Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Howard Claggett


Photo provided courtesy ArtsyBee from Needpix.com














School has started up again and it is time to highlight another Medina educator.


Howard Claggett 1898-1986

Medina City residents and students are familiar with Claggett Middle School. But how many know anything about the man the school was named for??

The school's website has a brief one paragraph description of Howard Claggett's life:

Howard Claggett was born in 1898 in Newton
(sic), Ohio. He moved to Medina in 1928, after serving in WWI. Claggett served as a teacher, then assistant principal before becoming the principal of the new high school. Claggett also coached basketball, football and track. Later in life, Claggett would serve as a school board member as well. Mr. Claggett died in 1986.
Claggett Middle School
Photo by Kathy Petras
There is so much more to his story!

Howard Claggett was born into a farming family in Licking County, Ohio. He was the third child (out of five) born to Mivard and Hattie (Bibler) Claggett. Besides running the farm, his father boarded horses during the winter months.

Howard was a very able farmer according to a Johnstown Independent article in 1913. As a 15 year old, Howard was among 7 boys from Licking County who won a trip to Washington D.C. for their exceptional corn crop yields.

But it was in school that Howard excelled. He graduated top of his class of 100 students in 1917. He gave a commencement  address titled " The Need For Scientific Farming" and won praise for his delivery. As top student he also won a scholarship to Denison University.

It was 1917 and World War I was raging in Europe. The United States entered the war in April of that year. The U.S. government organized the Student Army Training Corps across college campuses to prepare young men for leadership roles in the military. Students were paid a monthly stipend, wore uniforms, drilled, and took classes in map making and war issues.

Howard Claggett joined in October of 1918. The War ended that November and Howard was "Honorably Discharged" in December without ever leaving campus. In Ohio Soldiers, Sailors and Marines, World War, 1917-18, he is listed as 10% disabled, but the disability is not described. 


1921 Denison University Yearbook
photo of Howard E. Claggett
Description of Howard from the 1921 Denison University Yearbook

Whatever the "disability" was, it did not affect Howard's ability to run track all four years at college!


1929 MHS Yearbook

"Mary" was Mary Hite who he married in May of 1923, after both of them had been teaching for several years; she in Findlay Ohio, and he in the local Newark schools. After their marriage they continued to live in the Newark area and are listed in the 1929 city directory. But he is also listed among the staff at Medina High School in 1929. By the 1930 Census, they are both listed as teachers in the Medina City Schools.
 Over the years, Howard was very involved in local clubs and organizations. In 1938, he was the principle speaker at the Alumni Association reunion. His style was deemed "inimitable" and he quipped that he was hired only "because the association either could not afford to pay a regular speaker or because nobody else would take the job."

He was also very involved in the local Courtney Lawrence American Legion Post and in 1939 was elected "Vice-Commander".
Claggett is listed as the high school
principal in this 1948 yearbook photo.

In October of 1939, the high school hosted a "kid party" and the most spectacular sight was "Faculty Member Howard Glaggett cavorting about in a kid outfit -- and lipstick!"  Oh, how I wish there was a a photo of that! 

In the 1940 census, both Claggetts are again listed as teachers; he as a math instructor and she as a elementary teacher - which explains why her photo is not in the high school yearbooks.

In 1948, Claggett took over being principal from Sydney Fenn who became the school superintendant. And when the new high school was built in 1956, Claggett was the principal.

Sidney Fenn standing in front of the new high school in the 1957
Medina High School Yearbook
When the school first opened their doors, much of the classroom equipment had not yet arrived and the teachers had to make-do for months.
November 1956. I imagine it was a cold blustery evening when Howard got a call from Eugene Haas, faculty member. "I can't get the safe open. You will have to come down to the school." Putting on his coat Howard trudged back to the school. Upon entering the building dozens of voices broke out into a chorus of "Happy Birthday to You"! His wife and all the faculty members had conspired to surprise him. Just a small measure of the esteem in which he was held.



Several years before he retired in 1962, this tribute appeared in the 1960 Medinian Yearbook.

In the 1950's and 60's Howard penned a column for The Medina Gazette called "On the Other Hand" by H.E.C. (his initials). It was well received and sometimes funny...

20 June 1968 Medina Gazette, page 2.
UNMOOTABLE? Love it! (BTW, it is not a word)


A very relaxed Howard Claggett appears in this 17 June 1971
Medina Gazette article about the concert in the square.
in 1972, The Kiwanis honored him for his forty years as an teacher and principal. They mentioned that he was the coach of the football, track, and girls basketball team and taught seven different classes!

When the new high school was built in 1974, the school building where he served as the first principal became the junior high and was named Claggett Junior High.

In May of 1983, the Chamber of Commerce elected him the Medina Hall of Fame, citing his work for the Medina County Fair Board, the Masonic Lodge, the Kiwanis, the State Highway patrol, the Medina City school board and as the Medina Village Clerk.

In Gloria Brown's book, The Story of Medina's Schools 1817-2017, she quotes Jeannette Neptune, who taught with Howard, as saying, "He had a very dry sense of humor. Sometimes he would say the most outrageous things. But he kept a straight face. His expression never changed so you couldn't be sure if he was joking or not."  And Robert Fenn remembered that as a student he could always turn to Claggett if something was bothering him. "He would pull out the chess board... It was his way of getting you to talk...".

