Ohio History Connection, formerly The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society and Ohio Historical Society, is a

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

incorporated in 1885. Headquartered at the

Ohio History Center The Ohio History Center is a history museum and research center in Columbus, Ohio. It is the primary museum for Ohio's history, and is the headquarters, offices, and library of the Ohio History Connection. The building also houses Ohio's state ar ...

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...

, Ohio History Connection provides services to both preserve and share Ohio's history, including its

prehistory Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use ...

, and manages over 50 museums and sites across the state. An early iteration of the organization was founded by

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed t ...

Roeliff Brinkerhoff Roeliff Brinkerhoff (June 28, 1828 – June 4, 1911) was a lawyer, editor and owner of the ''Mansfield Herald'', and later a bank president. He was a quartermaster and supply officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, rising to ...

in 1875. Over its history, the organization changed its name twice, with the first occurring in 1954 when the name was shortened to Ohio Historical Society. In 2014, it was changed again to Ohio History Connection, in what members believed was a more modern and welcoming representation of the organization's image.

History

Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society

In its early history, Ohioans made several attempts to establish a formal historical society. On February 1, 1822, the

Ohio General Assembly The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate. Both houses of the General Assembly meet at the Ohio Statehouse in Columb ...

passed legislation creating the Historical Society of Ohio. Well-known Ohio political leaders at the time,

Jeremiah Morrow Jeremiah Morrow (October 6, 1771March 22, 1852) was a Democratic-Republican Party politician from Ohio. He served as the ninth governor of Ohio, and was the last Democratic-Republican to hold that office. He also served as a United States Senato ...

and

Duncan McArthur Duncan McArthur (1772April 29, 1839) was a military officer and a Federalist and National Republican politician from Ohio. He served as the 11th governor of Ohio. When first elected to state office as a representative, he was serving in the s ...

, were members. The society's formation was brief, however, as it held only one meeting. The state legislature made another attempt in 1831, when it authorized

Benjamin Tappan Benjamin Tappan (May 25, 1773 – April 20, 1857) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Ohio and a United States senator from Ohio. Education and career Born on May 25, 1773, in Northampto ...

to form its replacement. He established the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio, which met regularly in

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

. Participation declined sharply following the

Panic of 1837 The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis in the United States that touched off a major depression, which lasted until the mid-1840s. Profits, prices, and wages went down, westward expansion was stalled, unemployment went up, and pessimism abound ...

, and the organization decided to move to Cincinnati in 1848 in hopes that the city's larger population would help revive interest. The decision led to a period of prosperity for the organization, and it worked closely with the Cincinnati Historical Society for many years. In 1875, a new organization called the Archaeological Society was founded in the home of

Mansfield, Ohio Mansfield is a city in and the county seat of Richland County, Ohio, United States. Located midway between Columbus and Cleveland via Interstate 71, it is part of Northeast Ohio region in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau. The c ...

. The Ohio state legislature had procured $2,500 in funds, at the request of General Brinkerhoff, to finance the creation of an exhibit for the upcoming Centennial International Exhibition of 1876 in Philadelphia. The society was active until 1883 when its secretary, Professor John T. Short of the

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best pu ...

, died. It was revived two years later at the request of Governor

George Hoadly George Hoadly (July 31, 1826August 26, 1902) was a Democratic politician. He served as the 36th governor of Ohio. Biography Hoadly was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on July 31, 1826. As the son of George Hoadley and Mary Ann Woolsey Hoadley ...

, who organized two meetings in the state's capital with scholars and professors from around the state. Sixty men attended the second meeting which had sessions spanning two days. On March 13, 1885, the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society was officially incorporated.

Allen G. Thurman Allen Granberry Thurman (November 13, 1813 – December 12, 1895), sometimes erroneously spelled Allan Granberry Thurman, was a Democratic U.S. representative, Ohio Supreme Court justice, and Senator from Ohio. He was the Democratic Par ...

was elected its first president. The state government began appropriating funds to assist the private organization in 1888. This led to a closer partnership with the state, in which the government was permitted to appoint six of the fifteen members serving in the board of trustees. It also led to the organization being granted oversight responsibilities for historical sites across Ohio, beginning with Fort Ancient State Memorial in 1891. The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society was originally headquartered at the

Ohio Statehouse The Ohio Statehouse is the state capitol building and seat of government for the U.S. state of Ohio. The Greek Revival building is located on Capitol Square in Downtown Columbus. The capitol houses the Ohio General Assembly, consisting of the H ...

