Sure it’s genealogy; it’s just not mine!

I don’t know what it’s been about the past few weeks, but I’ve been somewhat inundated with emails stemming from this blog recently. Now, when I say “inundated,” okay, it’s still only been about one a week or so. (I think there have been 4 or 5 separate reach-out emails in the past month.) But that still seems like “a lot” when sometimes it’s weeks or months in between receiving those kind of communications.

It was a variety this time, too:

• One was thanking me for the Howard Forrer story. (You’re so welcome; thank you for enjoying it!)
• One was: Can I use your  Bessie Tomlin article in this non-commercial digital history project I’m doing? (Yes you can, thanks for asking first, & your project sounds awesome!)
• Two were family history related: Do you know anything about my rather noteworthy Dayton relative so-and-so? (No, actually, I don’t, but here are some suggestions of where else to look.)

I love these. You have no idea.

Not just because they make me feel like a rock star for (apparently) writing an interesting story or a well-researched history or bio sketch. But because it’s proof positive that there’s somebody else out there who cares about these people, places, and events.

Sure, hypothetically, I know that such people probably exist out there somewhere. And sure, I see the search terms on my blog statistics page that tell me people are looking for these things (and finding me). But when you sit down to actually take the time and write me an email — even if it seems half selfish because you’re really writing to ask me something — it makes  my day. And I’m happy to help you if I can.

But getting back to the title of this post. Over the past couple of years with the blog, based on the emails and comments I receive, usually with reference to the people I write about, I often have people asking me if these are my relatives. I guess it’s because they can tell that I’ve taken much care to write these lovingly detailed biographical sketches of them. After all, why would anyone do that if it wasn’t their own family?

Well, the short answer is that I did all that research in order to write the the biographical sketch portion of archival manuscript finding aids, and my boss gave me permission to re-post them here, my intention being additional discoverability for the collections. To write these biographical sketches, I used the collections themselves (duh, what better than a primary source right there in my hands?!) as well as genealogy research techniques to fill in the “Wait, who’s Aunt Sarah?”-type gaps. (You can read the longer versions of essentially this same explanation in my posts from May 21, 2012, and Sept. 2, 2011.)

But anyway—again—why would anyone go to such lengths to write these detailed, foot-noted, multi-page biographical sketches? After all–you caught me, fellow archivists–I admit they are probably longer and much more detailed than what was strictly necessary to fulfill my obligation of providing some biographical/historical context for the researcher via the finding aid.

But I can’t help it. I love these people. These wonderful, colorful, real people, who lived in the past, whose papers, whose stories, I’m holding in my hands (unless it’s photos- then in my gloved hands). They suck me in. I want to know them. I want to “get” them. Who are they? How do they fit together- with this “stuff”? with the other people they talk about? with the community where they live? Er, I mean, lived.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of genealogy anyway. My grandma got me started on it, and I’ve been interested in it — oh dear God, I just did the math at this very moment — over half my life. But unfortunately, I couldn’t write such detailed biographical sketches about most of my own ancestors (at least, ones from the same time period as the Bio Sketches I’ve written here), even if I wanted to — and believe me, if I could, I would.

But I just don’t know their stories. And I don’t have the diaries and letters and other documents needed to “fill in the blanks” in between the official records (birth/death records, census, city directory, etc.). The manuscripts I would need just don’t exist. Or, if they do, I haven’t found the relative that’s stowed them away yet.

So, if you’re one of my relatives and you’re holding out on me, now would be a good time to speak up, please. I swear I won’t try to guilt you into giving me the docs; I just want a look. (And probably some photocopies.)

And while we’re at it, same goes for the owner of Sarah (Howard) Forrer‘s diary. It’s mentioned in other sources, but it’s currently “lost to history.” If anyone has it, I’d love to see it.

And there I go again, getting wound up about the history of people who aren’t even my relatives. Which seems to baffle the genealogists who email me, thinking they must have found a distant cousin in this girl who has made such an effort to document the life of their ancestor (or great-uncle or whoever).

Nope. Just doin’ it for the love of history, folks. And for the love of these super-cool people whose “stuff” I’ve been charged with arranging, describing, and preserving.

But don’t worry. I don’t mind if you think I’m a distant cousin. And I promise not to laugh or anything when I have to tell you I’m not. Keep those emails coming. I’m always thrilled to “meet” someone, anyone—genealogist, historian, whoever—who still cares about these long-dead people that I’ve cared about. And if I can help you, I will, and I’m happy to.

MVAR Recap 2/21/2013

Yesterday was the most recent meeting of the Miami Valley Archives Roundtable (or, MVAR), an informal gathering of archivists in and around Dayton, Ohio. This time, we met at the Heritage Center of the Clark County (Ohio) Historical Society.

The Clark County Historical Society’s Heritage Center on a much warmer, sunnier day (photo by me, 2 Oct. 2011)

Our hosts were curatorial assistant Natalie Fritz, curatorial technician Mel Glover, and director of collections Virginia Weygandt. There were 20 people in attendance.

*****

As MVAR Chair, I started off the meeting with a couple of announcements—really, follow-ups from our previous meeting (11/15/2012) and the subsequent survey I sent out afterwards asking for input about creating an MVAR web site and collection membership data.

The response to the idea of a web site was almost entirely positive, and as a result, I created a free WordPress site for MVAR in December. So, now we have an official web presence for the Miami Valley Archives Roundtable! The URL is:
http://miamivalleyarchivesroundtable.wordpress.com/
. The site currently consists of the upcoming meeting dates & locations, as well as a list of upcoming relevant conferences. (I suppose one could argue that these little updates I write might go on there instead of here, now, but I’d rather like to keep them as “unofficial” records of the meeting, so I’m not sure they belong on the group’s “official” site.)

The second announcement was actually more of a non-announcement: Basically, that I have not made any further effort to collect data for a membership list, so no, you didn’t miss that email/memo/form/etc. I haven’t had a chance to go any further with that just yet!

After the announcements, we did the institutional reports.

*****

The institutional reports consist of each person in attendance taking a turn, stating their name, position, and institution, and sharing a little bit about what they have been up to lately, archives-wise. (The label “institutional reports” may make it sound formal, but it’s really not!) Here are some snippets from the reports that I hope my peers won’t mind my sharing:

I, Lisa Rickey, MVAR chairwoman and an archivist at Wright State University Special Collections & Archives, shared several bits of news, most of which seem to pertain to the upcoming 1913 flood centennial–which, honestly, is not that surprising, considering how many flood projects I have swirling (ooh, bad pun) in my head (and on my desk) at the moment.

I am currently working with a couple of our public history grad students on two related 1913 flood projects: an archival resource list (it’s going to look different soon but here’s the link anyway for now) and a virtual gallery (using Flickr). We just sent invite letters out to area organizations about these today, so hopefully many repositories in the area will contribute to help make them successful. We have a few submissions already, but we’d love more!

I’m also working on a series of blog posts to be posted during the days of the actual flood centennial- letters and diary entries posted day-by-day from 4 different flood survivors whose manuscripts are now in our collections at WSU– so watch for that on the WSU Archives’ Out of the Box blog the last week in March. We’ve also created a special 1913 flood section of the WSU SC&A web site to aggregate all the various 1913 flood stuff listed in various places on our web site (manuscripts, exhibits, blog posts, etc.).

In other WSU-blog-related-but-not-1913-flood-related news: our Dayton Daily News Archive blog more than doubled its previous high (of about 500) on single-day site views on February 9th (with nearly 1,300 views!). That was the weekend of Winter Storm Nemo that pummeled New England, and I noticed the news and weather crews kept referring to “the Blizzard of ’78.” Well, I guess it got lots of people curious, because they were Googling “Blizzard of 1978″ — and our DDN Archive blog post on the “Blizzard of 1978″ is the first hit on Google for that search term (even above Wikipedia)! Over 1000 of those 1300 views on Feb 9th were for the Blizzard of ’78 entry.

In other non-blog news, our University Archivist Chris Wydman was interviewed by the WSU Newsroom for an article about the history of the WSU tunnel system. A day or two after that, Channel 2 (WDTN) brought a film crew in to ask him about it, but so far, we have yet to see that footage anywhere.

And finally— good Lord, I am long-winded this time!—in personal news (OK it’s still career stuff but specific to me, not WSU), I will be giving a session on “Promoting your Collections Online” at the Ohio Local History Alliance’s Region 7 Meeting in Wapakoneta on March 16th. And I am also writing an article for the spring issue of the Society of Ohio Archivists’ newsletter Ohio Archivist about the various 1913 Flood commemoration activities.

*****

Okay, enough about me…seriously. Here are some snippets from the other attendees’ institutional reports:

Jennifer Gerth of the Marianist Archives told us about a very interesting reference question she recently answered (aka a family mystery she helped solve!). She also told us there will be an upcoming exhibit for the flood centennial: Hope on the Hill: Marianists and the 1913 Dayton Flood.

Gillian Hill, Joan Donovan, and Robin Heise, all at the Greene County Records Center & Archives, told us some fascinating stories from the slave emancipation records they are working with. They have been transcribing them and hope to do a digitization project with them in the future.

Cindy Manz, former (retired) records manager at the Miami Conservancy District, told us about a family photo scanning project she has undertaken for a friend.

[That prompted me to also share about the home movie film indexing project I've been doing on my grandfather's films, which we had digitized in December. Should be very helpful, and thankfully most of the 30+ films are only 2 minutes long!]

