to David McCullough’s 2019 book The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West with great interest, as well as a strong desire to tell ‘the rest of the story’ about Ohio’s pioneer era. McCullough’s bestseller, set in the rough hills of what would become Marietta, recounts the idealism and perseverance of early settlers in the vast Northwest Territory.

His story springs from the memoirs of educated Anglo-Americans raised in New England, leaving untold the experiences of other inhabitants.

Historians at Ohio University in Athens responded by convening a 2020 gathering of scholars to lift up other historical threads from the same fascinating theme of pioneer Ohio. The resulting essays have been published as Settling Ohio: First Peoples and Beyond, edited by Timothy G. Anderson and Brian Schoen. This book provides a rich set of perspectives that complement McCullough’s worthy tale.

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outcomes of these years was the 1830 Indian Removal Act. The authors of Settling Ohio remind us, through their stories, that this wasn’t inevitable as we often suppose.

Fast-forward to Pickawillany, a trading center near present-day Piqua that blossomed to some 3,000 inhabitants in the 1740s. European colonialism brought not only a threat, but global economic opportunities to Ohio’s Indigenous nations. Settling Ohio paints very local and personal pictures of interactions among highly diverse populations.

Settling Ohio ends with a plea for reappraisal from Chief Glenna Wallace of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe, whose ancestors were removed to Oklahoma under brutal conditions. “I realize that those of us alive today are in no way responsible for past incidents in history. But we do have some responsibility for current practices.”

The current practice of our stewardship of ancient mounds is an example. Wallace, with the authors and editors of Settling Ohio, points the way forward to embracing our shared past to better navigate our future.

One fascinating chapter details the decision-making process of various Myaamia (Miami) communities.

Another details the life of a smallbusiness owner in Marietta, seemingly far removed from the lofty founders of that city. A chapter about John Chapman, the Johnny Appleseed of legend, reminds us that many AngloAmerican Ohioans lived impoverished lives on the margins of settled society.

Another compelling chapter offers a study of local and federal documents showing that at least 90 antebellum communities around Ohio were home to landowning African Americans. Some, but by no means all, arrived here via the Underground Railroad.

Underpinning the whole colorful tapestry was the new federal government’s crushing Revolutionary War debt. Congress’s urgent need to raise funds led to historic and sometimes tragic actions in the summer of 1787, including passage of the Northwest Ordinance which opened the lands north of the Ohio River to settlement. One of the tragic

—Greg Sanders, Freelance Writer, Brecksville, Ohio

Meet the editors of Settling Ohio and hear about their research on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 1 p.m. at the Ohio History Center in Columbus.

See page 16.

Aerial view of Serpent Mound, Adams County, taken about 1960 to 1980.

Ohio History Connection Archival Collections

Settling Ohio starts with a panoramic view of the pioneers who preceded the founders of Marietta. The first inhabitants (not “settlers” in the strictest sense) arrived here about 13,000 years ago, 8,000 years before Egypt’s pyramids were built. These “Clovis point people” were followed by waves of hunter-gatherers, each with its own distinctive characteristics. Then something remarkable happened about 5,000 years ago: Ohio and surrounding states became one of only nine sites around the world where humans independently began cultivating plants for food—a fair definition of

“settlement.” Some 2,500 years later, the mound-building cultures (including Adena and later Hopewell) began constructing the earthworks that inspire awe even today.

At Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries & Nature Preserve east of Newark, the forest floor is pocked with shallow pits left by ancient American Indians who came from the surrounding area to quarry flint from natural outcroppings there. They used the unique, rainbow-colored flint as an item for trade, tools and weapons. In an on-site museum, learn about Ohio’s official gemstone and the ancient process of shaping flint into tools, known as knapping. Read more on page 12 and plan your visit to this fascinating site at ohiohistory.org/flintridge.

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