On October 18, 1895 a fire in Blanchester destroyed almost all of the downtown. This artifact is a block of melted green glass from a stained glass window. The item was recently donated to the Clinton County History Center from Charles Bright. It has been in the Bright family since shortly after the fire and has been passed down through generations. (Note: Glass melts at a temperature between 2252 and 2912 degrees Fahrenheit).
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The Clinton County Historical Society Board of Trustees continues to work toward ensuring that the History Center remains an evolving and involving organization. Toward this goal, the Board of Trustees recently met with the Local History Office personnel of the Ohio History Connection to conduct a “Needs Assessment.”
The Needs Assessment process addresses artifact care and preservation, board responsibilities, volunteer opportunities, exhibits, programming and collection management.
The Historical Society Board and staff will use the results of this Assessment to remain a viable organization in the future by promoting, preserving and protecting the rich history and heritage of our County.
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L-Right: Pat Haley, Tim Rudduck, Stan Hannah, Suzanne Madison, Harry Brumbaugh, Richard Tedrick, Jennifer Hollon, Amy Rohmiller (Americore Coordinator), Kay Fisher, Anthony Gibbs (Manager, Local History Services), Taylor Stuckert and Andy Verhoff (History Fund Grant Manager). Not pictured are trustees Patti Herron, Lauren Raizk and Bob Schaad
]]>Ms. Hollon, Murphy board member and President of the Clinton County Historical Society, has donated her time, research and photographs for the publication of this book. Generous donations will cover the cost of the book’s publication. 100% of the purchase price will go to the preservation of the theatre.
This coffee table size edition indexed and in full color, contains stories, memories, and facts about a century of entertainment on Main Street. Books sell for $49.95.
The Clinton County History Center will be selling “The Historic Murphy Theatre, the People, the Entertainment and the Monument.” To support the preservation of the Murphy Theatre, the History Center will not be receiving a commission on book sales.
I’d rather have his monument on Main Street than at Sugar Grove Cemetery. – Charles Murphy
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Before we knew her name, we called her Creepy Baby. Her name is Creeping Baby, Clockwork Doll, Automaton, Mechanized Doll or Robot. When wound with a key the doll appears to crawl, turning her head with each movement. Creeping Baby is just one of the many items in the Clinton County Historical Society collection. Creeping Baby had two patents. The first was granted to Robert Clay of New York in March 1871. The second was granted to his associate, George Pemberton Clarke in August 1871. In the 1870s, babies were said to creep, rather than to crawl. Crawling was what animals did. Babies crept.
Off To Germany!
In April 2015, the History Center was contacted by DASA Arbeitswelt Ausstellung (World of Work Exhibition Center) in Dortmund Germany. The y requested a loan of Creeping Baby for an exhibit on “man-machines-robots.” The exhibit will show at DASA from November 2015 to September 2016, then at their partner, Parque de las Ciencias in Granada Spain from February 2, 2017 to February 2, 2018.
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