October 2020 newsletter

October – December 2020
Volume 22, Issue 4

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
T I M E S
Quarterly newsletter of Randolph Township Historical Society and its History Museum
A Note from the President…

How are you doing? I h ope you are taking good care of
yourselves and your families. It’s amazing what you miss,
and I miss seeing all of you who regularly attend the
Society’s monthly meetings. Our last meeting was just as the
pandemic was taking hold and now it’s been seven mo nths
without a meeting. Please know that while we have not met
in person, work is still being done at the History Center and
with the Society.

I am happy to announce that the Historical Society has
hired an Executive Director to lead us into th e future at the
History Center. Misti Spillman comes to us with an
abundance of experience in museum, records and archives,
and preservation management. The timing was right and
thanks to a generous benefactor, we have secured Misti on
a part-time basis. Look for a full announcement elsewhere in
this newsletter.

Lastly, I want to thank everyone for sending in their ballots
for the election of officers and board members. I will make
the announcement of the election results in the January
newsletter. I also want to thank everyone who renewed their
membership or made an additional donation in 2020. Your
support is important now more than ever. And I also want to
thank Boord -Henne Insurance Agency and Wagoner Power
Equipment, both located in Englewo od, for their new
corporate memberships. I hope you will call on, visit a nd
support these new members and thank them for their support
of the Historical Society and the History Center.

Take care. Be well. Stay safe,
Angie

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

RTHS Announces New Executive Director

The Randolph Township Historical Society is happy to announce that
Misti Spillman has been hired as its new executive director as of October
1, 2020.
Misti first became interested in history in the sixth grade. “My sixth –
grade teacher taught us about ancient Egypt and when Dr. Robert
Ballard found the wreck site of the R.M.S Titanic. I was hooked from th at
moment and my interest in history continued to grow ,” she stated. Misti
received her bachelor’s degree in archaeology from the University of
Evansville in Indiana and a master’s degree in public history from Wright State University. She
also completed historical studies abroad at Harlaxton College in England.
“I really love historic house museums and historical societies. They offer more authentic
and intimate experiences and a glimpse of real history. They provide an opportunity to learn
about local history whether someone is visiting or researching their family history. I am really
thrilled about this opportunity and to work with the board of directors at Randolp h Township
Historical Society.”
Misti grew up in Jackson Center in Shelby County and for the past five years she was the
executive director for the Preble County Historical Society. Before moving back to Dayton, she
served as education director of The Castle Historic House Museum in Marietta, Ohio, and at
the Ohio History Connection as an AmeriCorps member. She also served as assistant archivist
at Dawes Arboretum in Newark, Ohio after graduating from Wright State University.
In her spare time, Misti volunteers at Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum. She is also the
business owner of Reviving Cemeteries, LLC. She has been restoring cemeteries and con-
ducting workshops since 2011. Misti lived in Englewood for four years and now resides in West
Milton with her fiancé and two rescue dogs, Alli and Zoei.

ACQUISTIONS
From Thomas Apple: Randolph Yearbooks-1953, 1954, 1955 and 1958 ; Northmont Jr. High
School Yearbook-1960.
From Wilma Schroeder: Randolph Reunion Booklet, 50 years: 1953-2003
From Larry Crowell: Tac hammer and screwdrivers from Methard Sawmill, phone book cover
showing Englewood and Union businesses (1976-1981).
From Mary Geiger: Randolph Township Montgomery County, Ohio 1850 census schedule.
From Cleva Collar: 8×10 color picture of 1980 Northmont marching band on tour in Orlando,
FL; three 3.5×5 color pictures of Englewood Sesqui centennial Parade in 1991; three 3.5×5
color pictures of Balloon Rally held at Englewood Park; three 3.5×5 color pictures of covered
wagon caravan going across Englewood Dam; four 3.5×5 color pictures of Carson & Barnes
Circus Parade in 1991 and one 4×6 co lor picture of the first annual Englewood Arts Festival
held in 1979.

HISTORY CENTER HAPPENINGS

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 a t 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.

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

Membership Level

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

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

_____ $________ Other

Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms. ___________________________________________________________
Birthdate(s) ___________________________________ □ I/We wish to remain anonymous
Business Name ______________________________________________________________
(for Corporate Memberships only)
Address ___________________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip ________________________________________________________________
Phone (H) ____________________ (W) ___________________ (C) ____________________
Email Address _______________________________________________________________

Your gift is a tax-deductible donation to a 501(c)3 public charity.

