CHAMPAIGN COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM
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News of the Society

Champaign County Historical Society Hosts Picnic on the Lawn

8/30/2022

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The Champaign County Historical Society hosted a Picnic on the Lawn on August 28th. Attendees enjoyed summer breezes, live music, each other's company and a Sunday afternoon lunch of chicken salad on a croissant, baked beans, cookies, iced tea and lemonade catered by In Good Taste Catering. Pictures from the event are below. Click here to see our upcoming events!
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Join Us for an Ice Cream Social on July 24

6/10/2022

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Champaign County Historical Society Ice Cream Social
Here’s the scoop – the Historical Society is holding an old fashion ice cream social on July 24 from 2-5 pm on the lawn of the Museum.  Don’t miss this opportunity to relax under the trees and enjoy your favorite ice cream concoction. A variety of flavors and toppings will be offered along with your choice of cake or pie. There is no entry fee, just pay when you order your favorite sweet!
 
To ensure a successful event, help from the membership is needed.  We need help with set up and tear down of the tables and the popup tents. Also, volunteers to serve the “sweets” and direct parking. For the bakers in the group, we invite you to donate a cake! Let’s get those mixing bowls out and stir up a “taste of heaven”!
  
We will order pies from Stephens Orchard and will accept donations of $12.00/pie if you would like to sponsor a pie.  All donations are greatly appreciated!
 
Please contact event chairman, Sandy Gonzalez (937-408-4195) with any questions and to volunteer – we need your help! This is a fundraiser for the CCHS, spread the word!
  
Celebrate National Ice Cream Month the old fashion way – visiting friends under the shade trees while enjoying an ice cold treat on a lazy summer day!   
 
 See you July 24!
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"An Artist's Memories" Presented by Michael Major at the Museum on March 6

2/23/2022

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Picture
The Champaign County Historical Society will host artist Michael Major for a presentation at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 6. His presentation will be based on a book that he is completing for his family titled An Artist’s Memories about his career of creating drawings, paintings and sculpture. He will show pictures from the book of the artwork and explain how drawing is the foundation for painting and sculpture.

Major has completed over 200 bronze sculptures including large public monuments and small limited edition castings. Those monuments include life-size and larger than life monuments of public figures such as Simon Kenton,William Tecumseh Sherman, Abraham Lincoln, George Rogers Clark, Mother Alfred Moes (founder of the Mayo Clinic) and many more.

Michael and his wife Jane moved to Urbana in the mid-seventies for Michael to serve as an artist-in-residence for the college and county schools. Their intention was to stay one year before moving back to New York where he felt he needed to be for his art career. They fell in love with the people and environment of Champaign County including Urbana’s architecture and Urbana College. After finding and purchasing an abandoned church to renovate for a home and art studio they committed to stay on here.

Major studied art at the Dayton Art Institute from the sixth grade through his senior year of high school, has a BS, Summa Cum Laude from Ohio University and an MFA from Pratt Institute, New York.

He founded Main Graphics in 1988 in part to publish books of drawings and after thirty-three years sold the company recently to Boldman Printing.

He continues to spend most of his time at his art studio at 119 Miami Street along with the Champaign County Arts Council and Architect daughter Sarah Mackert.
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Museum to Host Antique Appraisal Event

5/5/2021

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By Rob Pollock, Volunteer with the Champaign County Historical Society.
“What is it worth?”

Do you have an old object, an antique or a family heirloom that you want to know more about? We may have a solution for you.

The Champaign County Historical Museum is hosting an Antiques Appraisal Fair between 6 and 9 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19.

The event is one of two fundraisers that help support museum operations. Freshwater Farms of Ohio and the Historical Society are sponsoring this event.

Advance tickets are $20 each and available at local Urbana banks, the Chamber of Commerce and at the museum located at 809 East Lawn Ave., Urbana. Tickets may also be purchased on the evening of the event for $25 each.

For the price of admission guests will receive a verbal appraisal for one item from one of the appraisers. (Current CCHS members may have two objects appraised). In addition, there will be a complementary wine and cheese bistro hosted by Freshwater Farms of Ohio.
Greg Shipley Antique Appraiser
Greg Shipley
There will be four appraisers at the event. The first appraiser highlighted is Greg Shipley.

Shipley has been a passionate collector of early Americana and Native American artifacts for over 50 years. He is an avid amateur archaeologist and his favorite part of collecting is hunting for artifacts in the field. Shipley is looking forward to the Appraisal fair and helping you know what your prized possession is worth.

Early Americana items include relics from the Colonial era through the Federal era (1620-1820). Native American artifacts include stone and flint arrowheads and cutting implements, trade goods, tomahawks, beads and wampum.