Roger Lucas, a representative with Indoll Dayton (filing, storage, and record conversion solutions), has been working with the WSU circulation desk renovation. He also mentioned that there may be several used high density mobile shelving units coming up available soon for a low price—at which statement many ears perked up!

Tina Ratcliff, records manager at the Montgomery County Records Center & Archives, told us that — surprisingly — few of the county records seem to even mention the 1913 Flood. (They’ve looked!) How strange!

Virginia Weygandt, Mel Glover, and Natalie Fritz, of the Clark County Historical Society (our hosts for the meeting), had lots of good news to report. They were recently able to repair a leak in the roof, and an office that had received some water damage was in the process of being repaired. (OK, so water problems are never good news—but getting them fixed certainly is!) They have just finished up an OHRAB-funded project to re-house probate court records; they’ve filled 200 banker boxes with over 8000 folders in the course of 2 years. They even won an OHRAB Achievement Award for the project in 2012 (see photo below)!

Natalie showing us the OHRAB Achievement Award they recently won for their probate court records project.

They also recently received a grant of $3000 from NEH for some new boxes. In exhibits news, they currently have an exhibit up called Newsweek 1983: Revisiting the American Dream, for the 30th anniversary of a 1983 Newsweek magazine article that put a spotlight on Springfield as representative of America in general. A dramatic performance “Spotlight on History” also accompanied the exhibit opening on Feb. 15. They will also be holding their annual “Night at the Museum” event on March 9th.

Betsy Wilson, who writes house histories and researches historic properties, told us about a really interesting home she’s currently researching, as well as an architecture research project she has in the works.

Galen Wilson, of NARA, is currently working on a team charged with rewriting federal records retention schedules. He also serves on the OHRAB and mentioned that there’s still time to apply for one of the 2013 OHRAB grants. Then he shared a great anecdote about “deaccessioning” some of his personal papers.

Bill McIntire is “the new Lisa (me)” as reference librarian/archivist at the Dayton Metro Library, where he started in January, after having been the DDN Archivist at WSU. He said he’s still learning the place.

Jen Haney is also getting used to her new job as “the new James [Zimmerlin]” at the Warren County Records Center & Archives, where she recently started as the records manager. (James accepted a position as records manager at CareSource, though he has been around to help Jen with the transition.) Jen said that, among other things, they are working on adding some search capabilities to the web site.

Gino Pasi, one of my fellow archivists at Wright State University, talked about the 1913 Flood traveling exhibit we recently started sharing with the public. The exhibit opening on January 24th was a great success. He also told us about an ongoing project with the Five Rivers MetroParks, who have enlisted volunteers to help them gather and organize their records, as well as select materials for their 50th anniversary celebration (this spring), before sending those materials to the WSU Special Collections & Archives. As collections manager, Gino has been working with them on the project.

Collette McDonough, archivist at the Kettering Foundation, told us about some really interesting photo processing projects she’s been working on recently. She also said that she is looking for a volunteer to help re-house photos, but there’s a possibility that the position might eventually become paid.

*****

After the institutional reports, we went over the list of relevant upcoming conferences, which you can find on the “Relevant Conferences” page of the new MVAR web site!

*****

Future MVAR Meeting Dates (you can also find these on the MVAR web site under “Upcoming Meetings”):
May 16, 2013: Jamestown Opera House (Jamestown, Ohio)
August 15, 2013
February 20, 2014

We still need hosts for all of the above meetings except the May meeting. If you want to volunteer to host a meeting, please contact me! Otherwise, take your chances, because if nobody volunteers, I will have to start cornering people individually with cold calls!

Also: I used to not put the locations on here, but according to the survey from November, people don’t seem to think it’s a problem to go ahead and post the locations publicly online. I guess nobody’s worried about crashers, or mass murderers with an axe to grind against all archivists everywhere and looking to take several out in one shot. (Some imagination, right?) Anyway.

*****

Next was the tour. I had been to the Clark County Historical Society’s Heritage Center museum and archives a few times before, but it had been a while. They showed us around some of their storage areas, including showing us examples of the probate court records– some of the re-housed ones, as well as some of the not-yet-re-housed ones (see photos below).

Mel showing us a probate record that has yet to be re-housed

Mel showing us one of the re-housed probate records

The library and archives reading room at the Clark County Heritage Center

We also checked out the archives reading room (see photo above).

*****

After the tour, we had lovely box lunches from a local bistro. They were pretty tasty— especially the dessert!

And so another great MVAR meeting came to a close!

MVAR Recap 11/15/2012

Last Thursday (November 15) was the most recent meeting of the Miami Valley Archivists Roundtable (or, MVAR), an informal gathering of archivists in and around Dayton, Ohio. This time, we met at Wright State University Special Collections & Archives. Our hosts were Dawne Dewey, Head of the Special Collections & Archives, and Bill McIntire, Dayton Daily News archivist.

*****

This was my first meeting as Chair of the MVAR, and I had a few discussion points I wanted to bring up before we did our institutional reports:

1) I would like to re-instate the keeping of a (for lack of a better term) “membership list”. Since MVAR is very informal and there are no dues, the only real criterion for “membership” is that the person have some interest in “Miami Valley Archives” (as it is the Miami Valley Archives Roundtable). I had noticed from the MVAR Archives (which I didn’t even know existed – although it should have been obvious, seeing as it’s a group of archivists! – until Rachel brought it to me in August) that we used to have an actual member list of names and contact information. I think this would be a good record of growth and changes in the group, more than anything else.

2) I would also like to create a web presence for the MVAR. I had thought for a while that this might be a good idea, but the point really hit home when I saw that on the SAA’s list of archival organizations the entry for MVAR has a link to my blog as the web site. And it was like that even before I became chair or updated the chair’s contact info with them; they did it on their own, apparently because it was the only reference to MVAR that they could find on the web. I think it would be good if we changed that. It could be as simple as a list of the meetings and locations on a free WordPress site.

Both of these suggestions were met with generally positive comments. Someone expressed concern that if we had a web site (or a Facebook group) that the announcements on the email list might dwindle. I assured them that I wanted the web site to be in addition to, not instead of, what we do now.

After the meeting, I created a brief survey to gauge interest in a membership list and a web site from the whole of MVAR (since not everyone comes to every meeting) and sent out by email. As of this writing, 25 people have responded, and 100% of respondents agreed that a membership list is a good idea and 100% also agreed that a web presence is a good idea. I have not yet acted on either yet, though.

I made one other announcement that I thought would be of interest to MVAR members (although many are already aware, I’m sure): to remind them of the upcoming 1913 Flood centennial (in March) and to mention the official 1913 Flood Facebook page, Twitter feed (@1913flood), and web site (
http://www.1913flood.com/
– forthcoming). Our next MVAR meeting is not until February, and that seemed too late to be spreading the word!

Oh – and one last thing – I subjected everyone to couple of photos. I promised I wouldn’t do this every time, but since it was my first MVAR… Someone also offered to take one of me, too (the third picture):

2012-11-19_MVAR_1

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After these announcements (and photos), we did our institutional reports.

*****

The institutional reports consist of each person in attendance taking a turn, stating their name, position, and institution, and sharing a little bit about what they have been up to lately, archives-wise. (The label “institutional reports” may make it sound formal, but it’s really not!) Here are some snippets from the reports that I hope my peers won’t mind my sharing:

Judy Deeter of the Troy Historical Society passed around a copy of the recently published Arcadia book Troy and the Great Flood of 1913 (on sale Dec. 3), which she helped write, as well as a copy of Scott Trostel’s new book And Through the Black Night of Terror (about the 1913 flood in the northern Miami Valley).

Dawne Dewey of the Wright State University Special Collections & Archives announced that the Public History Graduate Symposium will be held on March 22, 2013, with the Smithsonian’s Tom Crouch as plenary speaker. (This will be the second PH Symposium, and I am looking forward to it. I really enjoyed the 2012 WSU Public History Symposium!) Dawne also mentioned that one of her grad assistants is compiling a list of local resources on the 1913 Flood, so let her know if you have any 1913 Flood collections!

Toni Vanden Bos & Gino Pasi, both also of WSU SC&A, announced that the 1913 Flood traveling exhibit that they created will soon be available for institutions to borrow — so watch the SC&A web site for info!

*****

When it was my turn to report (as a new archivist at the Wright State University Special Collections & Archives), I simply stated that I am still in the “getting the lay of the land” phase of my position, since it was only my second week, so I did not have anything terribly exciting to report just yet!

*****

After the institutional reports, we went over the list of relevant upcoming conferences:

• Dec. 5, 2012: SAA Workshop: “Archival Exhibitions #1350” (Ohio University, Athens, OH)
• Mar. 22, 2013: WSU Public History Grad Student Symposium (WSU, Dayton, OH), with Tom Crouch as plenary speaker
• Apr. 8-10, 2013: CiL Annual Conference (Washington, DC)
• Apr. 17-20, 2013: National Council on Public History Annual Meeting (Ottawa, Canada)
• Apr. 18-20, 2013: MAC Annual Meeting (Indianapolis, IN)
• Apr./May 2013 (TBD): Society of Ohio Archivists Spring Meeting
• July 10-13, 2013: NAGARA Annual Meeting (Indianapolis, IN)
• Aug. 11-17, 2013: SAA/CoSA Joint Annual Meeting (New Orleans, LA)
• Sept. 18-21, 2013: AASLH Annual Conference (Birmingham, AL)
• Oct. 28-30, 2013: ARMA Annual Conference & Expo (Las Vegas, NV)
• Nov. 7-10, 2013: LITA National Forum (Louisville, KY)
• Aug. 10-16, 2014: SAA Annual Meeting (Washington, DC)

*****

Future MVAR Meeting Dates:

February 21, 2013 – Clark County Historical Society
May 16, 2013 (host still needed)
August 15, 2013 (host still needed)
November 21, 2013 (host still needed)

We still need hosts for all of the above meetings except the February meeting. If you want to volunteer to host a meeting, please contact me! Otherwise, take your chances, because if nobody volunteers, I will have to start cornering people individually with cold calls!