“A city without public hospitals would be a city without that element of sympathy
and mercy which enters into the progress and betterment of civic life.”
From the Dayton Daily News, Sunday, November 25, 1923.

Membership Report* – Thank you to our new, renewing and upgrading members.

Cathy Allison Clifford Humphrey Ron and MaryAnn White
David Brust Chris and Jaime Klein Boord-Henne Insurance Agency
Sally Carles Myron Mann Carra Builders Corporation
Cleva Collar Gloria Mumma City of Clayton
Kathleen Dawson Dane and Priscilla Mutter City of Englewood
Larry Drewson Ronald L. Papp Kindred Funeral Home
Thomas Eastridge Inge Pierce Landes Fresh Meats, Inc.
Judy Hodges Paul Saylor Wagoner Power Equipment
David Hoke Charles and Phyllis Sheets * as of October 10, 2020

In Memoriam

Betty S. Terry, a life member since 2004 and former council member for the City of Union died
in July.
Robert Eugene Hine died in August. Bob owned Hine’s Har dware in Union for more than 45
years. He was a former Randolph Township Trustee and Northmont Rotarian.
Life member Richard “Dick” E. Weimer died in September. He served on the Board of
Directors of the RTHS, past president of Miami Valley Genealogical Society and past president
of the Northmont Lions Club. He was the past Ohio Deputy Governor, Ohio Vice Governor and
Ohio Governor of the Lions Club.
The society extends its most sincere condolences to their families.

About the Stillwater Sanatorium

Stillwater Sanatorium opened on April 25, 1918. The park-like
grounds included five buildings connected by covered walkways and
wooden bridges. The buildings included an infirmary, children’s unit,
ambulatory care unit, dining hall and auditorium. The facility was
funded jointly by Montgomery and Preble Counties. The focus on the
sanatorium was to serve the needs of tuberculosis patients and the
institution proclaimed being state-of-the art in design and equipment.

In 1936, when another levy was on the ballot to fund the
construction and equipment of a 100-bed addition, the Sanatorium was presented to the
community this way:

“1) To give care and intelligent treatment of tuberculosis people.
2) To give isolation of communicable cases of tuberculosis to protect others from
contracting the disease.
3) To educate the tuberculosis patient to the end that the needs to not be a menace to
those whom he comes into contact.

The time to treat tuberculosis is just as soon as it is discovered; under favorable conditions
90 per cent of early cases can be cured, but only a small percentage of far advanced cases
can be saved.”

Sound familiar?

In 1945, a study by the Health Council of the
Council of Social Agencies under the leadership of
Dr. Bert D. Krug states that there were 599 known
active cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in the city
and county. In addition, there were 1,495 families
with a total of more than 5,400 persons who were
being treated by the tuberculosis health nursing
staffs.

During the time of its operation, the sanatorium created an occupational therapy program.
They kept patients busy with arts and crafts while they recovered. The men did leather working
and created wallets, belts, handbags and book marks. The women focused on sewing, knitting
and oil painting. All of these activities were done in their beds to prevent any strenuous form of
activity. The program grew at a rapid pace and they hired a full-time therapist, Irene Neher,
who received her training at Ohio State University. The sanatorium also had a circulating
library with over a thousand volumes. By keeping the patients busy, this helped their morale
while recovering from tuberculosis.

Due to advancements in the treatment of tuberculosis in the 1960s, beds were beginning to
become unoccupied. In 1968, Stillwater redirected its focus to the emerging unmet long-term
care needs of the community. In that year, 12 children from the community with intellectual and
developmental disabilities were moved to the Stillwater Health Center due to the State's
closing of a private boarding home. In 1976, a license was approved to operate the Children's
Building as a specialized care facility. The children were permanently placed in Stillwater's
Githens Hall, a thirty-room, red brick building that was constructed in 1949.

In 1989, a decision was rendered by the Montgomery
County Commissioners to provide services for individuals with
severe to profound developmental disabilities. The main
facility was renamed The Stillwater Center on May 9, 1990.
Construction of the current facility began in the spring of 2000
and opened in 2003. Today, the center houses 106 beds, with
a 30-bed main facility, two 8-bed homes and five 12-bed
homes. The homes were designed specifically for the resident
population and their needs. The Stillwater Center is located at
8100 N. Main Street.

2021 Monthly Meeting Schedule

January 13 May 12 September 8 Meetings are at February 10 June 9 October 13 7 PM Apr to Oct
March 10 July 14 November 10 1 PM Nov to Mar
April 14 August 11 December 8