the newsletter of the wood county historical society...

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The Newsletter of the Wood County Historical Society

SPRING 2018

LEISURE TIME

Black Swamp CHANTICLEER SPRING 20182

IN THIS ISSUEDirector’s Update . . . . . . . . . 2From “A” to “TEA” . . . . . . . . 5Tech Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Think Spring . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Curious Curator . . . . . . . . . . 8Demo Days & Teas . . . . . . . 10Indiana Bats . . . . . . . . . . . . 11WGTE KnowledgeStream . . 12Development . . . . . . . . . . . 13Gift Shop: The River Bee . . 14Member Renewal. . . . . . . . 15Furlough Fridays . . . . . . . . . 16Learning About History . . . 17Leisure Time Walking Tour 18Ohio History Fund . . . . . . . 19

From the DirectorDana Nemeth [email protected]

AULD LANG SYNEShould old acquaintance be forgot,and never brought to mind?Should old acquaintance be forgot,and old lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,for auld lang syne,we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,for auld lang syne.

-English translation, Robert Burns, 1788

I have submitted my resignation as Director of the Wood County Historical Center and Museum to accept the position of Reference Archivist at the Browne Popular Culture Library at BGSU. When

Dana was featured in the Sentinel-

Tribune’s Cook’s Corner edition in March. Photo by

Daniel Melograna/Sentinel-Tribune ➤

3Black Swamp CHANTICLEER SPRING 2018

COQ AU VIN• 3 boneless chicken breasts, cut

in half• 8 tablespoons butter, halved• 1 large onion, chopped• 1 small bag carrots, sliced• ½ bunch celery, sliced• 1 lb. mushrooms, quartered• 4 tablespoons flour• 2 cups dry white wine• 2 cups chicken broth• Parsley• Thyme• 1 bay leaf• Salt and pepper

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in electric skillet and sauté chicken until it is slightly browned. Transfer pieces to casserole dish.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt remaining butter in skillet and add vegetables, sautéing until onions are tender. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir it in. Slowly add the wine, stirring constantly. Stir in the chicken broth.

Add the herbs to taste. Bring the sauce just to boiling point and pour over the chicken. Cover the casserole and bake for 45 minutes, or until chicken is tender.

Serve over egg noodles with grated Parmesan cheese.

I made the decision to leave, this song about preserving one’s oldest and dearest friendships came to mind. The Center has been a part of my life since I was a child and I consider many of you involved in the organization to be lifelong friends.

Thank you to the WCHS Trustees for their donation to the Endowment Fund in my honor. I am deeply touched by this gesture.

I am very proud of the accomplishments of the Center over these past five years. With your support, the Center received various grants and state awards for our exhibitions and public programs. Attendance is at an all-time high with professional exhibitions, expanded educational offerings and the completion of a long-term goal to make the Museum accessible with a variety of ADA amenities. I am confident the Center will continue to flourish and I look forward to seeing what exciting new initiatives may be put into place. It has been an honor to serve as the Historical Center director these past five years. Until we meet again. ✤

Dana’s favorite leisure time activity is cooking. In March, the Sentinel-

Tribune’s Cook’s Corner featured Dana and her signature dish, Coq Au Vin.

With permission, Dana is leaving this recipe with us. Bon Appétit!

➤


When Leisure Gets LoudBy Kelli Kling As for my leisure time, I’ve got the music in me! I started playing bass guitar (at the coaxing of Mike McMaster) and joined bands Analog Revolution then Kitty Glitter. Now I jam with girl pals in the Ukuladies, and play keyboard and ukulele in the band Ginger & the Snaps.

