Celebrating Ohio's Bicentennial

Over the Back Fence Magazine | Winter 2002

2003 marks the 200th birthday of Ohio and the entire state is getting ready to celebrate. We hope this preview of some of the events will entice you to become involved in the celebration and take advantage of the great things being planned. We have focused on March kick-off events and special signature events in this piece. But, please be aware that all of Ohio's counties will be hosting special events; check out the Events Calendar at www.ohio200.com for a complete listing. For more information the Ohio Bicentennial Commission can be reached at 888-OHIO-200 or check their website. The Ross county Bicentennial Group can be reached at 15 N. Paint St., Suite 203, Chillicothe, OH 45601 or call 740-779-2003. Their website is: www.chillicothe.com/ ohiobicentennial

History is coming to life throughout Ohio as the fabric of time converges on the year 2003 linking Ohio's gallant past to the unimaginable future of the 21st century. A celebration of Ohio's 200th birthday will take place this coming year awakening Ohio's heritage. Signature events are planned throughout the year and an exciting kick-off begins March 1. Ohio's timeline will be forever marked by the 2003 events, and Ross County will play a pivotal role in this lasting celebration.

Ross County, home of Chillicothe, Ohio's first and third capital, will be the center of attention as it launches Ohio's yearlong Bicentennial Celebration from the Courthouse steps on March 1, 2003. In 1903 the State Centennial celebration filled the streets of Chillicothe with nearly 50,000 spectators witnessing history on its first brick paved streets. Early modes of transportation limited the whole state's participa­tion, but with this new century Ross County will host the entire state in this historic endeavor to reflect pride and accomplishments of Ohio's statehood. Efforts of preservation and restora­tion to Ross County landmarks: Adena, Ross County Historical Heritage Center, and the old Majestic Theatre are lasting legacies that will stand for future generations. Ross County's annual events like, Feast of the Flowering Moon, Ross County Fair, Fall Festival of Leaves and all events in 2003 will be enhanced to reflect the state bicentennial. Throughout 2003 there will be landmark signature events that you won't want to miss.


Statehood Day - March 1, 2003

Statehood Day will reverse history for one special day, as Chillicothe will once again become the Capital of Ohio. All three branches of state government will be in session and conduct business at the Chillicothe Courthouse. This day will host major signature events that will mark the official commencement of the statewide bicentennial celebration.


Statehood Day Prayer Breakfast
Keeping with history, Statehood Day will begin with a Statehood Day Prayer Breakfast (sponsored by Chillicothe Kiwanis and Ross County Ministerial Association) at the Chillicothe High School.   On the historic day of the signing of Ohio's constitution the governing body gathered for breakfast and held prayer. This tradition has held constant for over 35 years each Statehood Day. The breakfast is open to the public and will begin the day's events.


.Adena's State Memorial Grand Re-opening and the new Visitors Center
(See accompanying article)

Statehood Day Public Ceremony
Statehood Day Public Ceremony will exhibit pageantry, speeches and fanfare to announce the statewide bicentennial celebration from the Chillicothe Courthouse steps. This ceremony initiates the official commencement of the bicen­tennial celebration for Ohio.

First Issue Stamp Ceremony
The First Issue Stamp Ceremony will unveil the newest U.S. stamp commemorative issue celebrating Ohio's bicen­tennial. Philatelists from all over the world will be sending mail to Chillicothe in anticipation of March 1, 2003, Statehood Day, when Ohio's Commemorative Bicentennial Stamp will be issued.   "The special commemorative stamp is still being designed for release.  It will portray a rural histor­ical scene of a barn and farm house that is being created from an actual setting in Washington County, Ohio," states, Fred Stratman of the Ohio Bicentennial Commission.   Like all first issues, the stamp will go on sale, but for a limited time. Upon its issue, a special postmark design will cancel the highly collectable envelopes and postcards known as first day issues.

Joint Session of Ohio's General Assembly
An historic gathering of Ohio's General Assembly will take place, as Chillicothe becomes Ohio's Capital again with all three branches of state government officially convening at the Chillicothe Courthouse. The Assembly will witness a short reenactment of Tecumseh's famous address to Ohio's founding government and be visited by its first governor, Edward Tiffin, and founding father, Thomas Worthington. The Assembly session will be a working session that will be broadcasted by jumbo trons (TVs) at the Majestic Theatre and Chillicothe High School auditorium due to the fact the session is closed to the public.