but later moved to Ohio State University's Orton Hall in 1894. On May 30, 1914, the organization dedicated the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society Building, a large museum building by Orton Hall. The society stayed at the building until 1970, when the facility became part of OSU and was renamed Sullivant Hall. In 1954, the organization's name was shortened to Ohio Historical Society. It was changed again to the Ohio History Connection in 2014, after research suggested that "society" carried a negative connotation. The organization's image as a whole was perceived as "exclusive, inaccessible and antiquated", and the rebranding was an attempt to better reflect the organization's mission from a modern perspective and appeal more inviting to the state's citizens. The change was also part of a national trend that saw historical societies across the United States drop "society" from their title. The organization began reaching out to federally recognized tribal nations in 2009, in an effort to incorporate Native American perspectives. the Ohio History Connection manages 58 museums and historical sites across Ohio, spanning 40 of the state's 88 counties. This includes approximately 1.6 million artifacts, of stored records, and 250,000 images. Also from 2010 to 2014, membership of the nonprofit organization increased more than 20 percent to a total of 7,563.

Ohio History Center

The Ohio History Connection operates dozens of state historic sites across Ohio. Its headquarters is the 250,000-square-foot (23,000 m²) Ohio History Center in

, a

Brutalist Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the ...

concrete structure. Extensive exhibits cover Ohio's history from the

Ice Age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...

to the present. The Center includes state archives and library spaces, a gift shop, and administrative and educational facilities. The 1989 '' Smithsonian Guide to Historic America'' described the center as "probably the finest museum in America devoted to pre-European history." The society's first permanent home was in Sullivant Hall on the

campus. The society operated a museum and library there. Later, the archives moved to the Old Governor's Mansion on Broad Street. In 1965, voters approved a bond for a new structure to be built. W. Byron Ireland designed a Brutalist building with post-tensioned concrete structures, allowing for a

cantilever A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cant ...

ed design. The building remains mostly as built, including its exterior use of silo tiles made in Ohio.

Ohio Village

Ohio Village Ohio Village is a living history museum in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It is operated by the non-profit Ohio History Connection. The village, intended to provide a firsthand view of life in Ohio during the American Civil War, opened July 27, 1 ...

, a reconstructed 1890s-era town, is a

living museum A living museum, also known as a living history museum, is a type of museum which recreates historical settings to simulate a past time period, providing visitors with an experiential interpretation of history. It is a type of museum that recre ...

area of the Ohio History Center campus. In 2002, budget cuts forced the Ohio Village to close except for special events, school and tour groups. In the summer of 2012, it reopened to the public, relying on volunteers instead of paid staffing, who purchase their own costumes and dedicate at least 16 hours of work per season. The Ohio Village attempts to "animate history" in the sense of taking what is perceived as one-dimensional and converting it into three dimensions, with the volunteers portraying characters that represent people who truly existed during the mid-to-late 19th century. It is open to the public from

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...

weekend through

Labor Day Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United ...

weekend and for special events such as All Hallows Eve and Dickens of a Christmas. The village houses home games for the Ohio Village Muffins, a

vintage base ball Vintage base ball is baseball presented as if being played by rules and customs from an earlier period in the sport's history. Games are typically played using rules and uniforms from the 19th century. Vintage base ball is not only a competiti ...

club formed in 1981 that competes each year against other vintage teams from Ohio and around the country. The team's name is derived from the phrase ''muff'', a term often used during the era to refer to an "error". A team's third string was typically labeled the "muffin nine". The Ohio Village Muffins promote the preservation of the game as it was played in 1860, using underhanded pitching, foregoing the use of gloves, and wearing uniforms that match the time period. Ohio Village also hosts a women's team called The Diamonds. A league for women, as teams formed at colleges across the country, began in 1866.

Ohio History Connection resources

The Ohio History Connection also provides educators with resources for the state's schools. Field trips, outreach programs, and educational kit trunks are available to assist teachers with supplemental learning in their classrooms. Also offered are distance learning courses. Affiliated with the Ohio History Connection is the Ohio Educational Resources Center, which loans materials to assist teachers with their lessons. The society also provides public programs that include speakers, theatrical productions, conferences, workshops, holiday gatherings, and presentations. The topics of these programs range from the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...

to the role of the state in other historical events. The Ohio History Connection publishes ''Ohio History Central'', an extensive online encyclopedia of Ohio history. ''Ohio History Central'' consists of over 3,000 entries about Ohio's natural history, prehistory, and history. The entries are complemented by nearly 2,000 images. The site is fully searchable, and users may browse entries by category, topic, media, time period, or geographic region within the state. Special features include image galleries, Ohio Quick Facts, Ohio Across Time (a timeline of events that occurred in Ohio or that impacted Ohio's history), and Useful Links (to Ohio History Connection websites; Ohio county and local history websites; and other state, municipal, and regional encyclopedias). Registered users can also create personal scrapbooks using any of the encyclopedia's entries and images. The Ohio History Connection maintains an online archive of ''

Ohio History ''Ohio History'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering the history of Ohio and the Midwest. The journal was established in 1887 and published by the Ohio Historical Society. Since 2007 it is published annually by the Kent State University ...