Ginger & the Snaps (L-R) Kelli Kling, Deb Weiser, Ginger Barson, Cheryl Barron, Lynn Whitmer.Photo by J.D. Pooley/Sentinel-Tribune

JUNE 12

10:30-2:00

Wood County Employee Picnic & Safety Fair

at the Wood County Historical Center

Join us for lunch plus...Ice cream served by our public officials • health & wellness screenings • games & prizes

13660 County Home RoadBowling Green, OH 43402

PH 419 .352 .0967FX 419 .352 .6220

woodcountyhistory .org

The CHANTICLEER NEWSLETTER is published quarterly by the Wood County Historical Society .

from the cover... The theme of our spring newsletter is Leisure Time!

The photographs on the cover represent many of the leisure time activities that took place at the Wood County Infirmary circa 1960s, courtesy of the Roe Family. From craft days with staff and residents, to parties, and relaxation on the beautiful front porch, leisure time was a balance to the Infirmary workday, and a way to connect and build special memories.

#WoodCountyLeisure


FROM “A” TO “TEA”Kelli Kling • [email protected]

“A to TEA” continued page 9...

The monthly Tea & Talk Series bloomed long before there were any hints of spring on the Historical Center grounds. The first tea of the season, Trivial Pursuits & Party Games on April 12, sold out quickly, and all other teas are quickly following suit. Half Tea Cards are still available, but be sure to sign up early; seating (which is now cushioned!) is limited. The Tea & Talk Series is a great leisure time activity for men and women to spend an afternoon (or October evening) enjoying a delightful menu, intriguing speaker, and time with friends. I spoke with some of our upcoming speakers to find out more about how they spend their leisure time.

MARNIE PRATTLocal History Librarian

Wood County District Public Librarywill present

Boogie Woogie, Whangdoodle: The Birth of Popular Music

Thursday, June 14, 2:00 – 4:00 PM

One thing that excites me about this era is that it really is the foundation of modern music. We would never have Justin Timberlake without Michael Jackson, who we wouldn’t have without Elvis Presley, who we wouldn’t have without Jimmie Rodgers. We wouldn’t have P!nk without Madonna, who we wouldn’t have without The Supremes, who we wouldn’t have without Bessie Smith. Popular music is all connected, and it all really starts in the 1920s.

Music has always been a passion of mine, likely brought about by my parents, who were always playing music around the house and in our car. I collect music and memorabilia, and play guitar, bass, and drums. Beyond a personal interest, I have published articles and presented papers on topics in music, including U2 frontman Bono, riot grrrl music, and all-female tribute bands. I was born and raised in Wisconsin, outside of Milwaukee, and came to Bowling Green to join the American Culture Studies Program at BGSU, where I graduated with my PhD in 2008. In my own leisure time, I of course enjoy music, but I also love writing, watching movies and tv, and spending time with family and friends.


TECH TALK Daniel Hergert • [email protected]

Spring Time! The Museum made it through the winter and we are rearing to go! “The Return to Normalcy” exhibit has opened to good reviews; my major contribution to the exhibit was the “Paper Moon” near the 1920s & 30s-era music and cameras. If all goes well, we hope to fix up the asylum and powerhouse this year. We also plan to fix some of the issues with the roofs on the various buildings. As soon as the weather evens out, we will start work on the herb garden and are always happy to have an extra set of hands (see article page 7). I was asked to write about my “Leisure Time Activities,” and despite my well-mannered upbringing, I have a fascination with the macabre actor Vincent Price. Mr. Price is a delightful mixture of hammy and menacing. He is at his best starring in the various film adaptations of Edgar Allen Poe stories.

I have been slowly working through my check-list of Price’s filmography and have enjoyed the hidden gems I have stumbled upon. My other past time is cooking. I do enjoy crafting a good meal and have had fun experimenting with recipes, odd ingredients, and spices. So imagine my joy at finding out that Vincent Price wrote a cookbook! Vincent loved the culinary arts but had a failed cooking show pilot, so he wrote three cookbooks to share his love. In following his recipes, I have tried Manhattan Vichyssoise (a cold vegetable soup, not popular with the Mrs.) and a Norwegian-style flounder poached and served in a hollandaise sauce (good enough to put me in good graces with the Mrs. again). It has been a fun experience so far and has stretched me as a chef. ✤