Citizen's National Bank Governor's Ball
Music and time will collide with the vintage steps of waltzes and dancers in costumed regalia at the Historic Governor's Grand Ball (sponsored by Citizens National Bank) the evening of March 1, 2003.  This costumed ball will be highlighted with the Forget-Me-Not Dancers of Cincinnati; a historic dance compsny that performs authentic steps in time period cos­tumes. The dancers will demonstrate with accuracy what was popular 200 years ago and the progression of society through dance.

The Junior League and its supporting members have organized the Historic Governor's Grand Ball and will include local entertainment such as: The Chillicothe Strings Ensemble and The Renaissance Singers.
The Governor's Grand Ball will be held at the Ohio University Shoemaker Center and is a catered event. The sounds of The Arnett Howard Creole Funk Band, who has performed throughout the greater part of Ohio and the world, will be a highlight of the evening. The ball will be a wonderful ending to a full day of events.

Hub Scott Historic Flag Collection
Revolutionary and Civil War battle flags are but a part of the Hub Scott Flag Collection under the care of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). The famous "Gadsden" flag with stern words, "Don't Tread On Me" and even George Washington's battle flag are among the hundred flags that will be on display. A few of these patriotic sym­bols will be carried by the SAR color guard during the Huntington National Bank Bicentennial Parade. Flags will be displayed in Chillicothe starting March 1.

Eirst Capital Village
On March 1st and 2nd Chillicothe will draw back the curtain of time where history re-enactors and artisans will demonstrate society and life through music and old world crafts.  Mirroring the 1800 era, Chillicothe will capture the authentic aspect of how the First Capital may have appeared.   "The festival will take place downtown and at the Yoctangee Park," states Carolyn Ault, Chillicothe's Events Coordinator, "the events will be authentic to the time.   Even the period dress for the re-enactors/artisans is juried to ensure historical accuracy.  We want people to have a taste of what the first capital was like at the state's conception." This signature event will help educate and entertain youth and visitors alike for Statehood Day.

Majestic Theatre Legacy Project — Groundbreaking Ceremony
The grand Majestic Theatre dates back to 1853 and is an archi­tectural and historical jewel for Ross County. The 2003 celebration will mark the Majestic's own sesqui-centennial with the commitment of $1.5 million toward a legacy project of preservation and renovation. The grandeur of its historic ballroom and stage will be restored to near original plans while including elevators and handicap access. A rib­bon cutting ceremony will be held March 1.

Ross County Historical Heritage Center — Groundbreaking and Ribbon Cutting
As a part of the 2003 legacy project for Ross County an estimated $1.5 million has been provided to enhance the current Ross County Historical Heritage Center. A ceremo­nial ribbon cutting to commence this new construction will be conducted on March 1.  The new addition will provide exhibition areas for large one-of-a-kind artifacts such as antique fire equipment, a bandwagon and Chillicothe's only factory-made car, the Logan. An exhibition of Ross County history will be open to the public and will include the Ohio Constitutional Table and the actual working drafts of Thomas Worthington's Enabling Act, which granted Ohio's statehood.

Adena's Revival
The Adena Mansion with its massive stone walls; nearing two feet thick, stands prominently west of Chillicothe overlooking the land­scape of the Great Seal of Ohio. The view has only slightly changed since Thomas Worthington, Father of Ohio's Statehood, constructed it in 1807.

Once known as Mount Prospect Hall, Thomas Worthington (sixth governor and a U.S. senator) later renamed it "Adena", a word of Hebrew origin meaning "pleasant and adaptable."   Adena was a working plantation-style farm that spanned 5,000 acres.  Now only 300 original acres remain with the house saved by the Ohio Historical Society (OHS) and first opened to the public in 1953 dur­ing Ohio's sesquicentennial celebration.

The significance of the home expands far beyond Chillicothe.   It is one of the three remaining buildings designed by America's first architect, Benjamin Henry Latrobe.    Latrobe was an architect of the National Capitol and the White House's North and South porticos in Washington D.C.   The last remaining homes by Latrobe are the 1817 Decatur House across from the White House and the 1811 Pope Villa in Lexington, KY.

