Echoes Magazine July-Aug 2019

MAGAZINE

JULY & AUGUST 2019 THE MOON LANDING

MASTERS OF GRAVITY

ROSETTA ARMISTEAD

OHIO FARM BUREAU AT 100

One Giant Leap for Mankind

Akron’s Soap Box Derby

A Black Girl’s Journey to Freedom

Stronger Together

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Page 32

Page 36

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MAGA ZINE

Cover: Along with viewers worldwide, Ohioans watched captivated on July 20, 1969, as astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first two people to walk on the moon. See page 26. Photo: NASA

Vol. 58, No. 4 EDITORS

Bill Eichenberger Tom Wolf CONTRIBUTORS

William Russell Coil Sarah DeLucia Jacob G ar tland Abigail Joseph

Contents J U LY & A U G U S T 2 0 1 9

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The Moon Landing— One Giant Leap for Mankind

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Akron’s Soap Box Derby— Masters of Gravity

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The Rosetta Armistead Trial— A Black Girl’s Journey to Freedom

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Stronger Together— The Ohio Farm Bureau at 100

Karen Rober tson David A . Simmons Shannon Thomas

I N E AC H I S S U E

ADVISORY BOARD

Susannah Cleveland B owlin g G re e n St ate Unive r sit y

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

Erin Wingfield

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Contents Letter from Our Editors What’s Your Story?

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

O hio Histor y Conne c tion

Echoes Magazine (ISSN 0012-933X) is published 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

Moving?

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

Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Echoes Magazine, Ohio History Connection, Ohio History Center, 800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, OH 43211-2474 Entire contents © 2019 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.

The Ohio History Connection is a

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The Moon Landing ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND In 1962, President John F. Kennedy launched the space race with his famous “We Choose to Go to the Moon” speech, predicting (correctly) that the U.S. would land a man on the moon within seven years. On July 20, 1969, Wapakoneta, Ohio, native Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon, a remarkable journey that had its roots in the Cold War.

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Akron’s Soap Box Derby MASTERS OF GRAVITY The first Soap Box Derby took place in Dayton in 1934, the brainchild of Myron Scott, a photographer for the Dayton Daily News. The Derby moved to its permanent home in Akron in 1936 and quickly became a nationwide craze, with dozens of newspapers sponsoring qualifying races for the national showdown. Except for four years during World War II, the Derby’s been an Akron tradition every year since.

The Rosetta Armistead Trial A BLACK GIRL’S JOURNEY TO FREEDOM

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In 1855, on the way from Kentucky to Virginia, the passenger train that 15-year-old slave Rosetta Armistead and her escort were traveling on detoured into Ohio, a twist of fate that would have a profound impact on Rosetta. Sparking a legal battle over states’ rights and the moral question of slavery in which she was a pawn, it ultimately became her surprise ticket to freedom.

Stronger Together THE OHIO FARM BUREAU AT 100

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It’s impossible to imagine Ohio without farming. It’s also impossible to imagine agriculture without the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. It was founded in 1919 (though its roots go back much further than that) to advocate “in such a way that would foster cooperation amongst the rural folks of Ohio along commercial, economical, legislative, social and educational lines.”

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LET TER FROM OUR EDITORS It was with great anticipation that we awaited the publication of historian David McCullough’s new book, The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West. By “West,” of course, McCullough means Ohio and the Northwest Territory, where the Rev. Manasseh Cutler and Gen. Rufus Putnam founded the town of Marietta in 1788.

We received a copy of The Pioneers in early May and began reading about the settlement of Marietta. Many of the names we encountered were familiar to us, including Cutler and Putnam, because the Ohio History Connection has two sites in Marietta, our Campus Martius Museum and Ohio River Museum. But that doesn’t mean Cutler and Putnam are household names. Far from it.

The founders of Marietta and the Ohio Company of Associates (a landspeculation firm composed largely of New Englanders who’d been granted land for service during the Revolutionary War) prove to be admirable, and McCullough’s storytelling brings them to life.

It didn’t take long, though, for criticism of The Pioneers to take flight. A review at Slate.com by historian Rebecca Onion featured the subtitle, “Historians have largely discarded the lie that the ‘frontier’ was an empty Eden waiting for American expansion, but not David McCullough.”

Historian William Hogeland, author of Autumn of the Black Snake: George Washington, Mad Anthony Wayne, and the Invasion That Opened the West, tweeted in May that “McCullough appears to have written out the story of Native Americans. They play a minimal role at best.”

In her review of The Pioneers in the New York Times, Harvard historian Joyce E. Chaplin wrote, “McCullough admires the work of the Northwest Ordinance and of Ohio’s high-minded settlers. There is much to admire.

Enough, in fact, that the story can withstand some criticism.” She went on to provide readers context for the “settling” of the Northwest Territory, concluding, “whatever praise Manasseh Cutler and his supporters might deserve, their designated Eden had an original sin: dispossession of the region’s native inhabitants.”

Jennifer Aultman, World Heritage director for the Ohio History Connection, says context is everything.

“White settlers in Ohio stepped into a landscape that was literally shaped by ancient and ever-evolving relationships among American Indian tribes, and by makeshift relationships between tribes and various Euro-American factions,” she says.

“Readers should ask themselves how this tangled web influenced the people and landscapes of McCullough’s history. What would a history that considers the rich complexity of Ohio’s multicultural, multi-ethnic frontier look like? This is not the story McCullough set out to tell, but hopefully it’s the story his readers will seek out next.”

Those next books could include Hogeland’s Autumn of the Black Snake, Jeffrey Ostle’s Surviving Genocide: Native Nations and the United States from the American Revolution to Bleeding Kansas or Colin Calloway’s The Indian World of George Washington.

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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,

“ If you watched the moon landing on July 20, 1969, what are your memories of it?”

Here are some of your responses: SHE’LL NEVER LOOK AT THE MOON THE SAME WAY Watching the first moon-walk is one of my clearest and most fond childhood memories. I had been following the space program avidly and would read articles about it as I delivered newspapers on my route, cutting them out and saving them in scrapbooks.

Our family had just acquired a sleeper sofa for the first time shortly before the moon landing, and we were allowed to stay up late to watch Neil Armstrong take the first steps. I recall several of us crowded on that sofa in our jammies, the room dark except for the flickering black-and-white images from the TV lighting up our faces and making eerie shadows in the room. Mostly I remember the seeming magic of seeing and hearing up close in real time what I could only imagine occurring so many miles away when I had looked up at the moon in the sky previously, and thereafter.

—Mary Ann Silagy, Grandview Heights

Your Story?

1969 MOON LANDING

THE “EAGLE” HAD LANDED In July 1969, as my husband studied ancient history in preparation for upcoming graduate school exams, history was being made in our modern world. Sights of astronauts blasting off into the unknown held our attention as we awaited a historic event of our own, the birth of our first child. We headed to the hospital while the astronauts orbited. Our “eagle” landed early enough for us to watch NASA’s big event happily knowing our son had arrived safely. We returned home in time to watch the astronauts land, thankful for the successful conclusion of both missions. Fifty years later, we continue to remember the amazing events that transpired on July 20, 1969. It was a proud day for our family, for Ohioans and for all Americans.

—Doug Tracy, New Albany

—Mary Tebben, Newark

NASA

PREDICTING THE FUTURE Digging through the newspaper archives at the Ohio History Center, I recently ran across an article written

by Thomas A. Edison in the Sandusky Register on Aug. 31, 1910, in which he predicted that flying machines would one day carry passengers and, quite possibly, “go at a speed of 100 miles per hour.” In that same article, he added, “Ask me if man can ever jump from the earth to the moon and I will reply ‘No,’ because it is not within reason.” Clearly, the future requires flexible dreams. Home from college watching the 1969 moon landing, I was 100 percent certain at that moment that, in my lifetime, I would one day travel to the moon. Surely space travel would soon be the norm. But times and dreams change. Although I won’t make it to the moon, my new lifetime dream is to watch humans land on Mars for the first time.

Above: Apollo 11 liftoff on July 16, 1969, as viewed from the launch tower at the Kennedy Space Center.

STARRY, STARRY NIGHT

NASA

Above: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin raise the U.S. flag on the surface of the moon. It was one of six flags eventually planted by the U.S. The Soviet Union’s unmanned Luna 2 mission successfully delivered a flag on the moon in 1969.

Scenario: Working behind the front desk of Old Faithful Campers Cabins (circa 1969) ... black-and-white 21-inch TV in corner of lobby ... grainy picture but the images were there ... saw Armstrong’s first step ... after my shift ended, walked across the road with co-workers to Firehole River/Old Faithful Geyser area ... enveloped by almost total darkness ... stars everywhere ... looked up at the moon and was overwhelmed by both the experience of being in such a beautiful place and the experience of witnessing such a historic event ...

Fifty years later, I still see it now as I did then. Unforgettable.

—Nancy H. Brown, Pataskala

WHAT’S YOUR STORY? We want to know your stories, so in every issue of Echoes Magazine we ask you a question, then run selected answers in the following issue. Here’s the question for September & October: Are you involved in a family business that’s native to Ohio?

Tell us about it. How long has the business been around? How did it get started?

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

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Photos courtesy Rod Berry Photography

In the News MOON LANDING 50TH ANNIVERSARY

Reach for the Stars Explore Ohio's role in landing a man on the moon at some of these spacerelated attractions.

ARMSTRONG AIR & SPACE MUSEUM

It’s been 50 years since an Ohioan, Wapakoneta’s Neil Armstrong, became the first man to set foot on the moon, on July 20, 1969. On the same day, then-Ohio-governor James A. Rhodes proposed a museum to the achievements of “all Ohioans who have attempted to defy gravity,” including Armstrong, and to the history of the space program.

The people of Wapakoneta came together to raise over $528,000, more than matching $500,000 in state funding. Just three years later to the day, on July 20, 1972, the Ohio History Connection (then the Ohio Historical Society) opened Wapakoneta’s Armstrong Air & Space Museum. It’s been sharing the story of Neil Armstrong, Apollo 11 and America’s aerospace accomplishments ever since.

Looking more than a little like the moon rising, the building still seems futuristic nearly 50 years later. The museum houses many one-of-akind artifacts, including the Gemini 8 spacecraft, Neil Armstrong’s Gemini and Apollo spacesuits and a real moon rock. It’s also home to two full-size aircraft, including the very plane in which Armstrong learned to fly—an Aeronca Champion—and the freshly restored F5D Skylancer, an experimental plane Armstrong flew as a test pilot—one of only four produced.

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Designed for experiential learners, exhibits include replica capsules that let you sit inside a Gemini spacecraft and peer into an Apollo capsule. In the Infinity Room, get a glimpse of what it would be like to walk in space, surrounded by an endless sea of stars.

In one of two simulators, you can also experience the pressure and thrill of successfully landing the lunar module or space shuttle.

A 56-foot dome in the center of the museum houses the Astro Theater, where you can see a movie chronicling the lunar module Eagle’s dramatic 1969 descent to the moon’s surface.

Located at 500 Apollo Drive in Wapakoneta, Armstrong Air & Space Museum is open Mon.–Sat. 9:30 a.m.– 5 p.m. and Sun. 11 a.m.–5 p.m. From October through March, the museum is open Tues.–Sat. 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sun. 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Admission is $10, $9/senior, $4/ages 6–12, Free/age 5 & under. Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission. Questions? 800.860.0142 or armstrongmuseum.org.

Wapakoneta is celebrating the moon landing anniversary with many special events this summer. Learn more at firstonthemoon.org.

1999, and returned to space in 1998 as a member of the space shuttle Discovery crew.

In New Concord, between Cambridge and Zanesville, you can visit the bungalow where Glenn grew up, now a museum where you can feel the pride of Americans who watched him orbit Earth in 1962.

The John & Annie Glenn Museum at 72 W. Main St. in New Concord is open through September Weds.–Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sun. 1–5 p.m.

October hours are Weds.–Sat. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and Sun. 1–4 p.m. The museum closes from November through April, though opens for groups by appointment. Admission is $10, $9/senior, $3/student, Free/age 5 & under. Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission.

Questions? 740.826.3305 or johnglennhome.org Here are some more places where you can explore Ohio’s role in the 1969 moon landing:

JOHN & ANNIE GLENN MUSEUM

NASA IN OHIO

Only seven years before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, another Ohioan made space-race news. In 1962, in the space capsule Friendship 7, New Concord’s John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. He went on to serve as a U.S. senator from Ohio from 1974 to

NASA’s Lewis Research Center (now Glenn Research Center) Zero Gravity Research Facility in Cleveland and Spacecraft Propulsion Research Facility in Sandusky have been National Historic Landmarks since 1985 for their association with the role Ohioans played in the space

CERHAS | Center for the Electronic Reconstruction of Historical and Archaeological Sites

Armstrong Air & Space Museum, Wapakoneta

program that led to the 1969 moon landing. Though they’re not routinely open to visitors, you can learn about special Apollo-themed tours of NASA’s Glenn Research Center at nasa.gov/centers/glenn/events/ tours.html. Cleveland’s Great Lakes Science Center is home to NASA’s official Glenn Visitor Center. Learn more at greatscience.com/explore/ exhibits/nasa-glenn-visitor-center.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S AIR & SPACE MUSEUM

Cleveland’s International Women’s Air & Space Museum at Burke Lakefront Airport, with exhibits in the lobby and west concourse, preserves the history of women in aviation and space and documents their continuing contributions today. The exhibits are free and are open seven days a week. You can also browse the museum and its collections online at iwasm.omeka.net.

AIR FORCE MUSEUM

Dayton’s National Museum of the U.S. Air Force features a Space Gallery where you can explore a full-size space shuttle trainer, Mercury, Gemini and Apollo spacecraft, satellites and equipment used by astronauts. Learn more at nationalmuseum.af.mil/visit/ museum-exhibits/space-gallery.

Computer Simulation of Lunar Alignment, Newark Earthworks

TWO WRIGHTS

OCTAGON EARTHWORKS

Dayton’s Aviation Trail (aviationtrailinc.org/trailsites) includes the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force and more than a dozen other sites in western Ohio associated with Ohioans Wilbur and Orville Wright and other pioneer aviators, without whom there would have been no moon landing. You can explore early aviation history in the National Aviation Heritage Area (aviationheritagearea.com) and Dayton Aviation Heritage National Park (nps.gov/daav/index.htm).

Summer Open House

And check out roadtrips.ohio.org/ trips/space-aviation for To the Moon and Back, a travel itinerary of even more moon-landing related sites in Ohio.

See page 10 for Ohio History Connection Moon Landing 50th Anniversary events.

Twentieth-century Americans weren’t the only people fixated on the moon. The ancient Newark Earthworks, built between A.D. 1 and A.D. 400, align with the rising and setting of the moon. On July 29 from dawn to dusk, you can enjoy an opportunity to explore the full site of the Octagon Earthworks during a special summer open house. Guided tours of the earthworks built by ancient American Indians known as the Hopewell Culture start from the parking lot, or you may take a self-guided tour. Learn more about visiting the Octagon and other ancient Newark Earthworks that align with the rising and setting of the moon at ohiohistory.org/ octagon or call 800.686.6124.

Can't be there on July 29? You'll have one more opportunity to explore the full site of the Octagon Earthworks this year, on Oct. 13.

