The Bay Village Historical Society would like to send our congratulations to the recent graduates of Bay High School in 2024. One hundred years ago, in May of 1924, the two-year old Parkview School building (located where the middle school stands today) only housed grades 1-9th grade and was preparing to add a 10th grade class that fall. Any Bay Village graduating student at that time still needed to attend neighboring high schools, such as in Westlake and Rocky River, until Bay added its first senior class in the fall of 1926. You can view yearbooks for Bay’s high school all the way back to this first graduating class of 1927 at the Osborn Learning Center or by viewing a digital copy on our website here.
On the subject of yearbooks, one may think of the autographs within them. This personal addition of autographs and poems are left behind within the cover pages and margins of the book as fond remembrances from fellow schoolmates and teachers. Their messages can also be found in booklets from the late 19th century, made specifically for this purpose. We have a few such booklets in our collections, including some that contains locks of hair! The autograph books included here all contain signatures dating from the 1880s.
First is the autograph book of Miss Emily Oborn (b. 1871, d. 1955). Emily was the great-granddaughter of early Dover Township (now Bay Village) settlers Sarah and Reuben Osborn. Inside the booklet, the signatures implore Emily to not forget them and send best wishes and wonders about the future. The pages are signed by her teacher, family, and various friends and students, beginning in the early 1880s.
Pages from the autograph book of Miss Emily Osborn. Note the sticker or pasted image of flowers at top right. Such small images are often pasted in the pages of these books. 2021.07.09
The autograph book of Herbert “Bertie” Barker (b. 1871, d. 1924) contains signatures of schoolmates and friends in New York from 1882-1883 with some additional signatures collected into the 1890s. Barker later married a member of Dover Township’s Aldrich family.
Pages from the autograph book of Bertie Barker, 2021.FIC.033.
Edythe Amelia Aldrich (b. 1876 d. 1961) was the great-granddaughter of Elizabeth and Aaron Aldrich III, the first members of the Aldrich family to settle in Dover Township in 1816. Edythe Aldrich’s book contains many pieces of sage advice from Dover classmates but also some humorous poems and teases about the future love interest in her life. That person turned out to be Herbert Marcus Barker (Bertie Barker) whom she married in 1905.
Pages from the autograph book of Edythe (or Edith) Amelia Aldrich, with collected signatures from 1887-1891, 2021.FIC.034.The signature at left might be of Wirt Wallace Dodd (b. 1868, d. 1950). Dodd’s future daughter, Sarah, was a member of the first graduating class in Bay in 1927.
This page of Edythe Aldrich’s autograph book contains the signature of Arthur H. Wolf. This is probably Arthur H. J. Wolf (b. 1874, d. 1900), the grandson of early Dover settlers Ann and John Wolf, who came to the area in 1818 from Virginia. According to Bay Village: A Way of Life, Arthur’s father, Alfred, was born in 1828 in his parent’s log cabin, built 300 feet south of what is now Wolf Road, near Walmar Drive.
In May of 2023, we took a look back at a few pictures and papers from some early graduates of Bay Village on our Glimpse of the Past page. It’s worth a look!
Also worth a look is the historic Sarah and Reuben Osborn house, on Lake Road, next to Rose Hill Museum. It is believed to be the oldest surviving framed house between Cleveland and Lorain County. It was saved from destruction and moved to its current location in 1995. It also received a bit of a facelift in 2023 with a new paint job and some exterior work. The building is officially known as the Osborn Learning Center because it houses some small exhibits and resources for research on Bay history. Come visit this house as well as Rose Hill Museum on Sundays, April – December in 2024 from 2:00 – 4:30 p.m. (excluding holiday weekends). Contact us at info@bayhistorical.com or call us at 216-319-4634 with any questions. You may also visit our website at www.bayhistorical.com, for additional information.
In our records at the Bay Village Historical Society there is much historical evidence that the Joseph Cahoon family built at least two mills on Cahoon Creek, beginning in 1813. The grist and saw mills are now long gone but they used to sit just east of Rose Hill house on Cahoon Creek. In fact, the creek may have been the reason the Cahoon family chose to settle in this particular location in what was then called Dover Township.
