Category Archives: Advocacy and Outreach

Ohio Archives Month Spotlight 5: Cleveland Police

Ohio Archives Month Spotlights: Cleveland Police Historical Society and Museum

The Society of Ohio Archivists Advocacy and Outreach Committee is happy to announce that we will be spotlighting archives around the state again this year to celebrate archives month throughout October 2023. Each of our archives spotlights will feature places that house materials related to the theme of the poster, Land, Water, & Air: Transportation in Ohio.

by Christine Liebson, MLIS, CA

Introduction

A black and white historical photograph of a Harly Davidson police motorcycle. It is parked in front of a brick building.

1939 Harley Davidson police motorcycle

The Cleveland Police Historical Society and Museum exists to collect and preserve Cleveland police history and to use its collection and programs to educate the public and to foster a mutual understanding and respect between law enforcement and the public. The Cleveland Police Historical Society (CPHS) works in cooperation with, but is independent of, the Cleveland Division of Police. Financial support comes from membership dues, donations, and small grants from various government agencies and private organizations. The CPHS receives no tax funds from the City of Cleveland, State of Ohio, or the Federal Government. The Cleveland Police Museum opened in June 1983 with Florence E. Schwein as its director. The current director, Mazie Adams, graciously accepted our invitation for an interview to share with us about her work and collections at the museum. Continue reading →

Ohio Archives Month Spotlight 4: The University of Akron

Ohio Archives Month Spotlights: The University of Akron Archives and Special Collections

By Natalie Fritz, Archivist and Outreach Director, Clark County Historical Society

A photograph of a large, multi-story cement building in a city setting. This is a view of the corner of the building. Large letters UA are attached to the corner of the building.

The Polsky Building, University of Akron

This week we are shining a spotlight on the University of Akron Archives and Special Collections. The University was founded in 1870 as Buchtel College. The Archives and Special Collections are housed in the Polsky Building and they provide access to a wide variety of historical resources including collections on the University’s history, the city of Akron and Summit, the surrounding county, the rubber industry, which was integral to the community’s development, and more.

A black and white historic photograph of a large blimp with Goodyear printed on the side. A large hanger is in the background.

The ground crew hauls out the Goodyear blimp, The Puritan, from the Wingfoot Lake Hangar, for its first flight, July 3, 1938.

Important transportation related collections in the archives include the Lighter-than-Air Collections. The images from the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Records are great for those interested in blimps and airships. (Especially for someone like me who grew up in Akron and was amazed by the sheer size of the Wingfoot Lake Hangar and who got excited whenever we’d spot the Goodyear Blimp around town)!

Continue reading →

Ohio Archives Month Spotlight 3: University of Dayton

Ohio Archives Month Spotlights: University of Dayton’s Hidden Aviation Gems

By Jim McKinnon, CA, Associate University Archivist

A photograph of the exterior of Albert Emanuel Hall at the University of Dayton. The building is a large, brick structure with white columns.

Albert Emanual Hall, University of Dayton

This week we will be spotlighting the University of Dayton Archives and Special Collections. The University of Dayton’s history is one of perseverance, tenacity, ingenuity and transformation. The school began with an act of faith more than 170 years ago. On July 1, 1850, St. Mary’s School for Boys opened its doors to 14 primary students from Dayton. Known at various times as St. Mary’s School, St. Mary’s Institute and St. Mary’s College, the school assumed its present identity in 1920. Today, the University of Dayton is recognized as a top-tier national research university rooted in the Catholic tradition.

A historic black and white photograph of four people standing in front of a small airplane.

Photograph of Charles F. Kettering’s secretary, Mrs. Olive Kettering, Bernard L. Whelan, and Mrs. Kettering’s friend.

The University Archives and Special Collections documents the history of the University as well as being the home to many special collections of prominent alumni such as Congressman Charles Whalen and the humorist Erma Bombeck. In addition, University Archives is home to approximately 12,000 rare books, some dating to the mid-15^th century. The archives are located on the second floor of Albert Emanuel Hall, which was built in 1927 as the new library.

Continue reading →

Ohio Archives Month Spotlight 2: Inland Rivers Library

Ohio Archives Month Spotlights: Inland Rivers Library, Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

1895 informal group portrait with mostly women, one man, and several children wearing fine clothes and hats on the shores of a river with a steamboat in the background

Caption: Group waiting to board a steamboat at Evansville, Indiana, 1895. Photograph link

About the Inland Rivers Library

By A&O Committee member Erin Wilson, Ohio University Libraries

Sepia toned photo of Cotton Blossom showboat on the banks of the Ohio River with band members on board and children posing on the shore and boat ramp

People aboard Cotton Blossom showboat on the banks of the Ohio River, circa 1908-1917. Photograph link

Have you ever wondered what life was like along the Ohio River when steamboats were the dominant form of transport? Whether you’re interested in river travel, trade, navigation, or the history of local river towns, the Inland Rivers Library is one of the largest and most comprehensive collections documenting use of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and their tributaries. Housed in the Genealogy and Local History Department of the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, the Inland Rivers collection includes materials dating back to the 1820s which present some of the earliest images and descriptions of the steamboat era and its Ohio locales.