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Octagon Earthworks, Newark

OCTAGON EARTHWORKS

Judge Rules on Octagon Earthworks Lease On May 10, Licking County Common Pleas Court Judge W. David Branstool issued his decision that the Ohio History Connection has the authority to acquire the lease at the Octagon Earthworks in Newark, Ohio.

In his written decision, Judge Branstool says “The question is whether the OHC (Ohio History Connection) needs to take the property interest in order to achieve its proposed plan to restore full public access to the Octagon Earthworks.

Clearly, the answer is yes. The taking of the lease is necessary to secure the public use and restore full public access as proposed by the OHC (Ohio History Connection).

The (Moundbuilders) Country Club agreed that the plan to restore full public access is incompatible with the operation of a country club and golf course on the premises. And the evidence overwhelmingly supported that conclusion.”

Branstool notes that the Ohio History Connection made a goodfaith effort to acquire the lease with Moundbuilders Country Club. After nearly five years of those negotiations, the Ohio History Connection

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Ohio & Erie Canal

announced in August 2018 its intention to acquire the lease. In November 2018, the Ohio History Connection filed a petition in the Licking County Common Pleas Court and Judge Branstool heard testimony in March and April 2019. “(The) Ohio History Connection has a public duty to operate, protect, and maintain the Octagon Earthworks and promote the state memorial for public use,” Branstool notes in his written decision. “As scripture and song remind us: ‘to everything there is a season and a time for every purpose.’ Experience teaches. Knowledge accumulates.

People learn. Values evolve. Things change. And sometimes, as here, the public interest is more important.”

“We are pleased with this thoughtful and fair decision from Judge Branstool,” says Ohio History Connection Executive Director and CEO Burt Logan.

“This marks an important step forward to make the Octagon fully accessible to the public.

“The Ohio History Connection is responsible for protecting, preserving and sharing the Octagon Earthworks.

We are committed to making the Octagon—a National Historic Landmark and Ohio’s official prehistoric monument—fully accessible to the public and available to researchers.”

A jury trial is scheduled for Tues., Sept. 10, 2019, to determine the value of the lease. To read the full text of Judge Branstool’s decision, visit ohiohistory.org/ statement. To learn more about the Octagon Earthworks, visit ohiohistory.org/octagon. Learn more about the nomination of Ohio’s Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks for designation as a World Heritage Site at worldheritageohio.org.

To get the latest news on Octagon Earthworks, sign up for our weekly Ohio History Connection enewsletter at ohiohistory.org/enews or visit ohiohistory.org/octagonnews.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

Recent Ohio Additions to the National Register of Historic Places ASHVILLE, BALTIMORE, CIRCLEVILLE, GROVEPORT, LOCKBOURNE, RUSHTOWN, WEST PORTSMOUTH • FAIRFIELD, FRANKLIN, PICKAWAY AND SCIOTO COUNTIES OHIO AND ERIE CANAL SOUTHERN DESCENT HISTORIC DISTRICT

Incorporating well-preserved remnants of the old Ohio and Erie Canal scattered over about 100 miles in Fairfield, Franklin, Pickaway and Scioto counties, this noncontiguous historic district adds 10 lift locks, one guard lock, an aqueduct abutment

State Historic Preservation Office

State Historic Preservation Office

Roundwood Manor at Daisy Hill Farm, Hunting Valley

Learn more about the Ohio and Erie Canal at ohiohistorycentral.org, our online encyclopedia of Ohio history.

suburbs, notably Shaker Heights, from the 1910s to mid-1930s. They were also responsible for the development of Cleveland Union Terminal and the Terminal Tower on Public Square, center of their railroad empire. In 1946, the 660-acre Daisy Hill estate was subdivided and Roundwood Manor and seven acres were sold to restaurateur Gordon Stouffer, who reduced the house—which had been more like a country inn—from 90,000 square feet to 55,000. James Bohannon, a later owner, bequeathed the property to John Carroll University in 1968. It later returned to private owners.

Deco elements. It was designed by Cincinnati architects Fechheimer, Ihorst & McCoy. Original interior features including the sanctuary and wood-paneled social hall are wellpreserved.

Who was Isaac M. Wise? Learn more at ohiohistorycentral.org.

State Historic Preservation Office

and piers, a feeder inlet and a watered section of the canal over two miles long to the National Register. Hand-built of dry-laid sandstone, the canal operated from 1827 to 1911. Significant for its association with the history of engineering, commerce and transportation in Ohio, the district was part of a statewide canal network that reached a thousand miles in length. Before the Civil War, Ohio’s canal system was critical to opening our state’s interior to economic development and fostering trade with other states and foreign markets.

Learn more about the Van Sweringens and Daisy Hill Farm in the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Visit case.edu/ech.

CINCINNATI • HAMILTON COUNTY

HUNTING VALLEY CUYAHOGA COUNTY ROUNDWOOD MANOR AT DAISY HILL FARM 3450 Roundwood Rd.

ISAAC M. WISE TEMPLE-CENTER (NOW ZION TEMPLE FIRST PENTECOSTAL CHURCH AND ZION TEMPLE FIRST PENTECOSTAL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY) 3771 Reading Rd.

A Colonial Revival mansion designed by noted Cleveland architect Philip L. Small and built between 1923 and 1927, Roundwood Manor was the primary residence of brothers Oris P. and Mantis J. Van Sweringen.

Developers and railroad barons, the bachelor Van Sweringen brothers had a huge impact on the physical growth of Cleveland and its eastern

This former temple, built in 1926–27, and adjoining school building, built in 1955, have been added to the National Register for their history of association with Reform Judaism and Avondale’s Jewish community from the 1920s to 1973, when the congregation moved to Amberley Village. Faced in granite, the temple is an example of NeoRomanesque architecture with Art

Find out about new National Register listings even faster than we can tell you about them here, online at nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/ weekly-list.htm, where the Keeper of the National Register posts new listings every Friday.

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Harding 2020

Above left: This hardy group gathered in March to help break ground for Marion’s new Harding Presidential Center, now under construction and planned to open in 2020. The center will complement the historic Harding Home, slated to reopen next year after being restored to look as it did in 1920, the year of Harding’s front porch campaign for the presidency. Learn more at ohiohistory.org/give/harding-2020.

Included with museum admission.

Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission. 800.686.6124 or ohiohistory.org STAFF PICK

Apollo 11

Ohio History Connection Moon Landing Anniversary Events ECHOES IN TIME THEATRE

The Eagle Has Landed!

The Apollo 11 Mission SAT., JULY 6 & 20 PERFORMANCES AT 1 & 3 P.M. Ohio History Center, Columbus On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon, taking “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Listen as a member of the ground-control team, portrayed

by Mike Brandl, shares his role in this historic moment. About 30–45 minutes with post-performance Q&A.

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SAT., JULY 13 & 27 • NOON–12:30 P.M. Ohio History Center, Columbus July 20 marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Join a staff guide to see some tiny bits of the moon’s surface and a mini Ohio flag carried to the moon and back that President Nixon presented to the people of Ohio, plus a sampling of the many other gifts and commemorative pieces people from all over the world made to honor Neil Armstrong.

Included with museum admission.

Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission. 800.686.6124 or ohiohistory.org LITTLE HISTORIANS

Space Explorers for Ages 3–6 SAT., JULY 13 OR WEDS., JULY 17 10–11 A.M. Ohio History Center, Columbus Ohioans were some of the first people to take a chance and reach for the

stars. We’ll read stories, play games and do crafts all about space! $5/ ages 3–6, Free/adult chaperone.

Advance registration required. You must participate with your child (Don’t worry—we’ll give you things to do!).

800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/ littlehistorians

Space Camp for Ages 8–12 TUES., JULY 16 • 9:30 A.M.–2 P.M. John & Annie Glenn Museum, New Concord 4 Activities will include a make-and-take project. Enjoy a pizza lunch plus a birthday treat to celebrate what would be John Glenn’s 98th birthday! $20. Advance registration required. 800.752.2602 or johnglennhome.org

Summer Moon Festival FRI., JULY 19–SUN., JULY 21 • 10 A.M.–10 P.M. Armstrong Air & Space Museum, Wapakoneta4 Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing, at Armstrong Air & Space Museum and throughout Wapakoneta, hometown of Neil Armstrong, first man to walk on the moon. Enjoy presentations from astronauts, exhibits from

Above right: NEH Chair Jon Peede, left, talks with Ohio History Connection archivists and librarians.

NASA, aviation inflatables, free activities, science demonstrations, your favorite Star Wars characters, live entertainment, the Lima Area Concert Band, the Run to the Moon races and so much more!

800.860.0142, armstrongmuseum.org or firstonthemoon.org

Moon Landing 50th Anniversary Celebration SAT., JULY 20 • 6:30–11 P.M. Ohio History Center, Columbus Join us for a special evening commemorating the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing. 7–8:30 p.m.: A conversation with Kathy Sullivan, first American woman to walk in space, followed by footage of the Apollo 11 lunar module landing. 8:30–10:30 p.m.: Explore the museum and enjoy space-themed hands-on activities, including a rocket-launch with COSI. 10:30–11 p.m.: Watch Neil Armstrong’s first walk on the moon 50 years to the minute after it happened. $16/Adult, $12/Youth (4-12), $11/Member, $7/ Member Youth. Advance registration required by July 12. 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/moon

NEH Chair Visits Ohio History Center

Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks to the World Heritage List.

On May 9, Jon Peede, chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, visited the Ohio History Center to get a better understanding of the broad range of work that the Ohio History Connection does.

Peede says the National Endowment for the Humanities worked at sites and with artifacts at the Crow Agency in Montana. “There was a Lakota ceremonial blanket from 1910 on display and we had to say, 'The blanket is not ours. We should give it back (to the Lakota tribe).'" He asked Lepper and Aultman about the Ohio History Connection’s procedures for repatriation of artifacts.

TOURS FOLLOWING IN ANCIENT FOOTSTEPS

Peede was especially interested to see and learn more about the permanent exhibit on ancient Ohio, Following in Ancient Footsteps, and toured it with Senior Curator of Archaeology Brad Lepper and World Heritage Director Jen Aultman.

It’s fitting that Peede was particularly interested in Following in Ancient Footsteps. After all, David Hurst Thomas, curator of North American Archaeology for the National Museum of the American Indian, has told Echoes Magazine that the Ohio History Connection has “arguably the best collection of pre-contact American Indian objects from eastern North America.”

Lepper showed Peede the famous Adena Effigy Pipe (circa 100 B.C.) and Shaman of Newark (A.D. 100), among other significant artifacts in the collection, and Aultman shared plans for nominating Ohio’s ancient

“In the case of material human remains, or funerary or sacred objects of clear cultural patrimony,” Lepper says, “those artifacts have already been repatriated or are in the process of being repatriated.”

VISITS 1950s HOUSE PLUS ARCHIVES AND LIBRARY

Heading off to see the museum’s collection of Civil War battle flags, Peede asked his tour guides, “Before we see the flags, can I pop into the prefabricated 1950s (Lustron) home?”

While at the Ohio History Center, he also visited with librarians and archivists in the third-floor archives and library Research Room, who showed him a sampling of materials from Ohio History Connection collections.

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OHIO—CHAMPION OF SPORTS

TRIVIA

Can you answer these Ohio sports trivia questions?

QUESTION: What is the official name of the company that operates a fleet of blimps that hover over many major sporting events?

ANSWER: THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY

QUESTION: Name the coach who won four All-America Football Conference championships (1946–1949) and three NFL championships (1950, 1954–1955) with the Cleveland Browns.

Left: Play ball! On a visit to the Ohio History Center exhibit Ohio—Champion of Sports, first lady Fran DeWine and Gov. Mike DeWine posed with Meagan and Ryan Boggs of the Ohio Village Diamonds and Muffins, two Ohio History Connection vintage teams that play base ball (yes, two words) by 19th-century rules. Right: Making a special guest appearance to host the opening of the exhibit Ohio—Champion of Sports, exhibit mascot Champ poses with guests Jeffrey Stemen and Mike Denison of Roto, the Dublin, Ohio, design firm that helped create Champ and the sports exhibit. Find Champ’s 11inch plush counterpart in our Ohio History Store at the Ohio History Center or online at ohiohistorystore.com, under Ohio—Champion of Sports.

ANSWER: PAUL BROWN

QUESTION: Name the first stadium home of the Cincinnati Bengals while the city constructed Riverfront Stadium.

ANSWER: NIPPERT STADIUM

QUESTION: What Ohioan played her first semiprofessional baseball game at age 17?

ANSWER: ALTA WEISS

QUESTION: This Italian-American boxer, born in Youngstown, Ohio, held the World Boxing Association lightweight title from 1982 to 1984.

ANSWER: RAY “BOOM BOOM” MANCINI

Explore more Ohio sports stories in Ohio—Champion of Sports, on exhibit at the Ohio History Center in Columbus through Sept. 6, 2020! Learn more at ohiohistory.org/sports.

12 Echoes | JULY & AUGUST 2019

ohiohistory.org/sports Book group tours now: 800.686.1541 or reservations@ohiohistory.org

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

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

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

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

CENTRAL OHIO

SOUTHEAST OHIO

37. Harriet Beecher Stowe House 38. John Rankin House 39. Miamisburg Mound

47. Big Bottom Memorial Park 48. Buckeye Furnace

26. Hanby House

40. National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center

27. Logan Elm

41. Paul Laurence Dunbar House

50. Campus Martius Museum

28. Newark Earthworks

42. Serpent Mound

51. John & Annie Glenn Museum

29. Ohio History Center & Ohio Village

43. Story Mound

52. Leo Petroglyphs & Nature Preserve

30. Shrum Mound

44. U.S. Grant Birthplace

53. National Road & Zane Grey Museum

31. Wahkeena Nature Preserve

45. U.S. Grant Boyhood Home & Schoolhouse

54. Ohio River Museum

32. Warren G. Harding Home & Memorial

46. William Henry Harrison Tomb

55. Our House Tavern

25. Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries & Nature Preserve

49. Buffington Island Battlefield Memorial Park

Ohio History Connection members enjoy free regular admission to these museums and attractions.

Find locations, hours and more at ohiohistory.org/places.

OHIOHIS TORY.ORG

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OHIO—CHAMPION OF SPORTS

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

Enjoy the following programs free with museum admission.* Questions? Call 800.686.6124.

1940s to 1970s from our collection and get a special opportunity to examine them up close!

OHIO—CHAMPION OF SPORTS

OHIO VILLAGE

Explore Life in the 1890s WEDS.–SUN. THROUGH SUN., SEPT. 1 10 A.M.–5 P.M. Get a look at life in the 1890s. Make the rounds of village homes and businesses to catch up on gossip (most don’t have a phone), poke your head in on the chickens, use chalk to write on slate, pump some water and maybe try one of those newfangled bicycles at Barrington’s. Some days are busy, some are quieter, though someone’s always up to something!

OHIO VILLAGE

Independence Day SAT., JULY 6 F 10 A.M.–5 P.M. Enjoy old-fashioned family fun in celebration of our nation’s independence throughout Ohio Village, including a Grand Procession, music, dancing and more plus Muffins base ball at 12:30 P.M.!

Get details at ohiohistory.org/village.

MOON LANDING ANNIVERSARY ECHOES IN TIME THEATRE

The Illibuck—How College Students Turned a Turtle Into a Tradition SUN., JULY 7 F 2–2:30 P.M. See the turtle trophy at the center of a little-known Ohio State rivalry and hear how the Bucket & Dipper Junior Class Honorary continues a tradition that began in 1925.

