October 2019 newsletter

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VOLUME 21, ISSUE 4 OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2019

Officers
President: Doris West
Vice–Pres: Doug Allen
Recording Sec’y: Kay Dawson
Corres. Sec’y: Wilma Schroeder
Treasurer: Robin Perkins

Directors
Cleva Collar (2019)
Glynn Marsh (2019)
Ivan Clark (2019)
Shirley Whiting (2019)
Barb Eller (2019 & 2020)
Bill Gothard (2019 & 2020)
Monty Mercer (2019 & 2020)
Ron Papp (2019 & 2020)

THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER by Doris West
Hello, everyone! Are you ready for pretty leaves and cooler weather?
Fall is upon us. Enjoy!
We have been very busy at the History Museum these past three
months. Two glass-doored upright bookcases were donated and have
been refitted with glass shelves and lighting. These will be perfect for
our World War II and Civil War memorabilia.
Other large donations have also kept us busy. We received five fire-
man helmets that were in use when we were Randolph Township and
two very old brass fire extinguishers. On page 4 you can read about some
of the sports items Coach Rick “Fireball” Roberts collected during his 35
years coaching Northmont baseball and football. (We featured many of
these items at our booth during the Fine Arts Festival back in August.)
We are so excited to bring a “new” person into our Board of Direc-
tors for the 2020 year. Angie Hoschouer of Union, whom you may have
heard about, is Manager of Development and Marketing at Woodland
Cemetery and Aboretum. At our September meeting, she gave a nice
slide show and talk about the meanings and significance of symbols such
as angels, sheaves of wheat, hands, etc., found on tombstones and also
spoke about funeral customs around the world. She is not only a life
member of RTHS, but also one of the small group of folks who met
years ago for the purpose of getting the RTHS started. You will see
her name on our slate of officers and directors (enclosed).
Have a pleasant autumn and remember RTHS when you do your
end-of-year giving.
2018 Corporate Members
Carra Builders Comm. Const.
Inc.
City of Clayton
City of Englewood
City of Union
Kindred Funeral Home
Landes Fresh Meats, Inc.
Mill Ridge Village Retirement
Community
Thank you!
We list our valued sponsors
on our website.
UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS
All functions are at the History Center unless otherwise noted.
Meetings on 2nd Wednesdays
Oct. 9, 7:00 p.m./business meeting/
miniprogram: Restoring cemeteries and gravestones, with Misti
Spillman
Nov. 13, 1:00 p.m. (note time change)/business
meeting/miniprogram: TBD
Dec. 11, 1:00 p.m./business meeting/miniprogram: TBD
Special Events
Oct.–Dec.: “No-Bake” bake sale
Dec. 6 & 7: Used books and holiday decorations sale