▲ Vincent Price, pictured here with Kermit the Frog, guest starred on episode 119 of the Muppet Show in 1977. The last of Price’s four cookbooks, co-authored with his second wife, Mary Grant Price. ►


By Black Swamp Herb Society Gardeners Jean Gamble and Ruth Steele

Spring fever. When you’ve got it, you want... oh, you don’t quite know what it is you want, but it makes your heart ache you want it so! Mark Twain wrote these words at the end of a cold winter I’m sure, “It is when we dream of mild days, when the sun begins to warm our winter souls, a promise of newness all around us.”

Suddenly, spring and renewal awakens us with many delights: the beautiful flowering trees, pretty flowers, green grass, and like-it-or-not little bunnies hopping about. When it is garden time, we anticipate the tidy-up and “plan-and-do” to benefit our beautiful herb garden at the Historical Center.

The Black Swamp Herb Society will have regular working days starting this April (weather permitting) on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Stop by the garden behind the Historical Museum to:

• Learn about herbs, planting, uses, and enjoyment

• Weed out crowding winter plants and feed seedlings with compost

• Meet new people and form long-time wonderful friendships

• Get great physical exercise with a degree in range of ability

• Enjoy being surrounded by nature

After the work is done and you turn around for one last look, the garden smiles and seems to say thank you.

The gardens and the Herb Society so appreciate an extra hour or two of help and fellowship to manicure the gardens for the upcoming weddings, parties, and visitors.

As a bonus, we often talk to visitors that walk into the gardens after touring the museum. We are welcomed by the butterflies, birds, and other creatures who live nearby, and we look forward to the pair of geese that return every spring to nest between the ice ponds, soon walking with their little ones.

This spot belongs to all, so please consider joining us this season. We wish you all the joys and delights of spring. ✤

SPRINGTHIN

K

▲ Visitors enjoy the Herb Garden as volunteer Ruth Steele shares her passion for all that blooms.


CURIOUS CURATOR Holly Hartlerode • [email protected]

In keeping with the spirit of the 2018 leisure time exhibit, the staff was asked to write about an enjoyable leisure time activity participated in outside of work hours. It is funny when I think about leisure because I love being a curator so much that sometimes I think coming to work is my favorite leisure time activity. When I am at work however, my mind and my heart resides with the person that I enjoy the most: my daughter Norah.

Remember when we were kids and we could not wait to be an adult? Kids think being an adult is so glamorous and fun, void of bossy parents commanding orders and setting schedules. Turns out being an adult is tiring and now that I have been an adult for quite some time, what I would not give for a personal assistant, otherwise known as my mom, keeping me on track.

When I get home in the evening I think about all the “chores” needing completed and how I want to just relax and stop thinking about all of the curatorial responsibilities waiting for me at the museum. Then I hear a faint voice calling, “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy” and I have to remember that little voice in the room is calling for me! “Mommy,” Norah says as a remarkable two-year old

turns on the computer and points to the floor. She demands I get up, put on the song “No More Monkeys,” and dance until we both become so dizzy we fall over.

Time with my daughter is a constant reminder to take the time for fun, to laugh, to be a kid at heart, to use my imagination, and look at each day as a brand new experience. With that being said, my favorite leisure time activity is being a Mom. In fact, love it so much that our family will have one more daughter to call me Mommy come August. I cannot wait! ✤

Leisure Time in the Smallest Places

▲ Museum Curator, Holly Hartlerode, with daughter Norah.