Historically, I have not liked to post the info about where an upcoming meeting is going to be held. What if we have pranksters? Or crashers? Or bombers? I brought this up when discussing the potential web site, and people didn’t seem too concerned about it. Actually, it sounded like “trying to find out where the next meeting is” was (in most cases) the primary purpose for Googling “Miami Valley Archives Roundtable” in the first place. So…I guess I won’t worry about it anymore!

*****

Next, we had a presentation and tour of the new Dayton Daily News Archive at WSU.

DDN Archivist Bill McIntire gave a great presentation about the DDN Archive Project and its many strengths and challenges:

2012-11-15_MVAR_4 : Bill giving presentation

And then we got a tour of the DDN Archive space, including a great selection of items that Bill had on display for us to look at:

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*****

After the tour, several of us headed out to the lunch portion of the meeting, which was held at the Great American Grill in the new Hilton Garden Inn on Pentagon Boulevard.

*****

Another successful (and fun) MVAR meeting on the books!

Historical Sketch: St. John’s Reformed Church in Germantown, Ohio

The village of Germantown, Ohio, was founded in 1804, when several German families from Pennsylvania settled there. These families were members of the Reformed and Lutheran churches. In 1809, the settlers built a single church to be shared by both congregations. This church, built of logs, was located near the present site of Emmanuel’s Evangelical Lutheran Church on Warren Street.

Initially these services were conducted by traveling ministers, but after a few years, both congregations had pastors in residence: Rev. Thomas Winters[1] for the Reformeds and Rev. John Caspar Dill for the Lutherans. The congregations shared the log church for 20 years, alternating Sunday services every other week—a Lutheran service one week, a Reformed service the next—although families of both denominations attended services every week.

In 1818, Philip Gunckel, the town proprietor, began building a large new brick church at the corner of Market and Walnut streets, on the property where St. John’s Reformed Church currently stands. He sold half of the church building to Reformed congregation and the other half to the Lutherans, for $600 each. The new church building was finally completed in 1828, and the two congregations worshiped together happily for two years in the new building. However, in 1830, a dispute arose between the Lutherans and Mr. Gunckel (a member of the Reformed church), and the Lutheran congregation returned to the log church. Thenceforth, the two congregations worshiped separately, although they shared a common burial ground until 1879.

Rev. Thomas Winters served the Reformed Church at Germantown for about 25 years before retiring in 1840, due to old age. He was succeeded by Rev. George Long, whose pastorate was rather tumultuous. Rev. Long wished to introduce new measures into the Reformed church, such as prayer meetings, and when this met with resistance, he was ousted. The Reformed congregation was then split between those who followed the Old Measures (and remained at the old church) and those who followed the New Measures (and worshiped in a new congregation led by Rev. Long).

The New Measures church was short-lived, however. About 1845, their church building burnt down a few years later and then Rev. Long departed. Rev. Thomas H. Winters led the New Measures from 1846 to 1848, and a new church was built. However, when the congregation could not pay for the new church, it was sold at auction. The New Measures congregation disbanded, with most of its members joining the Methodist or United Brethren churches.

The Old Measures congregation—which, after the dissolution of the New Measures congregation around 1848, could be simply known as the Reformed congregation again—had continued to worship at the brick church on the corner of Market and Walnut streets. They continued to use this building, which had been finished in 1828, until the year 1866. At that time, the old building was dismantled, primarily by the work of the men of the congregation, so that a new church could be built, partially on the same site and partially on new ground.

The new church took 13 years to complete, partially due to financial problems. After the first floor was completed, the project ran out of money. The congregation worshiped in this basement room in the meantime, still waiting the completion of the second floor audience room. After Rev. P. C. Prugh became the congregation’s pastor in 1876, he and church trustee Henry Hildabolt set out to solicit subscriptions for the remaining funds ($3,000) required to finish the church. In a short time, they received the necessary pledges, and construction continued. The new church was completed in 1879.

St. John’s Reformed Church completed in 1879 (From a postcard in the collection of the Germantown Historical Society. Used with permission.)

In 1891, the church trustees purchased a property on the southwest corner of Main and Gunckel streets to be used as the first parsonage. This was used until 1899, when a new parsonage property on the northwest corner of Gunckel and Walnut streets (the lot behind the church) was purchased.

Records showing donations by church members, including Henry Hildabolt, to St. John’s Reformed Church in 1897 (St. John’s Reformed Church Records, MS-042, Dayton Metro Library)

On Sunday, April 7, 1907, a tornado struck, and the Reformed Church sustained serious damage, including being partially unroofed. The damage was so severe that the congregation decided it would be best to demolish the building and construct a new one on the same site.

St. John’s Reformed Church, which was unroofed in the 1907 tornado (From a postcard in the collection of the Germantown Historical Society. Used with permission.)

The cornerstone for the new church was laid on November 3, 1907. Within the cornerstone were placed several items, including a list of church members (including 261 names), as well as several other lists and documents.[2] The grand opening of the new church was held in the Fall of 1908. The formal dedication was held on June 1, 1913, after all the construction costs were either paid or pledged. The mortgage burning was held on April 17, 1921, after the total construction costs ($37,000) were paid off.

The St. Johns Reformed Church built in 1908 (From a postcard in the collection of the Germantown Historical Society. Used with permission.)

The 1908 church building is still used by St. John’s congregation today, although the denomination itself has gone through some changes. In 1934, the Reformed and Evangelical churches merged nationally and became known as the Evangelical and Reformed Church. In 1957, the Evangelical & Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Church merged nationally and became known as the United Church of Christ.

St John’s United Church of Christ in Germantown (Photo by the author, 4 Aug. 2012)

Therefore, the former St. John’s Reformed Church is now the St. John’s United Church of Christ. This congregation, over 200 years old, has worshiped at the southwest corner of Market and Walnut streets since 1828.

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[1] Rev. Thomas Winters was the father of Valentine Winters, a prominent Dayton banker. Two of Rev. Thomas’s other sons, Thomas H. and David, also became ministers.

[2] For a more complete list of the contents of the 1907 cornerstone, see Annie Hildabolt’s Centennial History.

Bibliography

Becker, Carl M. The Village: A History of Germantown, Ohio, 1804-1976. Germantown, OH: Germantown Historical Society, 1981. Dayton Local History 977.172 B395V.

Hentz, John P. History of the Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Germantown, Ohio, and Biographies of its Pastors and Founders. Dayton, OH: Christian Publishing House, 1882. Dayton Local History 284.1 H52.

Hildabolt, Annie. “Centennial History of St. John’s Reformed Church at Germantown, Ohio” (1914). St. John’s Reform Church, Germantown, Ohio, Records, 1843-1914 (MSS 25), Ohio Historical Society (Columbus, Ohio).

History of Montgomery County, Ohio. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co., 1882. Dayton Local History 977.172 H673A.

Kerne, Charme. History of Germantown [1804-1954]. [Germantown, OH?]: [Germantown Sesquicentennial Historical Committee?], 1954. Dayton Local History 977.172 K39H.

Montgomery County, Ohio, 1990: A History Written by the People of Montgomery County, Ohio. Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Co., 1990. Dayton Local History 977.172 M78813.

St. John’s United Church of Christ. “About Us.” 21 Oct. 2008. Accessed 28 Aug. 2012.
http://www.stjohnsuccgermantownohio.org/page2.html
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This biographical sketch was originally written by Lisa P. Rickey in August 2012 for the St. John’s Reformed Church (Germantown, Ohio) Records (MS-042) finding aid at the Dayton Metro Library, 215 E. Third St., Dayton, Ohio, 45402; phone (937) 496-8654.

Additional information about the sketch’s subject can be found in that collection. For more information about the manuscript collection’s contents, please see the original finding aid (which includes a name index), available in the Local History Room of the Dayton Metro Library or the OhioLINK EAD Repository entry.

Please contact the Dayton Metro Library or this blog’s author for more information about how to access the original finding aid or the manuscript collection.

Bio Sketch: Henry C. Schuberth (1848-1922), tobacco dealer in Miamisburg, Ohio

Henry Christian Schuberth was born June 7, 1848, in Wandsbek (near Hamburg), Germany, second of the nine children of William and Christina (Kahler) Schuberth.

Signature of Henry C. Schuberth from a September 1887 note (Schuberth Records, MS-033, Box 2, Folder 1)

Henry came to America when he was 3 years old. William and Christina Schuberth, with their four children, departed Hamburg, Germany, on November 17, 1851, aboard the ship Howard, and arrived in the port of New York in February 1852, after a voyage of 13 weeks.

