History features are brief articles or posts about specific topics that have been written by OHC staff members, volunteers, and community members.
This page will be under development for some time as we migrate content from the old website. If you are interested in a particular article that is missing, please contact us.
The 7th OVI at The Battle of Kernstown—March, 1862 By Richard Donegan AmeriCorps Civil War 150 Leadership Volunteer 2012 at the Oberlin Heritage Center (2012) - As 1862 began, President Lincoln urged his Generals to advance against the forces of the Confederacy in all...
Hiram Alonzo Pease: The Legend of a Principled Abolitionist By Richard Donegan-AmeriCorps Civil War 150 Leadership Volunteer at the Oberlin Heritage Center (2012) - One of Oberlin’s proudest legacies is the town’s role in the Underground Railroad and the fight against...
7th Ohio Volunteers at Kessler's Cross Lanes By Richard Donegan AmeriCorps Civil War 150 Leadership Volunteer 2012 at the Oberlin Heritage Center On April 12, 1861, an Oberlin College student named Martin M. Andrews turned 22 years old. While the day would prove to be...
by Melva Tolbert, OHC Volunteer About 4 years ago, the Oberlin Heritage Center traveled to Sandusky, Ohio as part of their education program for staff and volunteer docents. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend, but continued to have an interest in the history of...
By Melva Tolbert, Oberlin Heritage Center Volunteer In keeping with the theme of freedom and the Underground Railroad, I recently visited Norfolk, Virginia which is rich in history and stories of freedom. After a stop at the Norfolk Visitors Bureau, I set out to find...
by Melva Tolbert, Oberlin Heritage Center volunteer As my husband and I recently traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio for a family reunion, it was a great opportunity to spend time visiting some historic sites in a city that was so active in the struggle for freedom. My brief...
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Sylvester Graham and his Influence on Daily Life in Oberlin Sylvester Graham was a minister and health reformer whose ideas had a major influence on daily life in Oberlin for the first several years of its existence. He lived from July 5, 1794 to September 11, 1851....
Juneteenth in Oberlin Though Juneteenth has its origins in Texas, it has grown to become a holiday celebrated nation-wide. Juneteenth "began" on June 19, 1865, as the Civil War was drawing to a close. (The last Confederate land forces surrendered by June 1865; Lee's...
John Mercer Langston: Educator and Statesman People across the world have been drawn to Oberlin, a modest Ohio town, for many reasons: its culturally diverse and active community, its innovative College, and, notably, opportunities many people of color did not have...
Hiram Alonzo Pease: The Legend of a Principled Abolitionist By Richard Donegan– AmeriCorps Civil War 150 Leadership Volunteer at the Oberlin Heritage Center (2012) One of Oberlin’s proudest legacies is the town’s role in the Underground Railroad and the fight against...
Oberlin Landmarks and Monuments: Giles Shurtleff Statue Location: In front of Shurtleff Cottage on South Professor Street Built: 1898 Dedicated: Memorial Day 1911 Giles Waldo Shurtleff represented Oberlin’s early action in support of abolition. In speeches and...
Alcines Clair Siddall, M.D. Dr. A. Clair Siddall was a family practice doctor who specialized in obstetrics and gynecology and practiced in Oberlin from 1932 to 1973. Dr. Siddall served as a medical missionary in China from 1923 to 1932. He was actively involved in...
Oberlin Monuments and Outdoor Sculpture: The Harpers Ferry Memorial Current Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Park (NW corner of Vine & Pleasant Sts.) Original Location: Westwood Cemetery Built: c. 1865 Moved and Rededicated: 1971 Along the walking path in Martin...
Charles Martin Hall Memorial History & Restoration of the Marker: The aluminum and stone marker, dedicated on the 40th anniversary of the graduation of the class of 1885, was commissioned by Charles Martin Hall’s classmates to commemorate his contributions to...
Charles Finney in Oberlin Born in Warren, Connecticut August 29, 1792, Charles Grandison Finney was the second president of Oberlin College, and the single most influential figure in the Second American Great Awakening. At the age of 29, while working as a lawyer in...
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