Howard passed away in 1986 at the age of 87. He wife had died years before him. They never had any children of their own, but they each in their own way, impacted thousands of Medina school kids.


Thank you Howard and Mary!


This post is generating some very heart warming comments on Facebook. I am going to post them here so everyone can see. I will keep the posters' names anonymous:

  • Thank you for this as there is so much about the man I never knew. I was a student at MHS under Mr.Claggett from 58-61. He was always available and visible. The high school at that time was sophomore through seniors. The junior high at the present administration building was 7-9th grade. Loved my years as a Medina student. It was a progressive farm community.
  • One time I was having trouble with algebra. I don't know if my father contacted him (like he might have done) but Mr. Claggett invited me to his office to try to help my with my math. And I have a complimentary letter that he wrote to my parents about me.
  • The Claggetts lived two houses south of us on S. Broadway, directly across from Garfield School. What I remember most about them was Mr. Claggett’s calm demeanor (and bemused expression) as his wife railed on us for throwing sticks into the big tree in their front yard/tree lawn, trying to knock down buckeyes (actually horse chestnuts) before they fell on their own accord. I think she was afraid we’d damage her tree. 
  • Both were quite happy to let my brother and I, by ourselves, pick up the naturally fallen ones, I guess because we were their lneighbors. But when we had friends with us they occasionally chased the unfamiliar kids out of their yard, asking all of us to please stay off the lawn.. (I don’t know, but maybe Howard could have served as the prototype of the “get off my lawn” curmudgeon we all venerate today. That’s another way I remember him.)
    The Claggett’s tree was always a much better source for us young buckeye hoarders, as the other buckeye tree (another horse chestnut) in front of the Franklin Sylvester Library was too well known, and we always faced too much collector competition there.
    Mary also was known for her annual irate phone calls to my father, complaining that our cat was digging in her flowerbeds again, and using them for a litter box. I remember on at least one occasion dad took her a box of mothballs as a cat deterrent, but I have no idea if they actually worked there. (They did not work in the sand box my folks briefly had in our back yard for my brother and I to play in. That’s why the sand box’s existence was brief indeed! Maybe that’s why the cat again went back to “gifting” Mrs. Claggett...)
    Today, their house, our house, and the home owned by Thurston Berry between us, have all been interconnected by skybridges, and are used as law offices. They and the Nichols house on the north end, are the only homes left on both sides of the entire block, of the dozen family residences that once stood there, and that I can remember from my youth.
  • Mr. Claggett was always there for us. I also attended MHS from 58-61 and remember his open door policy. We also shared a birthdate so we made certain to give each other good wishes every year! Wonderful memories
  •  M/M Claggett always welcomed me to pick up Buckeys as I was doing my route. Remember the Berry's and some of the other neighbors. great people along that stretch. Even remember the house where the Nichols Building stands now. They had a slot mailbox in the door and the dog always ripped the paper to shreds when I pushed it through.
  • That was the high school when I graduated

