Description: William Moore McCulloch was a civil-rights activist and member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio in the mid-twentieth century. He was instrumental in crafting and passing several key pieces of legislation in the 1960s to ensure equal rights for all Americans, including the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and the 1968 Fair Housing Act. William McCulloch was born near Holmesville, Ohio, in Holmes County, on November 24, 1901. He received an undergraduate degree from the College of Wooster. In 1925, McCulloch earned a law degree from The Ohio State University and was admitted to the Ohio bar. He practiced law for a period in Jacksonville, Florida, where he saw firsthand the unconstitutionality of segregation practices in the region. In 1928, McCulloch moved back to Ohio and established a law practice with George Barry in Piqua. McCulloch became active in politics. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1932. During his tenure, McCulloch rose to important leadership positions, serving as House Minority Leader from 1936-1939, and as Speaker of the House from 1939-1944. He was the first House member to serve three consecutive terms as Speaker. A constitutional lawyer, McCulloch showed his passion for equal rights early in his career and supported the local NAACP chapter in its drive to end segregated seating in local restaurants. One of the earliest sit-ins in the area was held at the Union Bus Terminal lunch counter and marked the beginning of the end for segregated accommodations in the Piqua area. This was bold stance to take in a rural, white, middle-class, and conservative stronghold where the black population was a mere 2.7 percent at the time. During World War II, McCulloch served in the U.S. military from December 26, 1943 to October 12, 1945. At age 40 he resigned as Speaker of the House and enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving overseas in Europe. He resumed his political career after the war. In a special election held on November 4, 1947, voters of Ohio's 4th District elected McCulloch to represent them in the United States House of Representatives, filling a vacancy created by the resignation of Robert F. Jones. McCulloch went on to represent western Ohio in the House in twelve succeeding Congresses through January 3, 1973. He was popular and respected within his district, and his constituents reelected him by margins of 65 to 70 percent throughout his tenure. Although a political conservative, McCulloch is remembered as a champion of civil rights. Early in his tenure as Representative of Ohio’s 4th District, he played a key role in President Eisenhower’s 1957 and 1960 civil rights bills. As the ranking Republican member of the House Judiciary Committee in the early 1960s, he introduced civil rights legislation in the House, and his bipartisan support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was instrumental in the adoption of that legislation. McCulloch went on to play key roles in the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the 1968 Fair Housing Act. He fought another major battle in 1969-1970 by defending the renewal of certain temporary provisions in the 1965 Voting Rights Act during the Nixon administration. Directed at Southern states with a history of discriminatory voting practices, a strong provision in the legislation demanded that these states obtain clearance through the Justice Department before making any changes that would affect the voting process. He continued to champion equal rights and to protect the landmark legislation of the 1960s until his retirement in 1972. McCulloch died in Washington, D.C., on February 22, 1980. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07025
Subjects: Legislators--Ohio; Ohio History--State and Local Government; Politicians; Ohio General Assembly House of Representatives; Civil rights; United States. Congress. House; Miami County (Ohio); Veterans
Places: Miami County (Ohio)
 

Description: Caption reads: "Wescott House, N. W. Cor. High St. & Greenmount Ave., Springfield, Ohio, January 28, 1937." Westcott House is located 1340 East High Street at the corner of Greenmount Avenue in Springfield, Ohio. The architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed this house in 1905, as commissioned by Burton J. Wescott, an automobile manufacturer with the Westcott Motor Car Company, thought the house wasn't built until 1908. The original design was characteristic of his Praire School: the horizontal lines, low-pitched roof, broad eaves, wide verandas, stuccoed walls with wood trim, trellis work and elaborate use of shrubs, creating the impression that the structure is an integral part of its setting. During the 1940s interior alterations were made, turning the house into six apartments. Renovations were completed in 2007 to restore this architectural gem to its original state. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B01F11_015_001
Subjects: Westcott House (Springfield, Ohio); Wright, Frank Lloyd, 1867-1959. Buildings, plans, and designs
Places: Springfield (Ohio); Clark County (Ohio)
 

Description: Caption reads "Wescott House, N.W. Cor. High St. & Greenmount Ave., Springfield, Ohio. P.C. Neg. from Spg. O. 2-8x10 prints to Col. Jan. 29, 1937." Westcott House is located 1340 East High Street at the corner of Greenmount Avenue in Springfield, Ohio. The architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed this house in 1905, as commissioned by Burton J. Wescott, an automobile manufacturer with the Westcott Motor Car Company, thought the house wasn't built until 1908. The original design was characteristic of his Praire School: the horizontal lines, low-pitched roof, broad eaves, wide verandas, stuccoed walls with wood trim, trellis work and elaborate use of shrubs, creating the impression that the structure is an integral part of its setting. During the 1940s interior alterations were made, turning the house into six apartments. Renovations were completed in 2007 to restore this architectural gem to its original state. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B01F11_039_001
Subjects: Westcott House (Springfield, Ohio); Wright, Frank Lloyd, 1867-1959. Buildings, plans, and designs
Places: Springfield (Ohio); Clark County (Ohio)
 