OHIO—CHAMPION OF SPORTS

SAT., JULY 13 F 2–2:30 P.M. Much has changed since Atari introduced Pong in 1972 and the first competition of Space Invaders took place in the 1980s. Today, e-sports is big business, often awarding millions in prize money.

Colleges and universities like Ohio’s own Miami University, University of Akron, Ashland University and The Ohio State University have entered the space of e-gaming. Learn who’s playing the game and what we’re learning from this intersection of sports and technology.

MOON LANDING ANNIVERSARY STAFF PICK

Apollo 11

SAT., JULY 6 & 20 PERFORMANCES AT 1 & 3 P.M. See page 10.

See page 10.

STAFF PICK

Crash of the USS Shenandoah

SAT., JULY 13 & 27 F NOON–12:30 P.M.

STAFF PICK

Ohio Art Company Toys

14 Echoes | JULY & AUGUST 2019

Wanderers to Wonders SUN., JULY 14 F 2–2:30 P.M. During the depths of the Great Depression, Waterloo, Ohio’s, high school basketball team achieved athletic heights few thought possible. Learn more about the amazing rise of the Waterloo Wonders.

OHIO VILLAGE

Evenings on the Green THURS., JULY 18 & AUG. 15 5–8 P.M., MUSIC 6–8 P.M. Ohio Village stays open late to bring you some of central Ohio’s finest music. JULY 18: Bluegrass with the Relentless Mules.

AUG. 15: Family fun with the Shazzbots.

Explore the village, play on the green and try old-fashioned crafts. Enjoy dinner from a local food truck or bring a picnic.

Beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks for sale. No outside alcohol permitted. Paywhat-you-want admission helps support village programming. If it rains, music moves into the Ohio Village Church.

OHIO VILLAGE

E-Sports in Ohio

The Eagle Has Landed!

The Apollo 11 Mission

SUN., JULY 7 F NOON–12:30 P.M. Take a trip down memory lane with colorful Ohio Art Company toys of the

STAFF PICK

SUN., JULY 14 F NOON–12:30 P.M. In September 1925, the Navy rigid airship USS Shenandoah broke up over eastern Ohio during a storm. Learn more about the Shenandoah and see pieces collected from the wreckage.

Victorian Sci-Fi & Invention Day SAT., JULY 20 F 10 A.M.–5 P.M. Marvel at experiments, tinker with contraptions and stand in awe of technological advancements of the 1890s.

Technology of the Great War SAT., JULY 20 F NOON–12:30 P.M. Learn about some of the new and deadly technologies that made World War I so dangerous for soldiers in the trenches, including airplanes and poison gas.

HOMETOWN HISTORIES

Toledo SUN., JULY 21 F NOON–12:30 P.M. We love local history! Learn about Toledo’s notorious “tenderloin” district, a famous hot dog spot and more, and share your own favorite history hideaways in northwest Ohio.

*Museum admission May 25–Sept. 1 includes Ohio History Center + Ohio Village and is $15; $13/ages 60+; $9/ages 4–12.

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1950s—Building the American Dream

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Ohio—Champion of Sports

STAFF PICK

ECHOES IN TIME THEATRE

Devo Energy Dome

Best of Echoes in Time Theatre

SAT., JULY 27 F 2–2:30 P.M. Devo, the legendary New Wave band from Kent, Ohio, had some iconic onstage looks, though none more iconic than the Energy Dome. Learn about the band and see this odd piece of headwear.

OHIO—CHAMPION OF SPORTS

SAT., AUG. 3 & 17 PERFORMANCES AT 1 & 3 P.M. See repeat performances of some recent Echoes in Time Theatre favorites.

Each one-actor play brings history to life. About 30–45 minutes with postperformance Q & A.

Dorothy Dandridge

Johnny & the Big Red Machine

SAT., AUG. 3 & SEPT. 7 F 2–2:30 P.M. In 1954, Cleveland-born Dorothy Dandridge (1922–1965) became the first African American nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actress, for her role in the movie musical Carmen Jones.

Learn about the triumphs and tragedies of her life.

Ancient Fossils Tour SUN., JULY 28 F 2–2:30 P.M. From shallow sea to massive glacier, learn about animals and plants that lived in ancient Ohio and get hands-on with their fossils.

OHIO—CHAMPION OF SPORTS STAFF PICK

Cincinnati Reds Before 1950 SAT., AUG. 3 F NOON–12:30 P.M. Learn about the early days of the Cincinnati Reds, founded in 1866, the oldest professional baseball team in the country.

JULY 27 & SEPT. 7

OHIO VILLAGE

Crime & Corruption Day SAT., AUG. 10 F 10 A.M.–5 P.M. Explore the seedy side of the 1890s.

Channel your inner detective to help solve a crime. Witness a mock trial, wise up to pickpocket lingo and hear about crimes and criminals of the era.

TALK

STAFF PICK SUN., JULY 28 F NOON–12:30 P.M. The Cincinnati Reds dominated Major League Baseball during the 1970s. Stop by to learn more about “the Big Red Machine” and see a jersey that famed catcher Johnny Bench wore.

Genealogy Workshops

OHIO—CHAMPION OF SPORTS

The Zimmermann Telegram & Other Secret Messages SUN., AUG. 11 F NOON–12:30 P.M. In 1917, the U.S. government learned about the Zimmermann Telegram, an encoded German message proposing an alliance with Mexico during World War I. Try your hand at different methods of encoding and decoding in this interactive, kid-friendly program.

EXHIBIT HIGHLIGHTS TOUR

Ohio–Champion of Sports SUN., AUG. 4 NOON–12:30 P.M. In this guided exhibit tour, discover how Ohio has shaped the national sports scene. Through the themes of Tradition, Victory, Identity, Adversity, Innovation and Character, learn about some of the great and lesser-known Ohio athletes who’ve left their mark on history.

F

Tigers, Wolves & Dinosaurs, Oh ... Never Mind SAT., AUG. 24 F NOON Did you know that no dinosaur fossils have ever been found in Ohio? The same is true for fossils of Ice Age sabretooth cats and dire wolves. Stop by to learn why and find out more about ancient Ohio.

Inside the Sampler Case

Judith Resnik & the Challenger Space Shuttle

SUN., AUG. 4 F 2–2:30 P.M. Meet us in Gallery Two, where we’ll take some handcrafted samplers out of their display case and share stories of 19thcentury young women learning the practical art of needlework.

SAT., AUG. 17 & SUN., AUG. 18 2–2:30 P.M. Learn about the second woman in space, Akron native Judith Resnik, one of many astronauts who’ve hailed from Ohio.

Hear about the events that led her to be

STAFF PICK

Museum admission after Sept. 1 includes Ohio History Center and is $13; $11/ages 60+; $7/ages 4–12.

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

OHIOHIS TORY.ORG

15

part of the Challenger team and explore the tragedy that took place when the Challenger exploded on Jan. 28, 1986.

Africans 400 Years in America— “I Am an Answered Prayer”

SPECIAL EVENTS

Sat., July 6 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Thurs., July 18: The Relentless Mules Thurs., Aug.15: The Shazzbots Doors open at 5 p.m., music starts at 6 p.m.

VICTORIAN SCI-FI & INVENTION Sat., July 20•10 a.m.–5 p.m.

FRI., AUG. 23 F 6:30—8:30 P.M. Attend a free public event hosted by the Spirituality Network recognizing the August 1619 arrival of 20 enslaved Africans at Point Comfort in the English colony of Virginia. Fashioned after traditional "Watch Night" services, the reception includes artifact displays from the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center and Ohio History Connection as well as speakers discussing the significance of African American history and culture, especially in Ohio. Free with advance registration required. Spirituality Network, 614.228.8867 or info@ spiritualitynetwork.org

OHIO—CHAMPION OF SPORTS

The Beautiful Game in the Buckeye State SUN., AUG. 25 F NOON–12:30 P.M. Explore the international phenomenon of soccer, as experienced in Ohio. Learn about the history of Ohio’s professional soccer teams and the story of getting and saving the Columbus Crew SC, first Major League Soccer team in Ohio.

UNWRAPPING OUR COLLECTION

Animal Bones & Bird Eggs

DAY

Sat., Aug. 10•10 a.m.–5 p.m.

SUN., AUG. 25 F 2–2:30 P.M. See some animal bones and bird eggs from our natural history collection that aren’t ordinarily on display.

OHIO—CHAMPION OF SPORTS

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INDEPENDENCE DAY, OHIO VILLAGE, JULY 6

OHIO—CHAMPION OF SPORTS ECHOES IN TIME THEATRE

Ohio Stadium—The Shoe None Thought Could Be Filled!

SAT., SEPT. 7 & 21 PERFORMANCES AT 1 & 3 P.M. When Ohio Stadium opened in 1922, it could hold a whopping 66,210 fans.

Though it exceeds that now, at the time many people were skeptical that the seats would fill. Listen as a fan talks about the history of “The Shoe.” About 30–45 minutes with post-performance Q & A. STAFF PICK

Ohio & the Gridiron SUN., SEPT. 8 • NOON–12:30 P.M. On this guided tour, learn about football in the Buckeye State. See notes handwritten by Woody Hayes, a uniform that women playing for the Toledo Troopers wore and more items related to some of the biggest names in Ohio football history on display in the special exhibit Ohio—Champion of Sports.

OHIO VILLAGE

VINTAGE BASE BALL FESTIVAL

Sat., Aug. 31 & Sun., Sept. 1 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

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

Included with general admission. Ohio History Connection members enjoy free admission. Evenings on the Green features pay what you want admission.

OHIOHISTORY.ORG/VILLAGE

16 Echoes | JULY & AUGUST 2019

Ohio Cup Vintage Base Ball Festival SAT., AUG. 31 & SUN., SEPT. 1 9 A.M.–5 P.M. See more than 20 teams from across the nation compete 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.

*Museum admission May 25–Sept. 1 includes Ohio History Center + Ohio Village and is $15; $13/ages 60+; $9/ages 4–12.

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OHIO CUP VINTAGE BASE BALL FESTIVAL, OHIO VILLAGE, AUG. 31 & SEPT. 1

MORE FEATURED EVENTS • • • MOON LANDING ANNIVERSARY

Moon Landing 50th Anniversary Celebration SAT., JULY 20 F 6:30–11 P.M. See page 11 and back cover.

GENEALOGY WORKSHOP

Scandinavian Genealogy SAT., JULY 27 F 10:30 A.M.–12:30 P.M Are your ancestors from Norway, Sweden, Denmark or Finland? Hear Ross Nelson share the histories of these countries and the fascinating stories of thousands of Scandinavians who immigrated to the United States. $20, $15/Ohio History Connection member.

Advance registration recommended.

800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/ genealogy PLEASURES OF THE CUP

Mad for Martinis SAT., AUG. 17 F 7–9:30 P.M. You’re invited to a blast from the past, 1950s style! Learn all about the 1950s and enjoy vintage cocktails as you explore the Ohio History Center museum and the special exhibit 1950s: Building the American Dream with an Eisenhower-era guide. The evening includes drinks, music and tons of retro fun, daddy-o! Advance registration required for this 21-and-over event. $40, $35/Ohio History Connection member.

800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/cup GENEALOGY WORKSHOP

EVENINGS ON THE GREEN, OHIO VILLAGE, JULY 18 & AUG. 15

Digitizing Your Family History SAT., SEPT. 7 F 10:30 A.M.–12:30 P.M. With the growth of digital photography, it’s important to take the right steps to organize and preserve images and documents related to your family history.

In this workshop, get an introduction to digitization for family historians from Lily Birkhimer, our digital projects coordinator. You’ll learn best practices for managing your files and get background information on the best document scanners for your needs. $20, $15/Ohio History Connection member. Advance registration recommended. 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory.org/genealogy

blog at ohiohistory.org/champion.

RELATED PROGRAMS: See bold headings on pages 14–16. 800.686.6124 or ohiohistory.org/sports

1950s— Building the American Dream ONGOING Get a look at life in the 1950s. 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. RELATED PROGRAMS: Mad for Martinis—See Sat., Aug. 7.

FEATURED EXHIBITS • • •

Ohio—Champion of Sports THROUGH SUN., SEPT. 6, 2020

World War I Display

Ohio—Champion of Sports features more than 70 stories and 35 oral histories covering more than 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 test your basketball skills at the Wall of Hoops, record a “victory dance” to share with family and friends, run an obstacle course and record your own “One Minute Legends” sports story.

Follow Ohio’s great sports stories on our

ONGOING See equipment, weapons, uniforms and memorabilia commemorating the centennial of World War I. RELATED PROGRAMS: Technology of the Great War—See Sat., July 20. The Zimmerman Telegram & Other Secret Messages—See Sun., Aug. 11.

Museum admission after Sept. 1 includes Ohio History Center and is $13; $11/ages 60+; $7/ages 4–12.

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

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Don’t forget your membership card when visiting during the Ohio State Fair July 24–Aug 4, 2019.

Ohio History Center COLUMBUS

Historian in Training

$5/ages 3–6, Free/adult chaperone.

Advance registration required. You must participate with your child. (Don’t worry—we’ll give you things to do!)

800.686.6124 or ohiohistory.org

We believe it’s never too soon to start learning the tools of the history trade. That’s why we’ve created Historian in Training, a monthly series offering kids a chance to start building historicalthinking skills through hands-on engagement and fun activities.

Ohio History Classes & Workshops All Things Bones— Identifying & Interpreting Skeletal Specimens

MOON LANDING ANNIVERSARY

Space Explorers

SAT., AUG. 10 & 17 F 1–4 P.M. Learn about bones, including human bone structure and forensics, fossils of Ice Age mammals and animal bones recovered from archaeological sites. Useful for anyone interested in natural history or archaeology, this two-session hands-on course features PowerPoint talks, museum tours and interactive exercises. $40, $30/Ohio History Connection member, $20/ student. Advance registration required

by Aug. 3. 800.686.1541 or ohiohistory. org/classes

SAT., JULY 13 OR WEDS., JULY 17 10–11 A.M. Ohioans were some of the first people to take a chance and reach for the stars.

We’ll read stories, play games and do crafts all about space!

Little Detectives WEDS., AUG. 7 OR SAT., AUG. 10 10–11 A.M. Have you always wanted to be a detective? Now’s your chance! Learn different detecting techniques as we try to solve a mystery in the museum.

Ohio History Center Hours Museum & Ohio Village

Third Floor Research Room

THROUGH SUN., SEPT. 1:

WEDS.—SAT. 10 A.M.–5 P.M. CLOSED SUN.–TUES.

WEDS.–SUN. 10 A.M.–5 P.M. CLOSED MON.–TUES. OHIO VILLAGE OPEN UNTIL 8 P.M. THURS., JULY 18, & THURS., AUG. 15 FOR EVENING ON THE GREENS The Ohio History Center Museum & Ohio Village are closed Thurs., July 4, and Mon., Sept. 2. Celebrate Independence Day with us in Ohio Village on Sat., July 6, 10 a.m.– 5 p.m. See page 14.

18 Echoes | JULY & AUGUST 2019

Show your membership card to the parking attendant at the Ohio History Center parking lot during business hours for free parking.

NOW OPEN

Open 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Seven days a week SERVING:

• Soups • Salads • Sandwiches • Sides

• Desserts • Coffee • Pepsi products

Ohio History Connection

MEMBERS SAVE 10% at the Plaza Cafe!

