Spring 2016 TellTales Newsletter - Preble County Historical Society

Volume 1, Issue 1
Spring 2016
TellTales
P R E B L E
C O U N T Y
April
H I S T O R I C A L
is Membership
S O C I E T Y
Month!
PCHS will be having several presenters in April for our members to enjoy! David Simmons, senior editor of Timeline (a popular history journal) that is published by the Ohio History Connection, will be presenting historical information on the Roberts Bridge in Preble County. Pam Barr, the owner of Buckeye Jake’s will be speaking about genealogy and researching your family history. Lauren Robinson and
Marlene Ressler will be visiting PCHS to talk about The Preble County District Library and the services
the library provides for the community. They will also be discussing their genealogy collection. Our
Antique Study group is planning a day trip to the Air Force Museum on April 5th! We will meet at PCHS
at 12pm and carpool to Beavercreek. If you would like more information please contact Misti.
Our Annual Meeting will be held on April 10th at 2pm. This will take place at the historical society.
David Simmons will be our guest speaker. PCHS will be giving out our Volunteer of The Year Award.
There will be an open house afterwards so everyone can enjoy the
grounds, Exhibit Hall, Bank Barn and the 1813 Log House. We hope to
see you in April!!
Sunday April 10th at 2pm- Annual Meeting with guest speaker David
Simmons
Thursday April 14th at 6:30pm- The Preble County District Library
Tuesday April 19th at 6:30pm- Genealogy and Researching Your Family
P C H S
i s
g o i n g
e l e c t r o n i c ! !
To help save PCHS money, we are going electronic by this fall. This means all newsletters,
upcoming events and membership information will be sent via email. If members do not
have email, PCHS will still mail information to you. We need your help! Please email Misti
your email address so the database can be updated. Once, your email is received a confirmation will be sent to you. This is one of the first steps to making PCHS more accessible to members and the community! Many museums and historical societies have embraced going paperless and have benefited greatly! Please email Misti with your name
and updated email address at
[email protected]
P a g e
2
T e l l T a l e s
D i r e c t o r ' s
N o t e
Happy Spring! I am looking forward to our upcoming events at PCHS this year! April is going
to be Membership Month with presentations concentrating around Preble County’s history and
educating individuals about researching their family history.
Donations have been pouring in from the community! These items include letters, pictures, painting and artifacts that are now part of the PCHS 's collection. An example is the journal of Kate
Bruce that was donated by local individual. Please read the article in the newsletter about this
amazing document. We work hard to represent and remember, collect and contextualize, the
voices of Preble County, because it is true that a voice that is not heard is a loss to the community.
Our goal in 2016 is not to change the incredible experience that our museum offers, but to forge
a new understanding within the community that the museum is a fun and interesting place that’s
relevant to everyone. 2016 will be a year to focus on changing the perception of many in our
community who have never visited the museum, or have not visited in a long time. Through a
strategic combination of events, new exhibits, brand building marketing and partnerships, we
will reach new audiences and change mindsets. Envisioning this new perception of the museum
only makes it possible. It does not make it happen. With the help of loyal supporters like you, we
believe 2016 will be a turning point in convincing a larger portion of our community that a day at
the PCHS is time well spent.
I am looking forward to another year at the Preble County
Historical Society!
Misti Spillman
Misti Spillman
2016 Schedule of Events
April 10th– Annual Meeting at 2pm. Will be held at PCHS
June 18th Bridges, Bikes & Blues Festival
September 24th– Echoes in Time: PCHS 'S Living History Event
December 2 & 3- Preble County Historical Society Holiday Dinners
B r i d g e s
B i k e s
a n d
B l u e s
2 016
Bridges, Bikes and Blues kicks off on Saturday June 18, 2016, putting Preble County’s rural landscape and historic covered bridges on
display. The cruise then transitions into a great party and concert complete with smoking hot blues bands, great food, and an outdoor beer
garden in downtown Eaton, Ohio! It will be a great day to cruise all
eight covered bridges with plenty of amazing scenery. The previous
four years of the event have received rave reviews, and the best part is
that this tour is not just for motorcycles; all motorized vehicles are welcome to participate as well!
Information for BBB is currently being updated. Please check the BBB
Facebook page and our website for more information.
R e c e n t l y a c c e s s i o n e d i t e m s a t P C H S :
T h e J o u r n a l o f K a t e B r u c e
The Journal of Kate Bruce dates to 1870. Her full name was
Sarah Catherine “Kate” Bruce. She was the granddaughter of
William Bruce, who was the founder of Eaton. The journal
consists of poems, recipes and school exercises. At the back
of the journal, Kate wrote a short inscription about her journal:
“Don’t steal this book. For fear of your life. For the owner
carries a big jack knife “ (a picture of this inscription can be
seen below).