Dan Fawcett Antique Appraiser
Dan Fawcett
The second appraiser highlighted is Dan Fawcett of Cable. Fawcett has been a collector, trader, picker and subject matter expert on antiques and collectibles for more than 40 years. He is well known to most dealers in the region and his opinion on antiques is frequently sought by the Ohio History Connection. His has a lifetime of knowledge of Logan, Clark and Champaign County artifacts. Fawcett is looking forward to the Appraisal fair and helping you know what your prized possession is worth.

The other appraisers will be featured in an upcoming article.

The Historical Museum hopes you will participate in this event and help support our operations.
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Book Signing and Barn Painting Event - Well Attended and Received

4/2/2021

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On Wednesday, March 31, artist and author Robert Kroeger came to the museum to demonstrate his barn painting technique, tell barn stories, and sign his recently published book “Historic Barns of Ohio.”

A raffle of the painting he produced at the event was won by attendee Ed Smith of Chillicothe, Ohio. 

Four previously painted pictures by the artist were displayed at the event and are being sold via a silent auction.  The auction will end at our Sunday, April 18th 2pm Program (“Myths of the Civil War” presented by Mayor Bill Bean). 

Between now and then, you may either submit your bid at the museum, or by email (champhistmus@ctcn.net).  The minimum bid is $150.  You will be notified by either phone or email should someone submit a higher bid. The four pictures being auctioned can be found below. 

Further background information on the artist and the individual paintings can be found on his website (THE BARN PROJECTS).

Feel free to call the museum for further details of the auction at 937-653-6721. 
Ohio Barn Projects by Robert Kroeger
Ohio Barn Projects by Robert Kroeger
Ohio Barn Projects by Robert Kroeger
Ohio Barn Projects by Robert Kroeger
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Shroyer to Present on Land Speed Record on March 14th

3/11/2021

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On Sunday, March 14th at 2 pm, Roger Shroyer will be giving a presentation on setting the land speed record for an electric vehicle at the Utah Salt Flats!!

Seating will be limited and masks will be required.
Roger Shroyer
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Urbana Students Sharing History of Local Educator; Feb. Event POSTPONED

10/9/2020

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This article was written by Urbana Junior High students Elaei Brown, Grady Lantz, Ethan Rose, Janaya Scott, Gavin Stacy and Michael Upchurch as part of a Project Based Learning unit called “Lost Voices,” which helps preserve and share the history of African-Americans in Urbana. The junior high’s Social Studies Department (which includes 6th-8th graders) is working with the Champaign County and Delaware historical societies to present and preserve the story of Dr. EWB Curry. The information below, as well as other information about Curry, is to be presented at the Champaign County Historical Museum in February 2021. (EVENT POSTPONED)
The students of Urbana Junior High School have selected Dr. Elmer Curry for their 2020 Project Based Learning assignment. They used primary and secondary resources to research his family history, educational background, and his different learning institutions. Dr. Curry was a pioneer in educational reform for African-Americans in the early twentieth century and many of his progressive schools were located throughout Champaign County.

Elmer Curry was born on March 23, 1871 in Delaware, Ohio. He lived in a log house on South Street with his mother Julia and his father George. His dad worked as a minister at The Second Baptist Church on Ross Street, which had a great impact on his future career in education. African-Americans that were freed from slavery were not permitted to an equal education that would have helped them to live a better life. Elmer was interested in helping solve that situation through education.

While attending Delaware City Schools at the age of 17 years old, Elmer rented a kitchen shed for 50 cents per month to start his own school for African-Americans. His school was called The Place of Knowledge for Old and Young. It was located at 19 Davis Street in Delaware, Ohio. The tuition was 25 cents per week and his first student was a 50-year-old man who was a day laborer. After attending Michael College and graduating from Ohio Wesleyan University, he went on to become the first African-American teacher at the desegregated Delaware City Schools.
Curry Normal and Industrial Institute
In this 1910 photo of Curry School, 325 E. Water St., Urbana, the “Wake Up Black America” group is shown in front. The school focused on black education, but was open to all races. The school opened in 1898 and closed in 1917.
In 1889 he moved to Urbana, Ohio and founded the Curry Normal and Industrial Institute. His school had a traditional education, which focused on reading, writing, and math. It also taught trade school skills, such as nursing, caretaking, farming, printing, and clothes making. The building still stands today and is located at 325 East Water Street.