Office Phone: 937-832-8538
Email: rths@frontier.com
www. rths.org

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QUARTERLY SUMMARY
JULY 2019: Visitation at the History Center has increased, with five visitors in the past month. The North-
mont Class of 1964 and the Randolph Class of 1959 made the Center part of their reunions. The City of
Englewood repaved History Lane and Valleyview Drive, Cable Brothers mulched the flowerbeds and
trimmed the shrubs around the History Center, and Deeter’s Nursery has planted several pine trees, 12 to 16
feet tall, along the north edge of the front lot. On the downside, Ivan has been unable to persuade Rumpke’s
drivers not to drive over the lawn to get to the apartment house’s dumpster. Doris reiterated that she will not
serve as president next year and urged people to consider taking on the position. Angie Hoschouer said Misti
Spillman, who works with her at Woodland Cemetery, specializes in cemetery restoration and conducts ses-
sions on how to restore old gravestones. Angie urged members to attend Spillman’s classes and suggested the
Holt-Rinehart Cemetery could be worked on this fall. Board members present approved spending $350 for a
photoelectric light to improve visibility and security in the parking lot after dark, and Jim Eidemiller offered
to donate the money to the RTHS. After the meeting, Steve Woolf, Clay Township trustee, administrator of
Jefferson Township, and a member of the board of the Ohio Township Association, spoke about the history
of Randolph Township and townships in general in Ohio.
AUGUST 2019: Eight people visited the Center in the past month. Deeter’s Nursery watered the pine trees
throughout the August heat. The paving on Valleyview altered the water flow, with water running through the
north lawn and eroding the edge of the bluff at the drainage tile. The City of Englewood denied any responsi-
bility for either drainage or a warning sign at the bluff. It would cost the RTHS more than $2,000.00 to have
it done and $432.00 to do it ourselves. Since the paving, drivers on Valleyview are driving faster, but the city
said the current speed limit signs at each end of Valleyview are sufficient and suggested the RTHS could erect
a “SLOW” sign at our own expense or a sign on History Lane. An injury to a Glow Electric worker has de-
layed the lighting of the parking lot. The RTHS booth at the Englewood Festival on July 10 and 11, with
Northmont memorabilia donated by the family of Rick Roberts, was well attended. Robin Perkins notified
the RTHS she will not be able to serve as treasurer next year. After the business meeting, Sinclair librarian
Andrew Walsh presented a miniprogram on “Lost Dayton” and signed books for some members.
SEPTEMBER 2019: The History Center had six visitors during the last month. Ron Papp planted mums in
the flower beds in front, and a new photoelectric light has been installed at the peak of the roof outside to give
light on the parking lot and front door at night. Ivan Clark is still waiting on a third quote on a drain for the
north lawn. The Center needs volunteers to pull weeds around the new shrubs. Possible improvements to be
considered for the future include new heaters in the restrooms and LED lights in the office. The RTHS re-
ceived donations of two display cabinets, and Ivan replaced the wooden shelves in them with glass shelves
and installed lights. They are on either side of the dais at the front of the meeting room. The Center also re-
ceived donations of firefighter hats and equipment, fire-related knickknacks, and toys. The donors suggested
if the items were not suitable for display they could be sold to raise money for the RTHS. Glynn Marsh has
agreed to be nominated for president, and Doris is urging Jack West to be nominated as treasurer. After the
business meeting, Angie Hoschouer offered a miniprogram featuring pictures and explanations of the symbols
on tombstones and funeral customs around the world.

AREA NEWS AND NOTES

The Montgomery County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society is sponsoring its annual
genealogy seminar on Oct. 12 at Christ United Methodist Church, 3440 Shroyer Rd., Kettering. Conducted by
Certified Genealogist Dana Palmer, the workshop will cover such topics as finding burial locations, military
research using fold3, understanding county boundaries that may have changed since the ancestor lived there,
and using residences to find ancestors.
For more information or to register, go to www.mcc.ogs.org.

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THE FAMILY TREE
by Kay Dawson
Genealogy revitalizes history
“Why do your ancestors matter?”
This is difficult for genealogists to explain.
Obviously, you are no better or worse a person for
being descended from a Medal of Honor winner or
a horse thief.
But genealogy remains a fascination for many
of us, and the best explanation is that it puts a face
on historical facts. We learn the facts of the Ameri-
can Revolution or the Civil War, but it’s sometimes
hard to remember that these events were carried out
by real people.
Intellectually, we realize immigrants left rela-
tives behind, but my family has a letter dated 1718
to John King, who settled in Palmer, Massachusetts,
in 1712. His mother wrote from England that she is
glad he is well but “I shall never overcome my grief
. . . that I have but little hope of ever seeing you
again.”
RTHS members enjoyed Scott Trostel’s presen-
tation on the Lincoln Funeral Train, describing how
people in Piqua came to the station at midnight to
pay their respects. But I remember my mother relat-
ing the story she heard from her grandfather telling
how, as a nine-year-old boy, he had been awakened
near midnight, told to dress in his Sunday best, and
walked with his family across farm fields to stand in
a silent crowd beside the tracks as the train passed
west of Piqua.
William Faulkner once said, “The past isn’t
dead. It isn’t even past.” He was referring to the
Southern devotion to the Lost Cause, but when I
stood in Woodland Cemetery, looked at the grave of
my Civil War ancestor, and realized he died only a
few months before my father was born, I realized the
connection with the Civil War is not that far back.
Genealogy also fills us with wonder at the sheer
luck that goes into our existence. My maternal great-
great-grandfather came to the Piqua area to work on
the Miami & Erie Canal and liked the farmland he
saw. Had he stayed in the east, my grandfather
would not have been in a position to move to
Chicago to work, where he met my grandmother.
My grandmother was there because her father in
Germany had reasoned the Chicago Fire of 1871
would offer opportunities for a builder.
There is a genealogy workshop on October 12,
sponsored by the Montgomery County Chapter of
the Ohio Genealogical Society. (See p.2 for details.)
In addition, the Randolph Township Histori-
cal Society is beginning to collect genealogical
materials on the first families who lived in rural
areas and villages within its boundaries. Even-
tually, we hope to have a genealogy focus group
and make our materials available to others for
research purposes.
If you wish to donate copies of genealogical
items in your possession, or are willing to let us
copy your materials, the Society would be happy
to work with you.
We already have some information in our
files on the following families: Beery, Betz,
Brown, Brumbaugh, Cassel, Coppock, Deeter,
Deubner, Dohner, Engle, Ewing, Frantz,
Harbaugh, Hocker, Hoke, Hoover , Horner,
Hoschouer, Inman, Jackson, Jay, Landes, Miller,
Moist, Mote, North, Olinger, Rasor, Robers,
Rinehart, Royer, Seibel, Shaeaffer, Sheets,
Sibert, Spear, Turner, Waler, Warner, Whiting,
and Young.

