September 10-12

Ft. Recovery: “Civil War at the Fort”

Join us at the first annual “Civil War at the Fort” at the Ambassador Park in Fort Recovery, Ohio! There will be living history and reenactments that have skirmishing and battles on all three days with Friday a school day. Live artillery demonstration, night fire, military ball, payroll, parlor games, ladies tea and a Saturday baseball game.

September 11 – 12

Bellevue: Pioneer Days at Historic Lyme Village

Pioneer Days is the event of the year where the village comes alive with reenactors covering the 19th century. Come see lots of vendors and reenactors from various periods, including the Civil War. All the buildings are staffed and plenty of food is available for the event.

September 16

Cincinnati: Cincinnati Civil War Round Table Lecture

“Bombproof Officers” or Backbone of the Army? A Look at Staff Officers in the Army of Northern Virginia.

September 18-19

Gallipolis: 147th Annual Emancipation Celebration

Celebrating the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 which declared slaves “thenceforth and forever more free”.  Activities and games, guest speakers, Bands, singing groups, historic re-enactments, civil war soldiers, history booth, arts and crafts, food vendors and health screenings. Free admission, free parking.

Toledo: Civil War Encampment

Step back in time to the period of the American Civil War! Stroll through the encampment and visit with soldiers to experience life during the war and hear from the families who awaited their return.

September 19

Mentor: Commemoration of President Garfield’s Death

President Garfield died of assassin-inflicted wounds on September 19^th, 1881. Mark the 129^th anniversary of his death with special programming at James A. Garfield NHS.

September 21

Fairview Park: Johnson’s Island POW Camp, Ohio CW150 Speaker Corps Lecture

Dr. David Bush, Professor of Anthropology at Heidelberg University and member of the Ohio Civil War 150 Speakers Corps, will talk about his archaeological research on Johnson’s Island and its Civil War Military Prison.

William J. Knight: Train Engineer, Soldier, Storyteller

William J. Knight served in the Civil War as a private in the 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company E. Before the war he was an engineer for the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad. In April 1862 Knight was one of two dozen soldiers, almost all from Ohio, who volunteered for a secret mission now famously known as Andrews’ Raid or the Great Locomotive Chase.

Knight Panorama, Andrews Raid Map, Ohio Historical Society

Raiders Seized Confederate Locomotive
The plan, devised and led by secret agent James J. Andrews, was for the raiders to cross Confederate lines and travel to Marietta, Ga. In Marietta, they boarded a northbound train. At a stop a few miles north of town they uncoupled the passenger cars and took control of the locomotive, called The General, and three freight cars.

Knight was one of two soldiers who served as the engineer running the locomotive. They traveled more than 100 miles, cutting telegraph wires and destroying track as they went. Soon they were pursued by the Confederate Army. The raiders abandoned the train to give each soldier a chance to escape. However, all of the raiders were captured. Andrews and seven others were hung, while eight of the soldiers were exchanged with the Union Army for Confederate prisoners. Knight was among a group of eight soldiers who escaped Confederate prison and made the dangerous journey to Union lines.

Knight Panorama, Captured Raiders Being Sent to the Chattanooga Jail, Ohio Historical Society

Awarded Medal of Honor
Knight and 17 others were awarded the Medal of Honor for their bravery. Their story captured the imaginations of people during and after the Civil War. Around 1878, Knight began giving public lectures describing his role in Andrews’ Raid and continued making presentations for 18 years. Accompanying Knight at his lectures was a panorama of 17 scenes painted on canvas or muslin panels that illustrated the raiders’ mission, capture and escape. The panels were stitched together and cranked past a square stage window while Knight spoke.

Panorama Tells Raiders’ Story, Offers Glimpse of 19th-Century Entertainment
Panoramas were a common entertainment medium in the 19th century, however, few exist today. Knight’s Panorama, painted by Albert Kruger, tells a thrilling tale of the Civil War and also gives us a rare glimpse of 19th-century popular entertainment. Knight’s Panorama is currently on display at the Ohio Historical Center at I-71 and 17th Avenue in Columbus, where you can see one of Kruger’s large handpainted scenes plus photographs of 16 others in the continuous roll that Knight used to tell the story of the Great Locomotive Chase, along with the original stage window and rolling apparatus plus copies of advertising for Knight’s lectures.