According to a piece in the 1958 Bay Village City brochure, “The Bay Village Story,” it is claimed that Joseph Cahoon, who was the first settler in Dover in 1810, wrote to his wife, Lydia, about the land he chose. “Lydia, we need go no further. There is timber, all we can ever use, and the land is fine for grain and vegetables and this creek we will call Cahoon Creek, and we will build a grist mill right there.” The Bay Village Historical Society has not yet found the original copy of this letter and cannot verify the quote given, but it is certainly possible that Joseph would have expressed sentiments like these.
Copy of map showing the locations of the Cahoon buildings in 1852, including the mills. 1996.M.03.05
A granddaughter of Joseph Cahoon, Ida Maria Cahoon, wrote a book in 1910 about her family history titled “History of the Cahoon Family.” In this book, Ida states that her father, Joel, one of Joseph’s sons, helped his father to erect and operate both mills when he wasn’t serving for several months during 1814 in the War of 1812. Ida’s words are a much-referenced description of the building of the mill and some of the travel challenges faced by early settlers:
“While Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was fighting his famous battle upon Lake Erie, September 10, 1813, a grist mill was being raised by Grandfather Cahoon and his neighbors upon Cahoon Creek, east of our house. Prior to this time, the nearest flour mill was at Newburgh, eighteen miles away. Miles seemed longer when no streams were bridged, no hills graded, and a horse or ox bore the burden of the grain to be ground, then they do today with modern means of transportation. The stones for grinding the grain were quarried from the creek by Joseph Cahoon and his son Joel. They are placed as stepping stones at the entrance to our lawn, preserved as a part of the history of the place.”
And the mill stones remain there still. Two stones rest near the Rose Hill north side porch. There is an additional stone on the south side. Several accounts claim the stones for grinding the grist were hewn from Cahoon Creek, or at least somewhere not too far away. You can still see the furrows or channels cut into a sickle pattern on one side of the stones. From the north porch of Rose Hill, you may look down upon Cahoon Creek and see the spot where the grist mill once stood. No remains can be seen today of that mill.
Another water-powered mill, a saw mill, was built just north of and not long after the grist mill. This saw mill is credited with cutting the lumber used to build the Cahoon’s permanent framed house in 1818, known as Rose Hill. According to recollections in our archives, there may still have been remnants of the saw mill into the 20th century.
Photo from Wilfred Swanker, claiming to be taken of the “Cahoon Mill.” Based on Swanker’s location description in a newspaper interview for West Life in 1982, this could actually be the ruins of the old Oviatt saw mill, located further south on Cahoon Creek, across from Lincoln Road.
This photo was identified by an unknown person as the “Cahoongrist mill.” This is unlikely the Joseph Cahoon grist mill, in part, because writings from his granddaughter, Ida Maria, tell us Joel B. Cahoon rebuilt the original mill in the 1840s, but it was out of use by the end of the Civil War though it may be the mill of different Cahoon family member.
A short history about water power and mills in early America
In the early days of America, most settlers on the frontier were farmers. Wood, water and good farming soil were in abundance but man power was scarce and expensive. Technology helped to save time and money. Water was an energy source that could be harnessed to replace both humans and animals to power machinery, move grist mills, saw mills and power cloth mills, among other uses.
Grist mills were a top priority for settlers as baked goods like bread were a staple of many early American families. They were usually built before schools and churches in a new township. This was because grinding grist (any grain that has been separated from its chaff) into flour was quite physically demanding and time consuming. Grain farmers would travel up to 50 miles away to avoid the work and the Cahoon mill was probably filled with fellow farmers from the area, considering the nearest mill at the time was reportedly in Newburgh, some 18 miles away. These farmers likely paid for the service by offering part of their grain harvest to the Cahoons.