Plaza Cafe MON.–SUN. 11 A.M.–2 P.M. The Plaza Cafe at the Ohio History Center is open 11 a.m.–2 p.m. seven days a week, and serves soups, salads, sandwiches, a variety of sides and desserts, coffee and Pepsi products. Ohio History Connection members save 10 percent at the Plaza Cafe.

*Museum admission May 25–Sept. 1 includes Ohio History Center + Ohio Village and is $15; $13/ages 60+; $9/ages 4–12.

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 CENTRAL OHIO

BLACKSMITHING 102

Intermediate Blacksmithing See also Programs & Exhibits at the Ohio History Center & Ohio Village, pages 14–18.

Octagon Earthworks Open House MON., JULY 29 F 7 A.M.–8:30 P.M. Octagon Earthworks, Newark 4 Experience, self-guided or guided, the expansive Octagon Earthworks during the summer Open House. Guided tours start at the information signs by the parking lot.

Free. 740.344.0498

SAT., JULY 13 OR SEPT. 14 F 8 A.M.–5 P.M. Zoar Village, Zoar 4 Spend all day at the forge working on a project to take home. Project may include leaf work, fullering, horseshoes, fire poker or rake, paper towel or bathroom tissue holder.

Cost includes instruction, materials and lunch. Must have completed Beginning Blacksmithing to register. Limited to three apprentices. $175. Advance registration required by July 5 for July 13 or by Aug. 28 for Sept. 14. 800.262.6195 or historiczoarvillage.com REVOLUTIONARY WAR REENACTMENT & ENCAMPMENT

NORTHEAST OHIO

Fourth of July Ceremony THURS., JULY 4 F 11 A.M.–1 P.M. Fort Laurens, near Bolivar 4 See page 25.

FREE SPEAKER SERIES

Animals of Ohio SAT., JULY 6 F 11 A.M.–NOON Schoolhouse, Zoar Village, Zoar 4 The Wilderness Center presents Animals of Ohio. Learn about various species that live in our state, their characteristics and how they survive. Free. 800.262.6195 or historiczoarvillage.com FREE SPEAKER SERIES

Fort Jefferson— The Lost Fort of Kentucky SAT., JULY 13 F 11 A.M.–NOON Fort Laurens, near Bolivar 4 Hear author Geoff Baggett present a program about this short-lived frontier outpost along the Mississippi River. Established in 1780, Fort Jefferson was abandoned after a siege by the British and their Chickasaw Nation allies—the only major combat between American and Chickasaw forces in the American Revolution. Free. 800.262.6195 or fortlaurens.org

Revolution on the Tuscarawas SAT., JULY 13 F 10 A.M.–5 P.M. SUN., JULY 14 F 10 A.M.–4 P.M. Fort Laurens, near Bolivar 4 Travel back in time—explore British and Continental camps, meet soldiers from both sides, learn about colonial American life and more, including musket drills, colonial games and crafts for kids. A mock battle for American Independence closes each day. $10, $5/ages 12 & under.

800.262.6195 or fortlaurens.org

History Day Camp for Adults TUES.–FRI., JULY 16–19 F 1–4 P.M. Fort Laurens, near Bolivar 4 Our popular History Camp for kids has been adapted for adults! Learn about a different period in American history each day—including the Revolutionary War and canal life— through interactive demonstrations and hands-on activities. Three days in historic Zoar Village; one day at Fort Laurens. $25/ person per day or $85 for all four days.

Registration and prepayment required by July 9. 800.262.6195 or fortlaurens.org BLACKSMITHING 103

Intro to Fire Welding SAT., JULY 20 F 8 A.M.–5 P.M. Zoar Village, Zoar 4 Get an introduction to the mechanics of forge welding and fire welding, including scarf theory and

flux application. Take home a welded fire poker, nail header and chain. Cost includes instruction, materials and lunch.

Must have completed both Beginning and Intermediate Blacksmithing classes to register. Limited to two apprentices. $200. Registration and prepayment required by July 12. 800.262.6195 or historiczoarvillage.com

Frontier Skills SAT., JULY 20 F 10 A.M.–3 P.M. Schoenbrunn Village, New Philadelphia Do you have the skills needed to survive on the Ohio frontier in 1772?

Learn 18th-century cabin building, woodworking, fire building, meal preparation, clothes sewing, hunting, fishing and more. $7, $5/ages 60+, $4/ages 6–17, Free/Ohio History Connection member or ages 5 & under.

800.752.2711 or dennisondepot.org/ schoenbrunn

Zoar Harvest Festival & Antiques Show SAT., JULY 27 & SUN., JULY 28 10 A.M.–4 P.M. Zoar Village, Zoar 4 Join us at our 46th Annual Harvest Festival, featuring more than 60 antique dealers from around the country, a juried Artisan Showcase, handmade folk art and fine crafts, herding dog and working animal demonstrations, museum tours, horse-drawn wagon rides, an antique car show on Sunday and more! $10, Free/ages 12 & under. 800.262.6195 or historiczoarvillage.com FREE SPEAKER SERIES

Cindy McShane SAT., AUG. 3 F 11 A.M.–NOON Zoar Village, Zoar 4 See Cindy McShane portray Marie Brose Tepe, a forgotten Civil War hero. Also known as French Mary, she served in at least 13 different Civil War battles and was one of only two women awarded the Kearney Cross for courage under fire. Free. 800.262.6195 or historiczoarvillage.com

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A Night of Stargazing SAT., AUG. 10 F 9–11 P.M. Schoenbrunn Village, New Philadelphia Join us for a late-summer evening under the stars. Sit back, relax and enjoy the Perseid meteor shower and the beauty of space. Guests are encouraged to bring their own telescopes, blankets, chairs, flashlights and insight to the heavens. $7, $5/ages 60+, $4/ages 6–17, Free/Ohio History Connection member or ages 5 & under. 800.752.2711 or dennisondepot. org/schoenbrunn

Celebration of Colonial Arts SAT., AUG. 17 F 1–4 P.M. Schoenbrunn Village, New Philadelphia Explore a 1770s Moravian mission on the Ohio frontier as modern-day artisans bring 18th-century artistic practices to life, sharing their skills under shade trees throughout the village. Hear the art of storytelling, and enjoy songs and games for all ages. $7, $5/ages 60+, $4/ages 6–17, Free/Ohio History Connection member or ages 5 & under. 800.752.2711 or dennisondepot.org/schoenbrunn BLACKSMITHING 104

Forging & Tempering a Blade SAT., AUG. 24 F 8 A.M.–5 P.M. Zoar Village, Zoar 4 Get an introduction to the mechanics of the timeless art of blade making. Participants will get plenty of time at the forge and will create projects to take home. Must have completed the Beginning and Intermediate Blacksmithing classes to register. Limited to two apprentices.

Cost includes instruction, materials and lunch. $225. Registration and prepayment required by Aug. 16. 800.262.6195 or historiczoarvillage.com BLACKSMITHING 101

Introduction to Blacksmithing SAT., AUG. 31 F 8 A.M.–5 P.M. Zoar Village, Zoar 4 Learn the basics of blacksmithing as you forge a hook and a nail. This class features plenty of time at the anvil. Cost includes all instruction, materials and lunch. Limited to four apprentices. $150. Registration and prepayment required by Aug. 23.

800.262.6195 or historiczoarvillage.com

FEATURED EXHIBIT • • •

Jim Ptacek—A Retrospective THROUGH SUN., JULY 7 F WEDS.–FRI. 11 A.M.–5 P.M. & SUN. 2–5 P.M. Lissauer Gallery, Shaker Historical Museum, Shaker Heights 4 See works by architectural illustrator Jim Ptacek, who’s been recording favorite Cleveland landmarks with his effortless and approachable realism for decades (at least five so far). $5, $3/child, Free/Ohio History Connection member. 216.921.1201 or shakerhistoricalsociety.org

NORTHWEST OHIO

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Harvest Festival & Antiques Show ZOAR VILLAGE, JULY 27–28

Independence Day 1813 THURS., JULY 4 F NOON–5 P.M. Fort Meigs, Perrysburg 4 See page 25.

Independence Day Concert THURS., JULY 4 F 2–3:30 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 See page 25.

FREE SPEAKER SERIES

Walk in Their Shoes, Die in Their Shoes SUN., JULY 7 F 3 P.M. Fort Recovery Museum, Fort Recovery Hear speaker Joe Beatty, a fifthgeneration descendant of the Officers Beatty, who uses original letters, documents and pictures in his presentation Walk in Their Shoes, Die in Their Shoes, about Capt. Erkuries Beatty, 1st Regiment, and Ensign Samuel Beatty, 2nd Regiment, of St. Clair’s Army in the 1791 Battle of the Wabash. A Darke County native, he is a graduate of The Ohio State University who now lives in Houston, Texas, where he is a businessperson, history preservation activist and presenter.

Free. 800.283.8920, 419.375.4384 or fortrecoverymuseum.org

Verandah Concerts WEDS., JULY 10 & 24 & AUG. 7 & 21 6:30–8 P.M. F FREE OLD-FASHIONED ICE CREAM SOCIAL AT 6:30 P.M. MUSIC STARTS AT 7 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 Enjoy free outdoor concerts.

Bring your lawn chair or blanket. JULY

10: Chrissy & Don sing standard and popular music with acoustic guitar.

JULY 24: Bridge County Bluegrass Band. AUG. 7: New Orleans BoogieBlues-Swing and song favorites from the ‘20s ‘30s and ‘40s with Matthew Ball, “the Boogie Woogie Kid.” AUG. 21: North Coast Big Band plays World War II swing. Concerts will be canceled if there are thunderstorms. Get updates at 800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org.

TALK

The Ice Ages in Ohio SAT., JULY 13 F 10 A.M.–NOON Cedar Bog Nature Preserve, near Urbana 4 Explore the topic of Ohio’s ice ages and the impact they had on

OVER 50 SITES INSIDE! Ohio Histo ry

Conn ectio

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1

ROAD TRIP?

Bring Your Passport!

Visit ohiohistory.org/passport or call 800.686.6124 today to receive your copy! $2 COVERS SHIPPING AND HANDLING

20 Echoes | JULY & AUGUST 2019

Johnston Farm & Indian Agency

Courtesy of Rod Berry Photography

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Revolution on the Tuscarawas FORT LAURENS, NEAR BOLIVAR, JULY 13–14

the geology and geography of the area with Dale Gnidovec, curator of the Orton Geological Museum at The Ohio State University. $10, $5/Ohio History Connection member. 800.860.0147 or cedarbognp.org

Kids Days @ Hayes SAT., JULY 13 F 11 A.M.–1 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 Kids can enjoy farm-inspired activities on the lawn of the Hayes Home and learn about the plants and animals that once called Spiegel Grove home.

President Rutherford B. Hayes and first lady Lucy Hayes loved nature and wildlife.

They kept cows and raised plants on their 25-acre Fremont estate. $5/non-member kid, $3/member kid, Free/adults who bring kids to this event. 800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org

History Alive at the Johnston Farm SAT., JULY 13 & SUN., JULY 14 NOON–5 P.M. Johnston Farm & Indian Agency, Piqua See early Ohio come to life as reenactors present a timeline of 1748 to 1862, when events at the site of the Johnston Farm and people involved in them helped set the course of our state’s history. Explore a variety of camps, demonstrations and activities, plus the restored Johnston home, Indian & Canal Museum and the canal boat General Harrison of Piqua. $9, $4/student, Free/Ohio History Connection member or ages 5 & under.

800.752.2619 or ohiohistory.org/ johnston

Evening on the Canal JOHNSTON FARM & INDIAN AGENCY, PIQUA, AUG. 10

Hands-on History THURS., JULY 18 & AUG. 15 10 A.M.–NOON OR 2–4 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 Kids ages 6–11 will study ships and boats and learn about Lake Erie and the Great Lakes during free programs using photographs, drawings and documents from the museum. JULY 18: Ships and Boats. AUG. 15: Lake Erie and the Great Lakes. Limit 10 students/ session. Parents are welcome to attend.

Free with required advance registration.

800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org MOON LANDING ANNIVERSARY

Summer Moon Festival FRI., JULY 19–SUN., JULY 21 10 A.M.–10 P.M. Armstrong Air & Space Museum, Wapakoneta 4 See page 10.

along the boardwalk to see some of these rarities firsthand. $10, $5/Ohio History Connection member. 800.860.0147 or cedarbognp.org

Evening on the Canal SAT., AUG. 10 F 6:30 P.M. Johnston Farm & Indian Agency, Piqua Travel back to a time when the world moved four miles an hour at the end of a towrope. Begin with a hearty meal in the Education Center overlooking the historic Miami and Erie Canal. Afterward, board the 19th-century-style canal boat General Harrison of Piqua for a twilight journey full of surprises. $35, $30/Ohio History Connection member or ages 6–12, $25/member ages 6–12. This popular once-a-year opportunity requires advance registration. 800.752.2619 or ohiohistory.org/johnston

Spiegel Grove Squires vs.

Canton Cornshuckers

Presidential History Book Club

SUN., AUG. 18 F 2–4 P.M.

WEDS., JULY 31 & AUG. 28 F NOON–1 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 Read biographies of U.S. presidents and enjoy lunch-hour discussions at this free book club. Bring your lunch if you like. JULY 31 & AUG. 28: Hoover by Kenneth Whyte. 800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org

Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 See base ball played by 19th-century rules on the lawn behind the historic Hayes Home. Free.

800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org

Rare Plants SAT., AUG. 10 F 10 A.M. Cedar Bog Nature Preserve, near Urbana Join naturalist and author Jim McCormac for a talk about rare plants. Afterward, McCormac will lead everyone on a walk

HISTORY ROUNDTABLE WITH MIKE GILBERT

Virtual Tour of Oakwood Cemetery SAT., SEPT. 7 F 10–11:30 A.M. Auditorium, Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 Take a virtual tour of Oakwood Cemetery, final resting place of interesting and influential locals, with

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local historian Mike Gilbert. This is one of six History Roundtable programs offered on Saturdays in September and October. $25 for all six or $5/session. 800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org FEATURED EXHIBITS • • •

Demon Rum & Cold Water— The Two Sides of Temperance THROUGH SUN., OCT. 6 F MON.–SAT. 9 A.M.–5 P.M. & SUN. NOON–5 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 Before Prohibition, there was temperance. In reaction to growing alcohol consumption, many mid-19th century Americans began voicing concerns about the social effects of drinking. The Temperance Movement gained popularity in the 1850s and became a significant moral and political force by 1900. Learn about the causes for temperance, the role of its proponents in American society, how the Hayeses helped shape the movement and how they were shaped by it. Included with Hayes Museum admission: $13, $10/ages 13–18, $5/ages 6–12, Free/Ohio History Connection member or ages 5 & under. 800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org

Women of Spiegel Grove FRI., JULY 12–SUN., MARCH 29, 2020 HOURS VARY Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 See a special exhibit about the many women who played important roles at Spiegel Grove, estate of 19th president Rutherford B. Hayes and first lady Lucy Webb Hayes. Also shared is the national story of women in America, from the suffrage movement, to the pursuit of social and workplace equality, to the #MeToo movement. This exhibit is part of Finding Her Voice, a program honoring the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. Included with museum admission: $13, $10/ages 13–18, $5/ages 6–12, Free/Ohio History Connection member or ages 5 & under.