...“A to TEA” continued from page 7

NICK PAVLIKCurator of Manuscripts

BGSU Center for Archival Collectionswill present

The Show Must (And Did!) Go OnPopular Theatre during the Interwar Years

Thursday, October 11, 7:00 – 9:00 PM

I grew up in a suburb of the metropolitan Akron area and attended Ohio University, majoring in theatre with a particular interest in the study of theatre history. I then moved to New York City to pursue grand dreams of a career as a playwright, theatre director, or something else theatre-related yet equally dubious. Somewhat quickly after becoming a New Yorker, I decided to change course and pursue my love of history, earning a Master of Library Science degree with a focus in archives management from Queens College. After working as an archivist in New York for several years, I landed back in Ohio as the Curator of Manuscripts and Digital Projects at Bowling Green State University’s Center for Archival Collections. I am also currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in History, hoping to have the opportunity to return to theatre history as part of my studies. In my leisure time, or what little there is of it, I enjoy reading, music, eating delicious food, playing with (or maybe just annoying) two cats, distance running, and, of course, seeing theatre. Sadly, I do not have as much time as I would like to pursue my favorite childhood leisure-time activity, which was playing out epic sagas with Lego pirate ships and medieval castles.

ELLEN KENNEDYEducation Manager

National Museum of the Great Lakeswill present

The Pleasures of the Journey: Passenger Ships Sailing the Great LakesThursday, December 6, 2:00 – 4:00 PM

I was born in Akron, Ohio and I have lived in Lucas County for 3 years. My graduate education was in history and museum studies, so I was learning about history while also learning strategies for sharing that history with the public. This has given me the opportunity to learn about a variety of historical topics. I am a big reader, something that began when I was a child and has continued into adulthood. I tend to pick up other hobbies briefly, but don’t always stick with them for very long.

The topic of ship travel on the Great Lakes started as a professional interest, although after I began working at the National Museum of the Great Lakes, I learned that my grandparents honeymooned aboard a Great Lakes passenger ship in 1935.

To make a reservation for these, or any of the Tea & Talk programs listed on page 10, call the museum at 419-352-0967.


Sponsored by the

Northwestern Ohio Tractor

Pulling Association

APRIL 7BLACKSMITH OPEN FORGE9 AM - 2 PM in the Boom Town NWOH Blacksmiths annual demonstrationFree Event • Free Museum admission 1-4

MAY 5LOG CABIN SPRING RENEWALHelp costumed interpreters with pre-summer preparations in the Log Cabin, 1-4 PMFree Event • Free Museum admission 1-4

JUNE 9 & 10POWER of YESTERYEAR TRACTOR SHOWSaturday 10-5, Sunday 10-3 Farm-themed demos, tractors, oil derrick 1920s Leisure Time Camping DemonstrationFree Event • Free Museum admission 1-4

JUNE 23-24AMATEUR RADIO FIELD DAY2 PM Saturday - 2 PM SundayWood County Amateur Radio Club Free Event • Free Museum admission 1-4

OCTOBER 27 & 28LOG CABIN FOLKLOREBrothers Grimm tales around the fire 1-4Free Event • Free Museum admission 1-4

NOVEMBER 10LEISURE ON THE LAWN1920s leisure-time camping demo Free Event • Free Museum admission 1-4

DECEMBER 1HISTORIC ENGLISH CHRISTMASHelp trim the Log Cabin, stories, and caroling • Free Event • 1-9 PM

RSVP by calling 419-352-0967$15 adult | $12 member | $5 child

April 12 ~ 2:00 – 4:00 PMTRIVIAL PURSUITS & PARTY GAMESCharlene Waggoner & Janine Waggoner Sturdavant

SPONSORED BY BIGELOW TEA

May 10 ~ 2:00 – 4:00 PMThe ‘REAL’ RETURN to NORMALCY Sherry Hall, Director of the W. G. Harding Home

SPONSORED BY BIGELOW TEA

June 14 ~ 2:00 – 4:00 PMBOOGIE WOOGIE, WHANGDOODLE: Popular Music Marnie Pratt, Wood County District Public Library

SEE STORY PAGE 8

July 12 ~ 2:00 – 4:00 PMThe GOLDEN AGE of RADIO: Transmission of FunClint Corpe, Host of the Morning Show on WBGU