There are no definitively proven photos of the old Cahoon mills in the Bay Village Historical Society collections. We can surmise, from other mills constructed at the time and the topography of the Cahoon land, that the Cahoon grist mill was powered by water moving up Cahoon Creek to either a large vertical undershot or breastshot wheel. A millpond or dam, which is referenced in Cahoon letters as late as the 1840s, along with a millrace channel, helped to direct, contain and control the flow of water. The wheel would power a system of gears inside the millhouse that could power a set of mill stones and maybe even a series of pulleys. A multistoried building meant that gravity could provide help in moving the grain down through the processing. The grist is fed into a hole in the middle of the top “running” stone and as that stone moves over the one below it, the grist is ground by the flat cut sections between the two stones. The grist becomes a finer flour and the long furrows cut into the stones move the grain outward to be collected.
The inside of the model grist mill at Rose Hill shows how the Cahoon’s grist mill probably worked. The grain was stored at the top and brought down by a chute to a hole at the topof the running mill stone. The wooden peg gears, which could more easily be replaced when broken, were turned by an outside water-powered wheel. The Cahoon mill probably ground its own corn as it is listed as one of their crops in the late 1800s.
You may get some idea of technology like this used during the 1800s at the Rose Hill Museum. There are various tools and machines on display that once aided early farmers. One of these tools is the working model 1813 grist mill. This model shows how harnessing water may power the wheel to the inner workings of a building. With the help of a docent, you may even try to power this mill yourself!
Pamela Ebert paints the model grist mill.
Thanks to all of the fantastic volunteers who helped make this model grist mill possible, including:
Wood Structure – Senior Center Wood Shop at City Hall, Ed Wozniak, Jim Rowe, and Tony Pantina Painting – Pamela Ebert and Ed Neal Interior Structure and Mechanical Fittings – Dan Krieg Assisted by – Michele Yamamoto, Cathy Flament, and Marie Albano
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Source for some of the early history of grist mills in American drawn from:
General history taken from Penn State University website “Building Community: Medieval Technology and American History” See: https://www.engr.psu.edu/mtah/articles/colonial_wood_water.htm
The following article was written by former Bay Village Historical Society president and historian, Kay Laughlin, in 2015. Ernest Wuebker is credited as the first rural mailman in West Dover Township (part of what is now Bay Village).
The first mail carrier in West Dover
by Kay Laughlin
Ernest Wuebker was born in 1884 and grew up near Akron. In 1897, at age 13, Ernie came to Dover Township to pick grapes for his Uncle Henry [Wuebker] who lived in the old Heckerman house on the east side of Bradley Road, south of the tracks. Casper, Ernie’s [younger uncle], joined him and later purchased Uncle Henry’s property. The next year, Casper invited Ernie and his mom to move to Dover. Across the street lived Gus Fortlage.
Ernest stands in the back row, second boy from left, between his little brothers Henry and Lewis, in this cropped 1898 school photo. His little sister, Ina, is in the second row, at far right. Oldest sister, Amanda, is not in this picture. Ernest was born in New York City and came to Dover, Ohio only about a year before this photo was taken. (2018.P.03.03.78)
Ernest as a young man, 2018.P.03.03.28.
At that time, the acreage around the railroad crossing and Lear/Nagel Road was called West Dover. Shortly after Ernie arrived, the West Dover Post Office was moved from Dieterich’s store north of the tracks on the east side of Bradley Road (where Bay Commons is today) to the southwest side of the tracks in Gus Fortlage’s place.
One day Gus stopped Ernie on his way up Bradley Road and told him he, Gus, had received a contract to start the first rural mail carrier route out of West Dover and suggested Ernie be the mailman. Ernie would receive $50 a month and provide his own transportation and expenses.
So in 1904, at 20 years of age, after passing a U.S. Civil Service examination in Cleveland, Ernie started delivering mail by bicycle and on horseback. Ernie’s route encompassed not only Dover Township but also Avon and North Ridgeville townships.
Ernie bought one of those regular green RFD mail wagons that had the reins going out two holes in front, which made delivering mail much safer and warmer. Between Porter and Center Ridge roads, the Greens, who owned Green’s Garage, allowed him to leave his horse at their barn to rest while he used the Greens’ horse to finish the North Ridgeville loop of his route. It was in 1916 Ernie turned to a Model T Ford in good weather. So, in accordance with the motto, “the mail always went through.”