SOURCES:
  • "1921 Newark City Directory", Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Accessed on Ancestry Library Edition, 22 Aug 2019.
  • "1929 Newark City Directory", Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. 
  • ArtsyBee, "Back To School"  from NeedPix.com, accessed online 26 August, 2019,  https://www.needpix.com/photo/download/480473/back-to-school-poster-blackboard-school-back-education-back-to-school-background-design-template
  • Brown, Gloria, The Story of Medina's Schools 1817-2017  Medina City Schools Foundation, Medina, Ohio, 2017.
  • CENSUS RECORDS:
    • Year: 1900; Census Place: Newton, Licking, Ohio; Page: 8; Enumeration District: 0156; FHL microfilm: 1241293 Accessed on Ancestry Library Edition 22 Aug 2019.
    • Year: 1910; Census Place: Union, Licking, Ohio; Roll: T624_1203; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 0099; FHL microfilm: 1375216 Accessed on Ancestry Library Edition 22 Aug 2019. 
    • Year: 1920; Census Place: Newark Ward 4, Licking, Ohio; Roll: T625_1404; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 158. Accessed on Ancestry Library Edition 22 Aug 2019. 
    • Year: 1930; Census Place: Medina, Medina, Ohio; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 0015; FHL microfilm: 2341582. Accessed on Ancestry Library Edition 22 Aug 2019.  
    • Year: 1940; Census Place: Medina, Medina, Ohio; Roll: m-t0627-03112; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 52-14. Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
      T627, 4,643 rolls. Accessed on Ancestry Library Edition on 22 Aug 2019.
  • "History of Claggett Middle School" Claggett Middle School Home Page, medinabees.org/Page/352
  • "Illinois College in World War I, 1917-1918 - Student Army Training Corps" Illinois College. Accessed 22 August 2019, https://sites.google.com/a/mail.ic.edu/icinworldwari/home/student-army-training-corps
  • NEWSPAPERS:
    • Findlay Morning Republican:
      • "Mt. Blanchard News" Findlay Morning Republican, 22 May 1923, page 7. Accessed on NewspaperArchive on 22 August 2019. 
      • "Mt. Blanchard News", Findlay Morning Republican, 19 June 1924, page 5. Accessed on Newspaper Archive 22 August 2019.
    • Johnstown Independent:
      • "Seven Licking Boys in Corn Contest Win Free Trip to Washington", Johnstown Independent, 20 November 1913, page 7. Accessed on the Digital Archives of the Mary E. Babcock Library, 1http://johnstown.advantage-preservation.com/
    • Medina County Gazette: 
      • "Concert Goer" Medina County Gazette, 17 June 1971, page 4. Accessed on Newspaper Archive 22 August 2019.
      • "Courtney Lawrence Post Elects New Officers", Medina County Gazette, 22 September 1939, page 1. Accessed on Newspaper Archive 22 August 2019.
      • "Educators, Cook, Columnists Honored by Medina Kiwanis", Medina County Gazette,  29 Sep 1972,page 3.
      • "Medina Isn't a Rural Town", Medina County Gazette,  31 October 1939, page 2. 
      • "Obituary Howard Claggett", Medina County Gazette, 14 Oct 1986, page A-2.
      • "Obituary Mary Claggett", Medina County Gazette, 7 Nov 1970, page 1.
      • "Proving That One School Teacher Can't Trust Another", Medina County Gazette,  30 Nov. 1956, page 1. Accessed on NewspaperArchive, 27 August 2019.
      • "The Question is Moot" On the Other Hand Column Medina County Gazette, 20 June 1968, page 2. 
      • "September 1956 a Date to Remember" Medina County Gazette 18 April 1974, page 2.
      • "Ryan Was Toastmaster", Medina County Gazette,  7 June 1938, page 1. Accessed on Newspaper Archive 22 August 2019.
    • Medina County Sentinel:
      • "Hall of Fame Third Chamber of Commerce Honors Will Go To Six Individuals, One Organization", Medina County Sentinel, 19 May 1983, page A9. From Medina LandMark Files, Book 40, pages 30-31.
    • Newark Advocate:
      • "Diplomas to 100 Graduates from the High School", Newark Advocate,  6 June 1917, page 6. Accessed on NewspaperArchive on 22 August 2019. 
  • "Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RK1-S3HH?cc=1932106&wc=Q633-97X%3A227589501%2C227619301 : 22 December 2016), Licking > Birth registers 1891-1901 vol 3 > image 36 of 227; county courthouses, Ohio. 
  • "Ohio Soldiers in WWI, 1917-1918" [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Original data: The Official Roster of Ohio Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in the World War, 1917-18. Columbus, OH, USA: The F.J. Heer Printing Co., 1926. Accessed on Ancestry Library Edition, 22 Aug 2019.       
  • Shapiro, Eleanor Iler, ed. Historical Highlights of Medina,  Alfred Meyers Lithographers, Inc., Medina, Ohio, 1966.
  • "U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; School Name: Denison University; Year: 1921. Accessed on Ancestry Library Edition, 22 Aug 2019. 
  • "U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; School Name: Medina High School; Year: 1933. Ancestry.com. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1999 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Accessed on Ancestry Library Edition, 22 Aug 2019.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Ethics in Genealogy

This past Saturday, at the Akron Main Library, Judy Russell presented an all day seminar on Ethics in Genealogy.

Floating Suns sculpture by Don Drumm studios outside the auditorium
at the Main Branch of Akron Summit County Public Library.
Photo provided courtesy of the State Library of Ohio.
https://library.ohio.gov/visit/akron-summit-county-public-library/



Ethics in genealogy is a almost unknown topic in the field, and it was reflected in the attendance numbers. Judy Russell is a nationally-known and top rated speaker in genealogy circles. Any time she speaks, all the seats are always filled.  Of the 400 available seats on Saturday, only 100 were filled. Weren't people interested?



Or perhaps, they just didn't understand exactly what ethics has to do with genealogy...


While I cannot and will not cover everything Judy talked about - besides trying to recreate 4 hours of lecture, it would by a copyright violation - I will share some of what I learned and some resolutions going forward.

Ethics in genealogy is the invisible underpinning that should be the bedrock of everything we do in genealogy and family history research.


First and foremost - DO NO HARM!*

Photo "Primum Non Nocere" provided courtesy of Wiki Commons.



All of the major professional genealogy groups have versions of their Code of Ethics, but it all boils down to the statement above.





If you need more detail, Judy Russell relates it to the rules we are learn in kindergarten:
  • Tell the truth - be honest
  • Play nice with others - courtesy
  • Don't tell tales out of school - respect confidentiality
These rules take many forms, but I will address the ones that I have personally struggled with:

Photo by geralt on pixabay (CC0)


Confidentiality - don't share the story if it isn't your story to tell. This is a hard one for most genealogists. We love to tell the stories. Especially the juicy ones. We love sharing our new discoveries. I have been guilty of violating this:
  • The marriage that took place years after the couple lived together and had children. While relating the story to one of my cousins, the adult child of the couple overheard. They had no idea that their parents weren't married at the time of their birth.
  • The first marriage of my great uncle. I told his adult child, who was from his second marriage,  who had only known their father as a young child, as he died young. I didn't hear from them for months.
Not only is the story not mine to tell. I didn't take into consideration the feelings of the living people who were effected by the information. While the information is true and factual, once it is divulged, you cannot control who learns about it and how it impacts them. 

Photo "Franklin-Benjamin" provided courtesy of
Wiki Commons.




Honesty - Sometimes, the truth destroys the family story, or can be uncomfortable in other ways, such as when we learn of ancestors who held slaves or committed other despicable acts. Sometimes, we have the uncomfortable job is setting the story straight. Our family oral history had several traditions that my research demolished.