800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org Finding Her Voice is made possible in part

by Ohio Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

22 Echoes | JULY & AUGUST 2019

SOUTHEAST OHIO

SOUTHWEST OHIO

MOON LANDING ANNIVERSARY

19th-Century Independence Day Celebration

Space Camp for Ages 8–12 TUES., JULY 16 F 9:30 A.M.–2 P.M. John & Annie Glenn Museum, New Concord 4 See page 10.

Brown Baggin’ Thru History FRI., AUG. 2 F NOON–1 P.M. Campus Martius Museum, Marietta This program featuring a guest speaker to be announced is free thanks to the generous support of Washington County Public Library. 800.860.0145 or mariettamuseums.org

Inland Waterways Festival SAT., AUG. 3 F 9:30 A.M.–5 P.M. Ohio River Museum, Marietta Discover the role that rivers, canals and lakes have played in our nation’s development. This educational event on the grounds of the Ohio River Museum features performers, storytellers, music, hands-on activities, model-boat demonstrations, whistle blows, steam-launch rides and wildlife displays including raptors, owls and a 2,200-gallon freshwater aquarium. Free.

800.860.0145 or mariettamuseums.org FEATURED EXHIBIT • • •

Celebrating the Pioneers THROUGH SUN., NOV. 1, 2020 MON.–SAT. 9:30–5 P.M. SUN. NOON–5 P.M. Campus Martius Museum, Marietta See the museum’s newest exhibit, based on the new book The Pioneers by David McCullough. The Ordinance of 1787 opened a vast wilderness west of the Ohio River for settlement, spurring “Ohio fever.” Members of the Ohio Company of Associates, a real estate company formed in Massachusetts in 1786, led the way. Get a look at the lives and personalities of some of the people mentioned in the book, and see personal objects associated with them. Included with museum admission: $7, $4/ages 6–College with ID, Free/Ohio History Connection member or ages 5 & under.

800.860.0145 or mariettamuseums.org

THURS., JULY 4 F 2–3 P.M. Adena Mansion & Gardens, Chillicothe See page 25.

Red, White & Blue Ice Cream Social SAT., JULY 6 F 11 A.M.–4 P.M. GROUNDS OPEN 9 A.M.–5 P.M. MANSION TOURS HOURLY 9:30 A.M.–3:30 P.M. Adena Mansion & Gardens, Chillicothe See page 25.

Art with Skip Hathaway SAT., JULY 6, AUG. 3, SEPT. 7 NOON–3 P.M. Education Center, Adena Mansion & Gardens, Chillicothe 4 Chillicothe artist Skip Hathaway offers an art class for children of all ages and their adult chaperones. Free. Art supplies provided.

800.319.7248 or adenamansion.com MOVIE NIGHT AT THE MANSION

Served Like a Girl SUN., JULY 14 F 9 P.M. Adena Mansion & Gardens, Chillicothe See an outdoor showing of the documentary Served Like a Girl, which follows several American women wounded in action who are now transitioning to civilian life after serving their country in Iraq and Afghanistan. Struggling with PTSD, homelessness, broken families, divorce, serious illness and military sexual abuse, these remarkable women harness humor to adapt to the emotional, social and economic challenges they face. Free.

800.319.7248 or adenamansion.com

Archaeology Day— Artifact & Fossil Identification SAT., JULY 20 F NOON–4 P.M. Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve, near Oregonia & Lebanon Learn the story of Fort Ancient, a 2,000-year-old American Indian ceremonial site, on 30-minute tours, then explore the Fort Ancient museum and hike a trail. From 12:30–3:30 p.m., an archaeologist and geologist will be on hand to identify fossils and artifacts you bring. $7, $6/ages 6–17 or 60+, Free/Ohio History Connection member or ages 5 & under.

800.283.8904 or fortancient.org

Courtesy of Rod Berry Photography

ARCHAEOLOGY LECTURE SERIES

Serpent Mound Impact Structure SAT., JULY 27 F 1 P.M. Serpent Mound, near Peebles Join geologist Mark Baranoski to learn about the Serpent Mound Impact Structure, a huge crater made by an ancient meteorite. Free with $8 parking.

Ohio History Connection members enjoy free parking. 800.752.2757 or arcofappalachia.org/archaeologylecture-series

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Glaciers Were Cool in Ohio SAT., AUG. 3 F 10:30 A.M.–NOON Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve 4 Learn about climate change during Ohio’s recent geologic past from geologist Todd Stephenson. See evidence of multiple episodes of glacial activity in Ohio, and learn how glaciers had an impact on soil formation and influenced the location and construction of earthwork sites like Fort Ancient and others. $7, $6/ages 6–17 or 60+, Free/ Ohio History Connection member or ages 5 & under. 800.283.8904 or fortancient.org CHILDREN’S SERIES

Ice Cream Creation Station SUN., AUG. 4 F 2–3 P.M. Adena Mansion & Gardens, Chillicothe Children of all ages are invited to make their own ice cream as it might have been made two centuries ago. Free with required advance registration. All children must have an adult chaperone.

800.319.7248 or adenamansion.com

What’s Your Modern-Day Slavery Footprint?

SUN., AUG. 4 F 4–5:30 P.M. Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Cincinnati Human trafficking may seem like a far-away problem affecting faraway countries. However, issues of inequality, poverty and vulnerability cross international and state lines.

Learn what modern-day slavery looks like locally and how you can do your part to end human trafficking, with Samantha Searls, program manager for the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center. $7, Free/Ohio History Connection member. 800.847.6507 or stowehousecincy.org

Inland Waterways Festival OHIO RIVER MUSEUM, MARIETTA, AUG. 3

TIME-HONORED SKILL SERIES

Flint Knapping Day Course SAT., AUG. 10 F 10 A.M.–5 P.M. Fort Hill, near Cynthiana and Hillsboro In this in-depth course, learn to knap, or shape, a useful flint tool. Get the basics, including how to locate workable flint, and how to create arrowheads, drill points and scalpels. $105/person. Includes lunch, knap kit and all curriculum. Advance registration required by July 13. 800.283.8905 or arcofappalachia.org/fort-hill

Mask Making from Natural Objects SAT., AUG. 10 F 10:30 A.M.–12:30 P.M. Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve 4 Try your hand at this creative activity for ages 8 through adult. Learn about using different sizes, shapes and textures of objects with personal significance to create a finished mask.

A variety of natural materials will be available. You may bring supplies of your own, as well. $7, $6 ages 6–17 or 60+, Free/Ohio History Connection member or age 5 & under. Advance registration required by Aug. 8. 800.283.8904 or fortancient.org.

Walk the Grounds with an Archaeologist—A Behind the Scenes Perspective SAT., AUG. 10 F 2–4 P.M. Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve, near Oregonia & Lebanon Hike Fort Ancient’s trails and see the 2,000-year-old mounds with an experienced guide. Hear the in-depth

story of the ancient American Indians who held ceremonies and worshipped there.

Please dress for the weather and wear suitable shoes. This tour requires extensive walking and strollers may be unable to access some areas, so it may not appeal to very young children. $20, $10 ages 6–17, Free/Ohio History Connection member.

Advance registration required by Aug. 9.

800.283.8904 or fortancient.org

Yoga at the Overlook SUN., AUG. 11 F 2 P.M. Adena Mansion & Gardens, Chillicothe Join us at early Ohio governor Thomas Worthington’s hilltop estate, Adena, for a day of tranquility and relaxation. Enjoy the benefits of yoga with a view, on the scenic overlook that inspired the Great Seal of the State of Ohio. This class with a certified instructor will help you relax, de-stress, increase strength and flexibility and learn how to breathe properly. $10. Advance registration required.

800.319.7248 or adenamansion.com

Archaeology Day SAT., AUG. 24 F 10 A.M.–4 P.M. Serpent Mound, near Peebles See artifact displays and bring your own collection for interpretation. Try ancient skills like flint knapping and using an atlatl to throw spears. At 1 p.m., hear archaeologist Jarrod Burks talk about his efforts to locate earthwork sites in southern Ohio through aerialphoto analysis and geophysical survey.

Free with $8 parking. Ohio History Connection members enjoy free parking.

800.752.2757 or arcofappalachia.org/ serpent-mound OHIOHIS TORY.ORG

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Visiting Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Johnston Farm & Indian Agency

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advance registration. All children must have an adult chaperone. 800.319.7248 or adenamansion.com

WEDS., SEPT. 4 HOUSE OPENS FOR TOURS AT 6 P.M. DISCUSSION BEGINS AT 7 P.M. Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Cincinnati 4 Led by Xavier University Professor Emeritus John Getz, Ph.D. Free.

800.847.6507 or stowehousecincy.org

Stargazing at Serpent Mound

History Alive at the Johnston Farm JOHNSTON FARM & INDIAN AGENCY, PIQUA, JULY 13–14

SEMI-COLON CLUB

A City That Sings—Cincinnati’s Choral History 1800–2012 SAT., AUG. 24 F NOON–1:30 P.M. Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Cincinnati 4 The Semi-Colon Club was a literary discussion group that Harriet Beecher Stowe joined while living in Cincinnati. Our Semi-Colon Club discusses the issues that make up Harriet’s legacy, from the 19th century to the present day. 800.847.6507 or stowehousecincy.org

Teacher Appreciation Day SAT., AUG. 31 F 1–3 P.M. Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve, near Oregonia & Lebanon Teachers—Get an informative orientation to Fort Ancient, its 2,000-year history and the American Indians who built this amazing earthwork as an astronomical observatory and ceremonial site. Volunteers will walk you through our educational program for grades 2–6 and 6–8. Free. Advance registration requested. 800.283.8904 or fortancient.org CHILDREN’S SERIES

Scavenger Hunt/Nature Hike SUN., SEPT. 1 F 2 P.M. Adena Mansion & Gardens, Chillicothe This scavenger hunt and nature hike offers kids a chance to explore the historic Worthington estate in depth and learn about some of the natural features of the site, too. Free with required

24 Echoes | JULY & AUGUST 2019

SAT., SEPT. 7 F 6–10 P.M. Serpent Mound, near Peebles 4 Hear an astronomy lecture by Cincinnati Observatory staff and enjoy viewing the moon, planets and stars using a variety of telescopes. Lecture admission requires advance registration and is $6/ ages 16 & up, Free/ages 15 & under with adult, plus $8/vehicle parking. Admission to stargazing is free with $8/vehicle parking. Ohio History Connection members enjoy free parking. This event is weather-dependent. 800.752.2757 or arcofappalachia.org/serpent-mound

Murder Mystery & Dinner FRI.–SUN., SEPT. 13, 14 & 15 F 6–9 P.M. Adena Mansion & Gardens, Chillicothe Hone your skills as a rookie crime solver in an entertaining atmosphere with great food and a murder mystery.

This year’s all-new production written

by Delmar Burkitt features several returning actors along with a few new faces to keep you guessing. The mystery begins at 6 p.m. followed by a buffet dinner at 7 p.m. $55. Advance registration required. 800.319.7248 or visit adenamansion.com FEATURED EXHIBITS • • • HURRY! ENDS SOON

Yours for Race & Country— Reflections on the Life of Col. Charles Young THROUGH SAT., AUG. 17 WEDS.–SAT. 9 A.M.–4 P.M. National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center, Wilberforce See 33 handcrafted story quilts made by members of the Women of Color Quilters Network celebrating the life of Col. Charles Young (1864–1922), plus Young-related artifacts from the museum’s collection. Third black graduate of West Point, Young commanded the famous Buffalo Soldiers who patrolled the Western frontier, was

the first black national park superintendent and became a leading early 20th century military and diplomatic figure. Included with museum admission: $6, $5/senior, $3/ ages 6–17, Free/Ohio History Connection member or ages 5 & under. 800.752.2603 or ohiohistory.org/naamcc

African Americans Fighting for a Double Victory ONGOING F WEDS.–SAT. 9 A.M.–4 P.M. National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center, Wilberforce 4 Explore the many ways African Americans served our country during World War II, and get a look at the impact black veterans had on postwar advances in civil rights. Included with museum admission: $6, $5/senior, $3/ ages 6–17, Free/Ohio History Connection member or ages 5 & under. 800.752.2603 or ohiohistory.org/naamcc

What’s in Your Attic? Selections from the Permanent Collection ONGOING F WEDS.–SAT. 9 A.M.–4 P.M. National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center, Wilberforce 4 Opened in 1988, the Ohio History Connection’s National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center pioneered in preserving and presenting African American history and culture. See milestones of museum history and get a look at some of the fascinating history, art and pop culture items in our collection.

Included with museum admission: $6, $5/ senior, $3/ages 6–17, Free/Ohio History Connection member or ages 5 & under.

800.752.2603 or ohiohistory.org/naamcc

Behind the Mask— Black Power in Comics ONGOING F WEDS.–SAT. 9 A.M.–4 P.M. National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center, Wilberforce 4 Interest in black comic book characters is exploding, thanks to the hugely successful Marvel film Black Panther. In this exhibit, explore the painful and triumphant history of African Americans in comic books. Included with museum admission: $6, $5/senior, $3/ ages 6–17, Free/Ohio History Connection member or ages 5 & under. 800.752.2603 or ohiohistory.org/naamcc

Hayes Presidential Library & Museums

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Toledo Symphony Concert Band Independence Day Concert HAYES PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUMS, FREMONT, JULY 4

Red, White & Blue Events AT OHIO HISTORY CONNECTION SITES

Fourth of July Ceremony THURS., JULY 4 F 11 A.M.–1 P.M. Fort Laurens, near Bolivar 4 Join us at the museum on the site where Ohio’s only Revolutionary War fort once stood as we honor the sacrifice of those who lost their lives in the struggle for American Independence. Events include Revolutionary War Honor Guard, intimate wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Patriot and keynote speaker. Free. 800.262.6195 or fortlaurens.org

19th-Century Independence Day Celebration THURS., JULY 4 F 2–3 P.M. Adena Mansion & Gardens, Chillicothe Celebrate the way Ohioans did two centuries ago. This free event at the picnic pavilion includes readings from the Declaration of Independence and patriotic poems, a flag presentation, a toast to George Washington and a 21-gun salute by the Ross County Veterans Honor Guard. Celebration: Free. Optional Mansion Tour: $10, $9/ senior, $5/ages 6 & up, Free/Ohio History Connection member or ages 5 & under.

800.319.7248 or adenamansion.com

Independence Day 1813 THURS., JULY 4 NOON–5 P.M. Fort Meigs, Perrysburg 4 Be on hand as War of 1812 soldiers and civilians recreate July 4, 1813, at Fort Meigs with cannon firings, demonstrations and hands-on activities for kids. The highlight, an 18-gun National Salute accompanied by toasts and fife-and-drum music, starts at 2 p.m. $10, $8/ ages 60+, $5/student, Free/Ohio History Connection member or ages 5 & under. 800.283.8916 or fortmeigs.org/ independence F

Toledo Symphony Concert Band Independence Day Concert THURS., JULY 4 F 2–3:30 P.M. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont 4 Bring your own chair or blanket for this patriotic concert performed by the Toledo Symphony Concert Band from the verandah of the President Rutherford B. Hayes home. Civil War soldiers will punctuate Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture with real cannon fire. Free. 800.998.7737 or rbhayes.org

Independence Day SAT., JULY 6 F 10 A.M.–5 P.M. Ohio Village, Columbus 4 Enjoy a day of old-fashioned family fun celebrating our nation’s independence throughout our recreated 19th-century community.