Membership Report
by Wilma Schroeder
Please check the mailing label on your
newsletter. If 12/19 appears in the upper right
corner, your membership is about to expire.
Unless you renew, the January 2020 issue could
be your last. Memberships run from January to
December, and people joining or renewing be-
tween now and the end of the year will be mem-
bers through December of 2020. While we hate
to discontinue the newsletter to anyone, we
simply can’t afford to keep mailing it to non-
members. If you think the expiration date is
in error, please contact us with the details.

Memberships Processed
July – September
Family: Luke & Jessica Bergman (R)
Individual: Arthur Brumbaugh (R, for 2 years),
Romaine Gilleland (n), Myron Mann (r), Judy
McDowell (r), Patricia Saylor (r).

The Society is fortunate to maintain a
very high membership renewal rate. We con-
tinue to add new members each year, but lose
some of our valued older members to death and
relocation. We value each and every member
and work hard to make the Society a valuable
resource for history in the community.

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ACQUISTIONS
For years, the late Rick “Fireball” Roberts was a teacher at Northmont. Among other duties, he taught
driver’s ed (although whether that brought him credit or blame varied). He was also a coach. Carol Roberts
and the family have donated much of his material to the Historical Society, and it is being catalogued. Some
of it is listed below. If something is not listed, it is not because the RTHS doesn’t appreciate it but just be-
cause it has not been entered in the records yet.
“Northmont Thunderbolts” 1966 football brochure;
10"X12" wood-mounted color picture of 1975
Northmont High school football team with
names;
10"X12½" wood-mounted color picture of 1983
Northmont baseball team, with names;
10"X12½" wood-mounted color picture of 1978
Northmont High School Troy champion
baseball team, with names;
10"X12½" wood-mounted color picture of 1979
Northmont High School MCC champion
baseball team with names;
10"X13" wood-mounted plaque of 1977 Northmont
High School football team;
10"X8" wooden plaque presented to Rick Roberts
when inducted into Northmont High School
Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012;
11"X14" color photo of Northmont 1970 football
varsity team;
11"X14" color picture of Northmont baseball team,
date and names unknown;
11"X14" color picture of Northmont varsity football
team, date and names unknown;
13"X17½" black framed homemade tribute to
Northmont 2001 football state playoffs with
color pictures of football team and
autographs;
1967 SWBL Football and Cross-Country Sports
Banquet handout;
1967 football schedule;
1968 football schedule;
1969 football schedule;
2012 Northmont Athletic Hall of Fame program;
23" long triangular green and white pendant saying
“Ned’s night May 2, 1986” and “Thanks
Ned for 24 great years! 1962–1985”
3"X3" wooden plaque labeled “champion softball
team, 2nd summer session 1962”;
3"X5" black and white photo of Northmont 1979
varsity football team;
3"X5" color snapshot of Northmont baseball team,
date and names unknown;
5"X7" black and white photo of Northmont reserve
cheerleaders, date unknown but name on
separate sheet;
5"X7" black and white photo of Northmont varsity
cheerleaders, date unknown but names on
separate sheet;
5"X8" black and white photo of Northmont baseball
team, date and names unknown;
7"X9" wood-mounted brass plaque saying “Rick
Roberts (The Bolts are Back!) 1989 Varsity
Football”;
8"X10" black & white photo of 1968 Northmont
football reserve team;
8"X10" black and white photo of Northmont football
team, date and names unknown
8"X10" color photo of 1980 Northmont varsity
football team;
8½"X1" green-on-white booklet named “A Night
with Ned,” May 2, 1986;
9"X12" green and white metal plaque with black
and white photo, 1972 Northmont football
SWBL champions, with names;
9½" X 12" wood-mounted plaque of 1980
Northmont High School football team;
Four issues of “The Northmont Spirit” dated Oct. 7
through Dec. 22, 1966;
Seven issues of “The Northmont Spirit” school
newspaper Feb. 17 through Oct. 20 of 1967;
Green Northmont baseball-type cap with front brim;
Handwritten “T-Bolt Song” by seniors of 1972
football team;

