We are back with more images that are looking for their lost identities! If you recognize any of the places or people in these images, please let us know. Even better, share with your friends and family to see if they recognize any of the images too!
These images are all from the Greene County Parks & Trails Photographic Slide collection.
We appreciate any help you can provide in identifying these images!
Until next time!
Yesterday, we were able to attend the America 250-Ohio Commission meeting and receive recognition as recipients of the Trillium Local Activity Grant in the spring 2024 cycle!
With these funds, we will install an exhibit space in the lobby outside the media room at Greene County’s Ledbetter Road facility. This lobby receives high volumes of foot traffic from events and groups using the media room as well as visitors to essential Greene County offices including the Board of Elections, Job and Family Services, and Veterans Services.
The exhibit will feature the history of the advancements in severe weather monitoring systems and emergency preparedness that came about as a result of the April 3, 1974 tornado in Greene County and the devastation it caused in Xenia and on the campuses of Wilberforce University and Central State University.
By installing this exhibit, we hope to tell an essential Ohio story: resilience and innovation in the face of overwhelming circumstances. In the immediate aftermath of the tornado, communities pulled together to care for those who had lost everything. Then, in the years that followed, Ohio’s and America’s innovators got to work creating technology, systems, and policies that would help give better warning and protection for citizens during severe weather. Rather than admitting defeat in the face of tornadoes that are impossible to eliminate, Ohio and America found other ways to protect our citizens.
We would like to thank the America 250-Ohio Commission and Ohio Humanities for making this project possible. We encourage you to follow America 250-Ohio for more events and programs as we get closer to America’s semiquincentennial on July 4, 2026!
Until next time!
The Greene County Records Center and Archives has been honored with a 2024 Society of Ohio Archivists Merit Award.
The Archives received the award for our work in improving access to public records by implementing our digital catalog and digital repository systems.
“The Greene County Records Center and Archives is honored for its work to preserve the vital records of Greene County through the new Online Catalog System and Digital Repository. County Records Manager and Archivist Robin Heise coordinated the procurement and implementation of a data management system and digital preservation system that worked together to provide improved access to the County records. To date nearly 4.8 million files (2.3 terabytes of data) were uploaded to the digital repository by staff. Approximately 3 million of these files are open to the public. Essential metadata was added to over 110,000 files. With the new online catalog as well as indexing at the file level, accessibility has been greatly increased for all researchers. The digital repository not only provides greater access to public records, it has allowed for quicker responses to public records requests.
For its efforts to make vital county records more accessible to researchers, it is fitting that the Society of Ohio Archivists presents the Greene County Records Center and Archives with the 2024 SOA Merit Award.”
Other recipients of the award were the Columbus Metropolitan Library and the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, who were both honored for projects increasing access to digital collections of their respective newspapers. Congratulations to our fellow awardees!
This is not the first time that the Archives has received an award!
In the past, the Archives has won awards including:
We are honored to have received this award, and we look forward to continuing to promote access to Greene County’s public records and history!
The temperatures are rising, the pollen is floating (much to our dismay), and summer is almost here! That also means Greene County History Week is rapidly approaching: June 9th through the 14th!
We also have a bonus time capsule opening on June 7th to get things started off right!
The Archives is proud to partner with local history organizations to bring special events for Greene County History Week this year. Our partners this year are the Greene County Library, the Greene County Historical Society, Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument, the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, and Greene County Parks & Trails. With a fantastic group of partners, this week will be full of events you won’t want to miss, including:
This year, we also have a special opportunity: the Hunt for History! Throughout the week, participants can earn entries into a prize drawing by visiting our partner sites and sharing pictures of their visit in our History Week Facebook group.
Be sure to visit the Greene County History Week website and Facebook group to keep up with all the fantastic events this year. Help us make this the best History Week ever by sharing with your friends and neighbors!
Until next time!
Here are the Archives, two words get us more excited than (almost) any others: time capsule!
We are so excited to have another time capsule to open and add to our collection. Our previous time capsules have been one from the Greene County Courthouse in 1901 and one from the Greene County Jail in 1969.
Our next time capsule is from the Centralized School Building in Bowersville in Jefferson Township, and we will be opening it June 7th at 10 a.m. in the Greene County Media room. All are welcome to join us and see what the time capsule holds!
For just a brief bit of history behind the time capsule, here is a brief bit of history on Jefferson Township and its schools. Jefferson Township was one of the later townships established in Greene County. It was created in 1858 from land that had previously been in Silvercreek Township.