The Schuberth family settled in Pennsylvania for two years before moving to Cincinnati in 1854, where William, a carpenter by trade, set up his business on the corner of Fifth and Elm Streets. William Schuberth later returned to Pennsylvania, settling at Unionville, near Pittsburgh, about 1870.

Henry C. Schuberth received a common education and worked as a clerk for a few years in both Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, as well as Cincinnati, Ohio, before moving to Miamisburg, Ohio, where he would spend the rest of his life.

Henry came to Miamisburg in 1865, when he was about 17 years old, to work as a clerk (for wages of $5 per month) in the tobacco business of his cousin Charles H. Spitzer. Spitzer was connected with the New York City tobacco dealing firm Bunzl & Dormitzer (Julius Bunzl and Henry Dormitzer).

When Spitzer removed to New York in 1873, Henry was given charge of Spitzer’s tobacco business at Miamisburg, including purchasing tobacco on joint account with Bunzl & Dormitzer. The firm traded several million pounds of tobacco per year at Miamisburg.

Letter from Bunzl and Dormitzer, New York tobacco dealers, to Henry C. Schuberth, January 12, 1876. (Schuberth Records, MS-033, Box 2, Folder 3)

Henry continued to conduct business with the firm Bunzl & Dormitzer until the end of 1883, when the firm dissolved after 35 years due to the retirement of Mr. Dormitzer. On January 1, 1884, the firm reconvened as J. Bunzl & Sons, and consisting of Julius Bunzl and his three sons Victor, Gustave, and Ernest Bunzl. Henry continued to do business with J. Bunzl & Sons through at least 1889.

These letter books contain copies of Henry C. Schuberth’s outgoing business correspondence for his tobacco business, from 1873-1896. And even after 100+ years, the books still smell sweetly of tobacco leaves. (Schuberth Records, MS-033, Letter books 1-4)

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Henry Schuberth’s copy of a letter he wrote to Bunzl and Dormitzer, tobacco dealers, in New York, ca. 1872. Schuberth’s copies of his correspondence are in 4 letter books with very thin paper. (Schuberth Records, MS-033, Letter book #1, page 74)

Henry conducted business with Joseph Bimberg, a tobacco dealer in Detroit, Michigan, from at least 1892 through 1897. Henry also conducted trade in the tobacco business with a number of other tobacco dealers in the Miami Valley, particularly Levi Baker of Brookville.

Henry’s tobacco warehouse was located between First Street (previously called Canal Street) and the Miami-Erie Canal, at the east end of Ferry Street (which used to dead-end before the canal).

Map indicating the location of the H. C. Schuberth tobacco warehouse in Miamisburg in 1892 (from Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, 1892)

The spot where his tobacco warehouse once stood is now occupied by the continuation of Ferry Street between First and Second Streets.

Ferry St bet First and Second (Miamisburg), former site of H. C. Schuberth tobacco warehouse (Photo by the author, 4 Aug. 2012)

Henry’s home, at 110 N. Main Street, was approximately 1 block away, where part of the Zee Motors lot is now.

NEC Main and Ferry (Miamisburg), former site of H. C. Schuberth house (110 N. Main) (Photo by the author, 4 Aug. 2012)

Henry C. Schuberth was widely recognized as being the oldest tobacco dealer in the Miami Valley at the time, when taking into account his years of continuous and actual service in the area’s tobacco industry.

Henry was a member of the Knights Templar, the Scottish Rite Freemasons, the Knights of Pythias, the International Order of Odd Fellows, and the Lutheran Church. In politics, he was a Republican.

On September 29, 1870, Henry C. Schuberth married a neighbor Sarah Oletta Shultz (1853-1937), daughter of Emanuel Shultz (1819-1912), a produce trader, tobacco dealer, banker, and later Congressman from Ohio’s 4^th District.

Henry and Sarah had three children, all of whom were born in Miamisburg, Ohio:

1. Clifford Manning Schuberth (born Apr. 15, 1876; died Mar. 13, 1960), who married Laura May Silberman (1875-1955), and had a daughter, Margaret Louise (Schuberth) Olinger (1903-1990);
2. Mary A. Schuberth (born May 20, 1879; died 1923), who married Charles Henry Hall (1877-1951), and had a son, Henry Schuberth Hall (1902-1984); and
3. Harry C. Schuberth (born Dec. 4, 1880; died 1954), who married Louise Victoria Kessel (1880-?), and had two daughters, Mary Oletha Schuberth and Virginia K. Schuberth.

Henry Christian Schuberth died on February 26, 1922, at his home in Miamisburg, Ohio, as a result of a cerebral hemorrhage. He was buried on March 1, 1922, at Hill Grove Cemetery in Miamisburg. His wife Sarah died May 27, 1937, in Miamisburg, and was buried next to him.

Henry C. Schuberth tombstone in Hill Grove Cemetery (Photo by Mary Downing-Mahan, from Find-A-Grave. Used with permission.)

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Henry C. Schuberth tombstone in Hill Grove Cemetery (Photo by Mary Downing-Mahan, from Find-A-Grave. Used with permission.)

Bibliography

Conover, Frank. Centennial Portrait and Biographical Record of the City of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio. [Chicago]: A. W. Bowen, 1897. Pages 1048-1049. Dayton Local History 977.172 C753C 1897.

History of Montgomery County, Ohio. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co., 1882. Pages 422, 458. Dayton Local History 977.172 H673A.

LaMarco, Frances. “Howard. Hamburg, Germany, to New York, November 17, 1851.” Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild. Transcribed 25 July 2000. Accessed 24 July 2012,
http://immigrantships.net/v3/1800v3/howard18511117.html
.

“Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953.” FamilySearch web site. Accessed 24 July 2012,
http://www.familysearch.org
.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Miamisburg, Ohio, 1886 & 1892. Accessed 24 July 2012,
http://dmc.ohiolink.edu/oplinmap.htm
.

“Schuberth, Henry C. (1848-1922).” Find A Grave. Accessed 24 July 2012, 
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=75055728
.

U.S. Federal Census, 1860-1930, via Ancestry Library Edition.

When Tobacco was King and the Farmers Reigned. [Miamisburg, OH]: Miamisburg Historical Society, 2002. Pages 121-122. Dayton Local History 338.17371 W567 2002.

*****

This biographical sketch was originally written by Lisa P. Rickey in August 2012 for the Henry C. Schuberth Tobacco Business Records (MS-033) finding aid at the Dayton Metro Library, 215 E. Third St., Dayton, Ohio, 45402; phone (937) 496-8654.

Additional information about the sketch’s subject can be found in that collection. For more information about the manuscript collection’s contents, please see the original finding aid (which includes a name index), available in the Local History Room of the Dayton Metro Library or the OhioLINK EAD Repository entry.

Please contact the Dayton Metro Library or this blog’s author for more information about how to access the original finding aid or the manuscript collection.

Bio Sketch: lawyer Frank Breene (1860-1925) & teacher Carrie Breene (1864-1944)

Frank S. Breene and Carrie A. Breene were the youngest children of William Gale Breene (~1820-1896), a Dayton tailor who was a native of Ireland, and his wife Margaret (Jernee) Breene (~1822-1895).

William and Margaret (Jernee) Breene had 10 children:

1. Francis M. Breene (~1844-1847);
2. Martha Jane Breene (~1846-1918), sometimes called Jennie, who married Joseph T. Patton (~1841-1900) and moved to Detroit, Michigan;
3. William H. Breene (~1848-1901), an inspector in Dayton;
4. John J. Breene (~1851-1906), who moved to Kansas;
5. Mary Gale Breene (1853-1939), who never married, was a teacher and principal in Dayton public schools for many years;
6. Margaret Breene (~1855-1892), who married James D. Loughridge (~1855-1910) and moved to Louisville, Kentucky;
7. Emma Breene (~1855-1856);
8. Charles L. G. Breene (1859-1943), who was a tailor in Dayton for many years;
9. Frank Shuey Breene (1860-1925), a Dayton lawyer; and
10. Carrie A. Breene (1864-1944), a Dayton teacher.

*****

Frank Shuey Breene was born November 20, 1860, in Dayton, Ohio. He graduated in 1879 or 1880 from Dayton’s Central High School and began training for the bar soon afterwards. He apprenticed in the law office of Marshall & Gottschall. In May 1883, Frank was admitted to the bar.

Frank Breene, ca. 1907 (Dayton Daily News, 18 Sept. 1907, pg. 4)

Frank practiced law in Dayton for more than 40 years. Early in his career, Frank was a justice of the peace in Dayton. He also served two terms as city solicitor from 1910 to 1914. In November 1924, he made an unsuccessful bid for common pleas court judge. In politics, Frank was a Democrat.

Near the end of his life, Frank was a partner in the firm Breene, Dwyer, and Finn (with Albert J. Dwyer and Samuel L. Finn), which had an office in the Mutual Home Building. Dwyer had been Frank’s assistant during his time as city solicitor, and Finn had studied law under both Breene and Dwyer.

Frank was a member of fraternal organizations including the Elks Lodge No. 58 and the Knights of Pythias, Iola Lodge. He was a member of the Dayton Bar Association, and, when the elite Dayton Lawyers’ Club was founded in 1909, Frank Breene was among its original directors.

Frank S. Breene was never married. For many years, he and his two unmarried sisters, teachers Mary and Carrie Breene, lived together at 740 Superior Avenue (a large lot on the southeast corner of Superior and Easton) in the Old Dayton View neighborhood. The home site is now a grassy lot next to an apartment complex (736 Superior).