Description: Caption reads "Wescott House, N.W. corner of High St. and Greenmount Ave., one of the early examples of the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright in Early Modernistic architecture, built of stucco, surrounded by terraces in Italian villa style." Westcott House is located 1340 East High Street at the corner of Greenmount Avenue in Springfield, Ohio. The architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed this house in 1905, as commissioned by Burton J. Wescott, an automobile manufacturer with the Westcott Motor Car Company, thought the house wasn't built until 1908. The original design was characteristic of his Praire School: the horizontal lines, low-pitched roof, broad eaves, wide verandas, stuccoed walls with wood trim, trellis work and elaborate use of shrubs, creating the impression that the structure is an integral part of its setting. During the 1940s interior alterations were made, turning the house into six apartments. Renovations were completed in 2007 to restore this architectural gem to its original state. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B01F11_040_001
Subjects: Westcott House (Springfield, Ohio); Wright, Frank Lloyd, 1867-1959. Buildings, plans, and designs
Places: Springfield (Ohio); Clark County (Ohio)
 

Description: Caption reads: "Wescott House, a Frank Lloyd Wright home of modern design." Westcott House is located 1340 East High Street at the corner of Greenmount Avenue in Springfield, Ohio. The architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed this house in 1905, as commissioned by Burton J. Wescott, an automobile manufacturer with the Westcott Motor Car Company, thought the house wasn't built until 1908. The original design was characteristic of his Praire School: the horizontal lines, low-pitched roof, broad eaves, wide verandas, stuccoed walls with wood trim, trellis work and elaborate use of shrubs, creating the impression that the structure is an integral part of its setting. During the 1940s interior alterations were made, turning the house into six apartments. Renovations were completed in 2007 to restore this architectural gem to its original state. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B01F10_003_001
Subjects: Westcott House (Springfield, Ohio); Wright, Frank Lloyd, 1867-1959. Buildings, plans, and designs
Places: Springfield (Ohio); Clark County (Ohio)
 

Description: Caption reads: "Wescott House, N.W. Cor. High St. & Greenmount Ave. Springfield, Ohio. Jan. 28, 1937 - P.C. Neg. furnished by Springfield." Westcott House is located 1340 East High Street at the corner of Greenmount Avenue in Springfield, Ohio. The architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed this house in 1905, as commissioned by Burton J. Wescott, an automobile manufacturer with the Westcott Motor Car Company, thought the house wasn't built until 1908. The original design was characteristic of his Praire School: the horizontal lines, low-pitched roof, broad eaves, wide verandas, stuccoed walls with wood trim, trellis work and elaborate use of shrubs, creating the impression that the structure is an integral part of its setting. During the 1940s interior alterations were made, turning the house into six apartments. Renovations were completed in 2007 to restore this architectural gem to its original state. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B04F06_08_01
Subjects: Westcott House (Springfield, Ohio); Wright, Frank Lloyd, 1867-1959. Buildings, plans, and designs
Places: Springfield (Ohio); Clark County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows the "Freedom Stairway," the 100 steps leading down from the Rankin House toward the Ohio River. The John Rankin House in Ripley was a station on the Underground Railroad. It is unlikely that the stairs in this photograph pre-date the early 1900s, but until documentation is found supporting the existence of the stairs in the pre-Civil War years, they can still serve as a reminder of the perilous journey of the fugitive slave and the welcome to be found at the top of the hill. John Rankin (1793-1886) was a Presbyterian minister and educator who devoted much of his life to the antislavery movement. He is credited with helping 2,000 slaves escape to freedom. It has been said that a light was placed in the window of his house to indicate when it was safe for slaves to approach. The character of Eliza in Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was reportedly inspired by a story of a woman who crossed the partially-frozen Ohio River with a baby in her arms, making it safely to Rankin's house. The John Rankin House is now a museum, part of the Ohio History Connection's statewide network of historic sites. The current steps were put in place in the 1990s. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL01171
Subjects: Ohio History--Slavery, Anti-Slavery and Civil Rights; Underground Railroad--Ohio; Civil Liberties; Rankin House; Antislavery movements--Ohio--History--19th century
Places: Ripley (Ohio); Brown County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph of the restored John Rankin House in Ripley, Ohio. John Rankin (1793-1886) was a Presbyterian minister and educator who devoted much of his life to the antislavery movement. He is credited with helping 2,000 slaves escape to freedom. It has been said that a light was placed in the window of his house to indicate when it was safe for slaves to approach. The character of Eliza in Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was reportedly inspired by a story of a woman who crossed the partially-frozen Ohio River with a baby in her arms, making it safely to Rankin's house. The John Rankin House is now a museum, part of the Ohio History Connection's statewide network of historic sites. The current steps were put in place in the 1990s. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SC1591_01
Subjects: Ohio History--Slavery, Anti-Slavery and Civil Rights; Underground Railroad--Ohio; Civil Liberties; Rankin House; Antislavery movements--Ohio--History--19th century
Places: Ripley (Ohio); Brown County (Ohio)
 

