John Merrill

May 10: President Hayes has First Telephone Installed in the White House

In 1876 Alexander Graham Bell was awarded the first U.S. Patent for the telephone. A year later the sitting President of the United States, Rutherford B. Hayes, who was born in Delaware, Ohio, installed this new technology in the White House’s telegraph room. Several years earlier, Hayes first used a telephone in a call to its inventor, after which the future president was quoted to have said:

“It’s a great invention, but who would ever want to use one?”

With such a new invention that was not widely accepted, one might wonder who President Hayes wanted to call or who would be calling him? In May of 1876 the only other number in Washington was to the Treasury Department. It would take a while before the first telephone exchange would be created. The White House phone number was #1.

It would take another 50 years before the telephone actually became a regular feature of the President’s desk when President Hoover had one installed in the Oval Office.

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May 9: Ohio’s Iconic Symbol

By John Merrill

What’s red white and blue, sometimes it is hoisted up one or two of the flag poles on the roof of Ohio’s statehouse, and oh yes, it’s not a flag?

On this day in 1902 the Ohio General Assembly enacted a bill authorizing the adoption of a new state flag. Till this day in Ohio history, Ohio did not have a state flag. Ohio had been a state for almost 100 years, but we had never taken the step of creating a state flag. But a year before this date, several historic events came together in such a way that the General Assembly felt compelled enough to adopt a new symbol for the Buckeye State – and those events happened in another state.

That state was New York where in 1901 the Pan-American Exposition was being held in Buffalo. The Exposition was a show place for countries from both North and South America. It also included exhibits from many states including Ohio. As part of the Ohio Exposition building, flew a new pennant designed by a Cleveland architect that he felt help draw attention to the building.

In 1900 Cleveland architect, John Eisemann, was the winning bidder for designing the Ohio Building for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. Realizing that Ohio did not have an official flag, Eisemann went about creating a special flag to fly over the Ohio Building. It’s not clear whether Eisemann intended his creation to become Ohio’s flag or not. What he did want was something unique to fly over his building design. He even patented the flag with the U.S. Patent Office on July 23, 1901.

In 1900 Cleveland architect, John Eisemann, was the winning bidder for designing the Ohio Building for the 1901 World’s Fair called the Pan-American Exposition. Realizing that Ohio did not have an official flag, Eisemann went about creating a special flag to fly over the Ohio Building. It’s not clear whether Eisemann intended his creation to become Ohio’s flag or not. What he did want was something unique to fly over his building design. He even patented the flag with the U.S. Patent Office on July 23, 1901.

The Pan-American Exposition ran from May 1, 1901 to November 1, 1901. During those 6 months more than 8,000,000 visitors would pass through the gates each paying 25 cents for admission. Besides the debut of what would later become Ohio’s state flag, the fair also had a more tragic Ohio connection.

On September 6, 1901, former Ohio Governor, former Ohio Representative, and current 2nd term President of the United States, William McKinley, was assassinated at the Pan-American Exposition. He would die just 8 days later.
In the following months and years after McKinley’s death, Ohio pay tribute to the fallen leader in various ways. One of those was the adoption of a special scarlet carnation worn by McKinley throughout his political career. Known as the Lamborn Carnation, the carnation became known as the “scarlet carnation” and three years later it became the official state flower as a “token of love and reverence to the memory of William McKinley”.

Original flag that flew over the Ohio Building at the Pan American Exposition.

The other was the adoption of the flag that was flying over the Ohio Building when the president was shot. Less than 8 months later, that flag would officially be adopted as Ohio’s flag which has been flying over public buildings since this day in 1902.

The Ohio state flag is the only “flag” of all the 50 state flags, that is not an actual flag. It’s really a swallow tail burgee, which means it is tapered like a pennant, but has the tip notched with a v-shaped cut out. The only other place the swallow tail burgee is commonly seen is on sailing ships, commonly seen on Lake Erie.

Ohio Statehouse with William McKinley Statue. The flag was used as a “communication tool” long before telephones, email and mobile devices, the Ohio flag is raised over the Statehouse when the corresponding legislative chamber is in session – raised on the north flag pole during Ohio Senate sessions and on the south flag pole during Ohio House of Representatives sessions. In the above photograph, the House of Representatives would be in session.