Sarah Catherine “Kate” eventually married and had four children. She passed away in 1906 at the age of 53.
P a g e
4
N e w s l et t e r
T it l e
The Preble County Historical Society and
The Register-Herald 2016 Hall of Honor
In celebration of its 40th anniversary in 2011, the Preble County Historical Society
(PCHS) created a Hall of Honor. The PCHS Board of Trustees designated that the Hall
of Honor be named the Sara Swartsel Hall of Honor in recognition of the heritage and
philanthropy of the Swartsel Family as demonstrated by Sara’s enduring gift to the Preble
County Historical Society and the Preble County community of her family farm in southeast Preble County.
The Register Herald joined the PCHS as co-sponsor of the Hall of Honor in recognition
of the natural partnership of the two organizations in recording the history of Preble
County every day. This annual process provides each entity with many opportunities to
collaborate publicly on the project in ways that promote the value of each entity to the
residents and businesses of the county.
In 2016 the Hall of Honor will induct its sixth membership class. Inductees must be deceased and have lived in Preble County at some point in their lives; further, they must
meet one or more of the following requirements: have been outstanding in achievement
in agriculture, arts, professions, politics, public service, education, or sports; or have a
reputation that brings honor to the county, or personal commitment and service to the
county; or had a lasting impact on the county.
We will honor the 2016 inductees and their families with the dedication of plaques in
their honor at 6:30PM on Sunday July 3, 2016, at the Old Fashioned Independence Day
Celebration at the Preble County Historical Center and The Amphitheater.
You can make a nomination to the Hall of Honor by visiting the Preble County Historical
Society’s web site at www.preblecountyhistoricalsociety.com and downloading an application to complete and submit. You also may email the Society at [email protected] or call the Society at 937-787-4256 and leave a message requesting
a nomination form.
The deadline for submission for consideration for 2016 is APRIL 1, 2016.
Thank you to 2015 Summer Events Season Sponsors
The success of the 2015 Summer Events Season can be attributed largely to the generosity of
our community in providing sponsorships to support our events. Over 4,000 people attended
the four events scheduled last year – Old-Fashioned Independence Day Celebration, Preble
County Idol and Ticket to Ride, Dallas Moore and Pure Grain, and Joe Mullins and the Radio
Ramblers and the Worley Boys. We thank the sponsors for their commitment to our programs
and our community!
We look forward to the 2016 Season! (See related article elsewhere in this newsletter.)
2015 Sponsors:
Diamond
Reid Health
Platinum
Henny Penny
Thumb Up Productions/The Worley Boys (in-kind)
Gold
LawnPlus
Otterbein Senior Life Style Choices/Skilled Nursing & Rehab Neighborhoods
Mike & Judy Raymond
Rodney Cobb Chevrolet Buick GMC
Silver
Jones Complete Carpet Cleaning
Michael Murphy Insurance
Preble County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Preble County Development Partnership
Preble County Medical Center
Remagen
Dr. and Mrs. David F. Sikora
Somerville National Bank
Summit Chiropractic
TimkenSteel
WEDI-1130AM
Dragonfly
Bullen Tech
Jim Hildebolt
LCNB National Bank
Tom & Karen McQuiston
Seth Schlotterbeck
Bronze
Eaton Hometown Furniture
Wm. Nelson & Janet L. Hardin
Craig Hewitt, DDS
Lowman Heating and Air
The Eaton Place Restaurant
Twin Valley Bank
West Alexandria Lions Club
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A m p h i t h e a t e r
Sunday July 3rd 3PM – 11PM $5/car donation
Old Fashioned Independence Day Celebration!
Cincinnati Circus trapeze and strolling magicians return!
Exhibits, children’s games and face-painting, Wild Hearts
Zoo Animals, music by the Eaton Community Band and
the Eaton Community Chorus. 2016 Hall of Honor
Inductions. Evening Music by Kelly Zullo (Acoustic funk)
and The Worley Boys. FIREWORKS!!
Saturday July 16th - Free
3PM – Preble County Idol Regional Finals
7PM – Preble County Idol Past Winners
Anniversary Concert – Musical Variety
Sunday July 24th - $10/Person
4PM – The Worley Boys
6:30PM – Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers
“Bluegrass and Gospel”
Saturday August 13th-7pm $10/person
Scotty Bratcher with Bauner Chafin opening
“Heavy Guitar Rock and Blues”
Saturday August 27th-7pm $10/person
Angela Combs & Jay Jessie Johnson – “soulful
rock” with The Growlers opening – “classic rock”
plus Sierra Flory between acts
s e a s o n