Construction project, continued progress discussed at annual HCHS meeting

Highland County Historical Society members discussed ongoing construction at the Highland House Museum, announced the reestablishment of the society’s Hall of Fame and elected five trustees at their annual meeting.

The meeting, held Monday night at the Highland County Administration Building, was also one of gratitude, as the society’s board members and director, volunteers, contributors and contractors were thanked many times throughout the evening.

Highland County Historical Society President Arlene Huffman presided over the meeting. Secretary Paulette Donley also read the minutes of the 2014 annual meeting, which were approved as presented.

Highland House Museum Director Vicki Knauff updated members on all the events the society organized or participated in since last year’s annual meeting, including hosting a Christmas Open House, St. Patrick’s Day Brunch, two teas with Girl Scout troops, a 50th anniversary reception, a ghost walk and the annual Log Cabin Cookout. Society members participated in the Festival of the Bells parade, the Amazing Race of Highland County and the Veterans Appreciation Night, among other local activities.

The Highland House Museum also has held several exhibits this year, including Girl Scout memorabilia, antique shaving mugs and the current Highland County Sheriff’s Office exhibit, as well as opening a medical professions room in the museum. Visitors from over a dozen states and throughout Ohio have visited the museum in the past year, Knauff said.

The Society received commemorative resolutions from the Highland County commissioners, Rep. Brad Wenstrup, Rep. Cliff Rosenberger, Sen. Bob Peterson, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine in honor of the society’s 50th anniversary, according to Knauff. The resolutions were displayed in the meeting room Monday evening for members to view.

Knauff also announced that over $1,300 was raised from a raffle for a quilt made and donated by Jeanette Knauff, with proceeds going to the Capital Campaign.

The Museum also has implemented PastPerfect software to catalog each item in the museum, which board chair Pamela Nickell told members was donated to the society. Knauff said they began cataloging items in July.

“We’ve completed about 400,” Knauff said. “We have about 3,600 to go. That is primarily just objects we have. That does not include clothing or textiles.

“We hope to have the rest of the items cataloged by next July 20, and it’ll probably take another year to catalog all the other items.”

Knauff thanked all of the volunteers who have assisted at the museum in the past year as well as encouraging others to volunteer.

“I extend a personal invitation to you to help us preserve, protect and promote the history of Highland County,” Knauff said.

Knauff also announced that the Society is restarting its Hall of Fame. Leland Pennington, chair of the Hall of Fame committee, spoke about the process.

Pennington said the Hall of Fame is designed “to honor and celebrate citizens, or natives, of Highland County who have made invaluable contributions to Highland County and/or the world beyond.”

“I was involved with it with Jean Wallis, back in the ’80s,” Pennington said. “It’s been inactive since the late ’80s, so we have gotten it back together.”

Pennington said the committee, which also includes Kati Burwinkel, John Glaze, Knauff and Jean Wallis, designed a nomination form and qualifications.

“We were amazed about how many people who weren’t in the Hall of Fame that should be,” Pennington said.

The four categories for the Hall of Fame are arts and entertainment, enterprise, sports and leadership, with eight requirements listed on the form, Pennington said.

Hall of Fame forms will be available online or at the Highland House Museum, and the deadline for nominations will be Aug. 1 each year. Those selected will be announced at the annual meeting.

Pennington, Wallis and Burwinkel each announced the following inductees for the 2015 Hall of Fame class:

• Charles Sanford “Sandy” Harsha, who served as owner/co-owner of the Harsha Monument Company; Highland County Historical Society board member, vice chair, treasurer and Antique Show committee member; Scott House Restoration Committee member and Scott House construction chair; Hillsboro FACT Park and Hillsboro YMCA organizing committee member; Hillsboro City Council member and president; and Hillsboro mayor.

• Caspar Wever Collins, who served in the Army and was stationed at Fort Laramie. Along with his father, Collins recruited other Hillsboro citizens to form the Ohio 11th Volunteer Cavalry. Collins served at Camp Dennison, Ohio as a second lieutenant for three years. Collins was promoted to first lieutenant in May 1865 and was killed in July 1865 at Flat Ridge, Dakota Territories. The city of Casper, Wyo., a fort and a mountain are named for Collins.

“I don’t know why we had never mentioned putting him in the Hall of Fame, because he is a very important person, although he’s been gone for many years,” Wallis said.

• Eliza Jane Trimble Thompson, who was the daughter of Governor Allen Trimble and leader of a local temperance movement that spread throughout Ohio and to 22 other states. Thompson’s actions rekindled the temperance movement and was the inspiration for the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.

An induction ceremony for the Hall of Fame class will be held in the spring, Pennington said.

Nickell played a photo slideshow made by Glaze while discussing the back wall restoration project that had been approved by the membership at the 2014 meeting.

“At this time, I want to mention Brad Tira and Wayne Dance,” Nickell said. “As you look at these pictures, you will see precision work.

“Honestly, any one of us would stand up here and say we cannot thank you enough and say how brilliantly we think you have operated and accomplished our needs.”

Nickell said the contractors are now working to replace some windows at the museum.

Board member Tim Koehl gave a humorous presentation of a “plaque” he made for Dance and Tira to thank them for their work, as he joked that the society’s treasurer Rosemary Ryan vetoed his idea for a brass plaque.

Ryan provided a brief treasurer’s report, stating that the society has approximately $12,000 in the checking account, along with $22,000 in the Capital Campaign account.