Ernie married Alvina Peters and raised his family on Bradley Road in the 1850 Thomas Powell house. Alvina’s grandparents were Tom and Sophia Saddler Powell. In 1923, Ernie built a colonial house south of the Powell house at 584 Bradley Road. Delivering the mail had served Ernie well.
Alvina and Ernest Wuebker relax inside their Bradley Road home in 1926, 2018.P.03.03.39. The couple had been married for 20 years by the time this photo was taken.
Ernest and wife Alvina in front of their home on Bradley in the summer of 1927, 2018.P.03.03.55.The Wuebker’s raised peaches, apples and grapes on their property.
In the early years there was not a person in western Westlake and Bay whom Ernie did not know by name and sight because of his occupation. They saw him often and he became their confidant and trusted friend.
Ernest and Alvina’s children stand behind them at their Bradley Road home. From left to right are Vera, Elaine and Carl. Vera was one of the first Bay high school graduates in 1927. Her younger brother, Carl, was on the first school football team. Tragically, he died of kidney failure at the age of 21, not long after this photo was taken. (2018.P.03.03.36)
Ernest Wuebker poses for a 1961 article photo with a miniature replica of the type of transportation he used in his early days as a mail carrier, later using a Model-T Ford. Wuebker served as a mail carrier from 1904-1935. “None of the roads was paved,” he said in the article. “When it was too muddy for the wagon, I pushed a two-wheeled cart. When there was snow I took the wheels off the wagon and put on runners. When it was too deep for that, I rode horseback.” Wuebker died in 1979, at the age of 94. (2023.P.FIC.012)
There is more to learn about the West Dover Post Office and 19th century letter writing on our website page Fun with History. Our Glimpse of the Past page has information about stamp collecting here.
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We hope you enjoyed this glimpse into the life of Ernest August Wuebker. If learning historical information such as this is important to you, please consider a donation to the Bay Village Historical Society. Find out more on our website Donate page. You may also contact us by phone at (216) 319-4634 or email info@bayhistorical.com.
Easter is observed on March 31st this year. We here at the Bay Village Historical Society would like to wish you and yours a happy Easter this month. Below are a few examples of the many Easter cards and postcards we have in our collections. Enjoy!
Easter or “Ostern” postcard sent to Ohio from Frankfurt, Germany in April, 1908. 2021.FIC.018.20.1
Reading rabbits help to send good wishes to the recipient of this Easter postcard (circa early 1900s) 2021.FIC.018.19.1
A little girl leads her Easter rabbit through a field in this March 1929 postcard sent to 7-year-old Helen Yaeger, 2021.19.10.3.4
A little kitten with a bow helps to send an Easter poem to a beloved aunt on this April 1958 card, 2021.FIC.018.26
If preserving artifacts from Bay Village history is important to you, consider supporting the Bay Village Historical Society through volunteering or giving your monetary support. Information about this can be found on our website here. Thank you!
The feature image of this post is of a 1976 drawing by Ethel Sadler of the early days of ice-skating in Bay Village, 2023.B.23.01.
The 1976 Bay Village Historical Society coloring book tells of the first pond made for ice-skating in Bay. “The original pond, dug especially for skaters, was just north of City Hall where the tennis courts are today. A pond was needed for recreation, as Lake Erie was becoming more treacherous and creeks were too shallow. Later on, a pond was dug at the corner of Cahoon and Wolf Roads. A shelter and benches were provided for comfort.”
In our collections are several examples of ice-skates from this earlier period of Bay Village history.