"Adena, in 1946, was willed to the Ohio State Historical Society," states Mary Brown, Adena's Historic Site Manager. "Preservation of this Ohio historical and architectural treasure is a legacy to the future of Ohio.  It will be here for the three hundredth birthday."

A massive restoration project to the tune of nearly $7 million with the support of the OHS and state funding will restore Adena to the year 1807. Painstakingly, preserva­tion experts are discov­ering the secrets of Adena's history through paint analysis and exca­vation that has led his­torians to capture the mansion's originality.

Secluded behind Adena is the nearly completed new 12,500-square-foot visitor center that will house the history of Adena and the time period of the region.  This new center will house classrooms, offices and conference space for education and public use. The center will enhance the experience and education of all visi­tors.
Piecing the past through the use of Worthington's diaries, newspaper articles and correspondence, Adena's restoration will include the reconstruction of three terraces yielding 20,000-square-feet of gardens.   Historical garden expert Peter Hatch, of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, has designed this undertaking. The historic splendor of the gardens that once sustained the Worthington family, freed slaves and German indentured servants who tended the land, will again bloom to life.

The Grand Re-opening is scheduled for March. For direct information on times and activities about the re­opening of Adena and the new visitors center contact Mary Anne Brown, at P.O. Box 831, Chillicothe, Ohio 45601, phone: 740-772-1500 or 1-800-319-7248 or go on line to their website at: http://www.ohiohistory.org/places/adena

Huntington National Bank Bicentennial Parade
Ohio's Centennial celebration of 1903 gathered nearly 50 thousand people to view the march of soldiers and bands. The Scioto Gazette stated: "The myriad of lights strung over building fronts, across streets and swung in graceful fes­toons ... a bewildering glare of color and light." The influx of people came by train, carriages and a few by gaso­line-powered automobiles.   Ohio was changing with rapid inventions with the turn of the new century.

The Bicentennial 2003 parade, sponsored by the Huntington National Bank, will be held May 3rd keeping to a thematic historic time period.    "This will be a unique parade for Ohio's history," Paulette Gerz, parade coordinator states, "All of Ohio's 88 counties will be represented.  The parade will not be the usual fire engines and floats. Everything will be in keeping to Ohio's past."

The Bicentennial Parade gives the entire state the chance to participate in Ohio's 200th birthday. Every county com­missioner in Ohio has been invited to submit an element to the parade representing his or her county.

In the 1903 Centennial Parade, the grand marshal was Richard Enderlin, Civil War hero, who during the battle of Gettysburg rescued a wounded comrade just ten feet from the rebel pickets (saving the life of Geotge Nixon from Vinton County, the great-grandfather of President Richard Nixon).  There will be two grand marshals of the Bicentennial Parade, one being Dick Enderlin, the grandson
of the centennial grand marshal Richard Enderlin.  The parade will boast Ohio's heroes from the past and will include the patriotic sounds of the President's Drum and Fife Corps, The Ohio State University Marching Band and various county bands. The thundering hooves of The Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales wagon team (tentative), antique fire engines and carriages will traverse the parade route.

Celebration of Ross County Agriculture August 3-9
In keeping with the Bicentennial celebration an old fash­ion barn-raising event will take place during the Ross County Fair, August 4 through the 10.  This newly com­pleted fair grounds barn will boast Scott Hagan's artistic Bicentennial logo. The barn will be will be Ross County's second bicentennial barn and will house agricultural hands-on agricultural exhibits to educate youth about the state's vital agriculture.

Balloon Regatta August 8-10
Hot air will rise on August 8, 9 and 10th as Chillicothe's first balloon regatta takes place at the Yoctangee Park Annex.   The balloon regatta will begin Friday night with tethered balloon rides offered to the public and a balloon glow.   Saturday there will be a morning and evening ascen­sion and race, followed by another rally of the fifteen colorful balloons Sunday morning.

Arts Appreciation Month September 2003
The full month of September will exhibit Ross County's artistic ability through events at the Majestic Theatre and the Pump House Art Gala and a concert. The RossCounty Historical Heritage Center will exhibit original oil paintings of Chillicothe's founders.