  •  No, our 3 x great grandmother was not 3/4 Cherokee, despite the high cheekbones and dark complexion. The paper trail didn't prove it and now, extensive DNA testing of my siblings and various cousins proves there was NO Native American DNA passed down to any of us. DEMOLISHED family legend. At least our family story didn't say she was a "Cherokee Princess"...
  • Another great grandmother was supposed to be "Indian" based on her unusual surname, which proved to be Dutch, and the fact that dogs didn't like her. Her family line has been traced back to the state of Delaware in the 1700's. Family story DESTROYED!
  • My 2x great grandfather was NOT a nice man. He was married twice and had nearly 20 children with his two wives. But by one descendant's count he had over 40 children, 20 of them illegitimate. Not something to be proud of, but which definitely needs to be documented.
Photo provided from Max Pixel(CC0)


Courtesy - or "play nice with others". Judy gave examples of people taking "their" family information from public institutions, when clearly they need to be available to everyone. THAT I have never done. And it is also showing common courtesy to the clerks and volunteers that assist us in our ongoing quest. But I have my own examples of not playing nice with others:
  • I can be VERY impatient with people who are very new to family history research and who really don't know what they are doing. They don't want to put the work in to learn the process of researching and want it all to be laid out for them. Sometimes, genealogy is HARD. But that doesn't mean that I should dismiss their questions and assertions. I need to find a kinder and gentler way of steering them in the right direction. Luckily, I work with a great bunch of people who set a very good example for me.
  • Giving credit where credit is due. Whether it is citing my sources or making notations of who told me which family story, I can be a sloppy researcher. Even when I do cite my sources, as I try to for every blog, I can get sloppy about citation format and layout.  Another example of this is when I use photos from FindaGrave.com. I cite the source, but do not credit the photographer. I will try to do better in the future.
  • Respecting copyrights. I have a very basic understanding of copyright law. But I have often "looked the other way" believing  much of my use of copyrighted material would fall under "fair use". Or that it would only be a problem if someone objected to my use of their material and for that they would have to have stumbled upon my work. I can do better than that.
Photo by Tumisu on pixabay (CC0)


DNA testing. I have "urged" my siblings to have their DNA tested and most of them have agreed. When DNA testing first became available to the average consumer, I assured my siblings that their information could never be used against them without a court order. All of that has changed in the last 18 months. Because of the use of third party web sites, like GedMatch, law enforcement has been able to use peoples' DNA results, that were submitted for genealogical purposes, to track down violent criminals. Without the use of subpoenas. While I believe that to be generally for the public good, it is a substantial change in policy from what I understood and what I communicated to my siblings. Basically, when they gave their consent and their DNA, it wasn't informed consent. I need to go to each of my siblings and inform them of this change and give them the option to withdraw their DNA samples and findings. And also to admit that I cannot say with certainty how their DNA might be used in the future. Besides impacting my siblings in ways we could not have anticipated, it could impact anyone genetically related to us.

So remember:

  • Play nicely with others.
  • Be honest. But never do, say or write something that will in any way hurt a living person.
  • Tell only the stories that are yours to tell.


*While the ancient Greek Hippocrates did not actually say "Do no harm" in his famous Hippocratic Oath, which some doctors are still asked to abide by upon graduation, he did say it in his work Of the Epidemics.

SOURCES:

Thursday, August 15, 2019

MEDINA'S RADIO STATION

WDBN - A Station of Firsts! 

Image result for antique radios 1960s

17 October 1960, Medina's own WDBN quietly debuted at 94.9 FM. There was no ribbon cutting ceremony. No fan fare. No headlines in the Medina Gazette. It was 1960 and FM radio stations were the "sad sisters" of AM radio.

This ad that appeared in the 15 Dec 1960 edition of the Orrville Courier
Crescent 
 was the earliest mention I could find about the station.


In a year when songs like "Cathy's Clown" by the Everly Brothers and "The Twist" by Chubby Checkers and "It Was an Its Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" were on the top of the charts, WDBN was playing "beautiful music" - instrumental recordings of Montovani and Broadway tunes. No vocals.

Their target audience was adults. Music would last for 15 minutes and then there would be 2 minutes of commercials. 24 hours a day. Much of the programming was automated with staff only broadcasting the news.

But Ted Niarhos and his fellow investors must have had a crystal ball, because FM radio was just coming in to its own. Slowly, talk radio and news programs became the province of AM radio and music went to FM.

With a 188,000 watt transmitter, the station was the most powerful FM station in Ohio (or even east of the Mississippi). Providing a 50 mile radius listening area, people from all over north east Ohio could listen in. Later, the FCC would set wattage limits on FM stations, but WDBN was grandfathered in.

In 1961, the station provided the first stereophonic broadcast service in Ohio.

But it was early years yet for FM radio, and the station struggled financially. Especially after a fierce wind storm in February of 1967 blew down their tower and the insurance wouldn't cover the replacement costs. Once saved by advertisers & citizens of Medina County.

Medina Gazette 16 Feb 1967 p. 1. After a wind storm in February
 1967, the station transmitted on half power for six weeks
while a new 236,000 watt transmitter was installed.
After replacing the antenna, the station had better reception than ever, especially in the Cleveland area.

