“History has a vital role in the economic development of our state’s cities and towns,” said Burt Logan, OHS executive director and CEO. “Naturally being the entry point for all things related to Ohio history, the Ohio Historical Society is leading several statewide initiatives that will contribute to local development. These efforts will benefit from trained volunteers working directly in Ohio communities.”

About The Ohio History Service Corps Program
Thanks to a $260,000 grant from the Ohio Community Service Council, one of only three new AmeriCorps grants, the Ohio Historical Society has created the Ohio History Service Corps, a program that will engage AmeriCorps volunteers to educate Ohioans on why history is relevant and how it can be used as an effective economic development tool. Partnering with local history organizations, the Ohio Historical Society will be placing 20 AmeriCorps service members in communities across the state for the next year.

The AmeriCorps volunteers will focus on the continued preservation and promotion of the state’s historic resources to stimulate tourism and economic growth. AmeriCorps members will serve in teams to promote, raise awareness and preserve Ohio’s strong history through educational experiences for community members.

The Ohio History Service Corps program will have three components: Civil War 150 Leadership Corps, Ohio History Tech Corps and Ohio Historic Preservation Corps. Each of these AmeriCorps volunteer groups will help local organizations put history to work in their community.

With the sesquicentennial of the Civil War being observed from 2011-2015, the Ohio Historical Society, in conjunction with the Ohio Association of Historical Societies and Museums, will have the Civil War 150 Leadership Corps assist communities in preparing for the upcoming commemoration. Working with staff of the partner organization, corps members will assist in Civil War-related educational and public programming, special
events, regional initiatives and basic collections care.

Participating partners in the CW150 Leadership Corps include: Wood County Historical Center in Bowling Green; Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont; Oberlin Heritage Center in Oberlin; Youngstown State University in Youngstown; Dennison Depot Railroad Museum in Dennison; Ohio Historical Center in Columbus; Piqua Public Library in Piqua; National Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati; Quaker Heritage Center in Wilmington; Athens County Convention & Visitors Bureau and Athens County Historical Society in Athens.

The goal of the Ohio History Tech Corps is to build capacity for history organizations to develop long-term digitization projects, the process of converting information into a digital format, such as historic photographs, newspapers, maps and even objects, to provide access to users who may never be able to visit a history organization. The program will use the infrastructure created by Ohio Memory, a collaborative digital library that includes 353 historical organizations, libraries and museums. Partner organizations include: Wood County Historical Center; Youngstown State University; Cincinnati Public Library; Ohio Historical Center; Southeast Regional Library System in Wellston; and the Garnet A. Wilson Public Library of Pike County in Waverly.

The Ohio Historic Preservation Corps will be used to pursue three historic preservation projects in four Ohio communities: Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Mansfield. Five AmeriCorps members will identify and record historic buildings in the Ohio Historic Inventory, develop and implement a model neighborhood preservation program and help with capacity building, promotion and economic restructuring in conjunction with historic downtowns revitalization programs and the Ohio Main Street program. Heritage Ohio, Preservation Ohio, city of Cleveland, city of Columbus and the city of Cincinnati will be participating partners in the program.

Eighteen organizations and government entities will be partnering with the Ohio Historical Society on the Ohio History Service Corps program for the next year. Each will contribute a $1,500 match in addition to providing in-kind operational support for service members.
According to Logan, the Ohio History Service Corps program is built upon partnership and volunteerism. For Ohio’s public history community, AmeriCorps members will provide much-needed organizational and community capacity building, which will help long-term development efforts. The intention is to continue the program for an additional two years dependant on further AmeriCorps grant funding.

“Ohio History Service Corps will place a new generation of community organizers, public servants and public historians across the state to build community and infuse our work with a wonderful influx of new ideas,” Logan said. “In the future, we’ll be able to point to success stories from this program that history really does work for Ohio.”

The Ohio Historical Society is looking for members to fill the 20 part-time positions. The term of service runs from Oct. 1, 2010 to Aug. 31, 2011. A service member will receive a stipend of $11,800, health insurance and an educational award of $5,350 that can be used for college or to pay off existing school loans. Contact 614.297.2392 or visit https://my.americorps.gov for more information and to complete the required online application. The application deadline is Sept. 20, 2010.