Villagers are busy planning a parade, music, dancing, an Ohio Village Muffins base ball game at noon and more!

Included with Ohio History Center & Ohio Village general admission: $15; $13/ages 60+; $9/ages 4–12, Free/Ohio History Connection member or ages 3 & under.

800.686.6124 or ohiohistory.org/village

Red, White & Blue Ice Cream Social SAT., JULY 6 F 11 A.M.–4 P.M. GROUNDS OPEN 9 A.M.–5 P.M. MANSION TOURS HOURLY 9:30 A.M.–3:30 P.M. Adena Mansion & Gardens, Chillicothe Bring your lawn chair and relax in the barn while listening to live music and enjoying homemade fruit cobblers and root beer floats. $10, $9/senior, $5/ages 6–12, Free/Ohio History Connection member or ages 5 & under. Buy tickets online or at the door. There is an additional cost for cobbler and floats.

800.319.7248 or adenamansion.com

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26 Echoes | JULY & AUGUST 2019

The Moon Landing ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND

I

f you think landing on the moon is dangerous, try driving down Interstate 75 on the way from the Allen County Airport with Don Wittwer at the wheel.

July 20, 2019, marks the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11’s successful mission to the moon and back, eloquently summed up as Neil Armstrong left his lunar module and took his first step on the moon.

“That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind,” Armstrong said before turning philosophical. “It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn’t feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.”

Left: Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin poses for a portrait taken by Wapakoneta native Neil Armstrong on the surface of the moon. You can see Armstrong’s reflection in Aldrin’s visor.

Upon their return to Earth, the three astronauts—Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins—were quarantined for 21 days. After quarantine, the three astronauts attended parades in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles and enjoyed dinner at the White House.

All the while, Don Wittwer, the head of the Chamber of Commerce in Wapakoneta, waited to hear from NASA when Armstrong would be coming home.

Above: Aldrin’s footprint in lunar soil.

"NASA didn't give us very much time to plan a parade," Wittwer recalls. "We had less than a week to pull it all together."

NASA

On the morning of the parade, Wittwer picked up Armstrong and his family at the Allen County Airport and ferried them to their first stop—the Auglaize County Fairgrounds.

“We were driving down Interstate 75 near Cridersville on our way to the county fairgrounds and we passed under a bridge filled with at least 500 people waving flags and signs and whooping and hollering,” Wittwer says. “And Neil looks at me and says, ‘I think I felt safer in my lunar capsule than I do in this car with you right now!’

“I said, ‘Thanks a lot, Neil.’”

Though Dante Centuori has been the director of the Armstrong Air & Space Museum for only six months, he quickly came to understand the importance of July 20 for the citizens of Wapakoneta.

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“The one thing I noticed fairly quickly upon my arrival in Wapakoneta is how much Neil Armstrong and the Armstrong family are just woven into the fabric of the community,” Centuori says. “The Armstrongs just come up in conversation very matter-of-factly.”

are unwilling to postpone and one which we intend to win, and others, too.”

This summer, the Armstrong family will be foremost in the minds of the good people of Wapakoneta.

We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.

“You can never be accused of hyperbole when describing the significance of the moon landing, and that’s especially true in Wapakoneta,” Centuori says. “The town has a big event every year on the anniversary, and this one is going to be huge.”

John Zwez grew up in Wapakoneta and worked at the Armstrong Air & Space Museum before it even opened. He became the site manager in 1972, a job he held until his retirement in 2004.

The Space Race began in earnest when President John F. Kennedy gave a speech at Rice University on Sept. 12, 1962, that came to be known as “We Choose to Go to the Moon.”

“I remember going to an Armstrong family picnic and hearing Neil’s mother talk about his new job as a test pilot for NASA,” he says. “She was really worried about that because she knew Neil would be testing the (hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft) X-15.”

In the speech, Kennedy explained, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because the goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we

Zwez says he is bothered by an article he read recently about Americans and their knowledge of the moon landing.

“When they polled kids between the ages of 18 and 24, they found that close to 30 percent of them didn’t believe we had ever landed on the moon,” he says. “They think it never happened, that what we saw was recorded on a back lot in Hollywood. After all the effort we put into getting to the moon, I find that 30 percent interesting and disturbing.”

In 2002, one of the leading moon-landing hoaxers, documentarian and conspiracy theorist Bart Sibrel, accosted Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin at a hotel lobby in Beverly Hills. Camera rolling, Sibrel asked Aldrin to swear on a Bible that he’d set foot on the moon. After asking Sibrel to “get away from me,” Aldrin punched him in the jaw.

“Yep. That was pretty much Buzz Aldrin,” Zwez says with a chuckle. “Neil would have simply walked away.”

What can you do, Zwez wonders, when people throw science and reason out the window?

“NASA sent satellites up to take pictures of the moon,” he says. “When you look at the pictures, you can see the astronauts’ footprints, you can seen the lunar module. Shoot, the television show Mythbusters did two episodes on the hoax. It happened.”

At 9:32 a.m. on July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 Saturn 5 space vehicle lifted off from the Kennedy Center’s Space Launch Complex with astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin on board. NASA

28 Echoes | JULY & AUGUST 2019

Top Left: This photograph of the Apollo 11 lunar module was taken from inside the Command and Service Module (CSM) by astronaut Michael Collins shortly after separation. Top Right: The Apollo 11 lunar module landed on the moon at Tranquility Base at 4:18 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Six hours later, Neil Armstrong left the lunar module to take “one small step for (a) man.� Armstrong photographed Buzz Aldrin leaving the lunar module 19 minutes later. The pair walked on the surface of the moon for three hours. Bottom: The Apollo 11 crew in their biological isolation suits after splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969. The astronauts were retrieved by helicopters deployed by the rescue ship USS Hornet. The splashdown was a mere 12 miles downwind from the Hornet. NASA

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Ohio History Connection Archival Collections

More than 80,000 supporters greeted Neil Armstrong on his return to Wapakoneta on Sept. 6, 1969.

Bob Hope was the parade’s marshal.

Another less well-known myth some people share is that the Soviet Union landed people on the moon, Centuori says.

“All the early successes in the Space Race were Soviet successes,” he says. “We were getting our butts kicked. So what we were able to accomplish really is something else, getting to the moon in seven years. Really, it was as if NASA took 21stcentury technology and plopped it right into the 1950s and 1960s.”

The next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.

When Armstrong died in August 2012, his family, asked what the astronaut’s admirers could do to celebrate Wapakoneta’s most famous son, suggested: “For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.” —EM

Armstrong, Collins and Aldrin smile through the window of the mobile quarantine van. NASA

LEARN MORE

NASA.gov has several web pages featuring historical footage of the moon landing. Simply search Google using the keywords “NASA Apollo 11 videos.”

Visit the Ohio History Connection’s Armstrong Air & Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Neil Armstrong's hometown. Wapakoneta is celebrating the moon landing anniversary with many special events this summer. Get details at armstrongmuseum.org and firstonthemoon.org.

Attend the Moon Landing 50th Anniversary Celebration at the Ohio History Center in Columbus on Sat., July 20. See page 11 and back cover.

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A portrait of Neil Armstrong taken before Apollo 11 made its historic journey to the moon. NASA

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Dayton Daily News, Jeff Iula Collection

Library of Congress

Akron’s Soap Box Derby MASTERS OF GRAVITY

F

or more than a decade, from 2008 through 2018, Laura Hubbell lived the life of any rural teenage girl—she participated in 4-H, breeding lambs, chickens, rabbits and goats, and completing projects in woodworking, leadership and photography.

Akron Beacon Journal, Jeff Iula Collection

Worster Family Soap Box Derby Collection, Ohio History Connection

Top Left: The original soap box racers were actually made out of used wooden shipping crates, in this case Kirkman's Borax Soap. Circa 1915 to 1920.

Bottom Left: This photograph was taken during the 1980 Soap Box Derby held in Akron at Derby Downs.

Above Top: The front page of the Dayton Daily News on Aug. 20, 1934.

Above Bottom: In 1975, Karren Stead, her left hand and arm in a cast, became the first girl to win the All-American Soap Box Derby.

Right: Laura Hubbell raced homemade Soap Box Derby cars from 2008 through 2018. Credit: Linda Hubbell

But once a year in the summer, Laura would do something out of the ordinary, climbing inside a sleek, homemade racer and plunging repeatedly down the 989.4-foot All-American Soap Box Derby track in Akron.

“The adrenalin rush right before the paddle drops makes it all worth it,” Hubbell says of the paddles that hold back the three race cars in each heat until officials open the starting gate and gravity takes over.

“The noise makes it so you can’t really hear anything, and you’re riding so low in your car that it’s hard to tell how you’re doing.

Most of the time I got out of my car wondering, ‘Did I win?’”

Laura’s pro tip from a decade of racing: “Just go straight.”

FIRST COMPETITION IN DAYTON Though Akron has become synonymous with the Soap Box Derby, the first competition was held on Burkhardt Hill in Dayton in 1934 and drew more than 40,000 spectators. That was just a taste of what was to come.

According to the Dayton Daily News, the final heat in 1934 featured three boys: “There was husky Jack Fusternberg, from out in Omaha, Nebraska, where they grow ‘em big and strong. There was Dixie, Claude Alexander, from down in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

And then there was Bobby Turner (the eventual winner), a Hoosier kid from over in Muncie.”

The brainchild of Daily News photographer Myron Scott—or so legend has it—the All-American Soap Box Derby became an instant sensation. Kids the country over made their own cars out of scraps and qualified for the national finals in competitions around the U.S.,

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Worster Family Soap Box Derby Collection, Ohio History Connection Archival Collections

Two cars approach the finish line at a Soap Box Derby qualifying race held in Columbus in July 1964.

Most derby races are settled by less than a car length.

sponsored by dozens of daily newspapers and local businesses. Chevrolet sponsored the national race from 1934 through 1970.

Thirty-four cities sent their champions to that first Soap Box Derby, and history was in the making.

Mark Gerberich is the president & CEO of the AllAmerican Soap Box Derby in Akron.

“We have such a rich history,” he says. “It’s really unbelievable what the derby is and what it has been. They’d draw 70,000 fans and have ticker-tape parades in downtown Akron for the winners. The only thing comparable in Ohio would have been The Shoe (Ohio Stadium) on a Saturday or a Bengals or Browns game on Sunday.”

Though the first official derby was held in 1934, boys had been making and racing their own cars for nearly two decades. A circa 1915–1920 photograph in the collection of the Library of Congress features a gaggle of boys standing around a vehicle improvised from an empty wooden Borax Soap crate and a set of babycarriage wheels.

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PUSHMOBILES By 1924, The American Boy magazine featured a piece on “pushmobiles”: “The pushmobile industry … got under way shortly after the marketing of the first automobile, and had its origin in the brain of some wide-awake American boy determined to possess an up-to-date homemade vehicle. The same spirit that impelled him has led other ambitious lads to find ways and means to contrive duplicates or models of most of the much sought after pleasure producing devices of today.”

Bob Troyer volunteered at the Soap Box Derby in the late 1960s and became the organization’s public relations chair in 1973. He was inducted into the Soap Box Derby Hall of Fame in 2003.

“The race has always been a part of my DNA, I guess,” Troyer says. “It’s second nature to me.”

Derby Downs, the home of the All-American Soap Box Derby, was built in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Akron Beacon Journal, Jeff Iula Collection

Except for a four-year hiatus during World War II, the derby has run uninterrupted, in either Dayton or Akron, since 1934.

SCANDAL AT THE DERBY Competition at the derby had always been fierce, but in 1973 race officials had to do something they’d not had to do in 39 years: strip a boy—14-year-old Jimmy Gronen of Boulder, Colorado—of his title, for cheating.

At that time, the paddles used to release the cars were made of metal and Jimmy and his uncle and legal guardian, Robert Lange, devised a racer with an electromagnet in the nose. When the paddle would drop, the magnet would engage and the car was slingshotted down the track. Lange was eventually fined $2,000 for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

“So I start as the public relations chair for the derby in 1973,” Troyer says. “And let me tell you, that was, um, interesting.”

The derby has changed dramatically since the scandal rocked the sport in 1973. A girl—Karren Stead of Bucks County, Pennsylvania—won the championship for the first time in 1975. Nearly three dozen have won since. (When told that girls hadn’t been allowed in the race from 1934 through 1971, Laura Hubbell shakes her head and says, simply, “That’s crazy.”) A second, “junior” division was added in 1976. Since 1992, the championship has included masters, kit car and stock divisions.

The derby has not had a scandal since 1973, thanks in part to rigorous pre-race inspections and the uniformity of “kit” cars that kids buy and put together with their parents.

REFINING THE MISSION Though not quite as popular as it was in its heyday— Gerberich says his goal is to boost attendance to between 20,000 and 30,000 spectators in the next three years—the Soap Box Derby has made an impact in another way.

“We reach 20,000 students in 700 schools with our STEM program,” Gerberich says of the derby’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics educational programs.

“In May we held a ‘Gravity Racing Challenge’ for high school students and for kids in third through eighth grade, both events presented by the University of

All concentration, 12-year-old RickiLea Murphy speeds down the track at Derby Downs.

Akron’s College of Engineering,” he says. “We had 200 teams racing and more than 2,000 kids at the track.”

Laura’s mother, Linda Hubbell, says her favorite thing about the Soap Box Derby has always been “the sense of community. You get to know people. It’s almost like everyone’s family.” —EM

LEARN MORE

Visit the Ohio History Center in Columbus and experience our latest exhibit, Ohio—Champion of Sports, which features several historical objects from the Soap Box Derby.

Former Akron Beacon Journal reporter Melanie Payne wrote Champions, Cheaters and Childhood Dreams: Memories of the Soap Box Derby, published by the University of Akron Press in 2003.

For more information about today’s Soap Box Derby, visit soapboxderby.org.

Search for “Soap Box Derby” on YouTube and you’ll find dozens of videos including highlights of qualifying races from around the country, a nearly five-hour-long replay of the entire 2018 derby and an instructional video demonstrating how to make kit cars. The documentary The Day the Derby Almost Died explores the 1973 cheating scandal and features footage from the race weekend 46 years ago.

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tion s ctio n Archiv al Co llec Oh io His tor y Co nne

Virtually all we know today of 15-year-old Rosetta Armistead comes from handwritten documents relating to the legal determination of her status as a freedwoman in 1855.

The Rosetta Armistead Trial

A BLACK GIRL'S JOURNEY TO FREEDOM BY KAREN ROBERTSON

O

n March 10, 1855, Rosetta Armistead, a 15-yearold black girl from Virginia, arrived in Columbus, Ohio. She would soon be offered freedom, but it would come at great personal sacrifice.

Around 1839, Rosetta had been born into slavery, on the Virginia plantation of future president John Tyler. As she learned to walk and talk, her master roamed the halls of the White House, leading the nation that permitted her continued enslavement. As she grew, the nation began to tear itself apart over slavery. When Tyler’s daughter Alice married the Rev. Henry Denison, an Episcopalian clergyman, in 1852, Rosetta’s life of service became a wedding gift to the couple. A year later, Denison took a job in Louisville, Kentucky, and, at age 13, Rosetta had no choice but to move to a new state, leaving her own family behind to face the crushing new reality bestowed by the “peculiar institution.”