August 9 ~ 2:00 – 4:00 PMARE YOU FEELING LUCKY? Ads & Cigarette Culture Alyssa Kapelka & Kaysie Harrington

September 13 ~ 2:00 – 4:00 PMGO, GO TIN LIZZIE: The Speed of Driving CultureTerry Stetler, Snook’s Dream Car Museum

October 11 ~ 7:00 – 9:00 PM *Evening TeaTHE SHOW MUST (AND DID!) GO ONPopular Theatre during the Interwar YearsNick Pavlik, BGSU Center for Archival Collections

SEE STORY PAGE 9

November 8 ~ 2:00 – 4:00 PMThe ART in the CARDS of CONTRACT BRIDGESteven Ammidown, Browne Popular Culture Lib.

December 6 ~ 2:00 – 4:00 PMThe PLEASURES of the JOURNEY: Passenger Ships Sailing the Great LakesEllen Kennedy, National Museum of the Great Lakes

SEE STORY PAGE 9

December 13 ~ 2:00 – 4:00 PMCOCO to DECO: Fashions of the 1920s and 1930sMarian Zengel, BGSU Family & Consumer Sciences


How Do Indiana Bats Spend Their Leisure Time?By Bill Hoefflin, Senior Program NaturalistWood County Park District

We rarely think about bats until we have encounters with them, but almost everyone has an interesting story to tell. If you don’t have a story yet, maybe you should consider visiting the Wood County Historical Center some evening this spring or summer for the possibility to see the first-ever bat species to be listed as endangered - the Indiana bat. The Indiana bat is one of thirteen species of bats found in Ohio, all native to our state and all insect-eating. Typically, this species migrates to caves to hibernate during the winter, but if they think they have found a structure with a stable temperature just above freezing, like an attic, they may try to hibernate in human-built structures. If there are bats hibernating at the Historical Center this winter, it is important to not disturb them; they have a limited reserve of body fat to sustain them until spring’s return of warm temperatures and food availability. In general, Wood County is a good home to bats - we have a mix of woodlots, open areas, park lands

and extensive forests along our rivers and creeks for bats to forage for food at night and to find shelter during the day. Bats especially love large trees with loose bark, like shagbark hickories and any tree with hollows in the trunk. Bats are a vital part of the ecosystem because they eat insects, sometimes as much as their own body weight. Bats do have some leisure time and they spend it actively flying and feeding for a few hours after sunset and then again before sunrise. In between, they spend their time sleeping and cleaning themselves about as much as a house cat. If you’ve had your curiosity piqued, then spend some leisure time with a Wood County Naturalist on a night hike or dedicated bat program this spring or summer - you won’t regret it!

The Historical Center grounds are a public park and are open daily 8 AM until 30 minutes past sunset.

To participate in any Park District program, visit their website at wcparks.org

(above) The endangered Indiana Bat.


▲ Tea speakers on WGTE KnowledgeStream: (top) Andrea

Killy-Knight, (bottom) Hal Brown

WOOD COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

WISH LIST Family treasures aren’t the

only things needed. Donations accepted any time:

Ace, Ben Franklin, Home Depot, or Staples Gift Cards

NEW OR GENTLY USED:Garden Work Gloves

Outdoor Christmas Lights Snow Shovels

10 ft. Christmas Tree Lawn Rakes • Yard Shovels

WheelbarrowVacuum Cleaner • Shop Vac

DehumidifierIron • Ironing Board

Jig Saw • Orbital SanderPop-up Tent • Fire-proof Safe

PLEASE RATE US ON

$

TOP TRIP ADVISOR COMMENT:

Over There!First time visiting, I loved the exhibit! It brought WW 1 to

life through the pictures and the trench display and all the

military items! MARKL

TOP TRIP ADVISOR COMMENT:

Over There!First time visiting, I loved the

exhibit! It brought WW 1 to life through the pictures and the

trench display and all the military items!

