July 2020 newsletter

July – September 2020
Volume 22, Issue 3

Officers
President:
Angie Hoschouer
Vice–President:
Doug Allen
Recording Secretary:
Kay Dawson
Corresponding Secretary:
Wilma Schroeder
Treasurer:
Jack West
Directors
Cleva Collar
Barb Eller
Bill Gothard
Glynn Marsh
Monty Mercer
Ron Papp
Robin Perkins
Doris West
Office Phone: 937-832-8538
Email: info@rths.com
www. rths.org
T I M E S
Quarterly newsletter of Randolph Township Historical Society and its History Museum
A Note from the President…

The first half of 2020 has certainly tested all of us
in regards to planning, executing and reacting to the
challenges presented during these unprecedented times.
I’m pleased to report that the Historical Society continues
to make good progress with projects and upgrades to our
extremely outdated computer systems and software. At
the time of writing this note, the new website is 98%
complete and will launch in mid-July. Over the years we
have received several collections of negatives and slides
with no equipment to view them. A negative/slide viewer
has been ordered that will allow us to finally view the
negatives and slides and convert them into digital photos.
Additionally, three new display cases have come into the
History Center’s possession and are being utilized to
upgrade our historical displays.
As you can see, while we have made significant
progress, the Society’s needs are still great, and we
continue to reach out to all for support. The pandemic
has all but stopped visitors and thus our donations are
down for the year. On a positive note, we recently received
a generous donation of $5,500 from the Northcreek
Homeowners Association. When the HOA disbanded,
their articles of incorporation stated that any funds left had
to be donated to an organization that promoted the area.
We are grateful to have received this unexpected donation
and thanks to the generosity of organizations like this and
individuals like you, it gives us the opportunity to continue
to further our mission and keep the history of Randolph
Township alive. I humbly request that you consider the
Randolph Township Historical Society for an additional
gift to assist us during the effects of the pandemic.

Take care and be well,
Angie

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the History Center has been closed to the
general public since March. There will not be a regular meeting in July or August. We hope to
resume normal monthly meetings in September. Additionally, the History Center will remain
closed to the general public until further notice. Visitors may request to visit by appointment
only. Please call 937-832-8538 and leave a message so we may return your call. We thank
you for your patience and understanding.

Two shelving units in the
basement allow for better
display of tools and implements.

The display case in the upstairs
foyer is filled with fireman
collectibles. These items are
available individually or we will
sell the collection as a whole
and will consider a reasonable
offer. If you are interested in
these items, please call us at
937-832-8538 and leave a
message.

MEMBERSHIP REPORT
Since the shutdown in March, there have been 8 renewals and 1 new membership. Thank you,
Norman and Gayle Danes, James and Donna Hendrickson, Dane and Priscilla Mutter and Don
and Karen Sodders for your renewal of your Family Membership. We also would like to thank
Shirley Frick, David Hoke, Nancy Smith and Judith Wick for renewal of their Individual
Memberships and to Keith Radick for becoming a new Individual member.

It is with great sadness to report the death of Christina Haas who died on April 25, 2020. She
had been a Lifetime member since 2003. She lived in Nyack, New York and visited the History
Center whenever she was in the area. We send our heartfelt condolences to her family and
friends.
HISTORY CENTER HAPPENINGS

Randolph Township Historical Society Please make your check payable to:
RTHS History Center Randolph Township Historical Society
114 Valleyview Drive Return this form with your check.
Englewood, OH 45322-1324 Your gift is a tax-deductible donation to a
501(c)3 public charity.

Membership Level

_____ $15 Individual _____ $35 Sustaining _____ $250 Individual Lifetime
(one-time payment)

_____ $25 Family _____ $75 Sponsoring _____ $150 Corporate/Business

_____ $________ Other

Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms. ___________________________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip ________________________________________________________________
Phone (H) ____________________ (W) ___________________ (C) ____________________
Email Address _______________________________________________________________

Mail your gift to Randolph Township History Center, 114 Valleyview Dr., Englewood, OH 45322-1324

COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM
The Kroger Community Rewards program is an easy way to support the
Society when you do your everyday shopping. To enroll in this program,
register online at www.krogercommunityrewards.com. It is always a good
idea to check in on their website to make sure you are still enrolled in the
program and that your donations are slated for Randolph Township
Historical Society. Our organization number is DC576.

