Champaign County Historical Society News - CHAMPAIGN COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM

Avoiding Scams Program Nov. 13

10/21/2022

On Sunday November 13, 2022 at 2 p.m. at the Champaign County Historical Society, Sergeant Todd Pratt and Sgt. Shawn Schmidt will be speaking with those in attendance about current Scams and how to avoid them and how to spot a scam. These scams are commonly started via phone and email and include Charity Fraud, Online Dating Scams, Identity Theft, IRS imposter Scams, "You Won" scams, Work from Home Scams, etc.

CCHS Set to Host 50th Annual OktoberFest on Sunday, Oct. 2

9/26/2022

2022 OktoberFest
WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 2, 10am-4pm
WHERE: Champaign County Historical Society Museum (809 E. Lawn Ave. Urbana, Ohio)

Admission is $3.00 per person, cash only at the gates.

Celebrating our 50th Year, this Oktoberfest promises a day of fun for the entire family! The museum will be open to explore, and the grounds will be full of crafters and artists selling hand thrown pottery, candles, wreaths, holiday décor, pumpkins, woodcrafts, scented oils, bath bombs, handcrafted soaps made with natural and organic oils, handmade quilts, jewelry, and lots more! There will be games for the children and decorated pumpkins to buy!

Returning is Schmidt’s Restaurant from German Village, Columbus. They will offer Bahama Mammas, knockwurst, German bologna, German potato salad, kraut, sweet red cabbage, pork or chicken brats, and their famous jumbo cream puffs! If you have not had one, you do not know what you are missing! Heavenly!

Returning, also, is Poppy’s Smokehouse Food Truck with their bbq ribs and pulled pork and pulled chicken. Layla’s Sweet Treats will once again offer premium hand-dipped ice cream in cups, waffle cones, milkshakes, and sundaes!!

Joining us this year is The Fat Straw Co., offering Tiger, Taro, Peach, Dragon Fruit and Tropical milk teas, chai, lemonade, and strawberry matcha.

Joining us, also, is Carter’s Chimney Cakes Food truck. A chimney cake is a traditional Hungarian dessert or Eastern European Street food. It is simply a sweet dough wrapped around a spit cooked over a rotisserie grill, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Delicious toppings are then added such as Oreos, cinnamon sugar, coconut, and sprinkles. When stood up straight, the hot steam comes out from the top of the cake looking like a chimney. They can be made traditional cake style or as a cone filled with goodness. This is a traditional Oktoberfest food and one we are excited to offer our guests!

A local favorite, Farmer’s Daughter will be offering their homemade specials and various vendors will be offering cookies, French macarons, breads, kettle corn, and other delights!

No Oktoberfest is complete without beer – and we will have a beer trailer offering a variety of your favorites!

Delicious food, live entertainment, and an admission price of only $3.00 – what could be better? Mark your calendar and don’t miss this day of fun for the whole family!

Oktoberfest is the largest fundraiser for the Historical Society.

Champaign County Historical Society Hosts Picnic on the Lawn

8/30/2022

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!

Dining at MIXX165 Fundraiser

8/26/2022

In response to our request for support of our Capital Campaign, Brad Winner of MIXX165 Restaurant in Mechanicsburg has offered to donate 15% of his sales of Oct. 18, 2022 to our expansion program.

Mark your calendar and enjoy a dining experience at MIXX165. The restaurant is located at 165 W. Sandusky St., Mechanicsburg and has indoor or outside dining options. Hours are 11 am - 9 pm and take out sales, alcohol and non alcoholic beverages are included in the promotion. Tips and Gift card sales are not included.

The menu includes an assortment of appetizers, wonderful burgers, tasty sandwiches and healthy crisp salads. Entrees include steak, chicken, seafood, pork, and pasta served with your choice of sides. For an added treat, top off your meal with the daily dessert, creme brulee or a hot fudge sundae with Hemisphere coffee!

Whether you want a quick lunch, an afternoon milkshake,a relaxing dinner or just a glass of wine at the end of the day, all purchases will benefit the expansion of the Champaign County Historical Museum.

We need your support and "dining out" is always fun- see you Oct. 18 at MIXX165!

Presentation on April Star by Ward Lutz on August 14th

8/11/2022

William C. Hunter (“Chomp”) to Make Presentation

8/11/2022

On August 21st at 2 p.m. The Champaign County Historical Society will present William C. Hunter (better known as “Chomp”), a lifelong resident of Mechanicsburg, in an impromptu session as he tells stories about his unique life, work, and travels.
Chomp, 82, had the privilege of serving as an aide, driver, and ranch manager for another county son, William B. Saxbe, during his tenure as U.S. Senator from Ohio, U.S. Attorney General, and Ambassador to India from 1968 – 1976.
During his time with Saxbe, and later, on his own, Chomp traveled around the globe three times. Not knowing a stranger, his greatest joy was consistently wandering “off the beaten path” to
meet local residents. This was rewarding for him

in every country, but especially India, where he felt most comfortable with the people. Once, when walking the streets of China (town not remembered), Chomp ran into someone from the US, whom he knew, which was not surprising to his friends.
Chomp has visited, lived in and/or worked in each of the fifty, US states. His time in Wyoming, as a ranch hand, was especially fun and memorable.
Chomp retired, following 27 years as a field agent for Larimer and Larimer, Attorneys at Law, Columbus, OH, where he continued his travels and found the Appalachian residents especially interesting.
Chomp relays his storytelling with humor and grit and has been known to embellish a few of the stories “here and there.” Please join us August 21 @ 2 p.m., at the Champaign County Historical Society, 809 E. Lawn Ave., Urbana, as Chomp, his friends, and family relive his amazing life.

Join Us for an Ice Cream Social on July 24

6/10/2022

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!

Paul Kari to Make Presentation

6/1/2022

On June 12, 2022 at 2 p.m. Paul Kari will be presenting a program on his time in the military including the time he spent in the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam Conflict. The program will be at the Champaign County Historical Society (CCHS), 809 E. Lawn Ave., Urbana.
Paul Anthony Kari born on November 25, 1935, in Akron, Ohio. He graduated from Ohio State University in 1958. He entered pilot training at Bainbridge, GA., and was first in his class at all four training bases. He was initially assigned to fly the F-100 at Ramstein AB, Germany. While there, he was selected to represent the United States in the first NATO Gunnery meet individually winning the “TOP GUN” trophy for the USA.
In 1964, he flew the F-4C out of MacDill AFB, FL. He qualified expert in all phases f conventional and nuclear delivery in just two missions. He entered the Vietnam conflict on April 4, 1965 and was the first USAF F-4 to fly in combat. On his 69th mission, June 20, 1965, he was shot down

bombing the Headquarters Western Vietnam Military Training area at Son La. He became the twelfth P.O.W. captured.
Decoration includes two Silver Stars, Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars, one with a “V” for Valor, two Purple Hearts, DFC, 13 Air Medals, and others. After a seven-year eight-month stint in the Hanoi Hilton, he was released February 12, 1973. After 1 ½ years on the Air Force Academy faculty, he retired 1111 hours, November 11, 1974. Next, he worked for the FAA in Washington D.C., Denver, and Seattle. In 1982, he entered the agri-business as an owner of a cattle ranch. Then moved to the Great Plains as a wheat producer. His current career is as a corn and soybean producer in southwestern Ohio.

"An Artist's Memories" Presented by Michael Major at the Museum on March 6

2/23/2022

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.

Local Jazz History Program on Feb. 6

1/29/2022