Description: This 8 by 10-inch (20.25 by 21.25 cm) photograph shows the "Freedom Stairway," the 100 steps leading down from the Rankin House toward the Ohio River. The John Rankin House in Ripley was a station on the Underground Railroad. It is unlikely that the stairs in this photograph pre-date the early 1900s, but until documentation is found supporting the existence of the stairs in the pre-Civil War years, they can still serve as a reminder of the perilous journey of the fugitive slave and the welcome to be found at the top of the hill. John Rankin (1793-1886) was a Presbyterian minister and educator who devoted much of his life to the antislavery movement. He is credited with helping 2,000 slaves escape to freedom. It has been said that a light was placed in the window of the house to indicate that it was safe for slaves to approach. The character of Eliza in Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was reportedly inspired by a story of a woman who crossed the partially-frozen Ohio River with a baby in her arms, making it safely to Rankin's house. The John Rankin House is now a museum, part of the Ohio History Connection's statewide network of historic sites. The current steps were put in place in the 1990s. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om1277_781125_121
Subjects: African American Ohioans; Civil Liberties; Underground Railroad; Rankin House; Antislavery movements--Ohio--History--19th century
Places: Ripley (Ohio); Brown County (Ohio)
 

Description: 1965 map showing the apportionment of the Ohio House of Representatives, broken into counties and townships. The map's caption reads "Apportionment of the Ohio House of Representatives prescribed by the Governor, Secretary of State and the Auditor of State, September 8 and 27, 1965." There are 38 numbered apportionment districts, plus eight counties without assigned numbers. In 1965, Ohio's Governor was Jim Rhodes. Ohio’s first General Assembly convened on March 1, 1803, with thirty members of the House and fourteen members of the Senate, with each county receiving a certain number of legislators based upon the county’s population. In 1903, each Ohio county was guaranteed to have its own House member, while all other members of the House were to be at large positions. In 1966, by order of the federal government, this apportionment procedure ended. Under the new system Ohio has ninety-nine representatives and thirty-three senators from various districts based on population. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: MAPVFM0509_4
Subjects: Ohio General Assembly House of Representatives; Legislators--Ohio; Ohio History--State and Local Government; Maps;
Places: Ohio
 

Description: This photograph of John Rankin and his wife Jane (identified in some later records as Jean) Lowry Rankin was taken on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary. John Rankin (1793-1886) was a Presbyterian minister and educator who devoted much of his life to the antislavery movement. His house in Ripley, Ohio, was a stop on the Underground Railroad, and Rankin, along with his family and neighbors, is credited with helping 2,000 fugitive slaves escape to freedom. The house is situated at the top of a hill overlooking the Ohio River. Escaping slaves climbed the 100-step "Freedom Stairway" from the river to reach the house, which has several secret rooms in which slaves were hidden. A light was placed in the window of the house to indicaten when it was safe for slaves to approach. The John Rankin House is now a museum, part of the Ohio History Connection's statewide network of historic sites. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om1277_781136_122
Subjects: Rankin, John, 1793-1886; Abolitionists -- Ohio; Civil Liberties; Underground Railroad; Religion in Ohio; Rankin House
Places: Ripley (Ohio); Brown County (Ohio)
 

Description: The Rankin house was a stop on the Underground Railroad. The Rankin House was a stop on the Underground Railroad operated by John Rankin, a Presbyterian minister. From his home on top of Liberty Hill, Rankin would signal to fugitive slaves when it was safe to cross the Ohio River. After crossing the river from Kentucky, those seeking freedom then climbed 100 wooden steps to the house, where they were given shelter and food before continuing their journey to Canada. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 9, 2012, and is part of the Ohio History Connection's statewide network of historic sites. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06588
Subjects: Rankin, John, 1793-1886; Rankin House; Underground Railroad--Ohio
Places: Ripley (Ohio); Brown County (Ohio)