By 1966, Ted Niarhos bragged to BillBoard Magazine that the station had enough listeners to compete with AM stations for advertising dollars and it was #1 in their market, ahead of 20 AM stations.

Early in 1968, the FCC approved the sale of WDBN-FM to Robert Miller and his associated investors. The price? $1 million dollars! This was the highest price ever paid for a FM station at this time.

Because of a conflict of interest, Miller was also a part owner of WERE in Cleveland, Bob had to resign as officer of the Cleveland Broadcasting Inc and put his stock in that company into a irrevocable trust. The Miller family owned 34% of the Cleveland Broadcasting and Bob owned 46.57% of WDBN's stock, giving the Millers the controlling interest.

Miller was already known in broadcasting circles because of his involvement with WERE. He was the son of former Cleveland Mayor, Ray Miller and had interviewed Presidents Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy.

Meanwhile, Ted Niarhos moved to Florida and bought another radio station, but harbored fond memories of Medina. He still lives there.


Plain Dealer 12 May 1968 p. 168. Bragging: "#1 station in Medina, River Styx (where studio & transmitter are), Remson Corners & Barberton, Penninsula, Hudson. #2 with Akron adults. “Darn near tops in Cleveland”


WDBN acquired a number of nicknames during this period, among them, "The Miracle in Medina" and "The Quiet Island." While WDBN never stood for anything in particular, Bob Miller coined the term "Wonderful Days, Beautiful Nights" to describe the listening experience.

Plain Dealer 7 Nov 1973 p. 15



Plain Dealer 9 June 1971 p. 82
In 1971, the station was the first in Ohio to schedule broadcasts in four-channel stereo.

In  order to alleviate "holes" in their broadcast area caused by the hills and valleys of northern Medina and Summit counties, WDBN  revamped the transmission system in 1973. Previously, they had two 15,000 watt transmitters, one in River Styx and one in Guilford Township on Tower Road. These were replaced by three 25,000 watt transmitters and an improved antenna system that gave the station "America's most powerful transmitting system".

In 1975, the station attained a waiver from the FCC that allowed them to move their station offices from the transmitters at Tower Road in Guilford Township to Gateway Drive in Montville Township.

The station remodeled the studios in 1981 to provide cleaner brighter sounds.

Pam Miller, who was Program Director at the time of the 1981 remodel.
Medina Gazette 25 Nov 1981 p. 11.



Battle of Antennas

In 1982, the FCC approved WDBNs request to increase height of antenna from 300 to 700 feet & move it to Paradise Road in Montville Township. What seemed like a simple request at the time became much more complicated:
  • Believing the radio station is a public utility, Miller did not seek zoning permit from the township.
  • Montville Township officials sought an injunction as they opposed the move and did not believe that a radio station was a public utility. 
  • FCC said it was not clear if township officials have zoning authority over broadcast towers. 
  • Medina County Common Pleas Court Judge Neil Whitfield said WDBN could be considered a public utility and would not have to seek zoning permission from the township.
  • Montville Township Trustees appealed. 
  • The Appeals court sent the issue back to Medina County Common Pleas Court.
  • The Case went back to Appeals court & they ruled WDBN was not a public utility.
  • In 1984, WDBN said it will take its case to OH Supreme Court but later dismissed the case.
Picture of this promotional button provided courtesy of Max Grubb, who was the Account Executive  in the 1970's and 80's.

Meanwhile, also in 1982, the NAACP filed a discriminatory hiring case against WDBN and four other radio stations because no minorities worked at the stations. The group maintained that the stations' licenses should not be renewed. The NAACP said that hiring at the station should reflect the  employment pool represented by standard metro area of the broadcast area, which for WDBN included Cleveland and Akron, both of which had significant black populations.  The NAACP representative admitted that no one from their group had ever examined the company's employment records.

The Millers believed that the case was prompted by the publicity surrounding their zoning issues and their request for their license renewal. WDBN had had black employees in the past and had made efforts to employ black people. Over the years, they had offered jobs to several African Americans who had turned down the employment opportunities. The Millers blamed the station's rural location.

The American Legal Foundation, a conservative public-interest law group that fought inaccuracies in the media, came out in support of WDBN.

It was found that the NAACP case was misguided and contained no substance. WDBN's license was renewed unconditionally. The station made some adjustments to their hiring practices, like reaching out to Reverend Burton of the Medina Second Baptist Church,  to further encourage minority employment.

Photo of promotional mug provided courtesy of Max Grubb.

Because of the popularity of the station and in FM radio in general the station was experiencing windfall profits. With those profits, the Millers decided to broaden their market in 1985 by buying other radio stations. They bought WKSW-RM in Urbana in November and had plans on acquiring more Ohio Stations.

By 1985, WDBN boasted 250,000 listeners per week.

Deregulation of the industry in the 1980's made it much easier to buy and sell radio stations. The Millers received a great offer and sold WDBN in 1988 for 4.5 million to Thom Mandel.

The station changed to “adult Contemporary” format and became Mix 94.9  and the call sign changed to WQMX. The station moved east into Summit County.

WQMX switched to country format on Dec. 6, 1993 - “Akron’s Own Country”

SOME OF WDBN-FM'S FIRSTS:
  1. Pioneer FM stereo station – first in Cleveland Metro area & Ohio in 1961
  2. 1961 first stereophonic broadcast service in Ohio.
  3. Bought for $1,000,000 in 1968, highest price ever paid for a FM station at that time
  4. 1971 first in Ohio to schedule broadcasts in four-channel stereo.
  5. 1973 "America's most powerful transmitting system".