AmeriCorps Volunteers To Lend A Hand Locally

(COLUMBUS, OHIO)─ With revitalized neighborhoods and thriving businesses to point to as success stories, preserving and promoting history does increase economic development on state and local levels. Because of this, the Ohio Historical Society is committed to support and lead the effort to put Ohio’s history to work through historic preservation and heritage tourism for the benefit of its citizens and communities at a time when local economies are struggling to recover from the deep recession.

“History has a vital role in the economic development of our state’s cities and towns,” said Burt Logan, OHS executive director and CEO.  “Naturally being the entry point for all things related to Ohio history, the Ohio Historical Society is leading several statewide initiatives that will contribute to local development. These efforts will benefit from trained volunteers working directly in Ohio communities.”

About The Ohio History Service Corps Program
Thanks to a $260,000 grant from the Ohio Community Service Council, one of only three new AmeriCorps grants, the Ohio Historical Society has created the Ohio History Service Corps, a program that will engage AmeriCorps volunteers to educate Ohioans on why history is relevant and how it can be used as an effective economic development tool. Partnering with local history organizations, the Ohio Historical Society will be placing 20 AmeriCorps service members in communities across the state for the next year.

The AmeriCorps volunteers will focus on the continued preservation and promotion of the state’s historic resources to stimulate tourism and economic growth. AmeriCorps members will serve in teams to promote, raise awareness and preserve Ohio’s strong history through educational experiences for community members.

The Ohio History Service Corps program will have three components: Civil War 150 Leadership Corps, Ohio History Tech Corps and Ohio Historic Preservation Corps. Each of these AmeriCorps volunteer groups will help local organizations put history to work in their community.

Preparing for Civil War 150
With the sesquicentennial of the Civil War being observed from 2011-2015, the Ohio Historical Society, in conjunction with the Ohio Association of Historical Societies and Museums, will have the Civil War 150 Leadership Corps assist communities in preparing for the upcoming commemoration. Working with staff of the partner organization, corps members will assist in Civil War-related educational and public programming, special events, regional initiatives and basic collections care.

Participating partners in the CW150 Leadership Corps include: Wood County Historical Center in Bowling Green; Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont; Oberlin Heritage Center in Oberlin; Youngstown State University in Youngstown; Dennison Depot Railroad Museum in Dennison; Ohio Historical Center in Columbus; Piqua Public Library in Piqua; National Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati; Quaker Heritage Center in Wilmington; Athens County Convention & Visitors Bureau and Athens County Historical Society in Athens.

Building Technological Capacity
The goal of the Ohio History Tech Corps is to build capacity for history organizations to develop long-term digitization projects, the process of converting information into a digital format, such as historic photographs, newspapers, maps and even objects, to provide access to users who may never be able to visit a history organization. The program will use the infrastructure created by Ohio Memory, a collaborative digital library that includes 353 historical organizations, libraries and museums. Partner organizations include: Wood County Historical Center; Youngstown State University; Cincinnati Public Library; Ohio Historical Center; Southeast Regional Library System in Wellston; and the Garnet A. Wilson Public Library of Pike County in Waverly.

Preserving Historic Resources
The Ohio Historic Preservation Corps will be used to pursue three historic preservation projects in four Ohio communities: Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Mansfield. Five AmeriCorps members will identify and record historic buildings in the Ohio Historic Inventory, develop and implement a model neighborhood preservation program and help with capacity building, promotion and economic restructuring in conjunction with historic downtown revitalization programs and the Ohio Main Street program. Heritage Ohio, Preservation Ohio, city of Cleveland, city of Columbus and the city of Cincinnati will be participating partners in the program.

Eighteen Partners
Eighteen organizations and government entities will be partnering with the Ohio Historical Society on the Ohio History Service Corps program for the next year. Each will contribute a $1,500 match in addition to providing in-kind operational support for service members.

