Josiah Morrow and The Western Star Newspaper

During my internship this summer at the Warren County Records Center and Archives, I created a few activities for students and teachers to use in the classroom.  As wonderful as government records are, I knew I would need more familiar source types for students to use.  The Genealogical Society next door had a great collection of newspaper clippings from The Western Star, a newspaper that began in Lebanon in the mid-19th century.  From 1907 to 1928, Josiah Morrow wrote for the Western Star.  I loved using Morrow's articles in activities as he told stories of Warren County's past (as far back as the Revolutionary War) and, at the time, current world and national topics.  I particularly enjoyed reading his articles regarding the first World War.  He addresses topics that students today might not consider, such as English becoming the dominant language and the cost of war in the early 20th century. Morrow's articles always made front page news, so I imagine the topics he wrote about were very important to the citizens of Warren County.

In the article titled The Great World Powers And the Language Which is Fast Becoming the Dominant World Tongue (May 29, 1919),  Josiah  explains how world powers are changing, the Treaty of Versailles, and the spread of the English language in relation to the war.  I included this article in the War & Soldiers activity because of the way he discusses these topics.  Of course he is biased and does not cite any of his sources, but the way he writes is indicative of the time and view points of his readers. When speaking of Germany, Josiah says that German militarism "will no longer be a menace to the peace of the world" and if it would have continued, Germany may have been the greatest empire in Europe.  This gives me an idea of how locals, and the nation, felt about Germany and the power the empire held prior to its defeat.  Josiah also addresses the growth and spread of the English language worldwide after the war.  In a chart, he shows the number of English speakers at the start of the war in comparison to other European languages.  English comes in at 150,000,000 speakers worldwide followed by Germany at 120,000,000.  I find these statistics fascinating as I don't think most students realize the influence both Germany and the United States had on the world at this time.  They may know the United States as the world's most powerful country, but the article shows this was not always the case.  I love using local examples like this to help students connect to the larger issue!

Sources:

Josiah Morrow Western Star articles, 1907-1928, The Genealogical Society of Warren County (http://www.co.warren.oh.us/genealogy/)

Full article digitized at:
https://wcrcarchives.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/wwi-articles-discharge-special-papers.pdf

UD Football vs. the KKK

During the 1920s when the Klan was in its heyday, they regularly harassed and intimidated students on the campus of the University of Dayton by burning crosses, setting off bombs, and decrying the university in its local newspapers, the Klan Kourier and Fiery Cross.

At that time, Ohio had more KKK members than any other state and Dayton in particular was seen as one of six cities in the United States that were particularly "Klan-friendly" and known as "hooded capitals."

However, in a transcript of an interview with the head coach of the team, Harry Boujan and one of his players buried in the UD archives, he recounts an incident from 1923 that even the archivist thought was just a rumor. Somehow, Boujan heard that the Klan was planning to burn crosses on a hill at Woodland Cemetery. He then took some of his players to the cemetery to wait for the Klan to start the cross burning. Boujan told his players to "take after them" and "tear their shirts off...or anything else you want to do." The Klan members fled through the cemetery and avoided being caught by the football team.

It was after that incident that the Klan set off bombs on campus on December 19, 1923, the first day of Christmas break. Few students were on campus and the bombs caused little damage but students and people from the community chased the Klan away.

The author of the article, Tom Archdeacon, details the difficulty that Dr. William Vance Trollinger Jr., a UD history professor, had in his research. It's unfortunate that this incident is kept under wraps by the university since it is a terrific story of regular Daytonians courageously standing up to prejudice and bigotry. Archdeacon quotes Dr. Trollinger near the end of the article regarding a similar incident at Notre Dame at around the same time. That university, however, is much more open about remembering what happened. He mentions that there is even a movie about what happened. I hope that this article will bring more attention to this event and that the University of Dayton will give Boujan and his courageous players the recognition they deserve.

Tom Archdeacon article in Oct. 25 DDN

Source: October 25, 2015 Dayton Daily news article by Tom Archdeacon, "Tackling Hatred", front page and C10

Dayton Walk of Fame

In the Dayton Daily News last week, I read about something I didn't even know existed, the Dayton Walk of Fame on West Third Street between Broadway and Shannon. The inductees represent achievement in a variety of areas and there are some familiar names like Charles Kettering, Tony Hall, Dale Huffman, the Wright Brothers, and William Preston Mayfield. Many of the inductees, however, I had never heard of until I began to go through the list.