'', a peer reviewed scholarly journal first published by the society in 1887, and since 2007 by the Kent State University Press.Online archive of past volumes of Ohio History
/ref>

Sites by region

The Ohio History Connection operates a statewide network of historical, archaeological and natural history sites. Admission is free for members. In some cases, the Ohio History Connection has contracted with other organizations for management (viz.

Serpent Mound The Great Serpent Mound is a 1,348-foot-long (411 m), three-foot-high prehistoric effigy mound located in Peebles, Ohio. The mound itself resides on the Serpent Mound crater plateau, running along the Ohio Brush Creek in Adams County, Ohio. ...

)

Northeast

* Custer Memorial, New Rumley *

Fort Laurens Fort Laurens was an American Revolutionary War fort on a northern tributary of the Muskingum River in what would become Northeast Ohio, United States. The fort's location is in the present-day town of Bolivar, Ohio, along the Ohio and Erie Ca ...

, Bolivar * McCook House, Carrollton * Museum of Ceramics,

East Liverpool East Liverpool is a city in southeastern Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. The population was 9,958 at the 2020 census. It lies along the Ohio River within the Upper Ohio Valley and borders Pennsylvania to the east and West Virginia to th ...

Quaker Meeting House A Friends meeting house is a meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), where meeting for worship is usually held. Typically, Friends meeting houses are simple and resemble local residential buildings. Steeples, spires, and ...

, Mount Pleasant * Schoenbrunn Village, New Philadelphia * Shaker Historical Museum,

Shaker Heights Shaker or Shakers may refer to: Religious groups * Shakers, a historically significant Christian sect * Indian Shakers, a smaller Christian denomination Objects and instruments * Shaker (musical instrument), an indirect struck idiophone * Coc ...

* Tallmadge Church, Tallmadge * Youngstown Historical Center,

Youngstown Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County. At the 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area, whi ...

* Zoar Village,

Zoar Zoar may refer to: * Zoara, a city mentioned in Genesis as part of the Biblical Pentapolis Places ;Canada * Zoar, Newfoundland and Labrador ;England * Zoar, Cornwall ;South Africa * Zoar, Western Cape ;United States * Zoar, Delaware * Zoar, Ind ...

Northwest

* Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum, Wapakoneta * Cedar Bog, Urbana * Cooke House, Sandusky * Fallen Timbers,

Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, O ...

Fort Amanda A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of t ...

Fort Meigs Fort Meigs was a United States fortification along the Maumee River in what is now Perrysburg, Ohio during the War of 1812. The British Army, supported by Tecumseh's Confederacy, failed to capture the fort during the siege of Fort Meigs. It is n ...

, Perrysburg *

Fort Recovery Fort Recovery was a United States Army fort ordered built by General "Mad" Anthony Wayne during what is now termed the Northwest Indian War. Constructed from late 1793 and completed in March 1794, the fort was built along the Wabash River, withi ...

* Glacial Grooves State Memorial, Kelleys Island * Hayes Presidential Center,

Fremont Fremont may refer to: Places In the United States: *Fremont, California - largest city with the name **Fremont station **Fremont station (BART) ** Fremont Central Park *Fremont, Yolo County, California * Fremont, Illinois *Fremont Center, Illin ...

* Indian Mill Museum,

Upper Sandusky Upper Sandusky is a city and the county seat of Wyandot County, Ohio, United States, along the upper Sandusky River, which flows north to Sandusky Bay and Lake Erie. The city is approximately 59 mi (96 km) south of Toledo and 62 ...

* Inscription Rock, Kelleys Island *

Lockington Locks The Lockington Locks are a group of canal locks on the former Miami and Erie Canal in Lockington, Ohio, United States. Built beginning in 1833, the locks opened for regular use in 1845. The system consists of seven locks: six together at one en ...

* Piqua Historical Area

Central

Flint Ridge State Memorial Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries and Nature Preserve is a Native American flint quarry located in Hopewell Township, Licking County, Ohio, about three miles north of Brownsville at the intersection of Brownsville Road and Flint Ridge Road. Old q ...