According to Logan, the Ohio History Service Corps program is built upon partnership and volunteerism. For Ohio’s public history community, AmeriCorps members will provide much-needed organizational and community capacity building, which will help long-term development efforts. The intention is to continue the program for an additional two years dependant on further AmeriCorps grant funding.

“Ohio History Service Corps will place a new generation of community organizers, public servants and public historians across the state to build community and infuse our work with a wonderful influx of new ideas,” Logan said. “In the future, we’ll be able to point to success stories from this program that history really does work for Ohio.”

The Ohio Historical Society is looking for members to fill the 20 full-time positions. The term of service runs from Oct. 1, 2010 to Aug. 31, 2011.  A service member will receive a stipend of $11,800, health insurance and an educational award of $5,350 that can be used for college or to pay off existing school loans. Contact 614.297.2392 or visit https://my.americorps.gov for more information and to complete the required online application.  The application deadline is Sept. 20, 2010.

About Ohio Community Service Council, Ohio Historical Society
The Ohio Community Service Council’s mission is to strengthen Ohio communities through service and volunteerism.  Established by state statue in 1994, the Council administers programs and initiatives aimed at increasing the number of Ohioans engaged in national service and volunteer activities.

Established in 1885, the Ohio Historical Society is a nonprofit organization that serves as the state’s partner in preserving and interpreting Ohio’s history, archaeology, natural history and architecture.  For more information about programs and events, call 614.297.2300/800.686.6124 or go online at www.ohiohistory.org.

Submitted by Bob Minton

On July 24th the 14th OVI/3rd Arkansas Civil War Reenactors and the Friends and Descendants of Johnson’s Island Civil War Prison (FDJI) hosted the 5th Annual ‘Great Golf Escape’ at Birch Run Golf Club in North Baltimore, OH. Proceeds from the event assist FDJI in their efforts to pay off 17.1 acres of the original Civil War Prison site at Johnson’s Island, OH. The prison, which is on Lake Erie near Sandusky, housed Confederate Officers during the Civil War.  The original mortgage of $356,000 is down to about $20,000 as of this writing!! FDJI hopes to have the mortgage paid off in time for the start of the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War cycle of events in 2011.

One of the teams wearing the Ohio Civil War 150 t-shirts.

Heavy rain moved through over night, but the weather Gods smiled on Saturday as it cleared into a pleasant, breezy day for the 19 participating teams of four, the largest outing yet! Events included a hole in one contest, putting contest, long drives, closest to the pin and more on the course. The hosts also conducted a 50-50 and raffle during lunch. An excellent lunch of steak, salads and pie greeted the hungry golfers as a thank you for their participation. The highlight of the day was a hole in one by Jeffery Konrad of North Baltimore on the Par 3, 8th hole. Sadly for Jeffery the hole in one contest was on the 13th hole!

First, second and third place teams won gift cards to local restaurants. The last place team won gift cards for Happy Meals. Each team also received a generous bag of prizes including movie tickets, gift cards, golf & sports items and the like. Bob Minton, one of the event coordinators says, “The sponsors and prize donors were very generous this year and we would like to thank them. We could not have done it without their help.”  This year’s outing profited $3,618 for FDJI,  bringing the five year total to over $16,300 raised.

Both the 14th OVI and FDJI are registered non-profit groups. For more information, visit www.14thovi-3rdark.com and www.johnsonsisland.com.

Plans are already underway for the 6th annual event in 2011. Hope to see you there!

FDJI

Learn more about Johnson’s Island: www.johnsonsisland.org/ or http://johnsonsisland.heidelberg.edu/

Ohio (Licking): Re-enactors Suit Up for Civil War Sesquicentennial

Ohio (Mentor): Re-enactors Bring Civil War to Life in Mentor

Tennessee: State’s Civil War Commemoration Praised As Model

North Carolina: Civil War and…Art?

Illinois: Lincoln Library Obtains Key Collection

Maine: Museum Recognizes 150^th Anniversary of Hamlin’s Election