THE OHIO SOCIETY OF NEW YORK.

 

 

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Ohio has borne to the States of the Farther West a similar relation to that of Virginia to the West and Southwest, inasmuch as she has been a great source of emigration. Ohio people and their children largely occupy the land as it stretches on towards the setting sun, and wherever they go illustrate an extraordinary affection for their mother State such as is shown by the emigrants from none other. They do this by the formation of Ohio Societies. Even in California the sons of Ohio, as they look out on the Pacific, have not forgotten to form an Ohio Society. In Kansas there is an association of ex-Ohio soldiers that numbers 10,000 on its muster rolls.

 

But the most singular fact, as showing the tendency of the sons of Ohio to keep alive their youthful memories, is that in the metropolis of the nation they should be the very first to form a State Society.

 

The formation of societies among citizens of different parts of the country and of foreign countries residing in New York city is, however, by no means a novel idea. The New England Society was organized some eighty years ago, the object being to commemorate the landing of the pilgrims, to promote friendship, charity and mutual assistance and for literary purposes. St. Andrew's Society, which is composed of Scotchmen and the sons of Scotchmen who reside in New York, was established in 1756. The Southern Society, composed of former residents of the twelve Southern States; the Holland Society, the Liederkranz, the Arion, St. Patrick and the Canadian Society are all similar organizations, but the Ohio Society of New York is the pioneer State Society of the metropolis. The following interesting history and information is extracted from the first annual report of Secretary Homer Lee, presented to the society November 29, 1888:

 

The first step of which any record can be found toward establishing an Ohio Society was a call printed in the Boston papers on the 25th day of January, 1788 not quite 101 years ago, when eleven delegates met at the Bunch of drapes tavern in Boston and organized by electing Gen. Rufus PUTNAM president and Winthrop SARGENT secretary. This was undoubtedly the first Ohio Society. It was called the "Ohio Company of Associates," and was intended to promote emigration to Ohio and to develop that portion of the national domain then a part of the State of Virginia.

 

The next step taken was at the outbreak of the civil war, when there was formed in the parlors of one of Ohio's fair daughters residing on Murray Hill, New York city, a Society composed mainly of Ohio ladies and gentlemen, which held weekly meetings, and which was afterwards known throughout the land as the Sanitary Fair."

 

The object was to send supplies, clothing, medicines, etc., to the soldiers at the front. A handsome silk and satin banner was made at a cost of some $500, upon which was a beautiful and embroidered coat of-arms of the State of Ohio, to be presented to the bravest Ohio regiment. As might have been expected, there was much rivalry for the possession of this prize, as glowing descriptions of the beautiful souvenir were given by the newspapers of that time. The commanding officers were appealed to, but could not be prevailed upon to decide the question, because, as one officer hut it, "it could not easily be decided which was the bravest where all the regiments by their valor and heroism had covered themselves with glory." At the close of the war the Seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry of Cleveland secured the prize.

 

 

 

Homer Lee Thomas Ewing

Secretary of the Ohio Society of New York President of the Ohio Society of New York.

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The Ohio Soldier's Aid Society was formed about the same time at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, of which Theron R. Butler was elected president and John R. Cecil treasurer. Committees were appointed to assist all the sick and wounded soldiers belonging to Ohio regiments from the Army of the Potomac that could be found in the hospitals of New York and vicinity. Hundreds of disabled Ohio soldiers were sent home transportation free. Over $15,000 were expended in this good work.

 

Upon the occasion of the funeral of the late Hon. Salmon P. CHASE, in 1877, the subject again came up and was warmly discussed by a large number of Ohioans who were residents of New York at that time, but no decisive steps were taken. Several of the gentlemen who were most active are also members of the Ohio Society. Among them were Henry L. BURNETT, Whitelaw REID, S. S. COX, Algernon S. SULLIVAN and others.

 

Some of the younger Ohioans in New York again endeavored to form an Ohio Society in the winter of 1874. Several meetings were held at the Hotel St. Germain, Broadway and Twenty-second street, where they endeavored to put the “Buckeye Club “on its feet. This, also, was but a glimmer. Several of those are likewise among the present members of the Society, viz.: Will. M. HOFFER, Giles N. HOWLETT, Henry C. EHLERS and Homer LEE.

 

Still another and last attempt was the one out, of which the present Society sprang. It was rewarded with better success, however, for when a paper was cir­culated in this city, in 1885, to see whether a dozen "Buckeyes" could be united on this matter, it was found that over, thirty responded, and with such spirit and enthusiasm that there was no longer any doubt that the time had at last arrived for organization.