Dr. Curry passed away June 19, 1930, in Springfield and was buried at Oakdale Cemetery in Urbana, Ohio. There were over 2,000 students who attended the various Curry Schools. Dr. Elmer Curry’s story illustrates activist African-Americans from Ohio utilizing the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments in an attempt to better the lives of African-Americans.
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John Titus to Speak at Museum on Sep. 20

9/16/2020

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John and Bev Titus
John and Bev Titus have worked for a more peaceful world since the death of their daughter Alicia on Sept. 11, 2001.
John Titus, co-founder of the Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund, will speak at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, at the Champaign County Historical Museum, 809 East Lawn Ave.

A resident of Champaign County most of his life, Titus graduated from Graham High School and Urbana University, where he worked as Dean of Students for 11 years and served on the board of trustees for 12 years.

He, along with his wife, Bev, collaborated with university personnel and community organizers to develop programs for the university and community on issues of peace, social justice and non-violent communication through the Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund, housed at the university until its closing earlier this year.

Since the death of their daughter Alicia, the Tituses have organized, presented and been a part of hundreds of events in their daughter’s name to bring about a more just and peaceful world.

The Tituses raised their family in Champaign County until their move to Michigan in 1997. After their retirement in 2009, they returned to Champaign County and now divide their time with their home in Michigan on Half Moon Lake.

Titus’s career began in the mental health field, working as a youth counselor before moving to the field of higher education.

While working for Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan, tragedy struck. On Sept. 11, 2001, their oldest daughter, Alicia, was murdered while working on United Flight 175 by terrorists who hijacked her plane. In his book, “Losing Alicia: A Father’s Journey After 9/11,” he describes intimate details of this tragedy, their grief journey that followed and their decision to fight for peace rather than war, and justice for those involved rather than more killing.

Shortly after 9/11, after speaking publicly against “civilian casualties” resulting from war, the Tituses joined September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, an organization of 9/11 family members. Titus served on the steering committee for this organization for several years.

His presentation at the Historical Museum will include these issues and his decision to promote peace and justice over war and destruction.

Space will be limited for this free program due to social distancing. Masks are required.
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Program on Lt. Gen. Robert L. Eichelberger to be Presented on Aug. 30

8/21/2020

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Urbana native Gen. Robert Eichelberger
This photo of Gen. Robert Eichelberger and Sgt. Russell Arnold was taken at Yokohama, Japan, in June 1947.
On Aug. 30, 1945, Urbana native Lt. Gen. Robert L. Eichelberger and a detachment of 11th Airborne Division troops were the first Americans to step foot on mainland Japan following the Japanese surrender on Aug. 15, 1945.

To commemorate this event, exactly 75 years later to the day, on Aug. 30, 2020, at 2 p.m., Ward Lutz, Champaign County Historical Society volunteer and author of the Daily Citizen feature “Then and Now,” will present a program at the Champaign County Historical Society Museum on the remarkable background and achievements of Gen. Eichelberger during this period.

Champaign County native Russell Arnold, Staff Sergeant, who was stationed in Japan at this time, interacted with Gen. Eichelberger on multiple occasions. Arnold still lives in Champaign County and will be on hand during the presentation to elaborate on these interactions with the general as well as answer questions on what it was like to be in Japan during this transformative time in history.

Due to social distancing requirements, capacity for this program will be limited to 30 attendees. Because the event is expected to be well attended, current Champaign County Historical Society members will be given seating priority; specifically, no non-member will be seated until 15 minutes before the start of the program if it appears capacity will be reached by members.

Persons attending together may sit side-by-side while single attendees will be seated six feet apart. A temperature check will be performed at the door. Masks will be required.

The Champaign County Historical Museum, a not-for-profit organization that depends upon donations and dues to preserve, protect, archive and display the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The free public museum, 809 East Lawn Ave., Urbana, is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays.
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Champaign County Historical Museum Receives Urbana University Artifacts

7/11/2020

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Urbana University artifacts
Cheryl Ogden, curator of the Champaign County Historical Museum, holds the deed providing land for Urbana University while standing amid dozens of boxes containing historic UU documents and artifacts. Christopher Selmek | Urbana Daily Citizen
By Kathy Fox - kfox@aimmediamidwest.com
Article originally appeared in the July 10th Urbana Daily Citizen.

A kind of treasure hunt is occurring at the Champaign County Historical Museum, with Director Cheryl Ogden, Curator Dick Virts and volunteers delving into more that 125 boxes of old yearbooks, catalogs and documents from the now closed Urbana University.

“We were contacted about a month-and-a-half ago asking if we would be interested,” Ogden said of Franklin University’s offer.

“We pretty much told them we will take everything they’re willing to give us,” she said.

The boxes arrived by truck on Wednesday and there are over 50 more boxes at UU for Ogden and Virts to explore. Ogden said she hopes that will be completed by the end of next week.


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