Let's Go to the Ohio History Center

My wife and I are on vacation this week. We were supposed to go to France. But we had to change our plans. (More about that another time.) So, we're just taking it easy and going on day trips.

Today, we went to the Ohio History Center in Columbus. It houses the main museum and offices of the Ohio Historical Society.

If you've never been to the center or if, as was true for us, it's been a few years since you last visited, I think that you would love to see it!

To tell the truth, the place looked a bit haggard the last time we were there. But, as soon as we walked through the entrance today, it was apparent that the new OHS director has made some changes. The center didn't look at all fusty and it's less cluttered and more enticing than ever.

Ann and I wanted to see several temporary exhibits going on at the center right now. Two of them were especially good!

One is The War of 1812: Ohio on the Frontline.

This may not seem like a very sexy topic. But, even granting that I'm a history nerd, the war was an important event and not just because it was while being held captive by the British that Francis Scott Key composed The Star-Spangled Banner. Many historians believe that the independence of the infant United States from Great Britain, tenuous up to that point, was finally won by the War of 1812.

And many of the most critical battles of the war occurred either in Ohio or close to its shores on Lake Erie.

Among the most interesting items on display were gifts given by native Americans to General Anthony Wayne. Wayne was the commander of US forces at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, which occurred in northwest Ohio. Among the items were a wampum and a peace pipe.

Despite how well the War of 1812 turned out for the United States, it was an imbecilic conflict for the country to enter. Were it not for the fact that the Brits were also then involved in a war with Napoleon's France, the War of 1812 would almost certainly have resulted in a crushing defeat for the States and the reestablishment of British rule over the country.

One person who didn't want to go to war at the time was Thomas Worthington, the father of Ohio statehood and founder of the Ohio town in which we live these days, Logan. Worthington was serving in the US Senate when the US declared war on Britain. But he voted against the declaration, viewing the conflict as suicidal and unnecessary. Despite his misgivings though, Worthington served as a general in the conflict.

By the way, two books I recommend for getting a good understanding of the War of 1812 and the pros and cons of entering the conflict are James Madison (The American Presidents Series) by Garry Wills and Thomas Worthington: Father of Ohio Statehood by Alfred Byron Sears.

A second temporary exhibit at the Ohio History Center is Controversy 2: Pieces We Don't Talk About. As the OHS website explains, this exhibit:

...invites guests to explore...race stereotypes from a historical perspective. In 'Controversy 2: Pieces We Don’t Talk About', visitors are encouraged to reflect on how stereotypes influence personal identity. 

Among the items in the exhibit is a handmade set of bowling pins, each pin depicting a disparaging stereotype of various races and ethnic groups.

And if that's not disturbing enough, there also is a set of Currier and Ives prints that are grotesquely racist.

The exhibit is clearly designed to help people understand the stupidity and the destructiveness of prejudice. After walking among the displayed items, visitors come to a round open area on the walls of which are enlarged photographs of the items, hanging next to large writing pads on which visitors can write their reactions to what they've seen.

We enjoyed looking around the center's permanent exhibit areas, too. I loved seeing this Crosley automobile engineered by Powell Crosley, Jr.'s company in Cincinnati, more well known for its radios, refrigerators, and broadcast interests (starting with WLW) than its cars. I would love to have this little car or get the chance to ride in one! (You can read about the Crosleys here, the site of the Crosley Automobile Club, which has its annual gathering at the Fulton County Fairgrounds in Wauseon, in northwest Ohio.)

And, while there, we just had to see Conway, the mastodon. (He's hard to miss.) 

And Ann said she needed to get this pic of me on an old Columbus streetcar.

Fun! And educational. The two things aren't mutually exclusive, you know!

Here's more on what you can see at the History Center.

Ripley and the Underground Railroad

Ripley, Ohio is celebrating its bicentennial this coming week. An Ohio River town, Ripley was an important stop on the Underground Railroad for slaves seeking freedom from the pre-Civil War South. This release from the Ohio Historical Society has information not only on Ripley's planned celebrations, but also a few interesting looking books.

History Matters: Tell Ohio General Assembly You Believe That

[File this under JUMP: Just my opinion.]

The Ohio Historical Society is a fantastic organization from which I've learned a lot throughout my life. From it, I've gained an appreciation of the political, social, ancient, and geologic history of my home state. That's important, because without an appreciation for the journey taken by preceding generations, you can't possibly participate responsibly in life today.

History then, is the most important subject taught in our public schools. This is especially true in times of economic crises, when people are more susceptible to the rhetoric of demagogues who twist history, convincing people of quick fixes that trample on people's rights and on the heritage of mutual responsibility built into our life in the US and in Ohio. The Ohio Historical Society plays a critical role in helping teachers and students in the knowledge and mastery of history. The society knows well the truth of what President Kennedy wrote shortly before he died:

A knowledge of the past prepares us for the crisis of the present and the challenge of the future.