One example that stands out to me is Mac Ross. He was one of the original Tuskegee Airmen who couldn't get into pilot school at the time because he was black, but excelled when he entered the Army Air Corps school in Tuskegee. Sadly, he passed away in 1944 in a plane crash during a training exercise in Italy at only 32 years old.

Mac Ross

Another inductee whose name I have heard mentioned countless times but never knew who he was is Edwin C. Moses. Many of you may have driven on Edwin C. Moses Boulevard in Dayton and never knew who he was. I didn't until I found him on the Walk of Fame. He is known for his athletic abilities, getting his start at a poorly-funded track running team at Morehouse College. He since won Olympic gold twice and holds several world records in hurdling. Moses was even chosen to be enshrined in the Olympic Hall of Fame and has won over 100 consecutive races.

Edwin C. Moses

Betty Schmoll was inducted in 2010 and is the founder of the Hospice of Dayton. She is a major proponent for the compassionate and dignified treatment of terminally ill people and their families. For her work, Ms. Schmoll has received honors from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. While the hospice she founded started small, it now provides services to hundreds of patients each day.

Betty Schmoll

Sources (for information and images):  

http://www.daytonwalkoffame.citymax.com/ross.html
http://www.daytonwalkoffame.citymax.com/moses.html
http://www.daytonwalkoffame.citymax.com/schmoll.html

Wilber Wright's Birthplace

While in Indiana for the field study, I got to visit the Wilber Wright Birthplace & Museum near Millville in Henry County.  The grounds include an old farm house, original smoke house, and a community center attached to the museum.  The house was made to replicate the home of Milton and Susan Wright, where Wilber was born in 1867.  It sits on the original foundation despite three fires in the course of its history.  Inside the house includes items typical in 1867, such as photographs of Abraham Lincoln and a working loom.  Not every item is labeled, but the home includes some fun text panels with recipes in the kitchen and audio in the living room for guidance.  The smoke house out back is the most original piece on the property, both in location and materials.  

Front of the farm house 

In the museum, there are many photographs, newspaper clippings, document copies, and small artifacts relating to Wilber and his family.  A stained glass window was gifted to the museum that was originally located at Milton Wright's church.  We watched a video on the Wright Brother's first flight in 1903, which included interviews from Carillon Park!  The museum also includes a full scale replica of the 1903 flyer and a Kitty Hawk room with tools, plane rib construction, and a small kitchen area.  Main Street, Dayton is the museum's newest edition that includes a general store, dress shop, and the Wright Brother's printing and bicycle shops.  

Main Street, Dayton

The docent's name slips my mind, but he was a former pilot and very passionate about Wright family history.  He explained that the museum and grounds run almost entirely on donations and grants.  The only paid staff member is the grounds keeper, who lives at the museum.  One thing I noticed was the docent's focus on education and community involvement.  He pointed out activities specifically included for school age children and mentioned wanting to include more technology to keep youth interested.  The site is growing and volunteers seem committed to keeping the grounds authentic and inviting.  I really enjoyed the tour around Wilber Wright's birthplace!

*Update:  The docent's name in Charlie Fields.

Ballreich's Potato Chips! I need some right now!

 

When I was little there was a small grocery store around the corner from our house. My grandma, we called her Mimi, my sister and I would walk down the street to get some snacks. The one thing Mimi would always insist on getting was a bag of Ballreich’s. These potato chips are the best thing on the planet! They are always wavy and always salty and greasy, they are not the kind of thing you would eat on a diet. 

Ballreich’s Brother’s Inc. began in 1920 in the garage of Fred and Ethel Ballreich. They cooked potato chips in a large kettle pot over a wood fire. It didn’t take long for their small business to take off. Carl and Fred Ballreich grew the business into Ballreich Brother’s Potato chips while Ethel and Emma, Carl’s wife, were peeling, cooking, and packaged the chips in their homes on Ohio Avenue in Tiffin, Ohio. Now they have become a fully modern family owned business. 

