Description: A hand-written letter to Ada Young from Charles Noel Young “Tonton” from France in regards to his Sunday outing with Mr. Bowman. His father, Col. Charles Young was the first African American to reach the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Army. In 1918, after being forced into retirement, due to health concerns, he rode on horseback from Wilberforce, Ohio to Washington D.C. to prove his physical fitness for duty. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Page1
Subjects: African American soldiers; African American men; ; Military officers; World War I, 1914-1918; Young, Charles, 1864-1922.
 

Description: Marblehead Lighthouse in Marblehead, Ohio, United States, is the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the United States side of the Great Lakes. It has guided sailors safely along the rocky shores of Marblehead Peninsula since 1822, and is an active aid to navigation. In 1819, the fifteenth U. S. Congress recognized the need for navigational aides along the Great Lakes, and set aside $5,000 for construction of a light tower at the entrance to Sandusky Bay. Contractor William Kelly built the 50 foot (15 m) tower of native limestone on the tip of the Marblehead Peninsula. The base of the tower is 25 feet (7.6 m) in diameter, with walls five feet (1.5 m) thick. It narrows to 12 feet (4 m) at the top with two-foot (0.6 m) thick walls. The turn of the century ushered in new technology as well as structural changes including the addition of another 15 feet (4.6 m) to the tower’s height. A clock-like mechanism was installed to rotate the lantern, creating the appearance of a brilliant flash of light every 10 seconds. This system required that the lighthouse keeper crank the weights every three hours through the night to keep the lantern turning. An improved Fresnel lens with prism surfaces created an even more brilliant beacon. An electric light finally replaced the kerosene lantern in 1923, dramatically increasing the intensity of the signal. During World War II, the lighthouse became strategically important for national defense. The last civilian lighthouse keeper resigned, and the United States Coast Guard assumed responsibility for the beacon in 1946. The beacon was automated in 1958. With its original finish tattered by time and harsh weather, the exterior of the lighthouse tower was given a fresh coat of new stucco the same year. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has maintained the property surrounding the lighthouse since 1972 and accepted ownership of the Marblehead Lighthouse tower in May 1998. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate and maintain the lighthouse beacon. Today’s 300 mm lens projects a green signal that flashes every six seconds and is visible for 11 nautical miles (20 km). The distinctive green distinguishes the lighthouse signal from white lights coming from air beacons. In 2001-2002 the state renovated the tower and keeper's house at a cost of $500,000. In 2004 the Fresnel lens was returned to the light station from the Marblehead Coast Guard Station, where it was previously on display. The Ottawa County Historical Society owns the original 1-story fieldstone keeper's house (3 miles (5 km) from the light on OH 163 in Marblehead. The lighthouse is now part of the 9 acre Marblehead Lighthouse State Park. The park features picnic tables and offers views of Lake Erie, Sandusky Bay, Kelleys Island and South Bass Island. The Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society operates the Marblehead Lighthouse Museum in the old keeper's house View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F09_035_1
Subjects: Lighthouses Ohio; Erie, Lake, Coast (Ohio); Marblehead Lighthouse (Ohio); National Register of Historic Places
Places: Marblehead (Ohio); Ottawa County (Ohio)
 

Description: Handwritten on reverse: "National Ex. Bank & Trust Co., Steubenville, O. Miller and Son, 436 Market Street, Steubenville, Ohio." This photograph shows North 4th Street, looking north, at the intersection of Market Street. Visible in this photograph are McCrory's, above which are the offices of Dr. Allison, Dentist. The Green Mill Restaurant is also visible. This is located at approximately 136 N. 4th Street, and the location of this former restaurant was the headquarters of the Obama campaign in Steubenville. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F06_041_001
Subjects: Steubenville (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Pictorial works; Streets--Ohio
Places: Steubenville (Ohio); Jefferson County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1935-1940, this photograph shows a butcher demonstrating cutting steak to a young boy. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B15F03_040_01
Subjects: Butchering; Butchers; Ohio Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration; Meat industry; African American Ohioans
Places: Ohio
 

Description: A photograph of a farmer controlling weeds with his horse and harrow. A harrow had tines or sharp points to break up the soil. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B06F03_034_1
Subjects: Agriculture--Ohio--History--20th century.
Places: Ohio
 

Description: This is a picture of the dining room of the Golden Lamb Hotel in Lebanon, Ohio. The hotel is located at the corner of Broadway and Main Street. The room has a closed fireplace and mantle as well as a five chairs and a table. The walls are covered with wall paper and pictures, and a light hangs from the ceiling. The room has double doors opening to a second room where one man is standing and several others are sitting. The Golden Lamb, formerly the old Lebanon House, is the oldest hotel in the state of Ohio, being established by Jonas Seaman in 1803. The establishment was a success and became known for its quality food and lodging. Two years later the Warren County courthouse was built across the street, increasing the business of the Golden Lamb. The tavern served as a meeting place for troops during the War of 1812 and as a stagecoach stop during the nineteenth century. The present day, four-story building was built in 1815 during the rebuilding of the inn. The inn has had many famous guests such as Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and twelve United States Presidents. The Golden Lamb, which continued to operate into the 21st century, is one of the oldest hotels in Ohio. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B14F07_044_001
Subjects: Golden Lamb (Lebanon, Warren County, Ohio); Historic hotels; Dining rooms
Places: Lebanon (Ohio); Warren County (Ohio)
 