Congress passed a stricter Fugitive Slave Law in the Compromise of 1850. It effectively required Northern officials to aid in the capture of runaway slaves, forcing them to recognize and support slavery on free soil. The law added teeth to a 1793 law already on the books by arming unilateral commissioners with federally funded posses and heavier punishments for anyone aiding fugitives from slavery. The law further dehumanized enslaved and freed Africans by removing the right of a suspected fugitive to a fair trial. Legislators had hoped that this compromise would help heal the growing divide between North and South, but it only served to deepen the gulf.

OPPOSITION TO THE NEW LAW Ohio’s free black communities joined others throughout the nation in loudly opposing the law, fearing it would allow slave catchers to kidnap Northern freed people and sell them into slavery.

Accordingly, they organized vigilance committees to plan their protection. Leaders of the Columbus committee vowed that “No fugitive from labor . . . shall ever be taken from our midst, until we have done all in our power to secure his or her release.”

Initially, many Northern whites were more sympathetic to the new law. They adhered to the philosophy of Dayton politician Clement

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Despite legislators’ best intentions, the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law ended up enraging both Northern abolitionists (left) and Southern slaveholders (right). Too often, violence was only narrowly averted. Northern lawyers, such as Cincinnati’s Salmon Chase, actively pursued legal cases that, it was hoped, would reduce the law’s effectiveness.

Vallandigham, who believed accepting their role in the new law was a way to be “good citizens,” and assist their compatriots. In fact, one Southern newspaper noted that in Ohio, slave catchers “experienced . . . every aid they desired.”

The generous Northern attitude toward the Fugitive Slave Law gradually began to change. When, in 1854, federal legislation opened Kansas to slavery, many Northerners felt a sense of betrayal over promises made in the 1820 Missouri Compromise.

More important, abolitionist lawyers, especially in the border states of Ohio and Kentucky, worked hard to prosecute fugitive slave cases that would personalize and ultimately undermine the law.

Following Alice Denison’s death in June 1854, the Rev. Denison ordered Rosetta to return to his in-

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laws’ home in Virginia to become a nursemaid for his now-motherless daughter. He asked a friend, Dr. Jones Miller, to escort Armistead to Virginia, where she could prepare for his daughter’s arrival.

As she packed her bags and prepared to return to Virginia, Rosetta Armistead likely never considered the fact that she could become the plaintiff in one of these important cases. Hers is a specific example of personalizing the threat of sectional control to force the nation into facing the larger moral question of slavery.

ARRIVED IN COLUMBUS BY ACCIDENT Normally, Miller and Rosetta would have started for Virginia by navigating up the Ohio River, but extreme cold that year froze the waters. Forced to travel via railways, they detoured through

Special Collections, Oberlin College & Conservatory

Library of Congress

Miller’s arrival and claimed that a young black girl whose name he did not know was being unlawfully detained. The judge granted a writ of habeas corpus that the sheriff delivered around midnight that night, taking Rosetta into his custody.

Early the next morning, the Ohio State Journal reported that “the Court House was thronged with a crowd of curious spectators.” Miller requested a delay until the Rev. Denison could arrive, but the abolitionist-leaning magistrate, Judge William Jamison, promptly ruled that if Armistead desired freedom, it was hers. Judge Jamison cited the 1839 case of State v. Farr, which stated that slaves traveling through a free state by the will of their master, even if their master was present, should be granted their freedom under the law of that state.

NOT AN EASY CHOICE Modern readers might assume that Rosetta would automatically choose freedom, but it’s important to remember that once free, she could not return to the slaveholding states where her family still lived. If a free Rosetta Armistead attempted to visit her family in Virginia, she would almost certainly be kidnapped and sold into slavery. Rosetta could safely return to her family only if she turned down Judge Jamison’s offer.

Fugitive slaves were a divisive issue in America even before passage of the Fugitive Slave Law. Hannah Townsend, a member of the Philadelphia Female AntiSlavery Society, published a children’s book intended to promote abolitionist values in 1847. The verse for the letter “F” referenced Fugitives.

Columbus, Ohio—a decision that would eventually force Rosetta to make a painful choice. Unaware of these implications, Miller found room and board for himself and Rosetta in the city to await the next train. As they settled in, leaders of the black community of Columbus took action.

During the early 1800s, free blacks in Columbus built a community of helpers through churches, political activism and benevolent aid groups.

Resolved to help anyone in need, including an unknown teenager passing through town, they immediately recognized the consequences of Miller’s detour. A member of the group, the Rev. William B. Ferguson, arrived at the Franklin County Probate Court the first evening of Rosetta’s and

Rosetta chose freedom. At the age of 15, she would start a new life among strangers. Perhaps symbolically, her second decision—choosing Lewis G. Van Slyke, a white leather-goods salesman and abolitionist, as her guardian—was added in the margins of the court journal haphazardly, as if Rosetta Armistead had been forgotten in her own story. Van Slyke placed the girl with Columbus physician James H. Coulter.

KIDNAPPED! Hearing of these developments, the Rev. Denison rushed to Columbus and demanded to see Rosetta. When she reaffirmed her wish for freedom, he secured a warrant for her arrest from Commissioner John L. Pendrey through a Cincinnati federal district court. On March 23, not even two weeks after she gained her freedom, two unknown men kidnapped Armistead from her place of work and rushed her to the train station.

Dr. Coulter, her employer, quickly alerted those sympathetic to her case, and a chase began. When cornered at the train station, the two men insisted they had legal authority and brandished revolvers

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Ohio History Connection Archival Collections David Jenkins, a paperhanger, glazier and painter, was an active member of Columbus, Ohio’s, free black community during the Fugitive Slave Law controversies. He was so regularly seen in the Statehouse lobbying legislators to improve civil rights that he became known as “the member at large.”

to emphasize their determination to take her with them. Van Slyke quickly telegraphed antislavery attorney Salmon Chase in Cincinnati to ask that someone meet Rosetta upon her arrival in the city.

Unfortunately, once she was in Cincinnati, teams of lawyers dragged her from courthouse to courthouse and between jail cells and hotel rooms as she became a pawn in an argument about slavery and states’ rights. As her time in the Queen City passed, Denison’s legal team continually attempted to arrest Armistead by the warrant issued in a federal court. Rosetta Armistead’s legal team insisted that the warrant was unfounded, as

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it ignored Judge Jamison’s original decision in Columbus, and the right of an Ohio justice to make such a ruling. Accordingly, Chase turned to Judge James Parker of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas to have the warrant revoked. This meant that Rosetta would have to sit before both state and federal judges.

WAGING WAR IN THE PRESS Meanwhile, the Rev. Denison launched a verbal assault in the pages of the Ohio Statesman, a Columbus newspaper with Southern sympathies.

For most white observers, the argument over Rosetta Armistead’s freedom did not concern her civil rights, but rather accusations of sectional betrayal couched in discussions of state and federal decision making. “I know that personal rights are dearer to the people of the south,” Denison stormed, “than the barren glory derived from a union with strangers.” The Ohio State Journal, a Republican newspaper, retorted that Denison was “repudiating the authority of the court over the Slave,” and he could not “pass for a ‘patriot’ north of Mason and Dixon’s line.”

The concerns about sectional betrayal that the public expressed in editorial columns also guided Rosetta’s and Denison’s attorneys in Cincinnati.

Chase argued that by ignoring the Franklin County decision, in the same way the Fugitive Slave Law ignored the antislavery portion of the Ohio legal code, Denison had trampled on Ohio’s rights.

Because federal legislation favored slavery, many Southern whites argued for federal precedence.

Denison’s lawyer objected to any consideration of the Franklin County decision, believing that only federal commissioners, such as Pendrey, could rule on slavery.

On March 29, 1855, Judge Parker declared Pendrey’s warrant void, since it stated Rosetta “owes service” but the Fugitive Slave Law affected only those “held to service.” Parker personally believed that the Franklin County decision was final, but by omitting this opinion from his verdict, he ensured that Denison’s legal team couldn’t leverage the jurisdictional conflict to discount his opinion. Sensing the importance of Rosetta Armistead’s case, Judge Parker added a lengthy decision expressing support for the Northern states’ rights position.

WAITING ON PENDREY Despite Parker’s decision, Rosetta still had to wait for Commissioner Pendrey to hear her case.

In a surprise decision on April 3, 1855, Pendrey declared that Rosetta Armistead had been free the moment Miller brought her into Ohio. Because she did not escape, the Fugitive Slave Law did not apply. However, Pendrey insisted that authority in such cases remained with federal courts. Many abolitionists, including Salmon Chase, openly worried the ruling would diminish state power and bar attorneys from offering aid to enslaved people. Despite this concern, crowds in Cincinnati celebrated with Rosetta as she started back toward her new home in Columbus.

Public reactions to Rosetta Armistead’s case joined other rumblings, local and national, that formed the building blocks of the Civil War. Many Americans, both Northerners and Southerners, loudly worried that their compatriots aimed to rob them of their distinctive regional outlooks through the political process. The nation’s anger grew closer to a breaking point with each new slave case.

STRIKING THE CHAINS OF SLAVERY Ignorant of the bloody war on the horizon, Rosetta Armistead’s supporters cheerfully met her and Van Slyke upon their return to Columbus. The black community raised funds for a thank-you gift for Van Slyke, presenting him with a silver pitcher in June 1855. A song accompanied the pitcher, declaring, “We love the man they call ‘Van Slyke,’ Who (not for paltry gains, But love for freedom) dared to strike, Away Rosetta’s chains.”

The black community in Columbus that originally petitioned for Rosetta’s freedom continued to grow and organize around community aid. The base of benevolence formed during the 1850s provided a platform for black community growth after emancipation, as leaders continued ardently lobbying for schools, jobs and housing. This strong African American community rooted itself on the east side of Columbus, where it can still be found today.

But what happened to Rosetta Armistead after she gained her freedom? Unfortunately, she disappeared from many of the common sources used to find people of the past, including census records and city directories. Without the tools to record her own thoughts and experiences during her case, Rosetta Armistead took a back

seat to Americans’ feuds over states’ rights.

Perhaps, afterward, she designed her own slip into anonymity, into a new world where she could finally speak for herself.

Karen Robertson is a curator of manuscripts for the Ohio History Connection. Her daily work can be seen in her many contributions to the Ohio History Connection History Blog.

LEARN MORE

We may not know how Rosetta Armistead felt in the years she spent in slavery, but we can try to understand the experience by reading the words of other former slaves. In 1937–1938, the Federal Writers’ Project interviewed former slaves around the country, attempting to capture their life stories before it was too late. Many of these stories are preserved at the Library of Congress. See Ohiospecific interviews at bit.ly/2YTeDYL Interested in learning more about the Columbus community that stepped up for Rosetta Armistead? You can read a biography of one of the community’s most prominent members right from your own home. Previously published in the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly, it has been digitized by Columbus Metropolitan Library: bit.ly/2wdH1IZ The subject of this biography, the Rev. James Preston Poindexter, became the namesake of Poindexter Village in Columbus. Opened in 1940 as one of the nation’s first public housing projects, today it is one of the Ohio History Connection’s newest historic sites.

The legacy of slavery in the United States did not end with cases like Rosetta’s or even the Civil War. In 2016, filmmaker Ava Duvernay took a look at the ways the “peculiar institution” continues to affect our nation. Her documentary, 13th, is available on Netflix.

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As the Ohio Farm Bureau celebrates 100 years, we’re still about solving problems for members. Issues such as farmland taxes, international trade, farm policy, energy development, property rights, water quality and environmental stewardship are key issues that command our attention.

ADAM SHARP, OHIO FARM BUREAU

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Ohio Farm Bureau

Stronger Together THE OHIO FARM BUREAU AT 100

E

very decade from 1860 to 1950, the percentage of Americans working full-time in agriculture dropped and the population in urban centers grew.

In 1860, 58 percent of Americans worked in agriculture, a number that had decreased to 11 percent by 1950. Two percent of Americans work in agriculture today.

But even as the number of farmers shrank, overall production rose.

It is impossible to imagine Ohio without farming, impossible to imagine the U.S. without farmers. It’s also impossible to imagine agriculture without the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, which was founded 100 years ago.

Jim Patterson and his family operate Patterson Fruit Farm in Geauga County.

Nationwide History & Archives Center

“I’m a fifth-generation farmer and I don’t know how we’d do what we do without the Ohio Farm Bureau,” Patterson says. “There’s just no way.”

WORKING TOGETHER The Farm Bureau formed in 1919 to encourage local, state and federal leaders to pass legislation that would assist farmers. Other early goals included providing electricity service in rural areas and encouraging farmers to work together in planting, nurturing and harvesting their crops in order to reduce production costs.

Murray D. Lincoln, an American business leader, was the first executive vice president of the Ohio Farm Bureau and a founder, in 1925, of the Farm Bureau Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, which later changed its name to Nationwide Insurance.

The cover of the Farm Bureau Auto Insurance Bulletin from April 4, 1929.

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Ohio Farm Bureau

Two farmers ride a tractor overlooking a picturesque Ohio scene.

In a 1925 speech, Lincoln outlined the Ohio Farm Bureau’s intent to advocate “in such a way that would foster cooperation amongst the rural folks of Ohio along commercial, economical, legislative, social and educational lines.”

The bureau is still fulfilling that role today, says Bobby Moser, dean of The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences from 1991 to 2011.

LAND-GRANT UNIVERSITIES The story of the Ohio Farm Bureau actually has its origins more than half a century before its founding. It began in 1862, when the federal government established a system of landgrant universities—including Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State and dozens more—charged with focusing on the teaching of practical agriculture, science, military science and engineering, “though without excluding classical studies.”

“So, after the passage of the Morrill Act, you have land-grant universities and they began to do agricultural research,” Moser says. “But what to do with all that new information? That’s where the agricultural extension agents came into the picture.

“Those extension agents would travel out into rural areas and educate the farmers about the latest science and technology. And the agents would learn about other questions or difficulties farmers had and bring them back to the research facility to solve.”

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A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION The Ohio Farm Bureau has always been egalitarian, says current executive vice president Adam Sharp.

“We have 66,000 members, built one family at a time,” he says. “And they each have an individual vote on our policies. The members really do control the organization.”

Freelance writer Craig Lovelace wrote a 124page history of the Ohio Farm Bureau for the organization’s centennial.

“One of the things that stands out to me is that the bureau is really the definition of a grassroots organization,” Lovelace says. “It’s democracy in its purest sense. The bureau was also very forwardlooking about women, actively recruiting them as members and including them on the board.”

At the bureau’s 1921 annual meeting, member Edna Sewell addressed delegates: “The farmer’s wife is a real partner. … She knows exactly all the things that have gone to make up your day; she knows if the cattle have broken into the corn; and many a farmer’s wife can build a panel of fence just as effectively as can the farmer himself.”

FAMILY LEGACY “I’m 77 and our family goes way back with its involvement with the Ohio Farm Bureau,” fruit farmer Jim Patterson says. “My dad did construction but also farming back in the 1930s.

And my mom was elected to the Farm Bureau

Sparky and Cathy Weilnau

Jordan Hoewischer

Left: Harvey Hoewischer pulling a drag to level a field in the 1930s, Sidney, Ohio. Right: Sparky and Cathy Weilnau stand in front of some of their vintage tractors. Sparky is a former Ohio Farm Bureau Federation board member and is now a Nationwide Insurance board member.

board in 1968. I was the president of the board in the late 1980s and my son, Bill, is president of the board today.”