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Before planting
RECENT HAPPENINGS AT THE RTHS HISTORY CENTER
Part of being a good neighbor is keeping the property looking nice, and the RTHS has been working
to make sure the History Center is an asset to the area.
Greenery
Last fall the City of Englewood donated the lot north of History Lane to the RTHS. Over the winter,
it looked like what it was: a vacant lot. With the coming of spring, a
member arranged with Deeter’s Nursery to plant eight large pine trees
along the north side of the lot, and an anonymous member generously
donated the payment. The project had to be postponed due to the wet
spring and then due to cleaning
up fallen trees in the area after the
tornadoes.
But last July the Society’s
turn finally came. Over the course
of a few days, the nursery planted
the trees and watered them in the August heat to give them a good start.
The trees not only add to the appearance of the lot but provide a
natural line between the Society’s property and the apartment building
next door and, of course, trees always add to the ecology of the area.
Ivan Clark also arranged with Cable Brothers to mulch and clean the flower beds around the History
Center.
Let There Be Light
The Society has long been concerned with the darkness in front of the building. While during the
winter, meetings are moved to the afternoon to keep members from having to drive after dark, there are still
times when spring or fall meetings run late or someone has to come after dark to do some work, and navi-
gating to and from the front door after dark can be hazardous. And this poses a security problem. While the
Englewood police are very vigilant, after dark the building was invisible from Main Street, and a police of-
ficer or even a casual passerby wouldn’t be able to see anyone causing a problem.
At the July meeting, the board members present voted to have a photoelectric light installed to im-
prove visibility and security in the parking lot after dark. Another member offered to donate the money for
this.
The project had to be postponed when a Chase Electric employee was injured in a motorcycle ac-
cident, but the light was installed in late August, and the building is not only visible at night but safe for
members.
In Memoriam
Lifetime member George Ledford died last January. He joined the RTHS in the summer of 2010 and
soon after upgraded to a life membership. He attended meetings regularly for several years. The Society ex-
tends its sympathy to his sons, Timothy and Gregory, who still live in the area, and to the rest of his family.
The RTHS lost another member when Baxter Schroeder, the History Dog, died last summer. Wilma
Schroeder gave a membership in his name during a membership drive, and Baxter quickly became a welcome
member. He carefully inspected the poodle skirt displayed during the Society’s 1950s program and urged
people to donate to the drive for the new “roof, roof.” An honorary member of the Board of Directors, he
listened carefully to proposals and seemed to approve, even though he lacked a vote. But sadly, an aggressive
form of cancer took him in July.

During planting

After planting

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MINIPROGRAMS
Township
In July Steve Woolf addressed the RTHS about townships in Ohio. Woolf is president of the Clay
Township Board of Trustees, a member of the Ohio Township Association, administrator of Jefferson
Township, and a life-long resident of this area.
Twenty states still use townships, a local jurisdiction beginning with the Puritans. The largest town-
ship in Ohio is Westchester Township in Butler County, with more than 60,000 residents, and the smallest is
Jefferson Township in Guernsey County (not the same township Woolf works in), with a population of only
86 people. Often multiple townships in the state had the same name. At one time there were two Randolph
Townships, but when the Village of Clayton and Randolph Township merged to form the City of Clayton,
only the township in Portage County remained Randolph Township.
Woolf concluded by telling members that townships were important in the history of the area and
praised the RTHS for “keeping the history alive.”
Finding Lost Dayton
In August, Andrew Walsh spoke to the RTHS about “Lost Dayton.” The author of a book by the same
title, the Sinclair research librarian showed photos of areas and buildings in Dayton that have disappeared or
been altered. He was able to take pictures inside the dilapidated penthouse atop the Center City Building, and
he had Sanborn Fire insurance maps showing what used to be located in the Oregon District.
Some of the audience of nearly three dozen people had lived in some of the areas he talked about and
were able to add their own reminiscences to his talks.
Many also bought his book to learn more than he had been able to cover in his talk. A transcription of
his talk will be put in the RTHS archives.
Cemetery Symbolism
After the September business meeting, Angie Hoschouer showed photos of and explained the sym-
bols on tombstones, using pictures of tombstones in Woodland Cemetery in Dayton. For example, an arch
could symbolize victory over death, and a tree trunk could indicate a life cut short. Some tombstones carry
Masonic symbols or other symbols indicating the deceased’s role in life. She had a photo of the tombstone of
the parents of John Aull, appropriately showing a tree. She also explained the Jewish custom of leaving stones
on the grave as originating in the desert, where stones provided extra protection to necessarily shallow graves,
and the custom of leaving coins as commemorating the idea of paying the mythological ferryman Charon to
carry the deceased’s soul across the River Styx to the underworld. The use of the word “urn” for the container
of the ashes left by cremation comes from the Latin verb uri, “to burn.” She also had very intriguing photos of
funeral customs around the world.