Continue reading →

Archives Month Poster 2023 Announcement

Celebrate American Archives Month in Ohio with the 2023 poster

An image of the 2023 Ohio Archives Month poster. The text Land, Water and Air is in the center with an orange banner around it. Historic images surround the text.

Ohio Archives Month poster 2023. Land, Water, & Air: Transportation in Ohio

October is American Archives Month! Each year, SOA creates a poster to recognize and celebrate Archives Month. The theme for 2023 poster is Land, Water, & Air: Transportation in Ohio. You can download and share a PDF of the 2023 Archives Month Poster. Thank you again to all those who submitted images for consideration!

In keeping with this year’s poster theme, during October the Advocacy and Outreach Committee will be highlighting transportation-related archives with Archives Spotlight blog posts.

SOA’s Archives Month activity is managed by the Advocacy and Outreach Committee. Questions? Contact the committee at [email protected].

Ohio Archives Month Spotlight 1: Wright State University

Ohio Archives Month Spotlights: Wright State University Special Collections and Archives

by Collette N. McDonough, CA

A photograph of the research spaces at Wright State University Special Collections and Archives. A man and woman stand in front of an exhibit case.

Research spaces at Special Collections and Archives in the Wright State University Libraries. Credit: Wright State University.

The Society of Ohio Archivists Advocacy and Outreach Committee is happy to announce that we will be spotlighting archives around the state again this year to celebrate archives month throughout October. Each of our archives spotlights will feature places that house materials related the theme of the poster, Land, Water, & Air: Transportation in Ohio.

The first archives we will be spotlighting in 2023 is Wright State University Special Collections and Archives. Even though Wright State’s submission was not featured on the poster this year, we are happy to have them front and center in our first archives spotlight.

Historical image in sepia tone. Shows an airplane on a beach and a man in dark clothing standing on the right side.

This famous image, taken by John T. Daniels, captures a moment of the twelve-second first flight. Daniels walked up from the U.S. Lifesaving Station at Kill Devil Hills to help the brothers. The Wright Brothers did not know if the image caught their airplane in flight until they developed the negatives at home back in Dayton, Ohio.

Wright State University was founded in the 1960s as a part of a plan to make higher education more convenient for Ohioans and got its start as a joint campus of the Ohio State University and Miami University. By 1967, the campus was granted independent status and named in honor of Dayton’s favorite sons, inventors of the manned heavier-than-air powered and controlled aircraft. The Wright State archive got its start with their first collection of Wright Brothers materials. In December 1975, the Wright Family “including Ivonette Wright Miller, Leontine Wright Jameson, Horace A. Wright, Milton Wright, Jr., and Wilkinson Wright,” gave materials to the archives to become the Wright Brothers Collection. Continue reading →

Ohio Archives Month Poster Reveal on YouTube

Did you miss the Ohio Archives Month poster reveal live on September 7? You can now watch the recorded event on the Society of Ohio Archivists YouTube channel.

Each year, SOA creates a poster to recognize and celebrate Archives Month in Ohio. This year’s theme is transportation. We had more than 20 Ohio institutions contribute images, and the SOA membership voted to pick the top ten images.

Questions? Contact the committee at [email protected].

Archives Month Poster Reveal 2023

2023 Poster Unveiling – Sept 7

The Society of Ohio Archivists Advocacy and Outreach Committee invites all SOA members and lovers of history to an online event where we will unveil the 2023 Archives Month poster!

Join us on Thursday, September 7, 2023, from 3 – 4pm (ET) on Zoom for the poster unveiling, along with fun trivia. Please register by September 4.

: Blimps over Cleveland. University of Akron Archives and Special Collections.

: NAACP Freedom Bus. University of Akron Archives and Special Collections

: Cincinnati Canal boat and crew, late 1880s / early 1890s. Cincinnati Museum Center

: Defiance Men’s Glee Club on tour, 1926. Courtesy of Defiance College.

: First controlled, heavier than air flight. Wright State University

: 9. Cincinnati Canal boat and crew, late 1880s / early 1890s. Courtesy of Cincinnati Museum Center.

: Sleigh racing in Dayton. Dayton History.

: U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower waving from a B&O train as he leaves Defiance. Defiance College

: High Wheeler Bicycle, Oberlin College

: Head Librarian at Dayton Public Library, Electra C. Doren. Dayton Metro Library

Each year, SOA creates a poster to recognize and celebrate Archives Month. This year’s theme is transportation. We had more than 20 Ohio institutions contribute images, and the SOA membership voted to pick the top ten images. View the 2023 top ten images on the blog.

Questions? Contact the committee at [email protected].

Save The Date!

Save the Date for the Ohio Archives Month Poster Unveiling!

(cc) save the date by lisa.scheer.stbv

On Thursday, September 7 at 3pm, the Advocacy and Outreach Committee will also host an unveiling event online (through Zoom). Mark your calendars and please join us!