Forging A Legacy Bicentennial Bells
As early as the 5th century BC, bells have become a majestic symbol of histo­ry.  They toll to announce an event; a moment in time, even the word 'clock' is derived from the Dutch word for bell, "klok".   On October 22, 2002, the last of the 88 county bicentennial bells broke from its casting signaling the powerful moment of Ohio's 200th birthday.   "This is a bicentennial for Ohioans, these bells are a gift from the state that will last hundreds of years as historical markers," Scott Graham, Ross County Bicentennial Director, stated.

The Bicentennial Commission's Bell Legacy Project has been ongoing since September 8, 2001, when the first bell casting took place in Marietta, Washington County, Ohio.  Not unlike the painted barns that adorn the countryside mirroring Ohio's agricultural heritage, these bronze bells will symbolize the industrial history and strength of our state. This thematic tribute denotes Ohio being the leading state for metal foundry works in the U.S.

The Bicentennial Bell Project is a first of its kind, unique in all aspects, allowing all counties throughout the state to participate through celebrations for the up-com­ing 200th state birthday.   Utilizing methods developed 400 years ago, the Verdin Company (World's Largest Supplier of Bells, Carillons & Clocks) was selected from Cincinnati to create these gleaming landmark instru­ments.

The fifth generation Verdin Company is Ohio's oldest family-owned manufacturing company, established in 1842. Verdin has developed the first of its kind "foundry on wheels".  The moving foundry is housed upon a large semi-trailer, which safely stages the full foundry process of each bell's creation for the public to view.  Normally, the creation of a factory made bell takes approximately 90 days, but with this unique moving foundry each bell is completed and brought to life within two days.

Verdin's past commissions have included the famed Big- Ben in London and the world's largest bell, The Peace &  Bell, located in Newport, Kentucky.   The Peace Bell weighs 66,000-pound and stands some 12 feet tall and 12 feet wide.

Lach county Bicentennial Bell has initiated youth involvement through education and hands-on participa­tion.    Children pass small ingots, which are added to a dozen bronze ingots (40 pounds each, 80 percent copper and 20 percent tin) and placed in a furnace.    Molten metal is finally ladled from a 2,200-degree furnace and sears forth to fill a 2,200-pound sand-resin mold within a 500 pound steel box called a flask.  All the materials on the moving foundry and vised in the creation of each bell are made in Ohio.

The Path to Statehood: Bicentennial Wagon Train Late June through mid-July 2003
This event along U.S. 40 from Wheeling to Worthington to the Indiana line will pay tribute to settlement of Ohio about the time of Ohio statehood. The Franklin County city of Worthington, a sponsor of the event, turns 200 the same year as Ohio; the wagon tram will be a facsimile of its founders' own voyage to Ohio and representative of settle­ment patterns throughout the Ohio of the 19th century. The wagon train will inch along its route through ten Ohio counties affording participation to dozens of communities.

Inventing Flight: The Centennial Celebration July 3-20 2003
This Montgomery and Green County event will include a series of world-class programs, performances and events to honor the Wright Brothers' globally changing invention of the airplane, including a. hot air balloon festival and a blimp meet. This will be America's premier event celebrating the Wrights and will speak to their Ohio-born accomplishment that revolutionized the world.

Celebration of Lake Erie Heritage: Ohio Bicentennial Tall Ships Challenge July 9-20, 2003
This event will bring to Lake Erie the largest gathering of Tall Ships in Ohio since the 1800s. Ohio's Tall Ship Challenge will encompass all suitable ports along the North Coast and include activities like a reenactment of the Battle of Lake Erie and links to on-shore entertainment. About 25 tall ships will be featured. The ports of Cleveland and Toledo can each accommodate 17-25 ships; each will be the centerpiece of back-to-back weekends.

Celebration of Ohio's River History and America's Steamboat Age: Tall Stacks October 15-19, 2003
Encompassing communities from Marietta westward to Cincinnati, this event will host twenty riverboats from fif­teen cities and eleven states for five days of riverboat cruises and races, on-shore exhibits and activities and non-stop musical entertainment. The event will call attention to the importance of the Ohio River to the state's development.