Metal ice skates that clamp onto shoes, 96.13.66A
Metal and wood ice skates with leather leg braces, 2009.C.03
Metal and wood ice skates with leather straps to hold shoes, 2023.Y.33.03AB
We see much talk about skating rinks in scrapbook pages and maps from the early 1970s. Two outdoor ice-skating rinks could be found at the corner of Wolf and Cahoon Roads, just across the street from Bay Middle School. In one West Life article from 1972, professional figure skater and graduate of the Bay High Class of 1966, Karen Kresge, said she learned how to skate from the age of 8 years-old on the Cahoon Park ice pond. In 1972 she was starring in a touring ice show and Bay Village Mayor Henry Reese declared March 1st of that year, Karen Kresge Day, to celebrate her return to perform in Cleveland.
1970 Bay Village map that shows the two ice-skating rinks at Wolf and Cahoon Roads (2018.FIC.0052). Also note some buildings no longer in Bay. The site where two cottages sit across the street from the rinks is now the Bay Skate Park. The site of the Bayway Cabin at the lower right side of the image is now the Cuyahoga County Public Library, Bay Village Branch.
This same year plans were quickly taking shape to construct a large twin ice arena building in Bay Village. This privately owned arena was supported and approved by the City of Bay to be built on the very southwest corner of town, just north of Naigle Road and east of the border with Lorain County. It would have had a dedicated rink just for open skating and another for hockey games and practice. It would also have served many other sports year ‘round, including tennis courts and even a pool! There were many local winter sports enthusiasts who voiced their support for a rink in Bay, stating its profitability and the taxes it would bring to the city annually. There were also some concerns, voiced by residents living along Bradley Road, that it would bring too much traffic to the area. As we now know, this recreation center was never built. We do not have a definitive reason in our collections as to why the rink wasn’t finished and neither does the Recreation Department. Some say it came down to cost. Other rinks proposed for Avon Lake and Independence also fell through around this time.
Map showing the proposed location for indoor ice-skating rinks in Bay Village from a Cleveland Press article on November 29, 1972.
Also, in 1972 was mentioned the ice rink at Clague Road Park (Reese Park). It was a large rink that would need to be relocated due to the building of the I-90 intersection. Today, the ice-skating rink in Reese Park is the only official ice-skating rink in Bay, weather permitting. A long spell of good, cold weather is needed to open it. If the conditions are just right, it will be accessed along the pathway behind the restrooms area at the park.
We hope you enjoyed this glimpse into early ice-skating in Bay Village. If learning historical information such as this is important to you, please consider a donation to the Bay Village Historical Society. Find out more on our website Donate page. You may also contact us by phone at (216) 319-4634 or email info@bayhistorical.com.
We at the Bay Village Historical Society would like to wish you and yours a happy New Year in 2024.
Many thanks to all who have helped to make a difference in preserving and sharing the history of our town in 2023, whether through attending our events, volunteering at our historical buildings or giving us your monetary support. We thank you so much! Your support made it possible to continue cataloging and making our collections of objects, papers and photographs more accessible to the public. It helped to create a working model grist mill to demonstrate early industry and engineering of our earliest settlers. It has contributed to making our events, such as Cahoon Christmas, more entertaining every year. For this and so much more, we thank you!
The photos that accompany these good wishes are of two women wearing winter clothing which would be of the style seen in the 1880s. They appear to be braving the snowy winter weather outside in their cozy fur collars and muffs. Could such a perfect portrait be possible in such conditions? A quick search online for such photographs from this time period leads to many examples of subjects posing in fake winter scenes in photography studios. Some even have white “snow” on their clothing, hats and boots. Some have wintry backgrounds with painted trees and mountains, covered with snow. Others have “snowflakes” all around the person pictured. This effect was added to the negative after the photograph was taken. One description of the process to create this can be found here.
It does make for a beautiful portrait through which to show off one’s beautiful winter fashions!
Unidentified woman poses for a winter portrait, circa the 1880s, 1999.P.04.011.
Please be aware that the Bay Village Historical Society’s Rose Hill Museum, Osborn Learning Center and Replica 1810 Cabin are all closed to the public for the winter season. They will be reopening in April 2024. Until then, please explore our updated website with new features to explore, including a variety of photos, articles and learning activities about the past at www.bayhistorical.com.