Hanby House Benjamin Russell Hanby (July 22, 1833 – March 16, 1867), also given as Benjamin Russel Hanby, was an American composer, educator, pastor, and abolitionist who wrote approximately 80 songs. The most famous are "Darling Nelly Gray" and the Chr ...

Harding Home The Harding Home is a historic house museum at 380 Mount Vernon Avenue in Marion, Ohio. It was the residence of Warren G. Harding, twenty-ninth president of the United States. Harding and his future wife, Florence, designed the Queen Anne ...

Harding Tomb The Harding Tomb is the burial location of the 29th President of the United States, Warren G. Harding and First Lady Florence Kling Harding. It is located in Marion, Ohio. Also known as the Harding Memorial, it was the last of the elaborate pr ...

Logan Elm The Logan Elm that stood near Circleville in Pickaway County, Ohio, was one of the largest American elm trees (''Ulmus americana'') recorded. The tree had a trunk circumference of and a crown spread of . Weakened by Dutch elm disease, the ...

* Newark Earthworks: Great Circle Earthworks * Newark Earthworks: Octagon Earthworks * Newark Earthworks: Wright Earthworks *

* Shrum Mound * Wahkeena Preserve

Southwest

Adena Mansion The Adena Mansion is a historic house museum in Chillicothe, Ohio. It was built for Thomas Worthington by Benjamin Latrobe, and was completed in 1807. The house is located on a hilltop west of downtown Chillicothe. The property surrounding th ...

* Davis Memorial *

Dunbar House Dunbar () is a town on the North Sea coast in East Lothian in the south-east of Scotland, approximately east of Edinburgh and from the English border north of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Dunbar is a former royal burgh, and gave its name to an eccl ...

Fort Ancient Fort Ancient is a name for a Native American culture that flourished from Ca. 1000-1750 CE and predominantly inhabited land near the Ohio River valley in the areas of modern-day southern Ohio, northern Kentucky, southeastern Indiana and western ...

* Fort Jefferson * Fort Hill State Memorial *

Grant Birthplace The Grant Birthplace in Point Pleasant, Monroe Township, Ohio was the birthplace of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, who was born there in 1822. The home was built in 1817, and in 1821 Jesse Root Grant wed Hannah Simpson Grant (Ulysses's paren ...

Grant Boyhood Home The Grant Boyhood Home is a historic house museum at 219 East Grant Avenue in Georgetown, Ohio. Built in 1823, it was where United States President and American Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant (1822–85) lived from 1823 until 1839, when he l ...

* Grant Schoolhouse * Harrison Tomb * Miamisburg Mound * National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center * Rankin House *

* Story Mound *

Stowe House Stowe House is a grade I listed country house in Stowe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is the home of Stowe School, an independent school and is owned by the Stowe House Preservation Trust who have to date (March 2013) spent more than £25m on t ...

Southeast

* Big Bottom, Stockport * Buckeye Furnace, Wellston *

Buffington Island Buffington Island is an island in the Ohio River in Jackson County, West Virginia near the town of Ravenswood, United States, east of Racine, Ohio. During the American Civil War, the Battle of Buffington Island took place on July 19, 1863, just s ...

Campus Martius The Campus Martius (Latin for the "Field of Mars", Italian ''Campo Marzio'') was a publicly owned area of ancient Rome about in extent. In the Middle Ages, it was the most populous area of Rome. The IV rione of Rome, Campo Marzio, which cov ...

, Marietta * Leo Petroglyph *

McCook Monument McCook may refer to: People *McCook (surname) Places ;United States *McCook, Illinois *McCook, Nebraska *McCook, Texas *McCook County, South Dakota *McCook Field, Ohio *McCook (Amtrak station), Nebraska *McCook Army Airfield, Nebraska *McCook Regi ...

* National Road/Zane Grey Museum, New Concord *

Ohio River Museum The Ohio River Museum is a museum that interprets the history of the Ohio River. The museum is situated on the Muskingum River, near its confluence with the Ohio River, in Marietta, Ohio. Opened on March 16, 1941, the museum celebrated its 75th a ...

, Marietta *

Our House Our House may refer to: Film and television * ''Our House'' (2003 film) or ''Duplex'', an American film by Danny DeVito * ''Our House'' (2006 film), a television movie starring Doris Roberts * ''Our House'' (2018 film), an American-Canadian-Ge ...

References

External links

* *
Ohio Historical Marker Program

Ohio History Central: An Online Encyclopedia of Ohio History
{{authority control Organizations established in 1885 1885 establishments in Ohio History of Ohio State historical societies of the United States History of Columbus, Ohio Museum organizations Historical societies in Ohio Museums in Columbus, Ohio