HELP THE RANDOLPH TOWNSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY
A few months ago, we received a nice surprise in the mail. One of our members had authorized their
financial planner to issue us a check for $2,000 from their current IRA distribution.
After so many garage sales, antique appraisals, and used-book sales, we are about buzzed out. We
have a handful of worker bees who actively participate, but their ages are between 70 and 85. How will we
raise funds in the future without expending all the physical energy and taking so much time away from our
homes and families? We may have to rely on donations of one sort or another.
We are having our annual “No-Bake Bake Sale” this fall, when, instead of actually baking, members
donate the amount they would have spent baking and buying treats. There are forms on p. 7 for these
donations.
We are also planning a used-book and holiday-decorations sale after Thanksgiving.
Another historical society’s newsletter included a form to facilitate a person’s wish to donate once,
directly from that year’s IRA distribution. The RTHS has created a form for making such a donation to our
History Museum. If you would like to consider that option, phone the office and leave a message and we will
see that you get a copy.
Thank you for helping keep history alive in our tri-city (Clayton, Englewood, and Union) area.

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KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS
PROGRAM
Many RTHS members
provide painless donations by
linking their KrogerPlus card to
the RTHS.
Kroger awards money to
nonprofit organizations regis-
tered with the program. The
money is a percentage of the
total allotted by the company and reflects the
percentage of the total spending by the members of
each organization.
Each year, the RTHS receives hundreds of
dollars through this program, dollars donated by
members who are only buying what they would
normally buy.
If your card is already linked, this will be
noted at the bottom of your receipt. If it is not, you
can go to www.krogercommunityrewards.com on
any computer or call 1‐800‐837‐4483. Enter your
KrogerPlus card number and link the card to RTHS
(NPO #81403). Reports sent to RTHS only show the
customer’s name, KrogerPlus Card number, and the
donation amount.
This is an excellent way to help the RTHS with
no added strain on your budget.

********************************

Membership Information
Yes! I want to become a Member of the Randolph
Township Historical Society.
Date _________________________________________
Name(s) ________________________________________
Address_________________________________________
City/State/Zip ____________________________________
Phone__________________________________________
Email___________________________________________
New ________ Renewal ___________Gift______________
Membership Level (Check One)
_____Individual @$15.00/year
_____Family @ $25.00/year
_____Sustaining @ $35.00/year
_____Sponsoring @$75.00/year
_____Individual Lifetime @ $250.00 (one-time)
_____Corporate @ $150/year
Extra Cash Donation: $________________
Enclosed is my check for ___________________
Total______________
Please send completed form with check to:

Randolph Township Historical Society
RTHS History Center
114 Valleyview Drive
Englewood, OH 45322-1324

“No-Bake” Bake Sale
Name: ___________________________________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Phone: ____________________ Email (optional): _____________________________
I would like to donate to the “No Bake” Bake Sale: $________________

Please send completed form with check to:

Randolph Township Historical Society
RTHS History Center
114 Valleyview Drive
Englewood, OH 45322-1324

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SOME DATES TO REMEMBER REMAINING IN 2019
All events are held at the RTHS History Center, 114 Valleyview Dr., Englewood, Ohio, unless otherwise noted.

Monthly Meetings:
2nd Wednesdays
Oct. 9, 7:00 p.m./
“Cemetery & Gravestone
Restoration,”
by Misti Spillman
Nov. 13, 1:00 p.m.
(note time change)
Dec. 11, 1:00 p.m.

Visitors’ Hours at the
History Center
2–4 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 6 & 20
Open other times by
appointment.
Call (937) 832-8538 and leave
message

Work Sessions:
Wed. and Sat. afternoons
1–4 p.m.

Special Events:
October–December/ “No-Bake
Bake Sale”
Dec. 6 & 7/
Used books and holiday-
decorations sale,
Exhibit:
Rick “Fireball” Roberts and
Northmont sports memorabilia