The top 10 photographs selected by you (SOA membership) can be viewed on the SOA blog: https://ohioarchivists.org/2023-archives-month-poster-results/. Congrats to The University of Akron Archives and Special Collections for having the top images and thanks to everyone that submitted. We could not create the poster without your help.

These 10 photographs are sent to the designer for consideration in the final poster design. Posters will be mailed to SOA members by the end of September.

Thank you,

Society of Ohio Archivists Advocacy and Outreach Committee

Questions? Contact the committee at [email protected].

2023 Ohio Archives Month Poster “Top 10” Voting Results

This year for the annual Society of Ohio Archivists’ October Archives Month poster we asked for archival images having to do with the theme of Transportation in Ohio.

The Advocacy and Outreach Committee is happy to announce the top ten photographs selected by you (SOA membership)! These ten photos are in the running to be included in the final poster. Stay tuned for this year’s poster as we get closer to October and Archives Month. Posters will be mailed to members by the end of September.

Thank you to all that submitted! We could not do this without people / institutions who submit such interesting photographs.

Congrats to the University of Akron Archives and Special Collections and to Dayton History for their images being in the top 3.

The top ten images as selected by you were:

Members of the Akron Chapter of the NAACP pose in front of a bus used to transport Akronites on a freedom ride to Anniston, Alabama. In 1961, the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) undertook Freedom Rides by racially integrated groups through the South to test the enforcement of a newly enacted court order prohibiting segregation in interstate bus terminals. The riders met fierce resistance and hostility in several states with the worst violence occurring in Alabama where the riders were attacked and badly beaten after their bus was bombed and set on fire. While CORE called off the ride, other civil rights activists—including this contingent from Akron—rushed to Anniston and other parts of the Deep South to support the Freedom Riders and helped continue their cause.
NAACP Freedom Bus, 1961. Photograph from the Opie Evans Papers, The University of Akron Archives & Special Collections.
The Goodyear blimps Reliance, Puritan, and Enterprise fly over downtown Cleveland including Terminal Tower during the Great Lakes Exposition. The Exposition, which occurred in 1936-1937, coincided with the centennial of Cleveland’s incorporation. It attracted 7 million visitors to downtown Cleveland and helped draw the city out of the Great Depression.
Blimps Over Cleveland, 1936. Photograph from the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Records, The University of Akron Archives & Special Collections.
Group of men racing their horse-drawn sleighs down West First Street in Dayton, Ohio, after a heavy snow in 1910.
Sleigh racing in Dayton. Courtesy of Dayton History.
The bicycle has a long history of being an important mode of transportation on the Oberlin College campus. This rider appears to have mastered the “wheelie” trick, although we do not have any photos of the aftermath!
High Wheeler Bicycle, Oberlin College Campus, 1937. Courtesy of Oberlin College Archives.
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower waving from a Baltimore and Ohio railroad’s special train’s caboose as he leaves Defiance after a visit to Defiance College to lay the cornerstone for the College’s new library on October 15, 1953. The Baltimore and Ohio was one of the oldest U.S. railroads, reaching the Ohio River from the Atlantic coast in 1852. It merged into CSX in the 1980s.
U.S .President Dwight D. Eisenhower waving from train in Defiance, OH. Courtesy of Defiance College.
Head Librarian at Dayton Public Library, Electra C. Doren, established one of the first book mobiles in the United States. Staff members are from left to right: Janet L. Hannaford, Mildred Adams Linskey, Grace Althoff, Electra C. Doren, Reba Boomershine, Emma Davis, Helen M. Tattershall and Mayer Griswold who was also the driver of the wagon.
Dayton Public Library Book Wagon, c. 1924. Courtesy of Dayton Metro Library.
The first controlled, powered, heavier-than-air flight on December 17, 1903, by Wilbur and Orville Wright of Dayton, Ohio.
First flight, 1903. Courtesy of Wright State University Libraries.
Defiance College owned a hot air balloon in the late 1960s and 1970s, and used it to teach Ohio’s first college course on ballooning. CBS News filmed a story on it which aired on national television in 1970.
Defiance College hot air balloon. Courtesy of Defiance College
The canals lining the streets of Cincinnati created transportation hubs, odd jobs, and a reputed “rough crowd” during the whole of the 19th century. Although the usage of the canals was mainly discontinued due to the continual flooding of the early 20th century, and the advanced changes in the city’s transportation developments; the canals continue to hold a special place in the hearts of Cincinnatians to this very day.
9. Cincinnati Canal Boat and Crew, c. late 1880/early1890s. Courtesy of Cincinnati Museum Center.
Defiance College’s men’s glee club on tour of New England in 1926, in an early form of bus. Defiance College holds other photographs from the same trip of the men having to push this vehicle out of the mud. The sign inside the spare tire says “Defiance College Men’s Glee Club.”
Defiance Men’s Glee Club bus, 1926. Courtesy of Defiance College.

Thank you,

Society of Ohio Archivists Advocacy and Outreach Committee

Questions? Contact the committee at [email protected].