Frank S. Breene died of liver cancer on May 1, 1925, at his home on Superior Street in Dayton, Ohio, after an illness of several months. He was buried on May 4, 1925, in Woodland Cemetery in Dayton.

Tombstone of Frank Breene, Woodland Cemetery, Dayton (Photo by the author, 29 Aug. 2012)

*****

Carrie A. Breene was born October 22, 1864, in Dayton, Ohio. She graduated in 1883 or 1884 from Dayton’s Central High School. Her post-secondary education included the Dayton Normal School and the Columbia Teachers Colleges, as well as courses at Harvard University.

Carrie Breene, 1917 (Steele High School Annual, 1917, available in the Dayton Metro Library’s Local History Collection)

Carrie was a teacher in the Dayton public schools for 40 years. In 1884, she began teaching in one of the primary schools and continued in that position until 1898, when she became a teacher at Steele High School. Over the years, Carrie taught English, public speaking, history, and Latin. She retired in 1924 as one of the city’s best known public school teachers.

Carrie never married. She was was a member of the Young Woman’s Christian Association (YWCA), the Marlay Circle, the Woman’s Literary Club, and Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Carrie died of pneumonia on May 24, 1944, at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. She was buried on May 27, 1944, in Woodland Cemetery in Dayton.

Tombstone of Carrie Breene, Woodland Cemetery, Dayton (Photo by the author, 29 Aug. 2012)

Bibliography

Central High School. Brief History of the Alumni of Central High School, Dayton, Ohio. Dayton, OH: Alumni Association of the Central High School, 1887. Volume 3: pp. 2, 57.

Conover, Frank. Centennial Portrait and Biographical Record of the City of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio. [Chicago]: A. W. Bowen, 1897. Dayton Local History 977.172 C753C 1897.

Dalton, Curt. Portraits of Dayton. Dayton, OH: Asylum Graphics, 1993. Volume 1 & 2.

Dayton (OH) City Directories, 1886-1920. Dayton Metro Library.

“Dayton Deaths : Miss Carrie Breene.” Dayton Journal, 26 May 1944, p. 10.

Delta Kappa Gamma Society, Pi Chapter. Stories About Pioneer Women Teachers in Montgomery County, Ohio. Ohio: Delta Kappa Gamma Society, 1950. Dayton Local History B377172 D366S.

“Breene, Dwyer and Finn.” Official Annual Labor Review 2, no. 19 (1918). Accessed 26 July 2012,
http://www.daytonhistorybooks.com/page/page/4478367.htm
.

“Frank S. Breene Dies; Funeral is Set for Monday.” Dayton Journal, 2 May 1925, pp. 1-2.

Greer, David C. Sluff of History’s Boot Soles: An Anecdotal History of Dayton’s Bench and Bar. Wilmington, Ohio: Orange Frazer Press, 1996.

The Ohio Blue Book; or, Who’s Who in the Buckeye State: A Cyclopedia of Biography of Men and Women of Ohio. Toledo, OH: [s.n.], 1917.

“Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953.” FamilySearch web site. Accessed 16 July 2012,
http://www.familysearch.org
.

Steele High School Annual, 1909-1925. Dayton Metro Library.

U.S. Federal Census, 1850-1940, via Ancestry Library Edition.

Woodland Cemetery & Arboretum Interment Database, accessed 7 June 2012,
http://www.woodlandcemetery.org
.

*****

This biographical sketch was originally written by Lisa P. Rickey in July 2012 for the Breene Family Papers (MS-030) finding aid at the Dayton Metro Library, 215 E. Third St., Dayton, Ohio, 45402; phone (937) 496-8654.

Additional information about the sketch’s subject can be found in that collection. For more information about the manuscript collection’s contents, please see the original finding aid (which includes a name index), available in the Local History Room of the Dayton Metro Library or the OhioLINK EAD Repository entry.

Please contact the Dayton Metro Library or this blog’s author for more information about how to access the original finding aid or the manuscript collection.

Bio Sketch: Dr. Thomas A. McCann (1858-1943), homeopathic doctor in Dayton, Ohio

Thomas Addison McCann was born September 25, 1858, in Dresden, Muskingum County, Ohio, the eldest son of Thomas A. McCann (~1818-1883), a farmer and schoolteacher active in community government, and his wife Jane (McKee) McCann (~1826-1877).

Dr. Thomas A. McCann, ca. 1909 (from the Dayton Daily News, 9 Apr. 1909, pg. 9 – view complete article)

As a boy, Thomas attended the schools near his father’s farm. As a young man, he attended Denison University.[1] He began his medical training at the University of Michigan, which he attended during the 1882-1883 school year.

After only one year at University of Michigan, Thomas apparently halted his formal education temporarily, probably due to family obligations. His mother had died in 1877, and in March 1883, his father died, leaving at least two children under the age of 16. Thomas may have been needed at home to care for his younger siblings.

In October 1889, Thomas returned to his formal studies, matriculating to the school of homeopathic medicine at Hahnemann University in Philadelphia. He graduated from Hahnemann with his M.D. on April 7, 1891.

Upon graduating from medical school in 1891, Dr. Thomas McCann moved to Dayton, Ohio, where his younger brother Benjamin F. McCann was an attorney.

According to Dayton city directory listings, Dr. Thomas McCann’s first residence and office was located at 133 N. Perry Street, during the years 1891-1892. From 1892 until 1899, Thomas lived and practiced medicine at 108 N. Ludlow Street. From 1899 until the early 1940s, Thomas had his office and residence in a duplex at 115/117 N. Perry Street. (With regard to this collection: volumes 1 and 2 were from Dr. McCann’s practice on Ludlow Street; volumes 3 and 4 were from the practice at 115 N. Perry.)

Thomas McCann’s decision to move from the location at 108 N. Ludlow to the larger accommodations 115/117 N. Perry Street probably resulted from changes in his domestic situation. For several years, Thomas’s brother Benjamin and sister Celestia lived with him at 108 N. Ludlow.[2] In 1899, he added a wife and mother-in-law to his household, not to mention the children he would soon have.

On February 21, 1899, Thomas A. McCann married Jeannette Kratochwill (1868-1954), daughter of Joseph and Harriet (Conard) Kratochwill. It is possible that Thomas may have met Jeanette through his medical practice; the records indicate that he attended to her in 1895-1896 (see volume 1, page 406).

Jeannette Kratochwill billing record, 1895-1896 (Dr. T. A. McCann Financial Records, MS-047, Dayton Metro Library, Vol. 1, page 406)

Thomas and Jeannette McCann had five children, all of whom were born in Dayton:

1. Harriet K. McCann (born Feb. 26, 1900; died Mar. 10, 2000), who married George M. Roudebush and lived in Shaker Heights, Ohio;
2. Maj. Thomas Addison McCann, III (born July 2, 1901; died May 10, 1980), who served in the U. S. Army;
3. Jane McCann (born June 20, 1903; died Dec. 22 1952), who married Carl J. Linxweiler and lived in Oakwood;
4. Richard Lee McCann (born Feb. 22, 1905; died Apr. 19, 1941), a Dayton attorney who died unmarried at age 36 as a result of heart trouble; and
5. Joseph K. McCann (born Aug. 20, 1907; died Nov. 15, 1971), who was a clerk at Buckeye Iron and Brass Works in Dayton for several years.

Dr. Thomas A. McCann practiced homeopathic medicine in Dayton for approximately 50 years and was the personal physician of many prominent Daytonians, including James M. Cox and Charles F. Kettering. He was also a surgeon at Miami Valley Hospital for many years beginning in the early 1890s, shortly after it was founded.

J. M. Cox billing record, 1900 (Dr. T. A. McCann Financial Records, MS-047, Dayton Metro Library, Vol. 3, Page 82)

In addition to the practice of medicine and surgery, Dr. McCann was active in several professional organizations and boards. He was a member of the Ohio state board of medical examiners for over 16 years. He was a member of the American Institute of Homeopathy, of which he was elected president in 1920. He was also a member of the Dayton Homeopathic Society, the Montgomery County Medical Society, and the Ohio State Medical Society, and the American Medical Association. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the New York Homeopathic College.

In 1926, Thomas McCann agreed to run as the Democratic candidate for Congress for Ohio’s Third District. He was defeated by the incumbent, Roy G. Fitzgerald.

Dr. McCann was an active member of the First Baptist Church in Dayton. He was also a member of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. In his leisure time, Dr. McCann enjoyed going to Canada on hunting trips.[3]

Dr. Thomas A. McCann died on the evening of November 7, 1943, at the home of his daughter Jane in Oakwood, Ohio, after a two-year battle with prostate cancer. His wife Jeannette died on February 21, 1954. They are both buried in Woodland Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio.

McCann Family Plot, Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio (Photo by the author, 3 June 2012)

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[1] Thomas’s attendance at Denison is mentioned in multiple sources, including his obituaries; however, librarians in the Denison University Archives were unable to find any records of his attendance (Mary Prophet to Lisa Rickey, email, 9 July 2012).

[2] After Thomas McCann moved to Perry Street, his brother Benjamin began boarding at the YMCA; within a year of Thomas’s marriage, Benjamin married Laura Thresher and setup household in her home at 315 N. Robert Bouelvard.

[3] On one such hunting trip in February 1906, a member of McCann’s hunting party, Dayton mayor Charles A. Snyder, drowned.