 

This paper, which is the nucleus of the Ohio Society, has among its signers representatives of all the former attempts (except General PUTNAM’S and is as follows:

"New YORK, October 7th, 1885.­

“We, the undersigned, hereby agree to unite with each other to form an Association to be known as ‘The Ohio Association in New York,’ and to that end will meet at any place designated, for the purpose of completing such organization upon notice given to us whenever twelve persons shall have signed this agree­ment. There is to be no expense incurred until the organization is completed and assented to by each member.

 

 

"C. W. MOULTON, Joseph POOL, Thomas EWING, Homer LEE, Samuel M. SCHWAN, Jay O. MOSS, M. I. SOUTHARD, Anton G. McCOOK, W. Al. SAFFORD, Calvin S. BRICE, J. W. HARMON, J. Q. HOWARD, David F. HARBAUGH, Wm. L. STRONG, Hugh J. JEWETT, Warren HIGLEY, Cyrus BUTLER, Carson LAKE, A. J. C. FOYÉ, Henry L. BURNETT and Wallace C. ANDREWS."

 

Notice was sent to the subscribers of the above paper to meet at the offices of Ewing & Southard 155 Broadway, on the 13th of November, 1885. A majority of the signers being present, Gen. Thomas EWING was elected president, pro tem., and David E. HARBAUGH, secretary, pro tem., The following committee of ten on permanent organization was appointed: C. M. MOULTON, Wm. Perry FOGG, Cyrus BUTLER, J. Q. HOWARD, Mahlon CHANCE, M. I. SOUTHARD, David F. HARBAUGH, War­ren HIGLEY, Calvin S. BRICE, Joseph POOL. On the 20th of the same month another meeting was held at the same place, and this committee was enlarged by the addition of the following names: Carson LAKE, Homer LEE, J. W. HARMON, making a total of thirteen members.

 

At this meeting the committee on permanent organization presented a draft of a proposed constitution and by-laws for the Society, copies of which were printed and distributed among the former residents of Ohio living in New York and vicinity, to see whether the desirable names could be obtained. This call was responded to quickly by over 125 " Buckeyes." A meeting was called promptly by the president pro tem., at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, on the evening of the 13th of January, 1886, at which over one hundred gentlemen were present.

 

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ing. An election was held and the following persons were chosen to be officers of the society: President, Thomas Ewing; Vice-Presidents, Whitelaw REID, Wager SWAYNE, Wm. L. STRONG, Hugh J. JEWETT, Algernon S. SULLIVAN; Secretary Homer LEE; Recording Secretary, Carson LAKE; Treasurer, William Perry FOGG. A Governing Committee was also appointed, as follows: Henry L. BURNETT, chair­man; Calvin S. BRICE, Andrew J. C. FOYE, A. D. JUILLIARD, George FOLLETT, Stephen B. ELKINS, Jerome D. GILLETT, C. W. MOULTON, Joseph POOL.

 

The president and the five vice-presidents were appointed a committee to frame a constitution and code of by-laws for the government of the society.

 

Being without permanent quarters, the society accepted invitations from various hotels whose proprietors were Ohioans. The first regular monthly meet­ing was held on the 1st of February at the Windsor Hotel.

 

The committee appointed presented a draft of constitution and by-laws, which was unanimously adopted.

 

On the 26th of February a special meeting was held at the Gilsey House, when the subject of procuring club rooms was first acted upon. It was decided to lease the floor at 236 Fifth Avenue, which was promptly clone. On the 8th of March, 1886, the second monthly meeting was held at the Grand Central Hotel, when a Committee on History and Art was appointed by the president, as fol­lows: J. Q. HOWARD, Cyrus BUTLER, Wm. Henry SMITH, C. H. APPLEGATE, A. J. RICKOFF, J. Q. A. WARD, J. H. BEARD.

 

A Committee on Entertainment was also appointed, as follows: Thomas EWING, W. C. ANDREWS, R. C. KIMBALL, Win. L. STRONG, Homer LEE, W. L. BROWN, Bernard PETERS, Carson LAKE, Henry L. BURNETT, C. W. MOULTON.

 

At about this time a discussion took place as to the date upon which Ohio was admitted as a State into the Federal Union, with a view of celebrating the anni­versary with a banquet. It was developed that there are no less than seven different dates given by historians for the auspicious event, as follows: April 28, 1802, April 30, 1802, June 30, 1802, November 29, 1802, February 19, 1803, March 1, 1803, and March 3, 1803.

 

The April meeting war held on the 6th day of that month at the Murray Hill Hotel. A satisfactory date as to Ohio’s admission could not be determined upon. A banquet was voted, however, and May 7th was fixed upon as the date; not be­cause that date had anything to do with Ohio's natal day, but as the most con­venient one upon which Delmonico's banqueting hall could be secured.

