2004 AAHS Newsletter
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OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF OHIO’S SMALL TOWN MUSEUM Free Copy to Members Non-members: $6 The Trustees of the Ashville Area Heritage Society have Ohio’s Small Town agreed to loan the flag recently found and donated by Ashville resident Brian Myers to the Ohio Historical Society Museum in Ashville during the rest of the Bicentennial Year through March of 2004. The flag will be on display at the new Adena AAHS Vol. 8 No. 1 Issue No. 8 Date 1-1-04 Interpretive Center in Chillicothe part of that time. Pre-Civil War U.S. flags depicting any 17-star design are unusual. In fact, the Ashville flag is the only known hand- sewn 17-star flag with six-pointed stars that remains in existence. Renowned vexillologist, Dr. Whitney Smith of Massachusetts, conducted an appraisal of the flag and determined it is similar in design to one that was carried by the Ohio militia during the War of 1812. The British captured a flag featuring this design during that war. The Textile Preservation Association (TPA) in Keedy, Maryland has also evaluated the flag and determined that it was probably constructed before or around 1850. The dating is based on an evaluation of the cloth material and thread. An 1837 drawing has a 17 star flag of this design in the New York Times, so it would not have been unusual Governor Bob Taft and the Ohio Statehood Flag to display such a flag even thirty years after Ohio achieved statehood. Historian Dr. John Purcell has called it a state treasure and a priceless work of art. Award-winning playwright, Brian Burgess Clark, wrote “The Scioto Company” using it as a symbol of Ohio’s pioneer spirit. Boy scouts in cities across the state have carried replicas in local parades. It has appeared as a centerpiece of the Sons of the American Revolution display at Ohio’s bicentennial celebration. It has been accepted by Ohio’s General Assembly as a symbol of Ohio’s early statehood. Now it has been loaned to the Ohio Historical Society. This 1837 political cartoon appeared in the New York Times. Note the flag has seven white stripes and six red stripes. The TPA believes that it was intended as ceremonial flag to be displayed only on special occasions. But even with this analysis there are unanswered questions. For example, the square canton (the blue field) appears to have been part of a garment that is considerably older than the flag stripes. No one knows the origin of the canton. Another point of interest is that the threads appear to be from the 18th century. Sons of the American Revolution members, Paul M. Wilke (left) and Brian G. Schilling (right), both from the Cincinnati Chapter of the SAR stand guard as onlookers view the flag at Ohio’s Bicentennial While research has not determined conclusively who made in Chillicothe. the flag or why, there is circumstantial evidence relating it 1 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF OHIO’S SMALL TOWN MUSEUM Free Copy to Members Non-members: $6 to an early Ohioan, Lewis Fridley of Madison Township in Pickaway County. He was an early settler who cleared It is interesting that the only photograph we have of the and farmed land in northeast Pickaway County. He was elderly grandchildren of Lewis Fridley is a harvest time also a veteran of the Ohio militia during the War of 1812. photo of a bountiful harvest resting on patriotic bunting. Fridley died in 1849. The flag was found in the rafters of Joshua Fridley’s son Peter and his grandson Homer the attic in a home built by Lewis Fridley’s great-grandson- appear in the picture. -Homer. Another possibility is that the flag was stored in the attic by someone in the McDowell family. This possibility has been discounted by Vi (McDowell) Messick. We may never know exactly to whom the flag belonged to or how it came to be in Ashville, but we are certainly happy that it was found and we welcome any additional research and information that sheds more light on the history of this valuable object. Lewis Fridley Lewis Fridley came to Ohio from Virginia at the age of 31 with his wife Susannah and several children. The year was 1808. They settled in what was to become Northeast Pickaway County in Madison Township. Lewis set about to build a home and carve a farm out of the virgin forest. The Fridleys at harvest time. He had just gotten a good start in his newly adopted state, when President James Madison signed the declaration that began the War of 1812. Lewis heeded the call of his Celebrating the Flag President and the Governor of Ohio, Jonathan Meigs, to serve his country as an infantryman. He joined Captain Of all the activities during the Bicentennial Year