The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-06-12
CENTENNIAL OF OHIO.
Plans Of celebrationto Be Held
ct Chillicothe.
"oLD HOME WEEK. FOR oHIoAHs.

AratiOn to he Primarily One of
torical Exhibition One OF the Fea-
lures.
The third week OF May is to be a
sort OF '.old home week" for Ohioans
scattered all over the Union-and there
are over a million of them-for that
lie the date which has been set for
the celebration Of the one hundredth
anniversary of the admission Of Ohio
to statehood, and there will be a great
home gathering Of Ohioans to witness
1t and participate In 1t, says the Chilli
cothe correspondent of the Washington
Post. The formal celebration will be
compressed into two days-Wednesday
and Thursday, the Goth and 21st-but
various adjuncts have been planned.
extending into adjacent days.
The celebration Is to take place In
the quiet, staid town Of Chillicothe,
Nesting in the wide Scioto valley,
which the Indians used to call ''the gar
den Of the world" for 1t is there that
liz SLdlC was UOlA dAlA ctAu6SlSA IL
ward through the first years of it's ex-
istence. 1t was this little town which
u hundred years ago vas the capital Of
all that vast northwestern territory
lying between the Ohio and the Mis-
sissippi. Here General Arthur st.
Clair, honest, indomitable and most
irascible gentleman. imposed his edicts
- xvoxvnvs,n,s ~ fnn foS,yifnru md tho
house In which he dwelt Is still stand
ing. Here he engaged in that fierce
battle against Massie, Worthington and
Tifin. the advocates Of statehood.
which eliminated. in November. 1902,
in a mob assaulting his house d night
and compelling him to fee by the back
way. It was In Chillicothe, on the Goth
day Of November Of that year, that the
first state constitution was adopted,
and, finally. it was there that the first
state legislature went into session on
the LIST day OF March, 1909. @
With all these points in it's favor 1t
was inevitable that Chillicothe should
be selected as the most fitting place to
hold the great celebration, prepare
lions for which have been in progress
for many months. Last fall the state
legislature appropriated $4,000 as the
states share toward the expenses of
the celebration and authorized Govern
or Nash to appoint a commission to
take charge Of it. The governor at
once appointed the following men to
serve in that capacity: General J..
Warren Keifer Of Springfield, Rush r.
Sloane Of Sandusky, B. r. Cowan of
Cincinnati. 0. S. Gray of Columbus,
James Barnett Of Cleveland. G. NJ. An
derson OF Greenville and Robert M.
Manly of Chillicothe.
The State Historical and Archaeolog-
ical society appointed a centennial
commission to act in conjunction with
these men. and the two committees
went to work at onc arranging the
programme. 1T was decided that the
celebration must be primarily a speak
ing one. and orators Of national repu-
tation were invited to be present. Flo
the band music it was decided that ST.
900 should be set aside. As there was
no auditorium in Chillicothe capable Of
seating the crowds who would be pres
ent it was decided to erect in the city
park a temporary structure capable OF
seating from 5000 to 6.OOO people. and
the great portion Of the celebration
will be held there.
Another feature which impressed It
self upon every one as appropriate to
the occasion was an archaeological and
historical exhibition, and this was
placed in the hands of Mr.. William B.
Mills, one of the most enthusiastic col
lectOrs in the state. and Mr.. Gerald
Foulke, the noted arch;polOgist. A lib
eral appropriation was made for this,
which will be held in Memorial hall.
Ohio. and more particularly Ross coun-
ty, has long been esteemed a veritab!e
treasure house of Indian and mound
builder relics, and here will be gather
ed together all these treasures. There
will also be a large department de
voted to portraits. manuscripts and
other things of interest connected will
the history Of the state.
The addresses will form a consecu'
tive series. which will give more fully
and accurately than eve before the
history Of Ohio and the Northwest
Territory from the moment the French
sailed down the Belle Riviere to the
present time. The entire series will be
gathered together and published in 9
handsome volume by the State His
torical society.
The principal streets will be made
into courts OF honor, with elaborate
arches and Venetian masts, ablazt
with color by day and a-gleam witt
light by night. The public buildings
will be outlined with electric lights
and every private building in the city
will be draped with flags. banners m
bunting.
It has already been stated that thu