Medina County Historical Society Base Page

News

The Medina County Historical Society will host an author luncheon on Saturday, June 15 at the Medina Country Club, 5588 Wedgewood Rd., Medina, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Dan Ruminski, noted historian and storyteller, will talk about "The Great Estates of Wickliffe," including the story of Captain James Corrigan, Cleveland industrialist and uncle of Medina County's own Letha E. House. Mr. Ruminski will have copies of his book "Cleveland in The Gilded Age - A Stroll Down Millionaires' Row" for sale. The cost of the lunch and program is $25. Make reservations by calling 330-722-1386 or send a check made out to the Medina County Historical Society, PO Box 306, Medina, Ohio 44258. Please include the number and names of the persons in your party. No tickets will be issued. The deadline for reservations is June 10th.

Brochure

The Medina County Historical Society recently received a very generous gift of $500 from the Medina Eagles. The donation was specifically for the purchase of archival materials. Tom Hilberg and Joann King assembled the order of photograph envelopes, archival boxes, acid free tissue paper, and marking tape - all essential items for the proper storage of our photograph, book, and clothing collection. The Historical Society is very grateful to Tom Wolff and the Eagles organization for their generous gift.

According to the research on Ferdinand Brader, there are seven documented Brader drawings from Medina County in the years 1888-1889. All of the known drawings are of Wadsworth farms, and most of these are in private collections. If anyone has any information on Brader, his work, and Medina County examples, please contact the Medina County Historical Society (mchs@zoominternet.net) or Kathleen Wieschaus-Voss.

MUSEUM SEARCH FOR PENCIL DRAWINGS By FERDINAND A. BRADER

The Canton (Ohio) Museum of Art has announced plans to create an exhibition and a publication dedicated to the historic drawings of the late 19th century folk artist Ferdinand Brader (Swiss, 1833-1901). The opening date has been set for December 4, 2014, and the exhibit will extend through March 15, 2015. Kathleen Wieschaus-Voss has been named Guest Curator for the project, sharing her scholarly research into Brader's life and work.

Exhibition plans include tracing the artist's path through Pennsylvania and Ohio and thereby document the artistic path of Ferdinand Brader as he traveled through the countryside, adding significant depth to our understanding of American family heritage. When published, the illustrated book on Brader's life and work will become an important new addition to Ohio and Pennsylvania history and a significant contribution to the field of American Folk Art.

To further this end, Kathleen Wieschaus-Voss is requesting knowledge of more Ferdinand Brader drawings. You may reach Kathleen at 330-456-6600 or kwieschaus@aol.com.

Read about preparations for the exhibit, about research results into Brader's life and mysterious disappearance, and about the discovery of additional drawings at www.braderexhibit.com.

Commissioner Pat Geissman visited the Board of Trustees at its May 1st meeting and presented the Medina County Historical Society with a check for $3,500. Mrs. Geissman selected the Historical Society as her charity of choice to receive a portion of the receipts from the annual Commissioners' Ball. The Historical Society is grateful for this generous gift and will use it on needed capital improvements to the John Smart House.

A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS - Raffle winners

The winner of the trip to Gettysburg is Mindy Shy. She will have two complimentary nights at the Gettysburg Marriott Courtyard, two free admissions to the Gettysburg Visitor's Center, and a free personal tour of the battlefield from the comfort of their car. We thank all who participated in this fundraiser for the Medina County Historical Society.

Suzanne Zacharias was the winner of the Civil War Feast. She opted to give the gift back to the Historical Society as a donation. Again, we thank all of you who took part in our Civil War Feast raffle. The two raffles were a great success and a tremendous help to the Historical Society.

Civil War Actors Credits
The Medina County Historical Society closed out its final Civil War Christmas open house on Sunday, December 9th. The entire event was a huge success and a lot of fun. On Sunday, there was a Confederate in the library! Chip Howard, a former Medina High School history teacher displayed and explained the progression of firearms during the course of the war in his Confederate uniform. Lorenzo Vanderhoef, a wounded soldier from Homerville, was in the master bedroom telling the folks of his experiences on the Antietam battlefield. And a Civil War Santa, as portrayed by Thomas Nast in his famous 1864 Harper's illustration, brought cheer to the front parlor. George Rees once again, stood by his impressive display of Antietam relics and artifacts and passed on his extensive knowledge of that battle and other Civil War events.

We thank all who participated in this great event, and wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We look forward to putting together a similar Civil War Christmas next year with new added attractions. Mark your calendar!

HISTORIC HOMES COMMITTEE

Do you live in Medina County in a house that is at least 100 years old? Is your house in fairly original condition (no vinyl or aluminum siding, original window openings, at least 60% original, excluding later additions)? The Historic Homes Committee is accepting applications for historic homes plaques. If you do not know the history of your home, members of the committee will assist you in researching and dating your home. The committee will review the application and visit your home. If approved, you will receive a bronze plaque designating your home as a Medina County historic home with the date of construction. The plaque is at the homeowners expense. For further information or to acquire an application form, call 330-722-1341.

SCHEDULED TOURS

Scheduled tours of the John Smart House are available by calling 330-722-1341. We welcome school groups, organizations, tour bus groups, scouts, or any group that is interested in seeing the house. The following is a fee schedule for tours:

Club meeting held at the museum with a guided tour $ 25.00
1/2 day meeting with tour $ 50.00
Meeting, tour and use of kitchen facilities $100.00
Bus tours $3.00 per person
Schools and youth organizations No charge

Use of the house for extended period of time is subject to negotiation and contract.
The open houses on the first Sunday of the month, except for January and February and holidays, are free to the public, with donations gratefully accepted.

MEMBERSHIP DUES

Membership dues schedule and policy:
Student/Senior $ 10.00
Individual $ 20.00
Senior Family $ 20.00
Family $ 25.00
Organizations $ 35.00
Patron $ 50.00
Corporate $100.00
Life (one-time payment) $300.00

Dues received September 1 or after will receive credit for the following year. Dues not paid by January 1 will receive a letter from the Membership Chairperson. Dues not paid by the end of the first quarter will terminate membership.

Hours of Operation

Effective March 1, 2009 and until further notice the John Smart House will be open only on Tuesday from 9:am to 4pm. The society is sorry that we have to restrict hours due to economic conditions.

The public is always welcome to come tour the house during these hours and on the first Sunday of the month (1pm to 4pm, not open Sundays in January and February and holiday weekend during the year - consult the calendar if you are not sure).

Researchers are welcome on Tuesday during normal hours.
Research during the Sunday open house is with prior notice.

If coming any distance please call (330-722-1341) first. There are times when the curator is away for talks, outside meetings or there is a special tour scheduled.

Also consult the calendar, we will try to keep any closings posted!

We may also be reached at mchs@zoominternet.net