Sunday, September 19, 2010

Photo


September newsletter

The Historical Association will be participating in German Heritage
Days which will take place Friday evening Sept. 24th and all day
Saturday the 25th. We will have a tent so come in while you are
enjoying the German music and food and see our display and chat
with us. You can also sign up for a free raffle for 2 free dinners for the
Williamsburg Christmas dinners. The drawing will be at 8 pm on Sat.
the 25th. You must be 18 to enter and you don't have to be here to win.

We have 155 reservations for the dinners so if you haven't made one
yet don't wait too long. If you attended before, you have received a
letter. Or call 937-295-2659 for information or if you would like to help
at the dinners or with decorating the museum.

The concrete over the drain running out to the sidewalk on Elm St. has
been deteriorating and will be repaired.

The Hawker family has removed several pieces of furniture that they
had in the museum on loan which leaves us room to make some
changes The pot bellied stove that was donated by Ted and Anita
Barhorst will go into a corner of the dining room. A door will have to
be removed but it is one that is never closed anyway and can be
reused elsewhere.

Anyone who has artifacts in the museum on loan please get in touch with
us. We would like anything that is on loan to be either changed to a
permanent donation or removed.

Jim and Jean Rosengarten took a trip to the Fair at New Boston
which is held by the George Rogers Clark Heritage Association near
Springfield and saw among other things two actors who were doing
recreations of George Rogers Clark and Daniel Boone. This could be
something we could do for the 175th anniversary in 2012 and possibly
involve the Chamber of Commerce and the school.

Jim has also contacted various repositories of historical documents
around the country for the purpose of finding further information
about Peter Loramie, Ft. Loramie's namesake. He and Jean are
planning a trip to Cape Girardeaux, Missouri, the town that Loramie
moved to after he left here.

The Wall of Fame ceremony will be held at the high school gymnasium
at 2 pm, Sunday, Sept. 26. Four will be inducted to join the four from
last year.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Visitor

Kathy Gehring Stickel and her husband visited us on Sept. 4, 2010.
She is the granddaughter of Al Gehring who owned the museum at
one time. She lives in Cincinnati.

Besides owning a restaurant he was an antique dealer. The painting in the dining room upstairs was done by John Clark Gehring, Al Gehring's son and Kathy's father who was a commercial artist. Kathy told us many interesting things about the building and sent us this email after she returned home:

"I came away from Ft. Loramie on Saturday with so much more
than I ever expected, thanks to the kind people I met there. The
two of you especially, (Karen and Catherine) gave me so much time and information.
It is volunteers like you, informed and involved, that make things
work in this world. I was very lucky to have you available and
willing to drop everything just so I could revisit memories. I will be
forever grateful.

As I told you, we went on our little day-trip without expectation
of finding much left from the 1940's. To see the town still so
picturesque, and that the old 'Gehring Tavern' building is on the
corner and well-tended was great. I was further thrilled to find
that it has become the Ft. Loramie Historical Museum. I know
my grandfather would be pleased and proud. I didn't have a
hope of getting inside, but fortune smiled when Maryann, at
the Lake, started making phone calls to find someone who could
do that.

We were amazed at the artifacts your group has collected, the time
and hours spent in the necessary care and fund raising, and the
interest and enthusiasm you both have for the history of the area. Seeing the inside
of the museum/tavern has sent me down memory lane and thoughts
of many good weekends spent in your town and at the lake in my
childhood. Thank you so much for making it all possible."

Kathy

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Updates

The library will be holding a book sale on Sept. 17 & 18 from 9 am to 4 pm at
the youth building at Youth Park in Ft. Loramie. For more information
contact the library at 937-295-3155.

Lake Loramie Harvest festival is Sept. 17, 18, and 19. On the 18th at 2 pm
Bob Huecker will hold a seminar on digital photography at the Lake
Loramie Heritage Museum on SR 362 at the old lake office across from
the swimming beach. It will be free and you do not have to sign up ahead
of time. This will be the last open day for the museum.

The Auglaize County Historical Society is hosting Breweries of the M&E
Canal Thu. Sept 23 at 7 pm in the Lockkeepers House in NB. Jim Kent
will do a powerpoint presentation. It's free and open to the public.