MARKL

WGTE Public Media has picked up interest in the Historical Society’s Tea & Talk series, recording some of the talks to archive on KnowledgeStream, an online archive of free, video-on-demand multimedia resources for the public and for educators. Available for viewing are: Shattered Glass: The Impact of WWI Bombing on Churches & Cathedrals presented on September 14, 2017 by Andrea Killy-Knight from Bigelow Glass, and Margaret Lehmann & Journalism of WWI presented on November 9, 2017, by Hal Brown.

To see these talks and more, go to: knowledgestream.org/presentations

Watch for a shout-out on the Historical Museum’s FaceBook page for more talks to come in 2018.


DEVELOPMENT Barb Hayden • [email protected]

My Leisure Time Leisure – what does it mean to you? To me it means relaxed time. Time with my family. Time to read a book or try a new recipe. To the men and women after WWI it meant a break, as can be seen in the Leisure Time exhibit, now through December 1. The WWI exhibit will remain open through December 1 as well. The “Preservation for Generations” annual campaign has raised $2,047 from our members and supporters. Combined with an award from the Ohio History Fund of $4,010 (see article page 19), we are much closer to our $10,000 goal. All funds raised will be put towards museum-quality storage units to care for your memories and memorabilia, so please consider a gift in honor of someone’s birthday, anniversary, or in memory of a Veteran this Memorial Day. We have had a busy Winter at the Museum. Lots of visitors and guests

in our gift shop. The gift shop is now carrying The River Bee products including lotions, soaps and lip balm, all naturally made in Elmore, Ohio. We also now carry a yummy line of snack goods from Sunbird Snacks. The chocolate covered peanuts are my favorite! Have a snack as you picnic on the grounds. Mother’s and Father’s Day are coming up and we now carry lovely teas, cups, soaps, jewelry, and lotions for that special mother in your life, and for dad: mugs, salsa, playing cards, socks and puzzles. Or give a gift that gives all year – a Museum membership! Memberships start at $12 for a single Senior membership and $30 for a Family. Members get in free to the museum and receive a 10% discount in the gift shop. We are filling up with rentals for the Spring and Summer. Bridal and Baby showers are on the horizon. Garden weddings in May and August. We have many beautiful spots for an outdoor wedding! ✤

Pat Coffman

Ginger Dalton

Elizabeth Fausnaugh

Betty Goodman

Terry Mulgrew

Linda Nagy

Carolyn Shetzer

Colleen Smith

Cornelia Wagener

NEW MEMBERS


Gift Shopat the

County Home

This is why history buffs are known for their soft hands.

Now open Monday - Friday 10-4. Open weekends 1-4

Feature:The River Bee, Elmore Ohio By WCHS Volunteer Sue Frost

Karol Smercina is a retired teacher and in her 6th season as proprietor of “The River Bee” a small business creating soaps, body butters, lotions, and lip balms made from beeswax and honey from her own backyard hive. She learned beekeeping from her late father, Jim Breier.

Her soaps, 15 different kinds, contain both beeswax (for firmness) and honey (for lather). Her soap-making method is called cold-process and requires the use of lye to chemically react with the oils and butters (such as olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, sunflower seed oil, and beeswax). Some of the soaps are 100% natural, which means they contain only natural fragrance oils or essential oils, and no artificial colorants.

The body butter and lotion is made with 100% natural skin-nourishing butters and oils, including jojoba oil, shea butter, and, of course, beeswax. It has excellent staying-power

on the skin because it is not water-based, but rather oil-based. The solid lotion bar is excellent for small areas such as cuticles, heels, and elbows, and it’s compact size makes it easy to take anywhere.

The River Bee products are now available in the Museum gift shop. Stop in and see what the buzz is all about.