FALL MEETING SCHEDULE
We are hopeful to hold a regular monthly meeting beginning in September.
The fall monthly meeting schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, September 9 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 14 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 1 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 9 1:00 p.m.

Frantz farmhouse, circa 1920. In the photo is Edith Miller. Her parents rented
the house from Mathias Heck who owned the Frantz farm at that time.
You can see this photo and others in the History Center archives.

DIARY NOTES

Mrs. Ollie (Waymire) Guehring was a native of Englewood and wife of Jacob
Guehring. For many years, she lived on Burton Avenue on Main Street just
north of downtown Dayton. Through a generous donation, the Historical
Society received many years of her personal diaries. The story of this
acquisition is related below.

In November 2010, the Society received a call from Elizabeth (Liz) Lowery,
offering to donate a Waymire family bible and some handwritten diaries to our
archives. Many different Waymire’s settled in Randolph and Butler Townships
in the early 1800s, so we jumped at the chance to preserve this part of local
history. Liz’s mother had been a neighbor of the granddaughter of D. W.
(Daniel Webster) Waymire of Butler Township, Montgomery County, Ohio. Upon her death, the
granddaughter left her estate to her neighbors. While they were cleaning out her house, they
came across a large cardboard box of handwritten daily diaries. Liz’s mother saved them from
the dumpster, even though she had no connection to the family. Liz found them a few years
later in her mother’s home, after she had died. Feeling they were of historical importance; Liz
contacted the Historical Society to make the donation.

The family bible shows that D. W. Waymire (born 21 Aug 1839, Butler Twp.) married Amanda
Miller (daughter of Phillip and Elizabeth Miller) in 1863. They had three children: Welby L., Eva
A. and Carrie Olive (Ollie in the diaries). Society members may recall that Welby Waymire
operated a general store in Harrisburg and was serving as postmaster in 1899 when the town’s
name was changed to Englewood.

The thirty-two diaries cover two generations: D. W. Waymire wrote in four of them with his
earliest dated 1867. His diaries talk about seasonal life on the farm such as putting up fences,
plowing, planting, harvesting, maple sugar making, butchering, etc. Waymire was a rather well
to do farmer who hired much of his work done. The family traveled a lot to church meetings,
took farm produce to Dayton for sale, and took excursions to Greenville and “the reservoir”
(a.k.a. Grand Lake St. Mary’s). He mentions going to Harrisburg in 1879 to see the railroad
tracks being laid across Christian Herr’s farm. Names of many other local people are
mentioned throughout.

Daughter Ollie completed four diaries before she married: 1894 to 1897. Her diaries, written
while she lived at home, are more descriptive, telling of sleigh rides in winter, making ice
cream, taking singing lessons, etc. Her father took in travelers along the National Road, fed
tramps who stopped at the farmhouse asking for food, attended political rallies, and went to
see Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in Dayton. Ollie wrote her later diaries after she married
Jacob Geuhring. She lists all the people who attended her wedding and the gifts they brought.
During her married life, Ollie and Jacob lived in Englewood and also in Dayton. Her husband
taught school in the early years and Ollie continued to make and churn butter for resale in the
‘burg (Harrisburg, perhaps in Welby’s store) and in Dayton.

The diaries end in 1954 with Ollie’s daughter’s entry “Mother died today.”

It’s 1920 and Ollie writes in her diary:

July 8: Cloudy and cool and rained in the P.M. I went to town this morning. Got a pair of shoes,
paid 4.95 and a couple of gingham dresses for Margaret. Went out to the L.A.S. with Mrs.
Hoffman. Mrs. Ira Mumma, Mrs. Harley and Esther went with us. Coming home, we ran over a
little Neilson boy, six years old. A terrible time. Jake came up after us.

July 9: Clear and cool. I cleaned up a little [but] did not feel like it on account of being so
nervous from the accident.

The accident that happened on July 8, 1920 surely was tragic for the ladies and more so for
the Neilson family. A quick search of the Dayton newspapers at the time relates the following
story.

Articles and headlines
taken from:
The Dayton Herald
Friday, July 8, 1920.

Visit our Facebook page
to see a daily posting of
newspaper articles relating
to Salem (Clayton), Union,
Harrisburg (Englewood)
and the other smaller
communities in the
township and surrounding
area.