This and that on history and current events

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Arcanum Military Banner Project Phase II: The Arcanum City Administration has announced that that they will allow 10 additional poles for the installation of banners for our veterans for 2021. That means that we will be able to hang an additional 20 banners. Organizer state that they had at least 10 people promised from last year so if you have a veteran and want a banner, please go to Arcanum branch of Greenville National Bank, and pick up an application. Sue Besecker is serving as the organizer for this project, her phone number is on the application if you have questions.

Ever heard of Buzzard’s Glory school house? You are probably wondering “what is that or where is that?” Well for those unfamiliar, Buzzards Glory is the name of a little one-room brick schoolhouse at the corner of Grubbs-Rex Road and Red River West Grove intersection in Monroe Township in Darke County, Ohio. The little building has seen better days but despite its appearance, it was the center of learning for many children back, guessing 1870 or 1880s thru maybe at least 1920s. Building dates and/or closing dates are unknown for sure but it is known that Monroe School on Oakes Road east of Pitsburg or Arnettsville at the time was built mid 1920s. From that date all children probably went to the “new” school and most small one-room schools eventually closed. From the little souvenir programs through the years there are names of some of the students who would have lived in the area. Actually, the little area was called “Buzzards Glory” from old newspaper accounts. Sometimes the only info we have or know are from these few articles. Schools went by a numbering system on plat maps and often it was difficult to determine the name of the school versus the number on map. It helped to find notes in old township minutes about the schoolhouses. Many Bakers, Seases, Swanks, Ditmers, Arnetts attended here along with many other names including Fourman, Longenecker and Kress. Thank you to Annette (Sease) Stewart for this information. She shared this info with me after writing about her Sease-Baker family history, and some booklets thru Darke County Genealogical Society as well as photos from the book “One and Two Room School Houses of Darke County, Ohio” by Toni Seiler. The Arcanum Wayne Trail Historical Society has some donated photos and the book by Bernice Campbell as well about old schoolhouses in their library.

Do you remember Ted Martin, the painter under the grandstand at The Darke County Fair? His daughter, Carol (Martin) Price shared this story as well with the Arcanum Wayne Trail Historical Society when some of his paintings were asked to be identified. Carol shared that her dad, Ted Martin, was a watch, clock, and jewelry maker by trade. He was also an inventor, carpenter, concessionaire, and a jack of all trades so to speak. Ted first started at the Darke County fair in 1958 in a tent where he engraved aluminum jewelry which was popular at the time. Just a few years later in 1964, he had started a booth under the grandstand where he sold his paintings and painted landscapes for fairgoers while you watched and waited. He painted with oils on upson board for many years. He made the frames while Carol’s mom, Helen (Henninger), stained then finished them with polyurethane. Carol recalls that she and her sister Diane would also help in any way they could. Carol recalls her dad taking seven lessons from a man who also painted pictures at fairs. He went to Portsmouth, Ohio, and stayed with this man for a week.

She also states that her dad had a shop in the upstairs of their house which was across the alley from the laundromat. Ted had several jewelry stores, the last one in Versailles in the 70s. In 1981, he had not been feeling well in the spring and summer, so he was not able to get any pictures painted up for the fair. He asked his family to put something in the booth at the fair to hold the spot for him until the next year. Carol and her husband, Terry Price and her sister Diane decided to put in a lemonade shakeup stand since none of them could paint. In the meantime, Ted was diagnosed with lung cancer and died on the first Friday night of the fair that year. The saying “The rest is history” is how Martin’s Lemonade was started at the Darke County Fair. Carol’s mom’s name was Helen Henninger, she graduated from Arcanum in 1940. Ted Martin was from Bradford. You can read more about Martin’s Lemonade Shakeup Stands at martinsconcession.com

HAPPY 2021 from Historic Bear’s Mill! They are excited to say they have resumed business hours at Bear’s Mill beginning Thursday, Jan. 7 at 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. They will be open Thursdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. Your patience and understanding over the last few weeks have been very much appreciated!

Want to support Arcanum Schools? Make sure you get to Buffalo Wild Wings in Greenville on Jan. 25, 2021, from 4 to 9 p.m.; 15 percent of your total bill will be donated to Arcanum-Butler Schools.

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By Vickie Rhodehamel

Arcanum News for the week of January 11, 2021

Vickie Rhodehamel is a volunteer citizen columnist, who serves The Daily Advocate readers weekly with her Arcanum community column. She can be reached by calling 937-692-6188, by e-mail at [email protected]. Viewpoints expressed in the article are the work of the author. The Daily Advocate does not endorse these viewpoints or the independent activities of the author.

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