“Last year at this time, we had received about $7,000 from the Chaney estate,” Ryan said. “This year, we have managed to stay on our own two feet. The money we have has been generated from the activities, from membership fees and from the dividends that we receive in the investment portfolio.

“We have managed to maintain that balance through our own efforts and not through an estate that was donated to us.”

Ryan thanked Knauff, who she said was hired for a part-time job “but works full time and overtime” to get things accomplished at the museum; the society board members for their volunteer work; and the other volunteers and contributors.

“Without all the volunteers, we would not have a good reason to exist, but we have accomplished a lot in this past year,” Ryan said.

Board member John Kellis also gave an update on the capital campaign and on the construction work at the museum in the finance committee report.

• Through the Capital Campaign pledges, gifts in-hand, a line of credit acquired at Merchants National Bank and an estimated $14,000 gift for the window replacement at the museum, the society has $126,759 in cash and credit available as of Oct. 5.

• Expenses for completed work, including the wall reconstruction, wheelchair-accessible ramp, rebuilding the basement stairs, remodeling (drywall, electric and paint) on the second floor, rear entry door replacement, roof repair, portico roof over the back door and a stone for facing ramp to match foundation, totals $97,759.84.

• Expenses for work still to be completed, including a wheelchair-accessible ramp railing, landscaping, grading of the yard and replacement of west-side windows, is estimated at $23,653.27, for a total of $121,413.11 in repairs for the museum in 2015.

Kellis said that the finance committee will continue to reach out to businesses who have not yet been contacted for the capital campaign.

“We’re going to have to raise $45,000 to pay off that note [at Merchants National Bank] by the end of the year, hopefully,” Kellis said. “We have money in pledges, but those are probably going to come in next year.

“We’d like to raise at least that amount of money, and if we do that, we’re going to have $70 to $80,000 available to do other work at the Scott House, at the Highland House and for other work that we identify.”

Kellis also announced that the finance committee transferred their investment account to the Hillsboro Edward Jones office, and that $341,000 is in their investment account at this time.

Five trustees were elected unanimously by the membership of the society. Huffman presented the ballot for the trustee positions:

• Denny Kirk, for an unexpired three-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2016; and

• Justin Harsha, Carolyn Hastings, Steve Holland and Diane Jolitz for three-year terms expiring Dec. 31, 2018.

The membership then voted unanimously to elect Mary Jo Copeland as society president and Nancy Wisecup as society vice-president, both for a one-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2016.

The membership also voted to revise several bylaws, as bylaws committee chair Denny Kirk presented and explained the proposed changes.

“Back in 2013, [the bylaws] had been reorganized and actually came out great, so when we looked at them, it was a tough job to say there was anything wrong,” Kirk said. “We came up with just a few tweaks and adjustments.”

Changes that were approved included:

• Adding discounts at Society-sponsored events to the rights and privileges of society members.

• A change from a calendar year period to a year period for the annual dues and voting.

• Changing the language of the board limitations to allow for more flexibility in unforeseen design problems, or changes, as well as permit and building code requirements.

• A clarification of unclear language in the term expirations of board officers.

• An update to the board/society secretary description to allow the secretary more time to properly prepare and disseminate the minutes.

Following the voting, Knauff surprised three members by honoring them for their work and service to the historical society.

At the 2014 annual meeting, John Glaze was awarded the inaugural Volunteer of the Year honor for the society. Knauff announced that Lana Daniels was the 2015 winner.

“She has volunteered nearly 100 hours this past year,” Knauff said. “She organizes the St. Patty’s Day brunch. She plants flowers and weeds the gardens, she makes plans for the Log Cabin Cookout, she helps Arlene decorate the Highland House for Christmas, and the very last – she bakes delicious cookies.”

Knauff also presented a certificate of appreciation to Nickell for her service as board chair, as her term expires at the end of December.

“She is recognized for superior achievement in leadership, work skills and guidance as society chairman for the years 2014 and 2015,” Knauff said. “During her time in office, she has filled a significant role in the reorganization and has renewed enthusiasm in the board and membership.

“Her creative ideas, inspiration, spirited enthusiasm and well-written 50 news articles have brought a renewed enthusiasm to the public as the society celebrates its 50th anniversary.”

Nickell thanked the society for their support during her tenure.

“My whole life, I’ve believed in keeping my eyes open for opportunities, but I think my eyes were actually closed when this opportunity came out of left field,” Nickell said. “However, I’m so grateful for it. It’s been a very exciting two years.”

Finally, Huffman was honored for her service as society president.

“It was a year filled with many decisions, including a major building improvement project,” Knauff said. “She provided strong leadership throughout the year expressed and shown in many ways. For her tireless effort, the society has a deep appreciation and gives a sincere thank-you for her leadership.”

Huffman said that she is “leaving as president, but I’m still your volunteer.

“I want to thank the society for your support this year,” Huffman said. “Our volunteers, like you’ve been told all meeting long, are just unreal.”

Huffman concluded the meeting by introducing the board of trustees, president and vice-president for 2016.

“This is your new board, and they’re going to be good,” Huffman said. “They work so well together, and they can agree to disagree.”

Copeland also spoke about the board of trustees.

“It’s been an honor to be vice-president,” Copeland said. “I really can’t say how impressed I am with this group of people. They are the hardest-working people I’ve ever seen, especially for the volunteers.

“I just want you to know they’ve really done an outstanding job. They took on a lot of hard decisions, especially with the wall this year, and I just want to say thank you to all of them for all their efforts.”