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Let's think outside the box for a minute: we already have a Western Lake Erie Historical Society;a Maumee Valley Historical Society; and a Maumee Valley Heritage Corridor. This gives us the ability to reach beyond the political borders of Toledo and and concentrate on the entire Lake Erie West Region.

"OUR VISION EMBRACES ALL OF NORTHWEST OHIO AND A PORTION OF WESTERN INDIANA AND SOUTHERN MICHIGAN". If that is a true statement, then it would make sense to collaborate with one another to get the synergistic benefits of such an undertaking. Pooling resources would allow for a unified approach to examine the history of the Great Black Swamp, and allow for the possibility of securing Federal funds through Marcy Kaptur's office,since the area is part of the Maumee Valley watershed basin.

posted by lew on Dec 03, 2007 at 07:55:56 am     #

COSI ?

posted by max on Dec 03, 2007 at 02:22:42 pm     #

Why Not?

posted by lew on Dec 03, 2007 at 02:33:49 pm     #

I was up at an art show and stumbled upon the Detroit Historical Museum. Not as interesting or as large as Henry Ford's Museum, but it seems more of a not so subtle advertisement for the automotive business. http://www.detroithistorical.org/index.asp
The only thing that stuck out was that Detroit was chosen as a settlement/fort because cannonballs could be easily launched into Canada.

I don't see a Cleveland, Columbus, nor Dayton Historical Museum. Just a Cincy one and an Ohio Historical Society in Columbus. http://www.censusfinder.com/ohio-historical-museums.htm
So the TFP comment that Toledo is one of the few Ohio cities lacking a historic museum might be a lax if not meaningless.

posted by charlatan on Dec 03, 2007 at 02:34:11 pm     #

A group of businessmen are working on the COSI site. Stay tuned.

posted by max on Dec 03, 2007 at 07:36:08 pm     #

THM is doing important work, and I applaud their efforts to highlight the need to collect, protect, and promote the history of this region.

That being said, I am frustrated at the overall disinterest shown by people in this region to become engaged in local history. I have written for local papers and also blogged about the erosion of local history in the area, and I do not see any change in this unfortunate trend.

Part of the problem lies within the discipline of history itself. Historians as a group spend little time connecting with the general public beyond the classroom, and those historians who engage in public history - be it books for general audiences, participation in documentaries, or public talks - get little support from their profession. I get quite a few bemused chuckles from colleagues at my efforts to use my blog as a device to bring my research to a wider audience; the usual comments run something along the lines of "you should be submitting that work to a real publication, something that will further your career."

As a rule, tenure and merit raises are based upon academic books and articles in peer-reviewed academic journals, and historians are rewarded much more for their work within the narrow spheres of academia than they are for engaged public history.

Yet the problem certainly runs deeper than the methods by which historians are compensated. When people seem to care little about their history, I am inclined to think that this cultural void is indicative of deeper social ills. America is a land driven by the obsession with the here and now, by instantaneous gratification, and the acquisition of more and more cool stuff : what use is the study of history in a world that cares little beyond American Idol and Dancing With The Stars?

Then, too, perhaps the local history we are promoting has no connection with the vast majority of people. What does the veneration of wealthy magnates like Joseph K.Secor or Robert and Frank Stranahan mean to a blue-collar worker, or a poor kid in East Toledo? As a rule, the history that tends to get the most funding is the history that the wealthy patrons want preserved.

This is not some exercise in rich-bashing, but rather a commentary on the contradictions inherent in historic preservation efforts. Thanks for allowing me this moment of cynical public hand-wringing; I hope that I am selling short Toledoans in particular and Americans in general, but I my greater fear is that I am correct in this brief cultural assessment.

posted by historymike on Dec 03, 2007 at 09:00:29 pm     #

Amen, History Mike! Which is why collaboration between the various 'HISTORY" groups in the region would have a synergistic effect. As you say, many people have no interest in history, but those that do tend to go off in splinter groups that end up fading away for lack of money. Here's a good example of the possibility of 2 + 2 = 5!

posted by lew on Dec 04, 2007 at 07:23:21 am     #

Surely, some issues to ponder are: (1) Who is going to curate the artifacts? (2) Will the curator work a 5-day week and be paid? Or...(3) Will (s)he work one day a week as a volunteer? (4) What type of security/intrusion alarm system is feasible?

posted by flinty on Dec 04, 2007 at 08:27:08 pm     #

Some historical museums I have visited over the years:

Wolcott House Museum in Maumee, OH; Wood County HM in Bowling Green, OH; Wyandot County HM in Upper Sandusky, OH; Ottawa County HM in Norwalk, OH; Firelands Museum in Port Clinton, OH; Fort Meigs (War of 1812) Museum in Perrysburg, OH; Ohio Historical Ctr. in Columbus, OH; Hancock County HM in Findlay, OH; Fulton County HM in Wauseon, OH; Willams County HM in Montpelier, OH; Sauder Village near Archbold, OH; Au Glaize Village near Defiance, OH; Flint Ridge Museum near Brownsville, OH; Mound City Group NM in Chillicothe, OH; Gnadenhutten Massacre Museum in Gnadenhutten, OH; Fort Laurens HM in Bolivar, OH; Great Lakes Museum in Vermillion, OH; Armstrong Space Museum in Wapakoneta, OH; Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH; Monroe County HM in Monroe, MI; River Raisin Battlefield Museum (also in Monroe); Lenawee County HM in Adrian, MI; Michigan HM in Lansing, MI; Fort St. Joseph HM in Niles, MI; Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum (both in Dearborn, MI; Fort Erie HM in Fort Erie, Ontario; British Museum in London, Manx Museum in Douglas, Isle of Man; Biskupin Fort (550BC) Museum in Biskupin, Poland.

Some of these have a nominal admission charge and some are free, but accept donations.

posted by flinty on Dec 04, 2007 at 09:07:06 pm     #

Once again, Toledoans seems to think small and expect big results...
Raised in Washington d.c. and here since 1979, I have no such limitations and I don't think when given the chance, Toledoans can be as creative as any in the world.
An interactive museum featuring a floor for each of auto industry, settlement, sports, music entertainment, industry. Now that is an attraction! Pay for it with sponsorships from Jeep, Successful Sports Heroes, STARS, First exhibit as you enter...two large tablets as a giant table of contents, with large letters "Holy Toledo" Cite all the references to our once fair city in movies, sports. etc. Think proud you get creative. Print Toledo Pride on a bridge and you stifle the same.

posted by cohen on Dec 04, 2007 at 09:49:25 pm     #

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