Description: This is a photo of a citizenship class that was taught by people who were employed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) agency. The photo shows several immigrant people, most likely of European dissent, who are seated, and most of them are women. The two women who are standing are presumed to be employed by the WPA. There is also a man seated in the back of the photo. He is also presumed to be employed by the WPA and could possibly be the actual instructor. The WPA was enacted in 1935 and was responsible for putting millions of unskilled people to work in public works projects throughout the country. The WPA is a New Deal agency and was dissolved in 1943 as a result from a massive amount of employment opportunities due to the need of workers during World War II. Citizenship classes, also called Americanization classes, were focused on teaching immigrants the English language to allow them to then find work and become active members in society. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B13F11_015_001
Subjects: Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project; United States. Works Progress Administration; Americanization; Citizenship--America; Fashion; Classroom environment; Immigrant women; Immigrant men; Working class women
Places: Toledo (Ohio); Lucas County (Ohio)
 

Description: Front caption reads: "The Miami Canal at Dayton. This photograph was taken when the canals were in their heyday. This shipshape looking boat is tied up before a forwarding station or depot. (Courtesy of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce)." During the late 1810s, Governor Thomas Worthington and Governor Ethan Allen Brown both supported internal improvements, especially canals. Both men believed that Ohioans needed quick and easy access to the Ohio River and to Lake Erie if they were to profit financially. In 1822, the Ohio legislature realized the importance of internal improvements and created a new Ohio Canal Commission. The Canal Commission eventually recommended a route starting at Lake Erie, passing through the Cuyahoga Valley, the Muskingum Valley, the Licking Valley, and then to the Ohio River along the Scioto Valley. The Commission also recommended a western route along the Miami and Maumee Valleys. By 1833, the Ohio and Erie Canal was complete, followed twelve years later by the Miami and Erie Canal. Once completed, thirty-three of Ohio's eighty-eight counties either had portions of canals running through them or quarries to mine rock for construction. The canals had many advantages to Ohioans. Most importantly, the cost to ship goods from the East Coast to Ohio and vice versa declined tremendously from 125 dollars per ton of goods to twenty-five dollars per ton of goods. Most canals remained in operation in Ohio until the late 1800s, their demise due in part to competition from the much speedier railroads. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B02F07_003_1
Subjects: Miami and Erie Canal (Ohio)--History; Boats and Boating; Canals--Ohio--Pictorial works; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project
Places: Dayton (Ohio); Montgomery County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph of Reverend O. Davis Slacum standing beside the Cain Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church in Bakersfield California. The church was built in 1880, was rebuilt in 1914 and purchased by the A.M.E. Church in 1954. Bishop Dougal Ormonde Beaconfield Walker was acting Bishop; Reverend R.A. Washington was the Presiding Elder and Reverend O. Davis Slacum was the Pastor. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: NAM_P2_B06F02_W
Subjects: Historical Black Colleges and Universities; Wilberforce University; African American men; African American women; African American Educators
 

Description: Caption reads: "Fort Washington monument, East Third Street, Cincinnati, Ohio. Photo by Federal Writers' Photographer, District #12. June 10, 1937." The Fort Washington Monument was originally erected on June 14, 1901 by the Patriotic Societies of Ohio to commemorate Fort Washington, a bulwark against the Indian menace during the 1790's. From Fort Washington, Generals Harmar and St. Clair planned expeditions against the Indians that ended in disaster; not until "Mad Anthony" Wayne defeated the Indians at Fallen Timbers was the Indian danger allayed. Ini 1803 the garrison moved to Newport, Kentucky on the south side of the Ohio River. In 1808 Fort Washington was torn down, as it was no longer needed, and the reservation divided into town lots. The monument 9' tall memorial, made from Ohio stone, was made to look like one of the old fort's blockhouses, and was placed at the center of East Third Street, near the intersection with Ludlow Street. The monument was surrounded with a chain railing, with four old cannons serving as fence posts. The west face of the monument displayed two bronze plaques, the lower of which was an outline map of the main portion of the fort, showing the streets which intersected it and the immediate area. The upper tablet bore an inscription, surrounded by 13 stars, which read: "This Tablet erected by the Patriotic Societies of Ohio, Marks the Location of Fort Washington, Built 1789, Demolished 1808, MDCCCC." Though much effort was taken in 1900 to determine the exact location of the old fort before the monument was placed, in 1952 construction workers found actual remains from the fort's powder magazine a short distance away, and archeologists determined that this was the true location of Fort Washington. In 1998, partially due to the expansion of Interstate 71, the monument was moved to this new found site on Arch Street, just south of East Fourth Street. A new plaque, placed on the monument for the re-dedication reads: "Forth Washington, 1789 - 1808. This monument stands at the site that served as a major military base for the Northwest Territory. The stone replica of a blockhouse was originally dedicated on June 14, 1901. Rededicated at present site November 11, 1998. Cincinnati Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B04F02_33_01
Subjects: Cincinnati (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.; Fort Washington (Ohio); Monuments--Ohio
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1930-1943, this photograph shows an unidentified brick road in Ohio in winter, with a dirt road winding into the background, lined by trees and a stream to the right. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B12F03_014_001
Subjects: Roads--Ohio; Dirt roads--Ohio; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project; Winter
Places: Ohio
 

Description: Reverse reads: "Pickaway Co. Memorial Hall" Circleville's Memorial Hall was built in 1890. Early in the building's history, it served as the Public Library and Armory. Today, it is a county office complex and auditorium. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F05_26_001
Subjects: Circleville (Ohio)--History
Places: Circleville (Ohio); Pickaway County (Ohio)