The first school in present-day Jefferson Township was a log school building created in 1813 and its first teacher was John Mickle. The number of students and schools in the township grew over time, and in 1880 there were just over 600 children in the township. Most of the schools that these children attended were small or one-room schoolhouses.
By the early part of the 1910s, the community felt there was a need for a larger and better-equipped school for the township’s students. To fulfill this need, the township determined to build the Centralized School in Bowersville, and the cornerstone for the structure was laid on June 7th, 1915, the anniversary of Jefferson Township’s creation.
The cornerstone laying was quite a to-do in Bowersville, with thousands of people in attendance, multiple bands performing, and all-around festivities. Amidst the celebration, a time capsule was placed in the cornerstone, where it remained until earlier this year when it was retrieved.
We are all anxious to see what the time capsule contains, but we are steadfastly waiting until June 7th so that the time capsule can be opened on the anniversary of when it was placed. We hope you will join us to see the contents of this time capsule for the first time in 109 years!
Until next time!
Sources:
Broadstone, M. A. History of Greene County Ohio. Indianapolis: B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., 1918.
This week has been Volunteer Appreciation Week, and we could not be more grateful for the help of our team of volunteers. Last Friday we held our Volunteer Appreciation Reception, and we had such a good time we forgot to take pictures! So instead we are featuring just a few of the projects our fantastic volunteers have undertaken for us.
We are so incredibly grateful for all the work our volunteers do here at the Archives. Their efforts help us ensure that Greene County records and history will be accessible to current and future generations!
Interested in volunteering yourself, but can’t get here during the week? Register for our Slice of History Pop Up volunteering event! Find more info and register here!
Until next time!
April is always an important month here at the Archives: Records Management Month!
Throughout the month, Greene County employees have opportunities to attend sessions to build their records management knowledge with training provided by Records Manager Robin Heise. Sessions this year include: Just the Basics, Electronic Records, Managing Your Inbox, and Public Records. Each of these trainings provide a wealth of knowledge as well as the opportunity for participants to ask questions pertaining to their own departments. Participants from fifteen different Greene County departments have or will have attended at least one of these training sessions this year!
In addition to the training sessions internally, we observed Records Management Month by visiting a Records Management Class at Wright State University. to share examples of Greene County’s records management training activities to provide a fun and educational end to their semester. We shared two activities with students: Records Land and the Records Management Escape Room.
In Records Land, players attempt to cross the finish line of a game board. Each turn, a player rolls a die, moves their marker that many spaces, and draws a card. Each card contains a records management sample scenario that is either a good example or a bad example, and the player is sent forward additional spaces for good records management practices. But for bad records management practices, players might be sent back several spaces or even lose turns!
Some good scenarios in Records Land cards that result in rewards include: properly storing documents, appropriately handling email inboxes, and following proper procedures for records disposal. However, using one password for multiple accounts or storing records in a basement under a water pipe resulted in players backtracking several spaces.
The Records Management Escape Room is a mobile escape room in which players have forty-five minutes to solve a series of puzzles whose answers demonstrate their knowledge of records management. Unsurprisingly, the class of records management students were more than up to the challenge and escaped the room!
At Greene County Records Center and Archives, we take records management very seriously, but we also take every opportunity to make learning records management best practices fun!
Until next time!
This is a Sunday Rewind post, in which we look back on a blog post from years past. This post was originally published January 24, 2020 at 8:22 AM by Melissa Dalton, and can be found here.
If any of you follow the local newspapers, or are familiar with the local history, Fairborn is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. Throughout 2020, we will highlight the creation of the city, starting with the establishment and history of the original towns/villages that later became Fairborn. This week, we start with “old” Osborn.Osborn was established in 1851 and was situated in northwestern Greene County, along the Mad River, and near the border with Clark County (Fig 1). The village wasn’t very big, and at its height, had roughly 1000 residents. Although it was a small community, the residents had all they needed in their village. There were several mills, grocery stores, appliance shops, blacksmith, wagon shop, tannery, distillery, tavern, schoolhouse, post office, grave yard, many churches, and a meeting house (Fig 2). Additionally, with the railroad running through the center of the village, it provided a great way to transport goods in and out for the businesses, especially the mills.