About Ohio Community Service Council, Ohio Historical Society
The Ohio Community Service Council’s mission is to strengthen Ohio communities through service and volunteerism. Established by state statue in 1994, the Council administers programs and initiatives aimed at increasing the number of Ohioans engaged in national service and volunteer activities.

Established in 1885, the Ohio Historical Society is a nonprofit organization that serves as the state’s partner in preserving and interpreting Ohio’s history, archaeology, natural history and architecture. For more information about programs and events, call 614.297.2300/800.686.6124 or go online at www.ohiohistory.org.

The workshop will cover the complete process of preparing and writing grants from beginning to end, teaching proven tips that work.  Participants will learn how to make their grant proposals stand out and increase theirs odds at getting your proposals approved with a stronger competitive edge.

Topics of discussion include:  project development, targeting donors, letters of support, supporting material, how to declare your intentions, matching dollars, how to develop measures of success, partnerships, grant appearance, networking, public feedback and more.  Participants will be given a binder with handouts including such lists as where to find funding.

The Workshop is $100 per person and includes all materials, continental breakfast and refreshments.  Early Bird registration by September 20th includes a $25 discount.  Seating is limited and advance reservations are required.

Dennison is located where state routes 250, 800 and 36 meet.  Take the Dennison Exit off 250, go south on second street to Center Street, turn left.

For additional information:  Contact the Dennison Depot toll free at 1-877-278-8020 or depot@tusco.net.

All veterans and military personnel and their families can attend the event for FREE and receive a “Hero Packet” of Battle Passes, Museum admission, honorary name badges and be treated to a variety of VIP amenities.

New this year will be the “Sea of Yellow Ribbons”, where visitors can put the name of their beloved veteran or current servicemen or woman on a ribbon, and place it on the long wire of the Sea of Yellow Ribbons to be on display at the festival for all to see as the walk toward the Battle Field. Ribbons are available at the Depot for a donation, but visitors are very welcome to bring and hang their own ribbons as well.

The Field of White Crosses will also be at the Festival again this year.

Herobracelets, based out of Austin, Texas, created in 2004 to pay respect and honor the members of our Armed Forces who were lost in combat, will have bracelets for sale. These bracelets, reminiscent to those created during the Vietnam War era, are custom made from anodized aluminum. Herobracelets will be available for two local Tuscarawas County service members who lost their lives in Iraq, Army Specialist Richard Hardy in 2005, and CPL Keith Nepsa in 2007. Bracelets are available in Purple or Black. Herobracelet Dog tags in black will also be available for both men. $2 from each sale will be donated to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, an organization in Texas that offers medical care to those service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Honor Hours” will be available throughout the event where veterans can share experiences first hand with families and children.

The Ohio Flags of Honor will be a special feature, recognizing veterans from the Gulf Wars, and an opening ceremony will take place Friday, August 20 at 5:30 at the Field of Flags.

Veterans can also ride and be honored in the Ticker Tape Parade, Saturday August 21 at 9am. A Veteran Recognition Ceremony will be held immediate after the Parade at 10am.

A Memorial Service, featuring the Columbus area Sea Cadets, a 21 gun salute by the Tuscarawas VFW Honor Guard, and special speaker WWII Veteran Harry McKinght will end the celebration.Sunday, August 22, at 3pm.

For a complete schedule of events, please contact the Dennison Depot, 740-922-6776 or director@dennisondepot.org.

The Dennison Railroad Depot Museum is inviting rail aficionados to help them restore a historic steam engine which was abandoned and vandalized, and has patiently waited 11 years to have a permanent home and  be restored back to its glory.

Ownership of the engine has been in question for the past decade.  Finally the Fifth District Court of Appeals agreed with Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court that the engine currently located at the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum can remain at the museum.

Chesapeake & Ohio Engine 2700 has lived quite a life.

It’s story begins during World War II when the C&O turned to the 2-8-4 wheel arrangement to handle the fast freight schedule demanded by the war and built a series of engines they named “Kanawhas” after the Kanawah River which paralleled the C & O main line.

Between 1943 and 1947, the C & O purchased ninety, Class K-4, 2-8-4 “Kanawhas”, twenty from the Lima Locomotive Works and seventy from the American Locomotive Company. These locomotives were numbered 2700 through 2789. All of these locomotives had 69″ diameter drivers, 26″ x 34″ cylinders, a 245 psi boiler pressure, they exerted 69,350 pounds of tractive effort and each weighed about 292,500 pounds.