    SOURCES:
    • Brewer, Mary Jane, “Public Servant Pamela Miller Gets the Job Done: Medina Local Legends” Cleveland.com, 20 Feb 2018, accessed: https://www.cleveland.com/medina/2018/02/local_legend_pamela_miller_ded.html
    • “MILLER, Raymond Thomas” from Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Case Western Reserve University, accessed: https://case.edu/ech/articles/m/miller-raymond-thomas
    • "Robert McBride Miller" Akron Beacon Journal, 27 Aug, 2006 accessed on: www.legacy.com
    • "The Dividends of Automation" Broadcasting, 31 July 1967 accessed: https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1967/1967-07-31-BC.pdf 
    • Brack, Ray "FM Broadcasters Pain Bright Future" in BillBoard, 9 Apr 1966, page 30 accessed at: https://bit.ly/2Z1oEa0 
    • "$1-Million FM Sale Sets New High" Broadcasting, 15 Apr 1968, p. 46, accessed: https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1968/1968-04-15-BC.pdf
    • "VOX JOX" BillBoard, 18 Dec. 1965, p. 49, accessed: https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1968/1968-04-15-BC.pdf
    • "WDBN-FM", Cleveland Broadcast Radio Archives, accessed:  http://www.cleve-radio.com/index2.htm#WDBN-FM
    • "WQMX" WikiWand, accessed https://www.wikiwand.com/en/WQMX
    • "WQMX" Wikipedia, accessed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WQMX
    • "Top 100 Songs of 1960", Bob Borst's Home of Pop Culture, accessed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WQMX
    • Grubb, Max, interview with Kathy Petras via phone, 7 Aug. 2019. 
    • Miller, Pamela, phone conversation with Kathy Petras, 13 Aug. 2019.
    • "Bennet's Furniture advertisement" Orrville Courier Crescent, 15 Dec 1960, p. 14, accessed from NewspaperArchive.com. 
    • Medina County Gazette
      • "County Suffers Extensive Wind Damage", 16 Feb., 1967, page 1.
      • "Salmagundi" (editorial", 10 Jan. 1968, p. 2.
      • "Purchase of WDBM Approved by FCC", 12 April 1968, pp. 1 & 3.
      • "The Miracle of Medina WDBN", 26 March 1969, p. 3.
      • "WDBN At Half Power For Week", 15 Aug., 1970, p. 2.
      • "WDBN To Finalize Change of Location", 29 March 1975,p. 12.
      • "Anniversary WDBN Celebrates No. 18", 18 Oct. 1978, p. 25.
      • Long, Pam, "WDBN Upgrades Sound", 25 Nov., 1981 p. 11.
      • Long, Pam, "Court Battle in Making? WDBN Tower Approval Signals Fight", 22 Sep. 1982, p. 1 & 7.
      • Nofel, Pete, "NAACP Files Against WDBN", 29 Sep. 1982, p. 1.
      • Nofel, Pete, "Foundation Lends Support to WDBN" 9 Oct. 1982, p. 3.
      • Long, Pam, "WDBN Can Build Tower", 31 Dec 1982, p. 1 & 18.
      • "Montville Appeals WDBN Court Ruling", 11 Mar., 1983, p. 1'
      • Bailey, Steve, "Appeals Court: WDBN is Not a Public Utility", 2 Sep 1983, p. 1.
      • Bailey, Steve, "Montville, WDBN Fight On", 30 Nov. 1983, p. 3.
      • Bailey, Steve, "Appeals Court Nixes WDBN's Tower", 20 July 1984, p. 3.
      • Bailey, Steve, "Public Status WDBN to Seek Higher Ruling on Utility Claim", 26 July 1984, p. 1.
      • Bailey, Steve, "WDBN Drops Court Appeal", 26 Sep. 1984, p. 1.
      • Webb, Dennis, "WDBN Looking At New Markets", 12 Nov. 1985, p. A-1.
    • Plain Dealer
      • "Pendulum", 11 April 1967, p. 41.
      • "The Miracle in Medina", 12 May 1968, p. 168.
      • "WDBN, Medina's FM Voice", 9 Jun 1970, p. 80.
      • WDBN Advertisement", 9 June 1971, p. 82.
      • "The Struggling Years at WDBN Have Finally Paid Good Dividends", 22 May 1970.
      • "Medina's WDBN-FM Now Is Beaming More 'Structured" Adult Music", 16 Apr. 1972, p. 21-E.
      • Hart, Raymond, "WDBN To Improve Signal Next Week", 28 Mar. 1973, p. 39.
      • "WDBN-FM Stereo" advertisement, 7 Nov. 1973,p. 15.

    Wednesday, August 7, 2019

    Using Newspapers in Your Genealogy Research









    Newspapers can be a gold mine of information about your ancestors!

    The earliest US newspapers focused on national news and politics. Starting in the mid 1800's the focus shifted to more local news reporting, but it wasn't until the 20th century that objective non-biased reporting appeared.

    So what can you learn about your family in the newspaper?  A LOT!