Fig 1. 1855 Atlas of Greene County (Greene County Archives)
Fig 2. 1855 Map of Osborn (Greene County Archives)This little village was rather advanced for their size and time as well. Not only did they have their own water supply, but they also had an electric facility (Fig 3). The village continued to thrive, but after the 1913 Flood, that all changed (Fig 4).
Fig 3. Photograph of Front Street in Osborn. Can see fire hydrant on corner, with a horse and buggy in front of store (Alllan Routt, Early Views of Fairfield & Osborn Ohio)
Fig 4. 1896 Map of Osborn (Greene County Archives)
The destruction and aftermath of the 1913 Flood caused the citizens and government to look for ways to insure that such a disaster never happened again. Hydrological engineer, Arthur Morgan, was hired to conduct a series of studies of the watershed. Upon completion of the studies, Morgan recommended that several dams be constructed, as well as altering the channel of the river through Dayton. Ohio’s Governor, James Cox, approved of this plan and Morgan was commissioned to write the Ohio Conservancy Act, which allowed the state to establish watershed districts and tax the districts to raise funds for improvements. Although the Act was challenged as to its constitutionality, the Act was passed in 1914, and in 1915, the Miami Conservancy District (MCD) was created.The MCD began construction of the five dams – Englewood, Huffman, Germantown, Taylorsville, and Lockington – in 1918, with the project being completed in 1922. Of the five dams, one is located in Greene County, Huffman Dam (Fig 5). Huffman Dam regulates the flow of the Mad River into the Great Miami River, but the surveys indicated that if there was ever another major event like the 1913 Flood, because of Osborn’s proximity to the Mad River, the entire village would be flooded. Due to this realization, it was determined that Osborn would need to be relocated.
Fig 5. Construction of Huffman Dam (Miami Conservancy District)Osborn was acquired by the MCD (as were many of the properties around the river), and since there was no imminent risk, they allowed the homeowners to stay until they could figure out the best way to remove the structures (Fig 6). It was during this time that residents, led by the mayor and city attorney, decided to take a stand and created the Osborn Removal Company. The formation and incorporation of this company was to allow the citizens to keep their homes and purchase new property outside of the flood basin, next to the town of Fairfield, roughly two miles southeast of the current village. The Osborn Removal Company bought the properties back from the MCD, and the original owners were given the opportunity to buy their homes back for a fair price, and move them to the new town (Fig 7).
Fig 6. Map of lands acquired by the Miami Conservancy District after the 1913 Flood (Greene County Archives)
Fig 7. Image from the Dayton Journal, dated May 3, 1925 (Early Views of Fairfield and Osborn Ohio)
The move of Osborn began in 1922, and took about two years, with nearly 200 houses moved, as well as a few wood-framed businesses. Additionally, the town was platted, graded, and streets and sidewalks were completed, all within this two year time frame. LaPlant-Choate Manufacturing Co. even moved many shade trees and replanted in them new Osborn. The move was completed in 1924, and Osborn had a new home.
We’ll continue this story over the coming year, so we hope you stay tuned!
Until Next Time!
Sources:
Early Views of Fairfield and Osborn Ohio by Allan Routt (2010)
Greene County Archives
Miami Conservancy District
This is a Sunday Rewind post, featuring a previous blog post from the archives. This was originally posted on August 21, 2015 at 3:39 PM by Elise Kelly.
This summer the Greene County Archives has added numerous resources to its collection. Previously located at and stored in other County offices, these resources are captivating and valuable. They wonderfully capture the ample and unique history of Greene County.
| Stored in a vault at the County Treasurer’s Office (previously a bank) were several antique blueprints of the courthouse and powerhouse. To the left, the white building is the former jail. Can you see the powerhouse? |  Photograph circa 1960s. |
 1901 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map | The powerhouse, located behind the current jail, generated power to the courthouse. We believe part of the powerhouse’s structure is still there. However, it has been encapsulated under a larger structure. |
Let’s compare the photograph of the powerhouse with one of the blueprints. The single round window and the arched doorway can be seen in both sources.
Powerhouse Blueprint – 1900
 The above image exhibits a large tear through the blueprint of the courthouse’s exterior. | Conditions The powerhouse blueprints were in good condition, but restoration efforts needed to be applied to a couple of the courthouse prints. The old tape used to repair the tears in the documents caused some damage to the blueprints such as yellowing and aging. |
The tape was carefully removed and replaced with archival mending tape.
