Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-05-16
OHIO'S CENTENNIAL.
Plans for Celebration the Third
Week in May.
Chi|Iicothe, the Old Capital, Will Pe
the Place.
AzLezygs~~
Will be Old Home Week for the Scat
tered Ohioans.


million of them-for that is 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 great home gathering
of OhioanS to witness 1t and participate
in it. 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, and the
program will provide for a celebration
worthy in every way of the event which
it is to commemorate.
The celebration is to take place in
this quiet, staid old town of ChillicOthe,
Nesting in the wide Scioto Valley
which the Indians used to call the
garden of the world" for it is here that
the state was born and struggled up
ward through the first years of it's ex-
istence. Ii was this little town which,
a hundred years ago, was the capital
of all that vast Northwest Territory
lying between the Ohio and the Mis-
sissippi. Here General Arthur ST. Clair
honest, indomitable and most irascible
gentleman, imposed his edicts as gov
ernor of the territory, and the house
in which he dwelt is still standing.
Here he engaged in that fierce battle
against Massie, Worthington and Tiffin,
the advocates of statehood, which Gull
minated, in November, 1902, in a mob
assaulting his house one night and
compelling him to flee by the back way.
1t was here, on the 29th day of No
vember of that year, that the first state
constitution was adopted; and, finally,
it was here that the first stae legisla-
ture went into session on the first day
of March, 1903.
With all these points in it's favor, it
was inevitable that Chillicothe should
be selected as the most fitting place to
hold the great celebration, preparations
for which have been in progress for
many months. Last fall the state Leg
islature appropriated $4,000 as the
states share toward the expenses Of
the celebration, and authorized Gov
ernor Nash to appoint a commission to
take charge of it. The governor at
once appointed the following men to
serve in that capacity: General ].
Warren keifer, of Springfield; Rush
B. Sloan of Sandusky; 3. r. Cowan, Of
Cincnnati; o. S. Gray of Columbus;
James Barnett of Cleveland; c. M. An
derson, of Greenville, and Robert M.
Manly, of Chillicothe. Mr.. Manly, by
the way, is a great grandson of Ed
ward Tiffin the first governor of the
state.
The State Historical and Archaeo-
logical Society appointed a centennial
commission to act in conjunction with
these men, and the two committees
went to work at once arranging the
program. 1t was decided that the pro-
gram must be primarily a speaking
one, and orators of national reputation
were invited to be present. For the
band music it was decided that $1,000
should be set aside. AS there was no
auditorium in Chillicothe capable of
seating the crowds which would be
present, it was decided to erect in the
city part a temporary structure cap
able of seating from five thousand to
Six thousand 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
collectors in the state, and Mr.. Gerard
Foulke, the noted archaeologist. A
liberal appropriation was made for
this, which will be held in Memorial
hall. Ohio, and more particularly
Ross county, has long been esteemed
veritable treasure house of Indian
and mound builder relics, and here
will be gathered together all these
treasures. There will also be a large
department devoted to portraits, man.
uscripts and other things of interest
connected with the history of the state
The addresses will form consecutive
series, which will give more fully and
accurately than ever before the history
of Ohio and the Northwest Territory
from the moment the French sailed
down the Belle Riviere to the present
time. With this end in view, the fol-
lowing subjects have been assigned
and accepted by the speakers given:
THE Date of the Organization Of
Ohio and the Great Seal of the State"
Judge Rush r. Sloane of Sandusky
"Ohio in the American Revolution"
Hon. Z. o Randall of Columbus.
"Ohio in the United States Senate"
Hon. J. b. Foraker.
"Ohio in the National House of Rep
| resentatives," Hon. c. II Grosvenor of
Athens.
1.-THE Governors of Ohio Under the
First Constitution" Hon. @. Meade
Massie of Chillicothe.
1.-THE Governors of Ohio Under the
| Second Constitution" Hon. James Kill
bourne of Columbus.
1.-THE Military History of Ohio, In
Guiding the Navy of 1872" General T.
II. Anderson of Springfield.
"The Military History of Ohio Since
the War of 1872" General ]. Warren
Keifer of Springfield.
1.-THE Judiciary of Ohio" Judge Moses
M. Granger of Toledo.
"The Public Schools of Ohio" State
Commissioner L. D. Bonebrake of Co.
lumbus.
1.-THE Universities of Ohio" Hon. NJ.
O. Thompson, president of Ohio State
University
"Ohio in the Navy" Hon. Murat Hal
stead of New York.
1.-THE chronological History of Ohio"
General B. R. CoWan of Cincinnati.