Below is a release from the Ohio Historical Society about major funding cuts being considered bou our state's legislative body, the Ohio General Assembly. The society receives state funding and also membership dues and contributions from caring Ohio citizens:

On Wednesday, June 3, 2009 Ohio Senate passed its version of the state budget bill. In a 20-11 vote along party lines, the Senate approved a $53.6 billion budget, which includes cuts to the Ohio Historical Society's Outreach Services-slashed from $703,638 to $0. The Senate also removed $750,000 in funding for historical sites. Now the budget goes to a House-Senate conference committee where the legislature and Strickland Administration try to work out the differences by June 30.

The reductions would reduce the Society's budget to its lowest funding level since 1994. The budget cuts eliminated funding from the Society's Outreach area that directly serves teachers, students, local history organizations and Ohio communities. The current budget proposal would cut important funding for historic sites and eliminate:

• Teacher training and educational programs that leverage federal funding. These educational programs not only enrich student experiences, but also help students to prepare for the Ohio Achievement Test
• National History Day in Ohio (national program that originated in Ohio)
• The Local History Office that serves 800 local history organizations
• Coordination of the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011-2015) initiative
• Local historical markers program

What's next? Differences between the bills will need to be reconciled by the conference committee in the coming weeks. Please use the resources below to tell your state legislators how critical the Society's Outreach and partnerships are to Ohio students, teachers and local communities. Contact your state legislator and Governor Strickland now and tell them to restore $1.45 million to the Society 's FY10 budget.

Go to this web site to find out what you can do to make your voice heard. History really does matter. Please let the General Assembly know that this is how you feel.

Do Your Part to Save Ohio History

The work of the Ohio Historical Society is so important. A knowledge of the state's past is intrinsically important, of course. People who live in a place ought to have an awareness of the journey traveled so far.

But, as the country learns every four years, Ohio has played a pivotal role in the history of the country and of the world.

People, particularly young people, learn about this not only from the Ohio Historical Museum and the nearby Ohio Village, a representation of a typical Ohio town in the early-1800s, but in sites and museums maintained by the Society throughout the state.



Just a few weeks ago, my son and I visited Adena near Chillicothe, the home of the father of Ohio's statehood. As we drove a winding around the modest, but impressive mansion, I told my son, "Look over there." His eyes lit up as he recognized that this was the spot that, more than two centuries ago, gave inspiration to the design of the seal of the state. A small, but not unimportant thing.



The Ohio Historical Society, which depends in part on state funding, is facing tough times. The governor's next biennial budget cuts state appropriations dramatically, for understandable reasons. Among the sites facing possible closure is the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, the hometown of the first person to walk on the Moon. This modest, but informative, museum is a perfect introduction to the history of space flight for young people. After July 20, the 40th. anniversary of Armstrong's walk, the place may be shut down.



The Ohio Historical Society is working on getting a local organization and volunteers to keep the museum open. That may be necessary and may work out well, as I've seen local groups doing fantastic work, as with the boyhood home of General William Tecumseh Sherman and brother, Congressman John Sherman, in Lancaster, Ohio.

But there are things that you and I can do to fill the gap precipitated, in part, by the economic downturn: Join the Ohio Historical Society. You can learn more about the Society here and you can join here. Please consider doing it. Preserving history is one of the ways we find our ways to better futures.

[Pictured from top to bottom: Adena, the home of Thomas Worthington, near Chillicothe; the Great Seal of the State of Ohio, inspired by a sunrise seen by Worthington and other early Ohio leaders, over the Ross County hills; and the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta.]

History Day

History is one of the most important subjects with which a functioning human being can be conversant. "A knowledge of the past prepares us for the crisis of the present and the challenge of the future," President Kennedy once observed.

That's true not because history repeats itself in some cyclical game of futility, but because there are certain constants and frequently recurring themes that run through history. Being aware of history can help--but only help--us avoid making the same mistakes repeatedly.

We can also draw inspiration, wisdom, and insight from history.

History also explains how we got to where we are, an essential element in discerning where we think we should go.

And, in the case of the United States, a nation that decided itself into being around some basic premises and principles--as opposed to evolving organically around ethnicity or language, a knowledge of national history is essential to citizenship. It scares me to think of how people who know more about the personal lives of Brad and Angelina than they do about Abraham Lincoln or the Great Depression are casting votes in elections.

That's why I think National History Day (March 14) and Ohio History Day (April 25) are so important. Something like 8000 young people in the sixth through twelfth grades here in Ohio will, on those days, compete for scholarships and the chance to represent the state in a national competition, based on their historical research. This year's topic: The Individual in History: Actions and Legacies.

I'm excited to be a judge for the April 25 competition.

Here's the Ohio Historical Society blog on History Day. It coaches participants.

You might want to look into how you can support similar efforts to encourage a knowledge of history in your area.