County Offices Located Inside the Courthouse
When we first unrolled the blueprints to examine them, we discovered that many of the county offices during the early 1900s, were located right inside the courthouse. Located on the first floor of the courthouse was the office of the Commissioners, the Auditor, the Treasurer and the County Surveyor. (See Below).
First Floor of Courthouse Blueprint – 1900
First Floor of Courthouse Blueprint – 1900
On the Second Floor of the courthouse the Sheriff’s office was located right beside the Grand Jury room and close to the Witness Room.
Second Floor of Courthouse Blueprint – 1900
The basement of the courthouse contained a lunchroom and the offices for the Board of Elections, the School Examiners, and the Department of Agriculture. In addition, there was a Relic Room. Could this be the Archives? Having the archives located in a basement probably was not the best idea – (e.g. wet conditions.)
Basement of the Courthouse Blueprint – 1900
The blueprints of the cross section of the building portray the ornate architectural design of the courthouse. Notice the high windows above the door frames, the baroque style spire on the far left side of the print, and a small winged-lion that is circled. The Greene County Courthouse is a magnificent and historic structure and these blueprints are amazing resources to use for local history and architectural research.
Cross Section of the Courthouse Blueprint – 1900
Look at the photograph below, the winged lions sit right below the arched entrance of the courthouse.
Photograph of the Greene County Courthouse – Circa 1960s
Until Next Time!
This Week’s Trivia Question: Can you name the architect who designed the Greene County Courthouse? (Hint: Check out our previous blog post “Greene County Courthouse – Where it all Began.”
Last Week’s Trivia Answer: One duty the older children of the schoolhouse had to perform was to carry the wood for the building’s stove. What other responsibilities do you think the school children had to do during the school day? – Clean the erasers and bring in fresh water.
Today we are taking a look at one of Greene County’s many Civil War veterans: James McCann.
James McCann was born in 1841, and he entered service in the Civil War in 1861 at 20 years old as a private, serving with Company B of the 74th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served for a remarkably long 4-year term with this unit, and advanced up the ranks to attain the rank of First Lieutenant. He mustered out on July 10th, 1865. During his term of service, the 74th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was involved in many conflicts including: the Battle of Chickamauga, Pickett’s Mills, the Battle of Jonesboro, Sherman’s
March to the Sea, and the Battle of Bentonville, among many others.
After his military service, James applied his skillset to the field of law enforcement, joining the Sheriff’s office of Greene County. He served as a deputy for a time, and then was elected sheriff in 1877. He served as sheriff until 1883, after which he pursued other business interests, including operating his own piano shop.
Eventually, his health began to deteriorate, and by 1913 he had moved in with his daughter and son-in-law’s home in Riverdale. However, this safe haven suddenly became dangerous in March 1913, when much of Ohio and especially the Dayton area (including Riverdale) were covered with up to twenty feet of flood waters. The photos below show the center of Dayton at the time covered by water, with one-story houses flooded up to the rooflines and two-story houses with just the first floor above water.
These images bring James’s situation into stark relief. Not well enough to walk unaided, he was carried upstairs when the water began encroaching into his daughter’s home. The small group waited upstairs, probably for quite a long while, for someone to help them, and eventually rescue came in the form of a boat. The rescuers helped pulled James from the second-story window of his daughter’s house into the boat, and when the rest of the group was safely loaded into the boat they paddled to the Howard Flats, where the water was lower and they thought they would be safe. But such was not the case, unfortunately. The floodwaters continued to rise, and the group carried James still further to the Van Cleve school.
Even having reached relative safety at the Van Cleve School, McCann’s travels were not complete. At the school, Carl’s father, Enoch P. Hooven, met up with McCann’s group. Enoch was the quartermaster of the Soldiers’ Home, as such lived on the property of the home, so he moved the group yet again, this time to his residence at the Soldiers’ Home, where the group was finally safe from further relocation.
Unfortunately, for James, the damage had already been done. In his already fragile state, he was not able to bounce back from the stress of the constant movement, and his condition worsened considerably. As a result he was admitted to the hospital at the Soldiers’ Home. He was not able to recover, and he died at the Soldiers’ Home Hospital on April 15, 1913.
What a remarkable life James McCann led, in spite of its tragic end! An honorable term of service during the Civil War, a political career that led him to be sheriff of Greene County, business interests in two fields, and a family that he could rely upon to take care of him in his ill health, even to the point of multiple evacuations during the 1913 flood.
Until next time!
Sources
Out of the Clocktower 