|
Media contacts: Kim Schuette: 614.297.2314 or kschuette@ohiohistory.org
For Immediate Release: Feb. 22, 2010
Ohio Historical Society Commemorates Its Founding 125 years Ago
Free Celebration March 13 at Ohio Historical Center in Columbus
The year was 1885. In March, Grover Cleveland was inaugurated as president of the United States. It was a period of great economic prosperity for America.
Preserving the Past for the Future
Like the nation, Ohio was undergoing tremendous change. Industrialization was booming. Thousands of people were moving from farming areas into the cities, seeking jobs. Unfortunately, the state's remaining earthworks, some of the finest examples of monumental architecture by its first peoples, were being endangered by rural and urban development. Its priceless archaeological artifacts were being taken or sold out of state. Ohio was in critical need of an organization dedicated to preserving its rich heritage.
A concerned group of citizens, recognizing that a permanent commitment to preserving the state's legacy was essential, called for a convention to meet at the Statehouse on March 12. The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society came into being the following day.
Among the society's first leaders were former U.S. Senator Allen G. Thurman and President Rutherford B. Hayes. Its first museum was established at University Hall on the Ohio State University campus. Fort Ancient earthworks in Warren County became its first historic site in 1891. One of its earliest archaeological finds was a small vessel excavated in 1889 near Fort Ancient.
Preparing to celebrate its 125th anniversary next month, the Ohio Historical Society, as it’s been called since 1954, continues to serve as a vital cultural resource to help people connect with Ohio's past. Special displays and events at Ohio Historical Society sites are being planned throughout the year to commemorate the society's founding.
"We're proud to have served Ohioans since 1885 by helping them to connect with their past," said Burt Logan, Ohio Historical Society executive director and CEO. "Today, we have 58 historic sites and museums around the state, including our headquarters at the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus. We have more than 3 million items in our collections as well as educational and historic preservation programs in all 88 counties."
Happy Birthday, OHS!
On Saturday, March 13, the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus will be hosting Happy Birthday, OHS!, a special day of fun activities. Admission and parking will be free for all.
A display highlighting Ohio Historical Society milestones from 1885 to 2010 will greet visitors entering the building. Uncommon Ohio tours will feature Ohio's Garden Path at noon and 2 p.m. and Echoes in Time Theatre will present "Saints Preserve Us! The Irish in America" at 1 and 3 p.m.
In the galleries with the permanent exhibitions, Nature of Ohio and Ohio: Centuries of Change, visitors will encounter people from the society's past played by costumed interpreters. Among them will be archaeologist William C. Mills, who discovered the Adena pipe in 1901, and U.S. Ambassador to Egypt J. Morton Howell, who donated the mummy known as Nasi-Khonsou-Pa-Khrodou, familiarly known as Nibit-Pi, meaning "the Mistress of the House," and her sarcophagus to the Ohio Historical Society collections.
What's a celebration without cake? Stop by for a piece in honor of Ohio’s history starting at 1:30 p.m.
Keep an eye out for future 125th celebrations by visiting the www.ohiohistory.org/calendar.
The Ohio Historical Center, located at I-71 and 17th Avenue in Columbus, is one of 58 sites and museums administered by the Ohio Historical Society, a nonprofit organization that serves as the state's partner in preserving and interpreting Ohio's history, natural history, archaeology and historic places.
Photo Cutline:
This vessel, among the Ohio Historical Society’s first collections, was excavated in 1889 by OHS archaeologist Warren K. Moorehead at a Fort Ancient-period village site located in the valley below the Fort Ancient Earthworks in Warren County. Ohio Historical Society
|