During Cahoon Christmas 2023 events, the Bay Village Historical Society will be showcasing an exhibit of Christmas cards and imagery in our library. The pictures were created by artist Thomas William Jones, a Bay Village native. Jones recently and very generously donated examples of his work to the Society this year. Jones’s work was chosen as the feature image for President Ronald Reagan and Vice President Dick Cheney’s official Christmas cards. You may view them in person during December at the Rose Hill Museum.
Jones’s cards inspired us to look at some other holiday greetings in our collections. Enjoy this look into the past and happy holidays from the Bay Village Historical Society!
Christmas postcard from Ida Maria Cahoon to Miss Sarah Dodd, circa 1910s, 2012.05.2.
Christmas card from Ernest and Alvina Wuebker to their daughter, Vera. Ernest was the first rural postman of West Dover Township from 1903-1935 and his daughter was part of Bay’s first graduating senior class in 1927, 2018.03.70.
Telegram from Ernie Olchon to his future wife, Dorothy, circa the late 1930s. They were married in 1940. From 1940-1971, Olchon owned Ernie Olchon’s Bay Service Station, at Wolf and Dover Roads, 2018.11.14AB.
President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan’s official Christmas card, 1988. Art by Thomas William Jones, 2023.13.02.
The final Cahoon Christmas 2023 event days will be held Sunday, December 17, from 2:00-4:30 p.m. and Wednesday, December 20, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. You may find a list of special performances and demonstrations on our website at www.bayhistorical.com. Click on Our Events on the homepage menu to access the Calendar. Contact us at (216) 319-4634 / info@bayhistorical.com, with any questions.
The Bay Village Historical Society usually asks that visitors do not sit upon any of their antique collections. In December, there will be an exception. An 1800s sleigh will be available for picture taking with Santa Claus during the Cahoon Christmas event days.
The sleigh before the remodel, D.2019.5.1.
It is unclear where and exactly when the two-seater sleigh was built. We do know that it was most likely made sometime in the 1800s. The sleigh was owned most recently by Bill and Grace Anderson Sebesta of Bay Village. Their niece, Bernardette E. Novy Enochian, donated it to the Bay Village Historical Society in 2019. It was restored soon after and painted red and black for the holiday season. The sleigh made its makeover debut for Cahoon Christmas 2022, during which Santa, Mrs. Claus, and their elves joined the festivities and posed for pictures with visitors at Rose Hill Museum.
The sleigh being rebuilt, D.2019.5.1
If you would like to take a photo of your loved ones with Santa at Rose Hill Sunday, December 10, from 2-4 p.m., sign up on our website at Cahoon Christmas 2023 and for a $20 donation, a professional photographer will take a digital photo that will be emailed to you. Walk-ups are welcome at $25 cash. The proceeds will help fund activities and collection preservation at the Bay Village Historical Society.
The 2023 Cahoon Christmas event will be held Sundays, December 3, 10 and 17 from 2:00-4:30 p.m. and Wednesdays December 6, 13, 20 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. You may find a list of special December performances and demonstrations on our website at the following link: Events Calendar. Contact us at (216) 319-4634 / info@bayhistorical.com, with any questions.
Antique brass sleigh bells, 2006.L.04
1899 children’s book “The First Sleigh Ride,” 2021.B.FIC.010
The following postcard, sent in 1938 to Henry and his sister, Olga Wischmeyer, says it all. Best wishes to to you and yours this Thanksgiving, this time from the Bay Village Historical Society.
Who are Henry and Olga Wischmeyer, you ask? They were the children of Henry and Regina Wischmeyer, the owners of a popular resort hotel in 1800s Dover (now Bay Village). The hotel, which used to stand on the Lake, just west of Glen Park, is now gone. The home of Henry and Olga, though, still stands today.