Since 1920 the company has grown into one of the staples of Northwest Ohio life. Ballreich’s are only sold in the area around Tiffin, Ohio. Unfortunatly my sister and I are not in the area anymore, so we both crave Ballreich’s every once in a while. My Aunts who live in Arlington, about 20 minutes south of Findlay, are only able to buy Ballreich’s in a box of 4 bags. These chips are so popular that the store does not even bother to stock single bags of chips. Especially around the holidays, no gathering is complete without a bag of Ballreich’s chips in the house. 

It’s interesting how something as simple as a potato chip can become such an important part of local history. Everyone in the area knows about Ballriech’s. Ballreich’s Brother’s Inc. is an institution in our area and we hold all other chips to their standard. In their 95 years of business this company has come from a kettle pot in a garage to an important part of our local heritage. Maybe Mom will mail me a box?

All information gathered from: http://www.ballreich.com/shop/ourhistory.html

 

Gem City Rollergirls

The Gem City Rollergirls are an amateur flat-track women's roller derby team that began in Dayton, Ohio in 2006 and are still going strong today. It is entirely owned and operated by the skaters themselves who are all local women who come from many different backgrounds, occupations and ages.

The short-lived television series "Rollergirls" inspired founding skater Helen of DesTroy to find other women interested in roller derby. In 2005, she used the Internet in her search and organized the first "Meet & Greet" in team history at Skateworld in Kettering, Ohio on January 22, 2006. The first team practice occurred about a month later on February 19, 2006.

I began attending their "bouts" in July 2007 after reading an article about the team in the Dayton Daily News sports section. I found that my high school Spanish teacher, whom I adore, was skating for the team (her derby name was "Voodoo Storm"). So, I attended my first bout, the program for which is pictured here. My teacher left the team shortly thereafter because of time commitments but I was hooked from that point on.

My first bout program, July 2007

At that early time, the bouts were held at the Nutter Center but the Gem City Rollergirls have changed venues several times since then. Now, they practice at Orbit Fun Center in Huber Heights and their home bouts take place at the Hara Arena in Dayton.

Gem City also recently started a "junior gems" team in which they teach the game to young girls ages 8-17. The juniors have their own bouts, often along with the adults as part of a double- or triple-header.

I have only missed 1-2 home bouts since then which has led me to get to know many of the skaters and referees. Today, I count many of these women as my friends.


 Sources: http://www.gemcityrollergirls.com/about-gem-city-rollergirls

Ruth St. Denis

I chose The New Victoria Theatre Bill of Play from September 1-16 as my theatre program for the scavenger hunt (no year included, though the file from MS-360 holds playbills from 1914-1916).  On the cover of this playbill is Ruth St. Denis, a popular dancer in the early 1900s.  On September 16, Ruth preformed Greek, Oriental, and Modern Dance styles at the Victoria, exposing Dayton to different cultures and new forms of entertainment.  

Ruth was born Ruth Dennis on January 20, 1879 in New Jersey and changed her name to Ruth St. Denis in 1906 after studying Hindu art and philosophy.  She performed on the Victoria stage numerous times, often in vaudeville and comedy shows that included modern, spiritual dance styles. For example, St. Denis danced in The Cobra and The Nautch, both inspired by East Indian dance styles.  She was noticed by director David Belasco in 1898 and toured in his production of Zara around Europe.  Here she met Japanese dancer Sado Yacco and Sara Bernhardt, a famous actress that graced the Victoria stage often.  Ruth was inspired by these women and quickly took interest in Eastern dance and drama. While touring for Du Barry with Belasco, Ruth saw an Egyptian cigarette advertisement and was captivated by the image of Isis, goddess of the sky and a role model to Egyptian women.  This excited Ruth and led her to leave Belasco's company and study in India.  Her solo career was a success, dancing in Radha and building a reputation as an exotic dancer in vaudeville shows.  Ruth's solo career began to slow down around 1911, so she began working on new dance styles and touring with others.  She married Ted Shawn in 1914 and together they created the Denishawn school and company in Los Angeles.  

Sources:

MS-360, The Victoria Theatre Collection, Box 3 of Historical Materials, File 5, Programs 1914-1916 

The Papers of Will Rogers: From vaudeville to Broadway, September 1908-August 1915

http://www.britannica.com/biography/Ruth-St-Denis

http://www.pitt.edu/~gillis/dance/ruth.html