The very first steam locomotive in the Kanawha series was Dennison’s 2700.   Only fourteen K-4 Engines were built by the C & O in 1943, and they were numbered 2700 through 2713.

By mid 1952, the C & O had received enough diesels that it began to retire even the “Kanawhas”, which still had service time, and by 1957 all were retired. All but the thirteen that were donated to various cities were scrapped by May 1961, putting the 2700 into an elite group.

The remaining engines include: 2705 on display at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD, the 2707 on display at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL , the 2716 owned by the Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven, KY, the 2727 on display at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, MO, the 2732 on display at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond, the 2736 on display at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, WI., the 2755 on display in Chief Logan State Park, Logan, WV, the 2756 is on display in Huntington Park adjacent to the War Memorial Museum  in Newport News, VA, the 2760 on display in Riverside Park in Lynchburg, VA, the 2776 on display in Jesse Eyman Park in Washington Court House, OH and the 2789 restored at the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson, IN.

The City of Buffalo, NY received number 2701 and placed it on display near the waterfront where vandals wrecked it and it was scrapped. There are twelve surviving C&O 2-8-4 “Kanawha” type locomotives.

For many years, 2700 was displayed in Coonskin Park in Charleston, WV where it was neglected and vandalized. The area where 2700 was displayed was adjacent to the B&O line that ran from Charleston to Sutton. In the early 1970s, the St. Albans Fire Department restored and moved 2700 to St. Albans, WV. When 2700 was moved, it was pulled along this same line to the mainline of the NYC and up river cross the Kanawha at Deep Water approximately 45 miles east of Charleston. It was then brought back down the C&O mainline to St. Albans.

In 1986, the engine was brought to Ohio by S.T.E.A.M., the Silver Throttle Engine Association Museum in Canton Ohio, who had plans to restore the engine.  The engine stood for years on the Esber Beverage siding by Timken.   Parts were stripped from the engine in the process and many never returned.

Abandoned and on a spur that was to be disconnected by the Wheeling & Lake Erie, the engine was going to move to either the scrap yards or somewhere else.  The Dennison Railroad Depot Museum, with the help of the W & LE and Ohio Central Railroad, moved the engine to Dennison.  In May of 2009, the Dennison Depot went to court to win ownership.  They won the case and the following appeal.

Today, the 2700 proudly stands at its permanent home located at the Dennison Railroad Museum in Dennison, OH, in front of a passenger train which is actually a wing to the Museum.  She is considered to be one of the most stripped engines in the country, completely stripped of all the gauges, valves, name plates, windows, bell, and whistle.  Some of her parts are in safe storage and are expected to be recovered soon.  Others are lost forever.

It is the Museum’s plan to cosmetically restore the engine, and if funds are ever available in the future, to fully restore her to working order.  Anyone with original parts to the engine are encouraged to contact the Museum.

The Museum invites folks to help with the restoration by contributing $27.00 to her restoration campaign.  July 27 has been designated “Engine 2700 Day”, where cake will be served to celebrate the engine’s permanent home and the first 100 donors will receive a collector’s print of the Engine.

Donations can be sent to:  “Restore Engine 2700”, c/o The Dennison Railroad Depot Museum, P.O. Box 11, 400 Center Street, Dennison, Ohio, 44621.  For more information, contact Wendy Zucal at the Museum, toll fre3 877-278-8020, www.dennisondepot.org, director@dennisondepot.org.

Dennison is located halfway between Pittsburgh and Columbus on what was once the famed Panhandle Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad and part of the strategic national defense route.  Dennison is known as “Dreamsville USA”, a nickname it received during the forties for its Servicemen’s Canteen that served 1.5 million soldiers, 13% of all armed personnel.  The Depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is currently nominated as a National Landmark in the Home front Category.

The Museum is open year round Tuesday through Sunday with a restaurant, gift shop and static rolling stock including a rare WWII Hospital Car, Caboose and more.  A full calendar of events includes Polar Express in December and the American Soldiers Homecoming Festival every August.

Eighty-percent of the funding for these cars is in hand, and museum officials are working to raise the final required 20% match on this Transportation Enhancement Project.