❑ NEW MEMBER ❑ RENEWAL ❑ DONATION ❑ VOLUNTEER

Name: _______________________________________________________

Business or Organization: _________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________

City: __________________________ State: _______ Zip: _____________

Phone: _______________________________________________________

E-mail: _______________________________________________________

Please select your MEMBERSHIP LEVEL

Payment Type & Amount Enclosed:

TOTAL ENCLOSED: _________________

Date: ____________________________

❑ Cash

❑ Check (number # _________________)(made payable to Wood County Historical Society)

❑ Credit Card/PayPal 03/2

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RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIPSupport the museum as a leisure time activity

You can also SAVE A STAMP and at woodcountyhistory.org or call 419-352-0967

❑ Senior or Student .......... $12.00❑ (2) Seniors or Students .. $24.00❑ Individual ....................... $18.00❑ GRAND ......................... $24.00❑ Family ............................ $30.00❑ Sustaining ...................... $72.00❑ Patron .......................... $120.00❑ Life - Individual ............ $360.00❑ Life - Couple ................ $600.00

Other Ways to Support WCHS:

❑ Endowment Fund $ _________

❑ Annual Campaign $ __________“Preservation for Generations” (see page 13)

❑ Accessibility $ ______________

❑ WCHS Wish List (see page 12)

Mail to:Wood County

Historical Museum13660 County Home Rd.Bowling Green OH 43402

(woodcountyhistory.org or call 419-352-0967)


ON EXHIBIT UNTIL DECEMBER 1, 2018

OVER THERE!SEND WORD, THE WOOD COUNTY BOYS

ARE COMING!

WORLD WAR I, 1914-1918

SPONSORED BY THE BOWLING GREEN

CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

NOW TAKING REQUESTS...

What would you like to see in the next Chanticleer?

Submit your suggestions, or your own articles or photos

by May 15 to [email protected]

FURLOUGH FRIDAYSFree Museum admission

to the World War I exhibit on the

First Friday of each month

February-November 2018

Don't Miss72018 HONOREES:

RAYMOND T. GEORGEPAUL FULLER

LIZZIE FULLERWALLACE KRAMPNETTIE LINCOLN

ERNEST & VIOLA WALTERGEORGIA WAUGH

15th annual Wood County

Living History DayAugust 26, 2018

2:00 PMOak Grove Cemetery, Bowling Green

2018 HONOREES:

RAYMOND T. GEORGEPAUL FULLER

LIZZIE FULLERWALLACE KRAMPNETTIE LINCOLN

ERNEST & VIOLA WALTERGEORGIA WAUGHwoodcountyhistory.org


Adult Educational Talks in the 43402 are

sponsored by:

If you have ever driven through Haskins, Ohio in Wood County along Haskins Road, you may have noticed a building on the east side of the road with the mysterious inscription “K.O.T.M.” on it. Or perhaps you have driven through Jerry City, Ohio in Wood County along Jerry City Road and noticed a building with the inscription “I.O.O.F.” on it. These two buildings were lodge halls built during what some historians refer to as “The Golden Age of Fraternalism,” a period of time from about the 1870s through roughly the 1920s. At its peak, it is suggested that nearly 40% of America’s population belonged to a lodge or fraternal order. This building in Haskins, Ohio was a meeting place, or “Camp,” for the Knights of the Maccabees, a fraternal organization formed in London, Ontario in 1878. Membership was open to all white persons between the ages of 18 and 70. In 1886,

a female auxiliary was formed for women who then belonged to their local “Hive.” Among other things, the Knights of the Maccabees provided low cost insurance for its members at a time when there was little insurance available for the average American worker. The Maccabees, like many of the fraternal organizations in America at that time, worked in essence as a social safety-net for its members providing insurance for life, disability, and burial expenses. The largest fraternal organization in the United States by 1889 was the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, abbreviated on lodge halls, as in Jerry City, as I.O.O.F. By 1922, there were approximately 2.6 million Odd Fellow members world-wide. The female auxiliary was known as the Rebekah Lodge. Like the Maccabees, the Odd Fellows conferred benefits to its members in the form of low cost insurance. In Wood County, as in the rest of the United States, Odd Fellow buildings marked with the monogram I.O.O.F can be seen in many towns serving as a reminder of the “Golden Age of Fraternalism.” Want to know more about Wood County’s fraternal organizations? Schedule this adult talk for your next organizational meeting. ✤

Leisure Time: Fraternal Organizations

LEARNING about HISTORY Michael McMaster • [email protected]

K.O.T.M. above this doorway marks the Knights of the Maccabees fraternal organization, which used

to meet inside this building in Haskins, OH.