    Newspapers were the social media of their day and they covered everything. Here is a partial list of the types of information that can be found in newspapers:

    From the Cleveland Plain
    Dealer, 
     6 Nov, 1929, p. 7.
    Clara Tagg Brewer
    My first cousin 3 X removed.




    • Details about life's major events, such as the wedding announcement that describes the bride's gown and menu in great detail.
    • Can provide a woman's maiden, or previous married names.
    • Military Service
    • Scholastic achievements
    • Photos - see photo of my 1st cousin 3 X removed at right
    • Gossip, personal notices, and social columns. Who had Thanksgiving at your great grandparents house?
    • Business ads - Did you ancestor have a business? Did they advertise? 
    Portage Sentinel, 24 Feb., 1847 page 4.
    Ad for the painting business of my 3X great uncle,
    William TAGG.

    • Unclaimed mail - in the earlier papers this could serve as an indicator of just how early your ancestor moved into an area.
    • Help distinguish people of the same name. (Three Thomas BARRYs lived in the same rural Ohio county.)
    • Family reunions, with lists of all those who attended from out-of-town.
    • Legal occurrences, property transfers, estate records, arrests & convictions, and civil suits.
    • Give clues to your ancestor's personality for richer, more fleshed out portrayals of their lives. My one ancestor was described as a jovial storyteller. 
    Jackson Standard 29 Sep 1887, p. 2, article describing
    a reunion of Civil War army veterans in Jackson, OH.
    My 3 X great grandfather was a member of the
    91st Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Found on the
    Chronicling America web site.

    • Provide a social & historical context for the community your ancestors lived in. Did the bars outnumber the churches (as I have seen in some villages.)? 
    Cleveland Plain Dealer, 7 Feb 1911 page 14,
    dramatic heading for the obituary for my
    3 X great grandfather, Rev. J.H. TAGG.

    • Newspapers can serve people of different religious, ethnic, racial or political groups:
      • A German newspaper was the first foreign language newspaper in the US and that nationality dominated the field until about 1900.
      • After 1900, Eastern European immigrants from Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia predominated.
      • Foreign language newspapers helped immigrants stay connected to the old country while helping them integrate into their new  homeland.
      • Gradually, foreign language newspapers lost their influence and today, only a few survive. 
      • Shipping News tracks the travels across the oceans of our ancestors and their ships.
    "Value of a dog" Niles Weekly Register, 1 Oct. 1836, No.5 Vol. 1.
    This snippet from a shipping newspaper recounts an incident on
    the trip that brought my 4 X great grandparents, James and Rebecca
    TAGG and family to America. If the dog hadn't alerted the crew,
    would I even be here?
    SEARCHING GUIDELINES:
    • Newspapers sometimes are biased and can be untrustworthy.
    • Newspapers often used initials or abbreviations instead of printing the full name. Remember to search using initials also!
    • Prior to 1980's women are more likely to be listed under their husband's name.
    • Small weekly newspapers can have more detail than a large daily paper. 
    • Don't limit your search to just one newspaper. Newspapers often picked up stories and obituaries in former hometowns and in places where other family members lived. 
    • If your family lived in a small town, look for a larger nearby city newspaper which might have included local news. 
    • Don't limit your search to your direct ancestors. Search for the names of siblings, cousins, in-laws, and other family members who lived in the same area.
    • Except for the New York Times, newspapers do not index themselves and rely on libraries and historical societies to do the indexing.
    IDENTIFYING WHAT NEWSPAPERS ARE AVAILABLE:
    The quickest way to discover what newspapers are published currently is to google "location name newspapers". But what if you want to know what newspapers were published in Litchfield, Connecticut in 1770?  Consult these directories of published newspapers:
    Some of these directories also describe where copies of the newspaper can be found.

    Newspapers can also be found in local, regional, state, & college libraries or  historical societies, archives and repositories.

    The Ohio History Connection has an extensive collection of Ohio newspapers that can be ordered though your local library for a fee. For other states, check for newspaper holdings at WorldCat.org.

    HOW DO YOU ACCESS NEWSPAPERS?
    There are only three choices for accessing newspapers:
    • Paper copies - this is usually only an option for recent newspapers. Newsprint degrades quickly and takes a lot of room for storage. And they are flammable. Paper copies are usually only available at the newspaper office and at local libraries. Very limited or non-existent indexing.
    • Microfilm copies - Starting in the mid-20th century, microfilming became the preferred method for preserving newspapers. Theoretically, under optimal conditions,  microfilm can survive for hundreds of years. It can be very tedious to wind though miles of film. Nearby libraries, archives, state libraries, historical societies and colleges are the most likely repositories of newspaper microfilm. Very limited or non-existent indexing. Who owns the microfilm can be searched on Worldcat.org/
    • Digitized copies - only a small percentage of newspapers have been digitized. It is an expensive and labor intensive project. Most digitization projects use the microfilm copies of the paper. The number of digitized papers keeps growing. 
      • Most use OCR character recognition for indexing.Problems can occur with OCR indexing. The OCR software has trouble interpreting the sometimes small or smudged newsprint from the original paper.
    NEWSPAPER DATABASES:
    • Ancestry.com $$ or Ancestry Library Edition (ALE) 
      • Access though subscription or from inside a public library 
      • Limited publication coverage 
      • Easy to search, view and print 
      • ALE is available within all of the branches of Medina County District Library - www.mcdl.info 
    Screen shot from Ancestry LE that indicates they have 159 "Newspapers & Publications" in their holdings.