To raise the required construction dollars, the Museum is offering Window Sponsorships in the cars. Sponsors can put enlarged photographs of their loved ones in the railroad car windows.

Museum Director Wendy Zucal shares that the Museum began the process of adding photographs to the windows as they restored the cars because they wanted the cars to look lively and attractive to visitors that drove by the Museum. They have been placed in the windows to appear as passengers aboard the train. She and museum board members never realized how popular the photographs would become and the regular inquiries they would receive to put photographs in the windows.

Zucal added that the original car plans were to fill the windows with all WWII soldiers and Canteen volunteers because of Dennison’s rich Canteen History. However, they decided while that was a very important piece of Dennison’s history, that the Dennison Depot represented many different groups, all who have contributed to its success, and that each should be represented in the windows.

Current photographs include not only the 1940s soldiers, but also railroaders, Polar Express volunteers, even Santa, Mrs. Claus, local leaders who started the Depot Project and many who have been pivotal along the way. Zucal says “there are photographs of volunteers from many different museum groups in those windows.”

The photographic passengers have become a draw in themselves.

At the end of Phase V, the sponsorship of photographs was cut off due to space. Now, with the work being done on the new cars, a limited number of new windows will be available.

Participation requires an appropriate photograph of good quality that can be enlarged.

Enlargements are done by Celuch Photography and photographs are fitted to window size and installed by Museum Acrylics, both of New Philadelphia. Cost to sponsor a window is $500 per window, and will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis.

To sponsor a Train Window, contact the Dennison Depot at 740-922-6776, or depot@tusco.net.

The Pullman Bed & Breakfast will feature 7 bedrooms in original Pullman rooms and the Business Car, which mirrors and original Business Car on the Depot Platform in the 1900s, will provide a much needed dining and meeting area for groups. All will be used for school tours to share the many different aspects of railroad cars. Naming Rights on the Cars are also available.

Of its many claims to fame, Dennison, Ohio can claim a very popular silver screen starlit from the 1920s, Marie Walcamp.

Marie Walcamp was born on July 27, 1894 in the small town of Dennison, Ohio located in Tuscarawas County. She left Dennison for the big city as she began to dream of stardom. When she had finished her formal education Walcamp headed to the East Coast in search of acting jobs on the stage. While she found some work in New York, she was discovered and was given a role in 1913′s THE WEREWOLF on the silver screen when she was 19 years old. Marie would not be on the big screen again until CORAL in 1915.

The following year would be the busiest of her film career when Marie appeared in four productions. Unfortunately, the roles were not always good ones for her. Her counterparts always seemed to get bigger and better roles although Marie knew she could hold her own against the best of them. By the time the twenties rolled around, Marie was used less and less on the screen. Her final film was IN A MOMENT OF TEMPTATION in 1927.

On November 17, 1936, Marie committed suicide from an overdose of medication. She was just 42 years old.

Although she is credited with being in over 100 films, the Depot Museum could only locate one,   “The Blot”, made in 1921.  This film will be featured at the Museum’s Movie Night.

The Museum is fortunate to have a large collection of black and white movie photographs from Walcamp’s heyday, donated from Marie’s decedents.

Also to be shown on Movie Night will be a music video filmed at the Dennison Depot in 2006 by the rock band “Jaded Era”, featuring a song titled “The Train.”

Movie Night is free to all museum members.  Admission is $3.00 for adults, $2.00 for seniors and $1.00 for children 7 to 12, under 7 is free.  Admission also includes free popcorn.

For information, contact the Museum at depot@tusco.net or toll free at 877-278-8020

Dennison is located 15 minutes southeast of New Philadelphia, approximately 45 south of Canton.

Visit with Rosie the Riveter working in the engine house, one of the Presidents who stopped on a train at Dennison, a WWII Canteen Volunteer serving soldiers, a railroad Baseball Player getting ready for a game at PHAC Park, a Conductor boarding passengers, a Ticket Agent and the Uhrichsville Tower Operator. In the WWII Hospital Car, you will see an Army Doctor and Nurse taking care of wounded soldiers in the bunks.