Some artifacts of the Wischmeyer Hotel were saved and can be viewed at the Rose Hill Museum, along with Henry Jr.’s collection of model boats. You may come see these exhibits Sundays (excluding holiday weekends), 2:00-4:30 p.m. In addition, come visit Rose Hill during our special 2023 Cahoon Christmas Event, Saturdays, December 3, 10 and 17 from 2:00-4:30 p.m. and Wednesdays December 6, 13, 20 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. You may find the list of special performances, demonstrations and photos with Santa on our website https://www.bayhistorical.com/. Contact us at (216) 319-4634 / info@bayhistorical.com, with any questions.
d Olga Wischmeyer, you ask? They were the children of Henry and Regina Wischmeyer, the owners of a popular resort hotel in 1800s Dover (now Bay Village). The hotel, which used to stand on Lake Road, is now gone. Some artifacts remain at the Rose Hill Museum, along with Henry Jr.’s collection of model boats.
You may see these exhibits Sundays (excluding holiday weekends), 2:00-4:30 p.m. In addition, come visit Rose Hill during our special 2023 Cahoon Christmas Event, Saturdays, December 3, 10 and 17 from 2:00-4:30 p.m. and Wednesdays December 6, 13, 20 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. You may find a list of special performances, demonstrations and photos with Santa on our website homepage. Contact us at (216) 319-4634 / info@bayhistorical.com, with any questions.
At the Bay Village Historical Society, we made an unexpected discovery while archiving the college diploma of Elizabeth Hughes Cahoon. The backing used inside the frame for Elizabeth’s diploma was from the women’s suffrage movement in the early 1900s. The poster reads “Vote for Woman Suffrage Amendment 3 on Nov. 3.” A look into Amendment 3 led us to discover this political campaign poster was referring to an attempt in 1914 to initiate an Ohio state constitutional amendment to provide women the right to vote. Suffragists up to this point had been trying to pass state initiatives such as this one to compel the United States Congress to submit a federal amendment. Fifteen other states managed to pass suffrage ballot measures. The amendment cited on the poster was the second attempt to extend the suffrage to women in the state of Ohio. The first attempt on September 9, 1912 failed. The November 3, 1914 attempt also failed, with 60% of the male only voters voting against it, about 3% more than in 1912.
Elizabeth (b. 1830, d. 1914) joined the Cahoon family when she married Thomas Havenner Cahoon (b. 1832, d. 1907) in 1860. Thomas was the son of Joel and Martha Cahoon, the second-generation homeowners of Rose Hill. Before marriage, Elizabeth graduated from Wesleyan Female College in Cincinnati in 1852 with a degree of Mistress of English Literature. This was no ordinary feat in the 1800s, a time during which most American women were discouraged from attending institutions of higher learning.
A young Elizabeth Hughes Cahoon, 2000.P.FIC.013
Thomas Havenner Cahoon,1996.P.008A
Elizabeth Hughes Cahoon’s 1852 college diploma, 2021.FIC.004
Knowing her background, it makes one wonder if she supported the 1914 measure or maybe even campaigned for it. Elizabeth attended college during the very early years of the suffrage movement, which appears to have had a strong presence in Ohio. In a college journal entry from January 11, 1851, Elizabeth wrote that she attended a meeting at a public lecture hall during which she “heard much of woman’s wrongs and rights.” Interestingly, in May of that year, there was an Ohio Woman’s Rights Convention held in Akron, during which abolitionist and women’s rights activist, Sojourner Truth, spoke.
Elizabeth Hughes Cahoon in later years. 2023.P.FIC.011
Elizabeth Hughes Cahoon died on October 4, 1914, one month before the outcome of the November vote. She is buried in the Bay Village Lakeside Cemetery. Almost six years later, on August 26, 1920, the ratification of the 19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is certified. It prohibits government from denying or abridging the right to vote on account of sex.
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If you enjoy reading Glimpse of the Past, please consider a donation to the Bay Village Historical Society. We rely mainly on the support of private donors to preserve and share our local history. Donations can be made online on our “Support Us” page. You may also contact us at (216) 319-4634 or info@bayhistorical.com.
1914 Woman Suffrage poster, 2021.FIC.005. A portion of the bottom was cut to fit into a frame as backing. It may be viewed in person in a display at Rose Hill Museum through November 12, 2023.