Bibliography

Bradford, Thomas L. “McCann, T. Addison.” In Biographical Index of the Graduates of Homeopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania and the Hahnemann College and Hospital of Philadelphia. Philadelphia: [published by subscription], 1918. Accessed 30 June 2012,
http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001587030
.

Brown, Harry W., ed. “T. A. McCann, M.D., Dayton” (pp. 304, 326). In Southern Ohio and Its Builders. [sine loco]: Southern Ohio Biographical Association, 1927.

Dayton (OH) City Directories, 1889-1943. Dayton Metro Library.

“Dr. Thomas A. McCann Dies; Rites Will be on Wednesday,” Dayton Daily News, 8 Nov. 1943, pp. 1-2.

“Dr. Thomas A. McCann, 85, Dies; Physician 50 Years,” Dayton Journal, 8 Nov. 1943, p. 1.

Hawker, Emma, graduate assistant at Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan, email correspondence to Lisa Rickey, 3 July 2012.

Herbison, Matthew, archivist at Drexel University College of Medicine, email correspondence to Lisa Rickey, 30 June 2012.

Herzog, Lucy S. “Dr. Lester E. Siemon, of Cleveland, 1867-1943; Dr. Thomas A. McCann, of Dayton, 1858-1943; Dr. Hamilton Fiske Biggar [of Cleveland], 1839-1926.” In Ohio State Medical Journal 46 (1950): 464.

“Homeopathy’s Greatest Needs.” The Clinique 42, no. 6 (1921): 243-247. Accessed 12 July 2012,
http://books.google.com/books?id=y7lXAAAAMAAJ
.

“Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953,” index and images, FamilySearch (
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X89J-Y62
: accessed 12 July 2012), Thomas A. McCann, 1943.

Prophet, Mary Webb, librarian at Denison University, email correspondence to Lisa Rickey, 9 July 2012.

Rogers, L. D., ed. [Editorial and special contributions]. In The North American Journal of Homeopathy 68, no. 8 (Aug. 1920): 702-703. Accessed 12 July 2012,
http://books.google.com/books?id=L_FXAAAAMAAJ
.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Dayton, Ohio, 1897 & 1918. Accessed 12 July 2012,
http://dmc.ohiolink.edu/oplinmap.htm
.

Ullman, Dana. “Charles F. Kettering” (pp. 240-243). In The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy. Berekeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2007. Accessed 12 July 2012,
http://books.google.com/books?id=BXZlprZRTJoC
.

U.S. Federal Census, 1860-1930, via Ancestry Library Edition.

Woodland Cemetery & Arboretum Interment Database. Accessed 7 June 2012,
http://www.woodlandcemetery.org
.

*****

This biographical sketch was originally written by Lisa P. Rickey in July 2012 for the Dr. Thomas A. McCann Financial Records (MS-047) finding aid at the Dayton Metro Library, 215 E. Third St., Dayton, Ohio, 45402; phone (937) 496-8654.

Additional information about the sketch’s subject can be found in that collection. For more information about the manuscript collection’s contents, please see the original finding aid (which includes a name index), available in the Local History Room of the Dayton Metro Library or the OhioLINK EAD Repository entry.

Please contact the Dayton Metro Library or this blog’s author for more information about how to access the original finding aid or the manuscript collection.

Bio Sketch: Henry Hildabolt (1826-1902), cabinetmaker and undertaker in Germantown, Ohio

Henry Hildabolt was born August 29, 1826, in Heimershausen (near Naumburg and Kassel in Hesse), Germany.[1] Henry was the seventh child (and second son) out of the 8 children of John Hellabold (1789-1834) and his wife Catharine Elizabeth Nelke.[2] The other children of John and Catharine Hellabold were: Catherine Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Magdalena, Ann Catherine, Adam, Maria, and Andrew. John Hellabold made a comfortable living and was active in the Reformed Church.

Henry Hildabolt (1826-1902) (Photo from A Sketch of the Life and Death of Henry Hildabolt, with Letters and Papers received by the Family (Dayton, OH: United Brethren Publishing House, 1902))

In May 1834, John Hellabold and his family, including 7-year-old Henry, departed Bremen, Germany, aboard the steamship Isabella, and after 52 days at sea, arrived at the port of New York on July 4, 1834. They traveled west to Cincinnati, where they sold two shotguns to pay the canal fare to Miamisburg. They sold some linen in order to pay a man to take them by wagon from Miamisburg to Sunbury, near Germantown.

Less than two months after the family arrived in Sunbury, Henry’s father John Hellabold became ill and died. This presented the family with great hardship and the need to seek outside employment or apprenticeships. Due to the circumstances, the children received little formal education after arriving in America, although they had attended school in Germany. Consequently, Henry had but a few years of regular schooling, although he continued to attend Sunday school.

At the age of 8, Henry’s mother placed him with another family, so that he could learn a trade, although she visited him often. He first went to live in the home of a blacksmith, but as he was not treated well there, he ran away, back to his mother. Then his mother placed him in the home of John D. Gunckel (of Germantown), where he was treated as a son. Henry was meant to stay with Mr. Gunckel until he reached adulthood, but when he was 14 years old, he convinced Mr. Gunckel to let him learn a trade.

Therefore, Henry went to live and apprentice with a local cabinetmaker named Berryman G. Hawkins. After 5 years of learning the cabinetmaking trade with Mr. Hawkins, Henry set out on his own at the age of 19. He traveled to find work and lived for a year in Goshen, Indiana. Henry soon returned to Germantown, where he was hired by Mr. Hawkins, making cabinets, coffins, and furniture.

Henry became a citizen of the United States at the age of 21, being naturalized on September 28, 1847, at Eaton, Ohio. After acquiring his citizenship, he took great interest in all elections and political issues. He was a Republican and supported the Union during the Civil War. (Although he was disqualified from Civil War service based on his age, he was active in helping to fulfill the draft quotas.)

Henry Hildabolt’s Day Book, May 1852 (Dayton Metro Library, MS-044, Box 1, Folder 1)

During the summer of 1858, Mr. Hawkins wished to retire and invited Henry to buy out his furniture-making and undertaking business. Henry agreed, purchasing and taking over the business at the end of August. Henry performed his first duties as an undertaker on August 29, for a child named Pence; the funeral cost $6. His next undertaking call was on August 31 for Mrs. Peter Shaeffer; the total fees for the funeral and coffin were $12.

Henry Hildabolt’s Ledger (#1), 1858 (Dayton Metro Library, MS-044, Box 1, Folder 4, Page 2)

On November 18, 1849, in Montgomery County, Ohio, Henry married Sarah Barnhart (born July 20, 1828), daughter of John and Christine Barnhart. By 1855, the young couple had saved enough money to purchase a house and lot on the southeast corner of Gunckle and Plum streets in Germantown, where they lived until their deaths.[3]

Henry Hildabolt’s house in Germantown (photo by the author, 4 Aug. 2012)

Henry and Sarah had 8 children:

1. John A. Hildabolt (born Dec. 28, 1850; died Dec. 9, 1918);
2. Ida Clementine Hildabolt (born Nov. 13, 1855; died May 28, 1931), who married Charles F. Huber (1846-1923);
3. Charles W. Hildabolt (born Sept. 23, 1857; died Mar. 25, 1933), who married Emma C. Morningstar (1860-1934);
4. Collin Lincoln Hildabolt (born Dec. 3, 1859; died Nov. 12, 1936), who married Harriet Bell Becker (1864-1941);
5. Laura O. Hildabolt (born June 10, 1863; died Nov. 3, 1938), who married Frederick Kohnle (1860-1944);
6. Orion F. Hildabolt (born about July 1865; died Feb. 28, 1866);
7. Annie M. Hildabolt (born June 10, 1867; died Feb. 7, 1947); and
8. Chloe Hildabolt (born Aug. 6, 1869; died June 17, 1940).

Although his beginnings were humble, Henry became quite successful and amassed a small fortune. From 1858 through the end of 1883, Henry Hildabolt had buried 1,358 people in Germantown and the surrounding area. He continued to deal in furniture as well.

Stamp for H. Hildabolt Undertaker and Dealer in Furniture, Germantown, Ohio, ca. 1862-1883 (Dayton Metro Library, MS-044, Ledger #2, inside cover)

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Stationery for Henry Hildabolt, Undertaker and Furniture Dealer, 1875 (Dayton Metro Library, MS-044, Box 1, Folder 3)

On January 1, 1884, Henry made his son John a formal partner in the business, thenceforth called H. Hildabolt & Son, with Henry receiving 2/3 of the business’s profits and John receiving 1/3. From 1884 to 1902, H. Hildabolt & Son buried another 1,017 more people, for a total of 2,375 burials during Henry’s 44 years in the undertaking business. Henry did not retire until just a few weeks before his death, at which time the business became J. A. Hildabolt & Brother, operated by brothers John and Collin.

Partnership of Henry Hildabolt and John Hildabolt, 1884 (Dayton Metro Library, MS-044, Ledger #3, page 1)

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H. Hildabolt & Son bed at the Germantown Historical Society (photo by the author, 4 Aug. 2012)

In addition to his dedication to his business, Henry was active member and generous supporter of the St. John’s Reformed Church at Germantown, where he also served as a trustee and Sunday school superintendent for many years. He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Friendship Lodge No. 21, from 1848 until his death.