    • British Newspaper Archive - www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk from FindMyPast.com
    • Chronicling America -http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ 
      • Has a directory of all US newspapers that includes listing (incomplete) where to find copies of the paper – does not include MCDL or Ohio History Connection 
      • Provides access to information about historic newspapers & select digitized newspaper pages 
      • Represents less than 2% of US newspapers 
      • Easy to save and print 
    Launching page for the directory portion of the Chronicling America site.

    • FindMyPast $$ or ££ https://www.findmypast.com/
    • Genealogy Bank - $$ - https://www.genealogybank.com/explore/newspapers/all
      • They claim that 95% of their newspapers are exclusive to GenealogyBank (doubtful)
      • Can browse by location to see if they  have the paper you are looking for. 
      • 14 day free trial
      • Parent company is Newsbank. Includes papers covered by
        Chronicling America and Newspaper Archives
    • Google News Archive - https://news.google.com/newspapers - a discontinued project by Google to digitize the world's newspapers. Although they are no longer adding new content, the old content is there.
    • Newspapers.com $$ 
      • From Ancestry.com 
      • 5,800+ newspaper titles 
      • 336+ million pages 
      • Coverage from 1700s to 2000s 
      • Different subscription levels 
    • Newspaper Archives 
      • Subscription Database 
      • Some libraries subscribe - Akron Summit County Public Library
      • Does the smaller, local papers 
      • Map guide to which newspapers digitized 
      • Easy to search, save and print 
      • Search Limiters: 
        • Date - Exact, Range of dates, Between two years 
        • Location - Country, State, City 
        • Name of Publication 
    Newspaper Archive is available from many libraries, including the Akron Summit County Public Library.
    It has digitized many smaller town newspapers. Clipping, printing and saving the articles is possible




















    AFRICAN AMERICAN NEWSPAPER RESEARCH - here are some unique sources for African American Genealogy:
    • Finding and Using African American Newspapers by Timothy Pinnick 
    • Runaway slave advertisements  
    • Reunion with lost family post-Civil War generally 1865-1885  
    • Freedom on the Move www.freedomonthemove.org - ads for runaway slaves 
    • Last Seen: Finding Family after Slavery http://informationwanted.org/about digitization of the Christian Recorder about trying to find lost family 
    • Chronicling America has 20+ African American Newspapers 
    • African American/Black columns in large newspapers, such as: 
      • Pittsburgh Courier 
      • Chicago Defender 
      • The Freeman 
      • Norfolk Journal and Guide 
      • Cleveland Gazette
      • Call and Post

    NEWSPAPER DATABASES FROM LOCAL LIBRARIES

    MEDINA COUNTY DISTRICT LIBRARY
    • Newsbank, providing access to:
      • Cleveland Plain Dealer 1991-present 
      • The (Toledo) Blade Oct 1996-Present (4 week lag)
      • The Cincinnati Post 1990-2007 
      • The Columbus Dispatch 1882-2019 
      • Dayton Daily News 1889-2019
    CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY - for holders of CPL Library cards ONLY (can’t have MCDL & CCPL Cards):
    • Akron Beacon Journal 1997-2016 (not death notices)
    • Call and Post (African American) 1934-1991
    • Cleveland News Index
    • Ethnic Watch 200 ethnic newspapers 1985-present
    • New York Times Historical 1851-2013
    • Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers
    • Plain Dealer 1991- present
    • Plain Dealer Historical 1845-1991
    • The Times (London) 1785-2010
    • USA Today 2002-present
    • Wall Street Journal 1984-present
    CUYAHOGA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY- for holders of CCPL library cards (Can have MCDL & CCPL cards at same time)       
    • America’s Obituaries & Death Notices 1800s-present
    • Cleveland Jewish News
    • Cleveland Jewish News Archive 1964-present
    • Cleveland Call & Post 1934-1991
    • Newspaper Source - (see above)
    • New York Times Historical 1851-2014
    • Plain Dealer 1991-present
    • Plain Dealer Historical 1845-1991
    • Press Reader - Newspapers from all over the world
    AKRON SUMMIT COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
    • Akron Beacon Jounral 1984- present
    • akron Reporter - for Akron's African American Communitye, 1969-1999, 2003-2017
    • New York Times - access from within the library 
    • NewspaperArchive
    • Newspaper Source - 25 national & international newspapers
    • Regional Business News - 75 regional, metropolitan and rural business newspapers
    • Wall Street Journal - 2008 to present
    LIBRARY SUBSCRIPTIONS - Not available locally:
    • Proquest Historical Newspapers- seen at academic and a few public libraries
    • READEX- Provider of subsets like “Early American Newspapers”
    • Gale - Nineteenth Century Newspapers, etc
    • Ebscohost - provider of current newspaper articles
    SOURCES:
    • Biedler, James, Family Tree Historical Newspapers Guide, 2018.
    • Greenwood, Val D., Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, 2017 pp. 273-276. 
    • Kahn, Miriam, PhD, "Newspapers: Easy Ways to Find and Use Current & Historical Content", webinar for OHIONET presented February 18, 2016. webinar on newspapers from 2016 
    • Morgan, George G., How to Do Everything Genealogy, 2015, pp. 44-46.
    WEBSITES: