History
of
The
Licking
County
Historical Society
A forerunner of the Licking County Historical Society existed for at least
twenty years from 1867-1887. Known
as the Licking County Pioneer, Historical, and Antiquarian Society, a
secretary’s book contains minutes of these meetings.
The society met in the basement of the courthouse where it kept records,
papers written by members, and a natural history collection,
these papers are responsible for much of what we know of our early years.
The Centennial History published in 1876, and much of Hill's History of Licking County, 1888, are examples of the society’s
scholarship.
Just when this early historical society disbanded is unknown. But it
wasn't until the summer of 1947 that a new group emerged to preserve our local
history. On
July 2, 1947
, the first meeting of a group of people interested in the pioneer history and
development of
Licking
County
was held in Trinity Parish. A
motion was made and passed to transfer the funds from the inactive Pioneer
Society to the newly formed group. The fund contained approximately $6.
On
October 2, 1947
, the Articles of Incorporation were signed by some of the first trustees:
Clarence Jones, Corinne Metz, Harold Smucker, Shirley Webb, and Frank
Woolson. Witnesses were: Laura Beggs,
Roderic M. Jones, and Robbins Hunter Jr. A
Constitution/Code of Regulations was written, membership requirements set (dues
were $1). By December of 1947, plans were in motion to rescue the county's most
architecturally important residence, the Davidson House, for use as a museum.
Mr. Fred Lazarus donated the house to The Society and pledged $500 toward
the moving of the house to
6th Street
Park. Enough money was raised and
labor donated to move the Davidson House in April 1948.
It officially opened as the
Licking
County
Historical
Society
Museum
in 1952 as part of
Newark
’s Sesquicentennial Celebration.
The Society’s Buckingham House was moved to the park, next to The
Sherwood-Davidson House in 1954, to save it from demolition.
It sat abandoned for many years until The Society was able to purchase it
for $1 and raise funds to restore it. It
opened in 1967 as a meetinghouse.
In 1976, one of the current Society’s founders, Shirley Webb, willed her
home and contents to The Society to be used as a museum, now The Webb House
Museum. Again, The Society inherited
a house, in 1979. Longtime Society
supporter, and noted historian Robbins Hunter, bequeathed his home in Granville
to be used as a museum. The
Robbins
Hunter
Museum
opened in 1981. Finally, in 1991,
the Society gained jurisdiction over The Alligator Mound, a remnant of
Ohio
’s Prehistoric Indian heritage, located also in Granville.
Over the past fifty plus years, the Licking County Historical Society has
continued to serve the community as a preserver of the past. The society seeks
to educate the public and build an interest in local history through the use of
its house museums, library, archives, mound, history-related programs, and a
quarterly publication.
If
you have suggestions or additions for this article, please contact Phyllis
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