Henry Hildabolt died on January 25, 1902, in Germantown, Ohio, and was buried in the Germantown Cemetery. His wife Sarah died July 24, 1910, and was buried beside him.

Tombstone of Henry Hildabolt and his wife Sarah, Germantown Cemetery (photo by the author, 4 Aug. 2012)

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[1] The Historical Society of Germantown consistently refers to him as “John Henry Hildabolt.” However, all other records, including the record of his birth (A Sketch of the Life and Death of Henry Hildabolt, p. 7) simply call him “Henry.” Heimershausen is located near the towns of Naumburg and Kassel, in the state of Hesse, Germany.

[2] The German spelling of the family name was “Hellabold” or “Hoellebold.” All references to Henry’s father use one of these German spellings, while all references to Henry and his family in the United States use the spelling “Hildabolt.”

[3] Henry Hildabolt’s house, now addressed 104 S. Plum Street, still exists and is a private residence.

*****

Bibliography

Ettel, Dorothy. “Hildabolt” [research notes]. Historical Society of Germantown (Germantown, Ohio). Accessed 4 Aug. 2012.

Hildabolt, Annie. “Centennial History of St. John’s Reformed Church at Germantown, Ohio” (1914). St. John’s Reform Church, Germantown, Ohio, Records, 1843-1914 (MSS 25). Ohio Historical Society (Columbus, Ohio).

“Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1994.” FamilySearch web site. Accessed 26 Aug. 2012,
http://www.familysearch.org
.

“Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953.” FamilySearch web site. Accessed 16 July 2012,
http://www.familysearch.org
.

“Pioneer Citizen Passed to His Reward.” Germantown Press, 30 Jan. 1902. In Dorothy Ettel, “Hildabolt” [research notes].

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Germantown, Ohio, 1921. Accessed 6 Aug. 2012,
http://dmc.ohiolink.edu/oplinmap.htm
.

“Self-Guided Tour of Historic Germantown, Ohio” (brochure). [Germantown, OH]: Historical Society of Germantown, [2012?].

A Sketch of the Life and Death of Henry Hildabolt, with Letters and Papers received by the Family. Dayton, OH: United Brethren Publishing House, 1902.

U.S. Federal Census, 1860-1940, via Ancestry Library Edition.

*****

This biographical sketch was originally written by Lisa P. Rickey in August 2012 for the Henry Hildabolt Cabinetmaker & Undertaker Business Records (MS-044) finding aid at the Dayton Metro Library, 215 E. Third St., Dayton, Ohio, 45402; phone (937) 496-8654.

Additional information about the sketch’s subject can be found in that collection. For more information about the manuscript collection’s contents, please see the original finding aid available in the Local History Room of the Dayton Metro Library or the OhioLINK EAD Repository entry.

Please contact the Dayton Metro Library or this blog’s author for more information about how to access the original finding aid or the manuscript collection.

A rebuttal to HP’s “Scan and share children’s artwork” blog post

Dear Hewlett Packard,

I love your scanners and printers. I really do. (Seriously, I own two of each.)

But please, for the love of God, stop throwing around tips about how to “archive…priceless works of art” or “scan like a pro” as though you have any idea what those tips should actually be — because you don’t.

Everyone knows that your blog posts full of “helpful tips” are really just a ploy to sell your products. And that’s all well and good; any idiot should realize that when a company tries to give you “hints” (or recipes or coupons), what they’re really doing is trying to sell you something.

And I’m not knocking the ideas, necessarily. I’ve seen some neat ideas – including HP’s “Scan and Share Children’s Artwork” article I’m about to rip apart. (And my chicken parm recipe came from the back of a spaghetti sauce jar, and it’s pretty darn good.)

But here’s a thought: don’t go around masquerading as a “pro” to people who don’t know any better.

*****

Dear People who are not Hewlett Packard, if you want to know how to scan and preserve your kids’ artwork, don’t ask HP, ask an archivist. And oh wait, I just happen to be one.

So here are some rebuttals to what HP suggests in “Scan and Share Children’s Artwork.” I don’t claim to have all the answers on this; I have never attempted to archive children’s artwork. But I’m pretty confident that anything I suggest is going to be better advice than what your scanner’s marketing department dreamed up.

*****

And now…the much-anticipated flaying of HP’s article “Scan and Share Children’s Artwork.” (And if there’s time, I’ll take a vicious stab at “Quick Tips for Scanning Photos,” too.)

First off : I don’t really see a problem with the idea of scanning your kids’ artwork, with several caveats:

If you intend to save the original “forever”, can you digitize (either scan or photograph) it without harming it? Will scanning this artwork harm your scanner? (I’m imagining friable media such as crayon flaking off on your scanner; sounds like a mess to me.) And can you even capture the true essence of that macaroni-made man they show in the article, with a flatbed scanner? It’s 3D!

Maybe you don’t care about keeping the original safe “forever”. Perhaps the whole point is that you want to make a digital facsimile so you can save physical space by discarding the originals. (I’m not necessarily recommending this. Even HP didn’t flat-out suggest throwing away the originals, although they plant the seed of this idea about three different ways with phrases like “reduce clutter,” “avoid throwing out favorites” [emphasis mine], and “free up more space in your home”.) But anyway, if you DID want to digitize the art so that you could feel better about throwing out the originals, wouldn’t you want to make sure you digitized at a high enough quality to achieve your goal of preserving as good a copy as possible? If yes, then HP’s guidelines are not strict enough.

OK, let’s just go ahead and get this out of the way now : I’m going to rag on the “Quick Tips for Scanning Photos” blog post after all. It’s one of my top three annoyances with this article. (The other two are: the casual way they throw around words like “preserve” and “archive” and the digital storage recommendations they make.)

I don’t like the way they casually suggest making corrections to color, fading, or blurriness, especially letting the scanner “auto correct” things. Maybe this is what “the pros” in other professions – like photography – might do. But when you are throwing “archive” into like every other paragraph, you are in my world now, and that’s now how we roll as digital archivists. You should be striving for a true representation of the thing you are digitizing. Hey, if you want to tweak the color or something on a secondary copy, that’s one thing, but I think it’s a bad idea to not keep a copy of what the original ACTUALLY looked like, especially if you are going to throw the original hard copy away to “free up more space in your home” (because guess what, HP, the only way to free up more space in your home is by actually removing things; I’m pretty sure it’s the law of conservation of mass that says that just rearranging stuff doesn’t change how much of it exists).

I’m pleased that they at least acknowledge that TIFF files are the archival format, and they suggest using TIFF “if you’re uncertain how you’ll use it in the future” (and may wish you had a higher quality file). But they blew it when making scan resolution recommendations. I’m not even going to justify the suggestion of 75-100 DPI for Web use with a response; and the recommendation of 300 DPI for “printing or archiving” kind of makes me want to punch them in the face. MAYBE if we’re talking about a REALLY big piece of art. But then, if it’s big enough to justify only scanning at 300 DPI, does HP even make a consumer-grade flatbed scanner big enough to do that? I’m pretty sure they don’t.

If you are scanning Junior’s artwork, and you want to do it “like a pro” — like a real archives pro, not like the imaginary slacker that HP is talking about — then you should be scanning at about 600 DPI, saving as TIFFs, and not muddling things up with any color correction or auto-correct (figure out how to turn all that crap OFF in your scanner software). And no whining about the file sizes either. If you want to do this, do it right. Go big or go home.

Okay…now back to “Scan and Share Children’s Artwork.”

Here’s some food for thought : In most cases, a digital copy is never going to be as good as the original.

The only exception I can think of it is if your kid made a collage of newspaper clippings: if you scan it today while it’s new, that scanned newsprint is likely to look a whole lot better than the original in 10 or 20 years.

But oh wait, the only way you’ll ever know that for sure is if your digital copy (and the original) both survive for the next 10-20+ years so you can compare them. (Unless you have the equipment & know-how to conduct one of those artificial aging experiments – you know, the one that “proved” that microfilm should last 500 years.)

So, how are you going to make sure the digitized version of your kids’ artwork is safe?  Well, once they are digitized, I recommend following something along the lines of what I suggested in my “Save your digital photos” series (parts 1, 2, and 3) [June 2012].

HP recommends burning the image files to DVD and to “make two discs: one for archival purposes, and one to share with Grandma or other friends or family.” OK, I will give them credit for sneaking in the concepts of LOCKSS (lots of copies keeps stuff safe) AND geographic dispersal, whether they knew it or not, BUT I would still take this a little further. I don’t like optical media (CDs, DVDs) because they seem to go bad faster than real hard drives, even if you don’t use them. But they are easy to label and store. If you want to go that DVD route, make two copies FOR YOU and store them separately, AND give that third copy to Grandma (who hopefully lives in another state and not just across town?). I would also recommend backing up online using something like Dropbox, Carbonite, Smugmug, Shutterfly, or Snapfish (no I’m not selling these, they’re just ones I thought of). [There's more about this in the "Save your digital photos" blog posts I referenced earlier.]

Finally, the one last statement that really ticked me off about this article: “Digital files or prints of your children’s art pieces last longer than the pieces themselves.” Uh…there’s a statement that requires some qualification, if I ever saw one. The digital files MIGHT last longer than the original IF you follow an appropriate regimen of file storage and backup. And I think it bears mentioning that any archivist will tell you that the original is always better than a digital copy, because you can’t get a truer representation of the original than THE ORIGINAL.

