Ohio Association of Historical Societies & Museums
Presents Annual History Honors
Eighteen Individuals, Organizations
From Around the State
Recognized

The Ohio Association of Historical Societies & Museums (OAHSM) presented its 2009 Outstanding Achievement Awards Oct. 3 at the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus. Eighteen recipients were honored with awards in two categories: Individual Achievement and History Outreach.

Individual Achievement Awards
OAHSM's Individual Achievement Awards recognize local historians who've made significant contributions to understanding and appreciation of state or local history. This year's recipients are:

• Henry Burke of Belpre Historical Society, for his contributions to understanding of the Underground Railroad in the Mid-Ohio Valley. Over 35 years, Burke has researched and written four books and hundreds of articles, done presentations, created a web site and raised funds to install markers and an exhibit.
• Ruth Wright Clinefelter of Summit County Historical Society, retired University of Akron professor and librarian, honored for a half-century of service to local history projects and organizations including Progress Through Preservation, Cascade Locks Park Association and the Akron Women's History Program.
• Geoffrey G. Gorsuch of Franklin Area Historical Society, for furthering knowledge of Franklin's history through driving and walking tour publications, a guide to Franklin's historic cemeteries, a five-volume history of Franklin Township in the Civil War and a two-volume history of his home, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Dr. Ned Lodwick, vice president of the U.S. Grant Homestead Association, Georgetown, who has researched and written about Brown County's mid-19th century history and has worked tirelessly to promote the "Land of Grant" sites: Grant Boyhood Home and Schoolhouse in Georgetown and Grant's Birthplace in Point Pleasant.

History Outreach Awards
OAHSM also recognizes organizations for outstanding projects, including public programs, exhibits, media and publications that contribute to awareness and understanding of local and state history. This year's recipients are:

• Akron-Summit County Public Library for the Summit County Memory Project web site that brings together local history collections from 15 sources.
• Auglaize County Historical Society, Wapakoneta, for Wapakoneta's 175th Anniversary celebration.
• The Betts House, Cincinnati, for the exhibit and lecture series Great Cincinnati Families at Home.
• Chester-Shade Historical Association, Chester, along with the Daughters of America, for working to stabilize and rehabilitate the 1840 Chester Academy building by donating more than 3,600 volunteer hours and raising more than $417,000.
• Evendale Historical Commission with Gorman Heritage Farm for "Gen. John Hunt Morgan Returns to Evendale," comprising a Civil War battle reenactment and other interpretative programs.
• Monclova Historical Foundation for saving the old Monclova Post Office by reconstructing it in a new location.
• North Canton Heritage Society for linking senior citizens who'd worked at North Canton's now-closed Hoover Company factory with high-school juniors who taped oral-history interviews. Using the interviews, students wrote biographies of the former employees. The interviews and bios are now archived at North Canton Heritage Society, where they're available to researchers.
• Oberlin Heritage Center for the "Rescue, Restore, Reuse" project in which volunteers salvaged and refurbished railings from the 1880-era Morgan Street Bridge to serve as an ornamental fence on the grounds of the center.
• Pioneer & Historical Society of Muskingum County for activities celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Stone Academy building in Zanesville's Putnam Historic District.
• Sandusky Library/Follett House Museum for its brown bag lunch series featuring local-history topics, offered monthly since 2006.
• Shelby County Historical Society for its Civil War Day school program that helps eighth-graders prepare for state-mandated proficiency tests through hands-on learning experiences with Civil War re-enactors.
• Warren County Historical Society for its 2009 calendar highlighting people, places and events of local historical importance.
• Wood County Historical Center & Museum for "Terrific Teens," an oral history project, documentary and exhibit on teenage life in Wood County from the 1930s to 1970s, involving 40 Bowling Green High School sophomores, Owens Community College and Wood County Historical Center & Museum.

The Ohio Association of Historical Societies & Museums, organized in 1960 under sponsorship of the Ohio Historical Society, is composed of local historical societies, historic preservation groups, history museums, archives, libraries and genealogical societies throughout the state involved in collecting, preserving and interpreting Ohio's history. To learn more about OAHSM, call the Ohio Historical Society's Local History Office at 800.858.6878.