The evening will begin at 7pm with a red, white and blue campaign tied to the Museum’s current feature exhibit: “Presidents, Trains and Whistlestops.” Martha Campbell, Lucille-Nussdorfer Tuscarawas County Woman of the Year, will hold a fun, interactive children’s political campaign to officially elect Private Bulldog Bing, Dennison’s WWI mascot, as the official mascot of the Museum! Kids can learn about the political process, campaign for Bing and will hold a special election. Rumor has it, Bing himself will show up to accept the nomination!

Refreshments for the evening will include Bing’s favorite snacks: Puppy Chow and Dog Bone Cookies. The Museum’s model railroaders will also be on hand to visit with families and share information on model railroading. Following the election, visitors can explore the Museum for the evening from 7:30 to 9pm to visit with the costumed characters.

Cost of “Night at the Museum” is free for members and regular admission for non-members: Adults $8, Seniors $6 and Students 1-12 $4. Under 7 are free, and family memberships are available. For additional information, call toll free 1-877-278-8020 or email depot@tusco.net.

“Comprehensive Grantwriting Strategies” and “How to Engage the Community and Build Volunteer Support” will be presented on October 14, 2009, at the Museum located at 400 Center Street, in Dennison, Ohio.

Comprehensive Grantwriting Strategies will be held from 8 a.m. to Noon and will help attendees take the mystery out of grant writing.  In today’s economy, every dollar is important.  Find out how to increase budgets through grants, corporate and private donations. This comprehensive grant writing workshop will take attendees through the entire process in one morning, teaching proven tips that work. 

How to Engage the Community and Build Volunteer Support will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and will assist those looking to have community members become stakeholders, in turn creating a strong community backbone of support and network of communication.  This workshop will guide attendees through the process with helpful tips to make the organization stronger. 

Workshops will be conducted in small groups allowing plenty of time for questions, discussions and feedback.  Participants are strongly encouraged to bring their project ideas to this hands-on workshop.  Both workshops will be conducted by Wendy Zucal, Executive Director of the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum.  Zucal has been writing grants for over 20 years with great success, and has experience teaching a variety of grant writing and community development workshops.  She is a graduate of Marietta College and Carnegie Mellon University, Leadership Tuscarawas and Dale Carnegie.  She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the  Tuscarawas County Community Improvement Corporation and the Twin City Chamber of Commerce, as well as formerly serving on the Board of Directors for the Tuscarawas County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and helped to create the Historic Center Street Association in Dennison.

Cost for each seminar is $100 per person, or $150 per person for both seminars. Participants are encouraged to register before October 5 for an additional $25 savings. Registration cost includes all workshop materials including a binder with all handouts. The morning session includes Continental Breakfast; afternoon session includes refreshments. Lunch between sessions is not included but is easily available at Trax Diner, inside the Dennison Depot.

For additional information or to register, please contact the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum at (877) 278-8020, or by e-mail at depot@tusco.net.

Based upon the award-winning book by Chris Van Allsburg, kids take the train in their pajamas, enjoy hot chocolate and cookies, and play with Santa’s elves as they travel to the North Pole.

Dates for the 2009 edition of the Polar Express are December 4-6 and 11-13. Trains will depart on Fridays at 6pm and 8pm, and Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm, 4pm, 6pm and 8pm. Tickets for regular seating are $35 for adults and $30 for children. First class seating is also avaiable for $50 per person (adults and children.)

Dennison Railroad Depot Museum members will have the first opportunity to purchase Polar Express tickets in July. Tickets will go on sale to the public on August 1.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum, PO Box 11, Dennison, Ohio 44621 or call (740) 922-6776.

The Polar Express rides are conducted in conjunction with the Ohio Central Railroad.

Be Queen for a day.  Mothers bring your daughters to the Clay Museum on Wednesday to enjoy tea with the Queen.  Girls are encouraged to wear their formals for this extra special event where they will have the opportunity to meet several local Festival Queens, past and current.  We ask that the young “Queens” bring their favorite tea cup with them to sip from.  Guests will be served cookies, cupcakes and apple juice while receiving tips on proper Queen etiquette.  Dennison Railroad Festival Queen, 2009, LeeAnn Jackson will be in attendance.

This exciting tea party will begin promptly at 1pm on Wednesday.  Anyone planning to attend please call the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum at 740-922-6776  to make reservations. The Uhrichsville Clay Museum is located at 330 North Main Street in Uhrichsville, Ohio.