*****

While there are many things about these articles that really pushed my buttons (clearly), I would like to end on a positive note.

I reiterate : in theory, the suggestion of digitizing your kids’ artwork is a good one. (You know, assuming you don’t damage the original or your scanner in the process.) I like the idea, and I hadn’t really thought of it before (maybe because I don’t have children so this hasn’t come up in my personal life).

I really like the suggestions they made for why you might want to do it:

• To share one piece of art with multiple people, such as self, both sets of grandparents, etc. (in Archivist-Speak: increased access);
• To “ensure the original won’t be worn and torn after show and tell” (in Archivist-Speak: to reduce handling on the original while still allowing access – welcome concepts in Archivist Land); and even
• To reduce clutter — this one I can get on board with, because if it means you can take 50 drawings off the fridge and put them neatly in a box somewhere, instead showing them off in a photo frame or on Facebook (thus still placating your kid that you are proud of their accomplishments – does Facebook Wall count as a virtual refrigerator door now in that sense?), then I think that’s fine.

I love that they reminded people to “write down as much information as you can about each piece” (in Archivist-Speak: YAY METADATA!), such as title of work, date of completion, and other anecdotal information (in Archivist-Speak: YAY PROVENANCE!).

Those other ideas about making a photo book, tee shirt, or thank you notes (to name a few) were also pretty awesome. Great ideas.

I guess what I’m trying to say here is : The idea of scanning kids’ artwork is basically good, in my opinion. What I disagree with (heartily) are the recommended specifications for the project’s implementation.

Okay, I’m going to go put my soapbox away now.

Bio Sketch: Jonathan Harshman Winters (1834-1915), banker in Dayton, Ohio

Jonathan Harshman Winters, I, was born October 21, 1834, in Dayton, Ohio, the fourth child (and eldest son) out of the 11 children of Valentine Winters (1807-1890) and his wife Catherine Harshman (1810-1882). He was named after his grandfather, Jonathan Harshman, Sr. Valentine Winters and his son Jonathan were prominent Dayton bankers.

Jonathan H. Winters (1834-1915), from the Dayton Daily News, 4 June 1915, pg. J5.

Jonathan attended local Dayton schools. Then, in 1851, he attended the Flushing Institute, a preparatory school in Long Island, New York. In 1852-1853, he studied at “the College Hill university” (Farmer’s College) in Cincinnati.

In 1853 or 1854, Jonathan became an assistant teller and messenger at the Dayton Exchange Bank, which was controlled by his father Valentine Winters, his uncle Jonathan Harshman, Jr., his brother-in-law Robert R. Dickey, and James R. Young. Within a few years, Harshman, Dickey, and Young had all withdrawn from the Exchange Bank. In 1857, Valentine Winters made his son Jonathan a partner (one-third interest) in the bank, which was then known as V. Winters & Son.

The same year that he became a partner in his father’s bank, Jonathan H. Winters married Susan Louella Bates on June 9, 1857, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Susan was born September 16, 1837, in Cincinnati, Ohio, the eldest daughter of Richard Bates (1808-1855) and his wife Nancy Trotter (1814-1870).

Susan L. (Bates) Winters (1837-1910), portrait taken in 1891 by Appleton (Winters Papers, 4:3, Photo # 02, Dayton Metro Library)

The Jonathan H. Winters family resided from at least the 1860s until about 1899 at 115 W. Third Street (north side of Third between Wilkinson and Ludlow), across the street from Jonathan’s father Valentine Winters’ large mansion at 130 W. Third Street. The Valentine Winters home became the site of the Women’s Christian Association in 1891 [dedicated 31 Jan. 1892, see MS-038, 4:1, p. 107].

Jonathan H. Winters’ home (on the right), 115 W. Third St. in 1927 (Lutzenberger Photo # 0174, Dayton Metro Library)

A new YMCA was built at the northwest corner of Third and Ludlow in 1908, and the YMCA eventually purchased the J. H. Winters house next-door to be used as the Boys’ Building. The site is currently [2012] part of a Dayton municipal parking garage. About 1899, the Jonathan and Susan Winters moved to 137 W. First Street (northeast corner First and Wilkinson), where they lived until their deaths. The site is now a parking lot.

Jonathan Harshman Winters, I, and Susan Louella (Bates) Winters) had three children, all of whom were born in Dayton, Ohio:

1. Louella Winters (born Sept. 22, 1858; died Aug. 13, 1940), who married Allen E. Thomas (1855-1910) in 1884 and had several children;
2. Clara Winters (born Mar. 26, 1861; died Apr. 13, 1939), who never married; and
3. Valentine Winters, II (born June 9, 1866; died Oct. 8, 1943), who married Helen Wood Clegg (1867-1938) in 1889 and had one son, Jonathan Harshman Winters, II (1898-1975).

On January 1, 1882, the V. Winters & Son Bank became the Winters National Bank, with Jonathan H. Winters as its president. With the exception of one year, Jonathan was the active head of the Winters National Bank for 31 years, from its inception on January 1, 1882, until he stepped down as president on January 1, 1913. However, he remained vice president until his death. Winters National Bank was located on the northeast corner of Third and Main Streets.

Callahan Building, northeast corner Third and Main streets, where the Winters National Bank was located for a number of years. Photo circa 1917. (Lutzenberger Photograph # 0265A, Dayton Metro Library)

The one year in which Jonathan H. Winters did not serve as active head of the Winters National Bank was from August 1882 to August 1883. During that time, Jonathan, his wife, and his three children traveled extensively throughout Asia, the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Europe. While Jonathan and his family were “globe trotting,” as he called it, his father Valentine acted as head of the Winters National Bank.

One of many postcards collected by J. H. Winters during his world tour from 1882-1883. (Winters Papers, 2:5, Dayton Metro Library)

In addition to his interest in the banking industry, Jonathan H. Winters also held stock in the Dayton and Western Traction Company, the Dayton and Troy Traction Company, and other corporations.

Although Jonathan H. Winters was interested in civic and community affairs, he preferred the company of his family and the books in his large library over companionship from social clubs or organizations.

Susan L. Winters was actively involved in the Women’s Christian Association (WCA). She and her mother Nancy (Trotter) Bates were among its organizers in 1870, and Susan Winters was its first president. Susan was also among the founders (and a generous donor to the construction fund) of the Dayton Widows’ Home, which was built on Findlay Street in 1883 and maintained by the WCA.

When Miami Valley Hospital decided to remove from its location on Fourth Street to its present location near Apple Street, Susan Winters has been credited with having donated the land for the hospital.[1]

Jonathan and Susan Winters were members of the Third Street Presbyterian Church in Dayton. Susan taught a large Sunday school class for adults there for a number of years.

Susan L. (Bates) Winters died of heart disease on September 9, 1910, at her home, 137 W. First Street, Dayton, Ohio. She was 72 years old.

On June 4, 1915, Jonathan Harshman Winters, I, died in Dayton, as a result of pneumonia contracted during a lengthy road trip in inclement weather the previous week. He was 80 years old.

Jonathan H. Winters and his wife Susan L. Winters are buried in Woodland Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio.

Jonathan and Susan Winters grave, Woodland Cemetery (Photo by the author, 29 Aug. 2012)

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[1] This was stated in Susan’s obituary. However, Mark Bernstein’s book Miami Valley Hospital: A Centennial History (1990) names “Clara Winters” (the name of Jonathan and Susan’s daughter) as the land donor (pp. 18-19).

Bibliography

Bernstein, Mark. Miami Valley Hospital: A Centennial History. [Dayton, OH]: Miami Valley Hospital, 1990.

Dayton (OH) City Directories, 1856-1916. Dayton Metro Library.

Dayton Widows’ Home. “About Widows Home – Our History.” Accessed 11 July 2012,
http://www.widowshome.org/about-us
.

“Death Beckons Mrs. Winters.” Dayton Journal, 10 Sept. 1910, p. 9.

“Jonathan H. Winters, Pioneer Banker, Dies.” Dayton Daily News, 4 June 1915, p. J-5.

“Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953,” index and images. Accessed 11 July 2012, at FamilySearch,
http://www.familysearch.org
.

“Prominent Dayton Banker Succumbs to Pneumonia.” Dayton Journal, 5 Jun 1915, p. 8.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Dayton, Ohio, 1897 & 1918. Accessed 19 July 2012,
http://dmc.ohiolink.edu/oplinmap.htm
.

Winters, Jonathan H. A Sketch of the Winters Family. Dayton, OH: United Brethren Publishing House, 1889.

Winters, Susan L. [Winters family genealogy notes]. Winters Collection (MS-038), 4:2, Dayton Metro Library (Dayton, Ohio).

Woodland Cemetery & Arboretum Interment Database. Accessed 11 July 2012,
http://www.woodlandcemetery.org
.

*****

This biographical sketch was originally written by Lisa P. Rickey in July 2012 for the Jonathan H. & Susan L. (Bates) Winters Papers (MS-038) finding aid at the Dayton Metro Library, 215 E. Third St., Dayton, Ohio, 45402; phone (937) 496-8654.

Additional information about the sketch’s subject can be found in that collection. For more information about the manuscript collection’s contents, please see the original finding aid available in the Local History Room of the Dayton Metro Library or the OhioLINK EAD Repository entry.

Please contact the Dayton Metro Library or this blog’s author for more information about how to access the original finding aid or the manuscript collection.