Downtown Bowling GreenBUSINESS IN BOOMTOWN

Walking Tour

Take a leisurely walk and learn a few things about leisure time in downtown Bowling Green at this annual walking tour with hosts Kelli Kling (Historical Museum) and Marnie Pratt (Wood County Library) FREE!Refreshments served in the Carter House following the tour.

Saturday, June 210 AM - Noon

Tour leaves from the Carter House, 307 N . Church St . BG (behind Wood Co . Library)

Reservations appreciated by calling the Wood County District

Public Library at 419-352-5104

goBGOhio.comor download the App to always be in the know on

what to do and where to go!

2018 WCHS Board

President: Judy Ennis (17-19)VP: George Stossel (16-18)

Treasurer: Irma Wolf (17-19)*Secretary: Hal Brown (17-19)

Frank Butwin (18-20)+Dru Cunningham (17-19)

Biff Geer-Fry (16-18)Ken Frisch (18-20)*

Rhonda Hogrefe (18-20)September Killy-Knight (18-20)

Neil Munger (17-19)+Nick Pavlik (18-20)

Michael Penrod (16-18)Wynn Perry (16-18)*

Becky White-Schooner (18-20)

* Board of County Commissioners appointee+ Wood County Park District appointee

Museum & Society Staff: Dana Nemeth, Director

Kelli Kling, Marketing & EventsHolly Hartlerode, Curator

Michael McMaster, EducationDaniel Hergert, TechnicianBarb Hayden, DevelopmentNick Wallace, Maintenance

MISSION: The Wood County Historical Society

is a community organization that makes connections between our past, present

and future by capturing stories and cultivating memories of Wood County,

Ohio, and the County Home.

The Wood County Historical Center & Museum is managed jointly by the Wood

County Commissioners Doris I. Herringshaw, Ed.D. - President,

Craig LaHote - Vice President, & Dr. Theodore H. Bowlus - Member; the Wood County Historical Society; and the Wood County Park District.

Leisure & Learning


On February 28, the Wood County Historical Society was awarded $4,010.00 from the Ohio History Connection to further the Society’s Preservation for Generations campaign for collections storage and preservation efforts. The Ohio History Connection's History Fund is a competitive matching grants program funded by Ohioans through the tax check-off on the Ohio state income tax return. The award was presented by Burt Logan, Executive Director of the Ohio History Connection and received by Wood County Historical Museum Curator Holly Hartlerode. The Historical Society was one of nine receiving agencies out of 46 applications. According to Hartlerode, "the preservation of the collections is the highest priority because it ensures we are using the resources provided by the community to tell the relevant and compelling story of Wood County.” The first phase of the collections storage initiative is to prepare 9,000 identified objects for new, conservation quality cabinets by 2020, coincidentally Wood County’s bicentennial year. The Wood County Historical Society is expected to match the 60/40 grant through dollars raised from the campaign.

The community will benefit from this project because their "legacy resides at the Wood County Historical Museum,” says Hartlerode. The Wood County Historical Society, which was formed in 1955, began collecting Wood County memorabilia in the 1970s to “help us tell the story.”

You can help too!Financial contributions to the Society’s Preservation for Generations campaign can be made online at woodcountyhistory.org

Support for the History Fund can also be made through the tax check-off on your Ohio state income tax return, and is detailed at www.ohiohistory.org/ohfund

WCHS receives OHIO HISTORY FUND

L-R: Burt Logan, Randy Gardner, Holly Hartlerode, Bob Lucas

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