Moser isn’t at all surprised to hear that the Patterson family has been deeply involved with the bureau almost since it was founded.

“You really do have to have a little missionary spirit about you in this business,” Moser says, “because you’re providing food for your community, your state, your country and the world. It’s not easy, but it’s rewarding.” –EM

LEARN MORE

Find more about the Ohio Farm Bureau at ofbf.org. Craig Lovelace’s history of the first 100 years of the Ohio Farm Bureau is available at ohiofarmbureaustore.com, search the word “Centennial.”

Below: Farmers across the country rallied with their tractors in a movement called Tractorcade to support their rights to earn a living wage. This rally took place in London, Ohio, in 1983.

Ohio Farm Bureau

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I Wish I’d Been There

W H E N T H E N O R T H W E S T E R N CO N F E D E R AC Y G AT H E R E D AT T H E F O OT O F T H E M AU M E E R A P I D S I N 1 7 93

BY W I L L I A M R U S S E L L CO I L

On Aug. 13, 1793, I wish I’d been at the foot of the Maumee River rapids.

I would have seen diverse, sophisticated Native American communities in the Maumee watershed exposing the hypocrisy and cruelty of United States westward expansion.

On that day, leaders of the Northwestern Confederacy sent a message to representatives of the United States. The American Indians were at the rapids. The Americans were near Detroit. At stake? The boundary between Indians and U.S. settlers. The Ohio River, confederacy leaders said. The Muskingum River, U.S. negotiators insisted.

Approximately 1,000 American Indians had gathered near the rapids, representatives from 16 nations including, among others, the Miamis, the Delawares, the Wyandots and the Shawnees from the Maumee watershed and other parts of the Ohio country; Cherokees and Creeks from the south; Ottawas, Chippewas and Potawatomis from the Great Lakes; Nanticokes, Mahicans and Conoys from eastern states; and Iroquois from the Seven Nations of Canada.

The American Indians rejected the Muskingum boundary and offered President George Washington a bold plan for American settlers already north of the Ohio. “These settlers are poor,” said the Indians,

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"so poor that they were desperate enough to travel to a violent place, hoping for a path, however risky, to opportunity. Instead of buying Indian land and instead of wasting ‘great sums’ invading, the U.S. government should redistribute that money to settlers, then remove them to safety."

communities and provided a source of resilience.

American Indians and whites shared the Maumee world. Their life stories crossed racial, cultural and national boundaries as they intermarried, traded and built international alliances. In 1790, Kekionga (modern-day Fort Wayne, Indiana) was the Maumee world’s principal town.

Located at the headwaters of the Maumee, Kekionga intermixed indigenous, British and French people. Downriver, at the foot of the rapids where the river nears Lake Erie, stood Alexander McKee’s trading house. McKee was a British agent and advocated for indigenous rights. His father was a Pennsylvania colonist. His mother and his wife were both Native Americans.

N OT J U S T A B O U N DA RY D I S P U T E

LO N G - D I S TA N C E T R A D E N E T WO R K S

The American Indians had negotiating leverage. In 1790, western Native Americans defeated U.S. troops led by Josiah Harmar.

The American Indian victory triggered a panic among western land speculators and crony capitalists who supplied the army.

They pushed Washington and his advisers into an ill-advised, poorly planned second invasion. In 1791, at modern-day Fort Recovery, Ohio, the American Indians effectively destroyed the U.S. Army, led by Gen. Arthur St. Clair.

The Maumee world was also internationally connected. Longdistance trade networks created an increasingly standardized material culture. At the Glaize, where the Auglaize River meets the Maumee (modern-day Defiance), Delaware leader Big Cat lived in a cabin with a French-made “cat and clay” chimney, a style common among white settlers. As historian Colin Calloway wrote in The Victory with No Name, American Indians “enjoyed a material standard of living equal to, and often above, that of American frontier families.”

This story, however, reveals more than a boundary dispute. American Indians are supposed to be a simple, isolated people, rooted in tradition, ennobled by their braveyet-doomed resistance. How could they call American settlers “poor”?

The indigenous communities connected to the Maumee world were, in fact, dynamic enough to develop a culture as modern and prosperous, and potentially more just, than the one created by the United States. Demographic diversity and international connections sustained these

Just as important, Indians considered how global events shaped their world. In 1791, Hendrick Aupaumut, a Mahican Indian leader and diplomat, visited George Washington in Philadelphia.

Washington asked Aupaumut to deliver a message of peace to tribes gathering at the Glaize.

In July 1792, when Aupaumut arrived, the Glaize was the center of western American Indian resistance, so the people there were excited when Aupaumut told the latest news in the U.S. capital:

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Gift of Messrs. G. Ronald Jackson and Michael Jackson

The Great Indian Council by Lewis Foy. Pen and ink, watercolor and gouache over traces of graphite. Circa 1793.

In Saint-Domingue (Haiti) a violent anti-colonial revolution had started; black slaves were killing white masters. Ohio Indians saw parallels.

The creators of this civilization accurately identified inequity as central to westward American expansion. The settlers were poor, the Native Americans said, and bore the burden of violence. From 1790 through 1796, as Colin Calloway noted, the federal government spent nearly five-sixths of its entire budget trying to conquer what would become the state of Ohio. After statehood, the inequality became clear. By 1810, 1 percent of Ohio taxpayers controlled close to 25 percent of Ohio’s land. Of the state’s adult males, only 45 percent owned any land at all. So much spent to help so few.

On Aug. 13, 1793, I wish I’d been at the foot of the Maumee rapids.

I would have witnessed creative people and a dynamic new world.

I would have heard them rebuke the president: George Washington chose war to enrich elites at the expense of “poor” American settlers.

I wish I’ d been there.

William Russell Coil is a lecturer in the Department of History at The Ohio State University.

He coedited, with Geoffrey Parker and Richard Sisson, Ohio and the World, 1753–2053: Essays Toward a New History of Ohio, published by The Ohio State University Press.

LEARN MORE

Colin Calloway is the author of two significant books on this subject: The Victory With No Name: The Native American Defeat of the First American Army (2015) and The Indian World of George Washington: The First President, the First Americans, and the Birth of a Nation (2018). The latter explores the significance at the time (1791) of the battle between Gen. Arthur St. Clair and American Indians near the Maumee River in northwest Ohio, a battle that Calloway argues was “an aberration in the national story and a blank spot in the national memory.” In The Indian World of George Washington, Calloway “returns the great Native American leaders of George Washington’s time—Shingas, Tanaghrisson, Bloody Fellow, Joseph Brant, Red Jacket and Little Turtle—to their rightful place in history.”

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Wayne County Public Library

Charles Follis, holding a football, with his Wooster High School team in 1899.

Ohio African Americans in Professional Football YO U N G E Y E S O N T H E PA S T

BY S A R A H D E LU C I A A N D A B I G A I L J O S E P H , O H I O H I S TO RY DAY S T U D E N T S

48 Echoes | JULY & AUGUST 2019

However, the integration of professional football occurred much earlier and actually paved the way for Robinson to break the color barrier in baseball. Also unknown to many is that Ohio was the center of the integration of professional football, with four of the first five African American professional football players playing for teams located in Ohio.

Professional football began on Nov. 12, 1892, when the Allegheny Athletic Association paid Pudge Heffelfinger $500 to play in a game against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. A decade later, Shelby (Ohio) Blues manager Frank C. Schiffer set Charles Follis up with a job at a local hardware store in return for "the Black Cyclone's" services on the gridiron. Follis grew up in Wooster, Ohio, and played baseball at the University of Wooster (now the College of Wooster).

One of his opponents was Branch Rickey, who played for Ohio Wesleyan. In 1904, Follis became the first African American professional football player when he signed a contract to play for the Shelby Blues.

From 1904 until 1933, there were 17 African Americans who played professional football, including Follis.

Football teams based in Ohio paved the way for the integration of professional football. The second professional African American football player was Charles “Doc” Baker, who began to play for the Akron Indians in 1906. (The third player was not on an Ohio team.) The fourth was Gideon Smith with the Canton Bulldogs in 1915. The fifth, Fritz Pollard, began playing for Akron in 1919 and was eventually elected to the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

THEY FACED DISCRIMINATION These pioneering African American football players competed during a time of Jim Crow laws, racial riots,

Summit County Historical Society

Most people know the story of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball when he was signed by Branch Rickey to a contract to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

Charles "Doc" Baker, rear left, and his Akron Indians teammates, 1908.

lynchings and the Ku Klux Klan. A select few African Americans were allowed to play professionally because football was not popular or covered nationally.

Also during this time, the only way to generate income for a football team was through ticket sales, and this was accomplished by fielding a winning team. The African American players who were permitted to play were mainly All-American football players who had played at predominantly white colleges.

It wasn’t easy for these early players.

Players faced racial discrimination including slurs, physical abuse and even death threats from opposing players and fans. They were frequently denied the use of locker rooms, hotel accommodations, service at restaurants and access to transportation with their teammates.

Eventually, as football became more popular, there was an unwritten “Gentlemen’s Agreement” among National Football League owners banning African Americans from playing professional football. For a 12-year period from 1934 to 1945, not a single African American played professionally.

The barrier was broken in 1946 in both the National Football League and in an upstart league that eventually became known as the All-America Football Conference. Each league had a team that signed two African American players.

Although these pioneering Ohioans and African American football players are often overlooked, their contribution to breaking down racial barriers should be

remembered. They helped open the door for Jackie Robinson to break the color barrier in baseball, which helped pave a path forward to the Civil Rights era.

Sarah DeLucia is a sophomore at Springfield Local High School in New Middletown, Ohio. At school she takes honors courses and is involved in Book Club, Spanish Club and is a majorette. She is also a Girl Scout Senior and is involved in 4-H. In 4-H, she shows two guinea pigs, a rabbit and a llama. Sarah is also part of Junior Fair Board and is the Mahoning County Llama Club president.

Abigail Joseph is a sophomore at Springfield Local High School in New Middletown.

She loves sports and excels in softball and basketball. In her spare time, she enjoys camping with her family. In school, Abigail likes to be challenged by math problems and has discovered in art class that she has an artistic side, as well.

LEARN MORE

In 2009, Kimberley Nash wrote a piece for bleacherreport.com titled Breaking Pro Football’s Color Line: The Story of Charles W. Follis. You can read about “The Black Cyclone” here: bit.ly/30QJMOu There’s scant scholarship on the earliest black professional football players, but Joe Horrigan did write a brief history titled Early Black Professionals for profootballresearchers.org, which publishes the feature Coffin Corner online. You can read the history here: bit.ly/2M85yKl

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Reviews BOOK

The United States of Ohio:

One American State and Its Impact on the Other 49, by David E. Rohr

In his book, The United States of Ohio, David E. Rohr writes, “If you want to understand America, understand Ohio.”

Though the state is emblematic of the rest of the country, Rohr explains that Ohio was also “an innovator … for the American Experience.” Throughout the book, Rohr examines this curious dynamic through Ohio’s history, culture and personality. The United States of Ohio is more than just “a chronicling of Ohio facts and figures”; rather, it’s an energetic, entertaining ride through some of Ohio’s greatest stories.

Rohr starts off with a description of Ohio’s history and what makes it unique. Despite being a relatively small state, Ohio is a center of business, innovation, farming, politics and transportation; is in the top five of many U.S. industries; and influences the nation far beyond its borders.

Ohio owes this success, according to Rohr, to the many rivers that flow through the state. The state is also a transportation hub. Ohio is truly “the ultimate microcosm of the larger U.S.” Rohr’s casual and humorous prose compels the reader through the book’s many fascinating stories.

From politics and presidential elections, to the beginnings of the National Football League and Major League Baseball, the OSU vs. Michigan rivalry and the invention of the automobile and the airplane, The United States of Ohio captures Ohio’s one-of-a-kind culture.

–Jacob Gartland, Echoes Magazine Intern, The Ohio State University

BOOK

The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West, by David McCullough When the Northwest Ordinance passed the Congress in 1787, its language had a significant impact on the future of the country, declaring as it did that “There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory.”

The ordinance also insisted on religious freedom and stipulated that schools and education would be provided to the citizens in all new settlements. In The Pioneers, historian David McCullough turns unlikely and little-known Ohioans into heroes who “brought the American Ideal West,” especially the Rev. Manasseh Cutler, Gen. Rufus Putnam, Joseph Barker (a carpenter) and Samuel Hildreth (a doctor). These pioneers founded the city of Marietta in honor of Marie Antoinette on the banks of the Ohio and Muskingum rivers.

Though Putnam wrote in a letter back home in Massachusetts that the “part of the purchase I have been over, far

50 Echoes | JULY & AUGUST 2019

exceeds my expectations,” the pioneers nevertheless faced many difficulties, such as smallpox and near starvation during the winter, when the Ohio River froze and supplies could not be obtained upriver in Pittsburgh.

Many endured a profound loneliness, Marietta being so far removed from the largest cities in the East. (It took a month by horse and cart to travel from Boston to Marietta.) In the acknowledgments for The Pioneers, McCullough thanks the Legacy Library at Marietta College, home of innumerable original documents upon which he based his book. He came eventually, he writes, “to the realization that I now had the opportunity to write about a cast of real-life characters of historic accomplishment who were entirely unknown to most Americans.”

The Pioneers makes for compelling reading thanks to McCullough’s felicitous writing and his keen storytelling skills. But the book is not

without its flaws or, rather, one great flaw: the author’s treatment of the inevitable conflict between the pioneers and the American Indians who already occupied the land and had done so for centuries. One can read large swaths of The Pioneers without learning that the Ohio “wilderness” had already been “settled,” or that Detroit had been around since the 1700s and inhabited by French fur traders and Algonquin Indians. The book is told almost entirely from the point of view of the pioneers, which means the reader gets big servings of early-19th century prejudices and xenophobia. McCullough’s flaw is not fatal. With any luck, The Pioneers will lead readers to the books of, say, historian Colin Calloway (The Indian World of George Washington and White People, Indians, and Highlanders) to get a more complete understanding of the story.

–Bill Eichenberger, Echoes Magazine

1788 Ohio Company Land Office on the grounds of Marietta’s Campus Martius Museum Learn about the Ohio Company of Associates at ohiohistorycentral.org.

Plan your visit to the Campus Martius Museum at mariettamuseums.org.

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OHIO HISTORY CONNECTION 800 E. 17th Ave. Columbus, OH 43211-2474 ohiohistor y.org

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID COLUMBUS, OH PERMIT No. 1157

JULY 20 • 6:30–11 P.M. OHIO HISTORY CENTER, COLUMBUS

7–8:30 P.M. A conversation with Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, first American woman to walk in space, followed by footage of the Apollo 11 lunar module landing.

8:30–10:30 P.M. Themed activities 10:30–11 P.M. Watch Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon 50 years to the minute after it happened. $16/Adult; $11/Adult Member; $12/Youth (ages 4–12); $7/Youth Member Advance Registration Required

800.686.1541 • ohiohistory.org/moon

Visit the Ohio History Connection’s Armstrong Air & Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Neil Armstrong’s hometown, Wapakoneta is celebrating the moon landing anniversary with many special events this summer. Learn more at armstrongmuseum.org or firstonthemoon.org.

52 Echoes | JULY & AUGUST 2019