that Robert Reid’s company in Denny’s Regiment of the Ohio honored the flag, probably the most interesting was its use Militia. in a play about the founding of Worthington, Ohio. Replicas of the flag were accepted by the Ohio Legislature The seat of anti-British fever was in the Northwest and the and Governor Bob Taft as official copies of Ohio’s first lower Ohio Valley, where the land-hungry frontiersmen had statehood flag. If you have one, too, count yourself lucky. no doubt that the settlers troubles with the Indians were the result of British intrigue. Stories were circulated after every Indian raid of British Army muskets and equipment being found on the field. By 1812 the westerners were convinced that their problems could best be solved by forcing the British out of Canada. But early in the war, things were not going well for the Ohioans. A raid on Detroit resulted in many deaths to the Ohio militia. Fridley served through the end of October, 1813. He returned home just in time to help finish up the harvest. We know from the History of Pickaway and Franklin Counties that Lewis Fridley was considered to be a prosperous farmer in his later years. Joshua Fridley, a son of Lewis Fridley, is also described as an avid The Statehood Flag display at Wendy’s in South Bloomfield depicts sharpshooter. Joshua was the eldest son of Lewis Fridley the various events that honored the 17 star flag found by Brian living in the area at the time of Lewis’ death and became Meyers in the attic of the Fridley/McDowell house on Long Street. an executor of his estate, together with his brother Issac. 2 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF OHIO’S SMALL TOWN MUSEUM Free Copy to Members Non-members: $6 Diana Blaney and the Mars Rover, we were not aware of The Inventors of Ashville Dr. Albright’s involvement in the Army and later Air Force rocketry programs. Most of us know about the many inventions of Teddy Boor, but there have been many more residents and former residents who have made innovations that they hoped would be successful. Few were economic successes, but no one could say their ideas were not interesting. The following information is excerpted from Bob Hines’ upcoming book. Dr. John G. Albright, American Physicist Sam Miller and Emanuel Brown’s Straw stacking Device The Area’s First Patented Sure, Pitchers Throw Curves. Cleveland, Ohio: Dr. John G. Albright, associate professor of physics at Case School of Applied Science Inventors—Sam Miller and here, is a brave man. He stood behind a Cleveland catcher while rapid Robert Feller threw 30 pitches. After it was all over, Dr. Albright definitely refuted a theory advanced recently that curves Emanuel Brown were but an optical illusion; that there was no relation between a pitcher's intentions and the balls he threw. Dr. Albright watching one of Bob's corner-cutters break over the plate. (AP File Photo) Samuel M. Miller and Emanuel F. Brown received a patent on their Straw-Stacker on June 3rd, 1884. Both What does Hall of Famer, Bob Feller have in common were farmers living in Walnut Township near Nebraska with America’s early rocketry program? The answer is (between Hedges Chapel and Walnut grade school). physicist, Dr. John G. Albright. Albright was born at St. Patent number 299,933 shown above depicts the device Paul, Ohio, just outside Ashville. The talented scientist developed by the pair. taught at Case Western and later at Harvard. According to Ohio’s “Pathways to Progress,” he is credited with We have no indication that the pair ever manufactured inventing an electric clock and a circuit breaker. More their invention or that a working full-scale model existed. importantly, his work in rocketry aerodynamics is credited We do know that a working model was presented to the with influencing a whole cadre of post-World War II NASA U.S. Patent Office and is probably warehoused in Virginia. scientists (read Adolph Jursa--NASA scientist interview). We would like to learn more about this team of inventors. Last year when we wrote about America’s Quest for Outer If you are related, look to see if you have any information. Space we told you about Astronomer Samuel Sark, the Moon Dust from Apollo being evaluated using Charles Ward’s invention, Dr. Glenn Flierl and Jupiter, and Dr. 3 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF OHIO’S SMALL TOWN MUSEUM Free Copy to Members Non-members: $6 This drawing shows how Deeds intended his device to be used by travelers in the event of a fire. This cutaway view shows the inside drum with the escape rope. Sam Deeds Inventive Fire Escape Device Deeds’ Shop Samuel Preston Deeds was the treasurer at the Scioto Valley Canning Factory in Ashville.