 

There was inclement weather on the evening of the banquet, but out of the two hundred and twenty-two seats subscribed for, two hundred and twenty members and guests were seated. The banquet was attended by many eminent sons of Ohio from Washington and elsewhere. It was a gratifying success and a fore­runner of further pleasant reunions. The banqueters lingered until a late hour. Few such enthusiastic gatherings have ever graced Delmonico's board.

 

The June and July meetings were devoted to routine business, and it was de­cided to omit the August meeting. At the June meeting, however, the first of a series of papers was read by Mr. J. Q. HOWARD, subject, "An Outline of Ohio History." At the September meeting Mr. J. Q. MITCHELL favored the society in alike manner, the subject being" The Second Settlement of Marietta." At the October meeting Mr. James BEARD delivered an extemporaneous address on Hiram POWERS, the sculptor, replete with interesting reminiscences. At the November meeting Mr. Warren HIGLEY read a paper on “The Second Settlement of Ohio at Cincinnati."

 

At the end of the first year of its existence the society had nearly three hun­dred members on its roll. The following extract from the second annual report of Secretary LEE gives some very interesting facts in regard to the members of the society and their occupation. It is a record of great interests under the con­trol of Ohio men, and is a roll of honor to which the citizens of the State as well as the members of the society can point with laudable pride.

 

The membership of the society numbers 303, of whom 237 are active members and 66 non-resident members.

 

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Among the latter is the Vice-President of the United States, the Chief-Justice of the United States Supreme Court, the Governor of Ohio and two ex-Governors, the Secretary of State and one ex-Secretary, several United States Senators and Members of Congress from Ohio and other States with which they have since become identified.

 

Four of our members are presidents of New York City National Banks. The Western Union Telegraph and the Metropolitan Telephone Companies are both managed and legally advised by other members of the society.

 

The New York Steam Heating Company and the Standard Gas Light Company, both of which occasionally take possession of our streets, are Ohio institutions. The new aqueduct is not only being engineered by Buckeyes, but is also financed largely by Ohio men.

 

The Standard Oil Company, which has representatives in every town between the Atlantic and the Pacific, the Lakes and the Gulf, also came here from Ohio and is largely identified in our society.

 

The Windsor, Murray Hill, Grand Central and the Ashland are among the hostelries controlled by Buckeyes.

 

The Associated Press is managed by one of our members; the New York Tribune, the World, the News, the Daily Graphic and the Brooklyn Times are con­trolled by others.

 

The Erie, the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia, the Housatonic, Lake Erie and Western, New York and New England, Richmond Terminal, Memphis and Charleston and nine other railways are represented here by their directors and managers in this society.

 

The inventors of the two principal electric lighting systems of the United States, Edison and Brush, are Ohio men.

 

ROOMS OF THE SOCIETY, 236 FIFTH AVE., BETWEEN TWENTY-SEVENTH AND TWENTY-EIGHTH STS.

 

OFFICERS FOR 1888.

 

President--Thomas EWING.

Vice-Presidents-Whitelaw REID, George HOADLY, Wager SWAYNE, Charles W. MOULTON, Algernon S. SULLIVAN.

 

Secretary-Homer Lee.

Recording Secretary-William Ford UPSON.

Treasurer-William Perry FOGG.

 

Trustees-Henry L. BURNETT, Andrew J. C. FOYE , George FOLLETT, Joseph POOL, John DICKSON, W. H. ECKERT, Chas. T. WING, Henry K. ENOS, L. C. HOPKINS.

 

Governing Committee (the President, Recording Secretary, and Treasurer, Members ex-officio)-Henry L. BURNETT, Andrew J. C. FOYÉ, Geo. FOLLETT, Joseph Pool, John DICKSON W. H. ECKERT, Chas. T. WING, Henry K. ENOS, L. C. HOPKINS.

 

LIST OF ACTIVE MEMBERS WITH THE FORMER HOME OF EACH IN OHIO TO

JULY, 1888*

 

 

 

LIST OF NON-RESIDENT MEMBER TO JULY, 1888 WITH THE ADDRESS OF EACH

 

 

 

IN MEMORIAM.

 

Died in 1886.—Mr. William Hunter, Mr. J. Monroe Brown.

Died in 1887.—General W. B. Hazen, Mr. Henry De Buss, Mr. George Emerson, Mr. J. M .Edwards

Hon. Algernon S. Sullivan, Gen. Thomas Kilby Smith.

Died in 1888.—Col. Charles W. Moulton, Chief-Justice Morrison R. Waite, Col. Chas T. Wing.

 

 

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*Tables designed by transcriber for ease of reading.