Nov. 11: The Great Lakes Huricane

By John Merrill

The year 1913 was a really bad year weather-wise. Earlier in March Ohioans experienced the worst flood in Ohio’s recorded history. That event cost the lives of over 400 people and cost more than $1,000,000, 000 in 1913 dollars. On this day in November, an immense storm struck the Great Lakes and became known as the Great Lakes Hurricane.

The Big Blow as it was known around the Great Lakes became one of the greatest winter storms in Cleveland’s history. All communication between Cleveland and eastern Ohio was gone. Food shortages became rampant. People died.

A massive low pressure system formed along the Appalachian Mountains. The counter-clockwise spin of the system pulled massive amounts of arctic gales into the eastern Great Lakes region.

The storm began as two separate systems that tracked across the southern U.S. This system combined with a low pressure area in the Arctic and was pulled out of Canada dropping temperatures quickly into the single digits and wind gusts around 90 mph. Waves cresting more than 35 feet, and snow squalls that visibility to just a few feet. The storm system straddling the mountains began a slow, but stead move northwest towards Lake Erie. As it did, the two system merged. Barometric pressure dropped to 28.50 inches.

Frozen Cleveland streetcar after the Hurricane of 1913.

Because the Lake Erie had not yet frozen, the arctic gales picked up large amounts of moisture that was then dropped as several feet of snow along Ohio’s north coast. The high winds created massive snow drifts, knocked out power everywhere. The hurricane force storms lasted for 16 hours before it began to ease.

More than 230 people lost their lives in the storm mostly from lost ships on the lake. Days later bodies would turn up along the shore often in clusters of bodies frozen in each others arms. So many bodies came a shore that looting of the corpses became a problem requiring additional police to protect the grotesque site until the bodies could be removed.

As a result of this storm system, the USDA Weather Bureau began a major effort at making more accurate forecasts. The large Great Lakes ship designs were changed to make them more stable in unstable weather conditions. And in Cleveland, as a result of this storm, all utility cables were buried underground.

Sept. 26: The “original” Johnny Appleseed is born

By John Merrill

Jonathan Chapman was an eccentric American pioneer nurseryman who introduced apples to large parts of Ohio. During his lifetime (1774 – 1845) he became an American legend because of his journeys across Ohio and other areas as a missionary for the Swedenborgian Church.

Sometimes on his journeys he distributed pamphlets about the church and used the apple seed as a metaphor for the church. Other times he just read passages from his Bible.

Jonathan was frugal — he never let anything go to waste (an original green earth devotee). If left to his own means, he would never hunt or kill for food (an original vegetarian). He did trust in God to provide him with what he needed be it food or clothing (an original religious fanatic). However, unlike today’s youth, Jonathan Chapman had no desire to leave a lasting memory of himself. The only physical memory he wanted to leave were his beloved apple trees, which surprisingly, some are still growing in places yet today.

What we know about Jonathan Chapman today, or the name most of us know him by Johnny Appleseed, is known today because of what others remember of him and what they wrote and said about him.

On this day in, September 26, 1774, the boy who would become Johnny Appleseed was born.

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September 26: Old Man Eddie Becomes an Ace

By John Merrill

On this day in 1918, a young pilot that many of his flying buddies called the old man because of his age, accomplished a feat that would in the days and years to come earn him national honors. When Eddie first arrived in France the year before, he was assigned as a staff driver for General John Pershing because of his experience designing and racing cars back in the states. But being a chauffeur was not what Eddie had his mind set on.

Even though he was 2 years over the age limit, Eddie was accepted into the Army Air Service (thanks in great part to influential friends, many of whom he met back in Columbus, Ohio where he was born and raised).

After going through his air training, Eddie was commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant and became chief engineer at the poorly prepared training base in Issodun. After making many improvements at Issodun, he was sent for training in aerial gunnery in Cazeau in the following January. He qualified as a candidate for training to become a combat pilot.

In February, Eddie was sent to Villeneuve-les-Vertus for advanced training and was assigned to the 94th Aero Pursuit Squadron, the first all-American air unit to see combat.
Eddie had his first confirmed victory on April 24, 1918 and in May, became an ace, winning the French Croix de Guerre by shooting down 5 German airplanes. He was named Commander of the 94th on September 24.

The following day, on this day in 1918, Eddie was flying alone not far from Verdun when he spotted a couple of German reconnaissance planes being escorted by five fighters. Eddie slipped in behind the formation and began climbing until his plane wouldn’t go any higher. He then shut down his engine and began a steep dive right towards the enemy planes. When he came in range, he opened fire shooting down one of the fighters. Restarting his engine, he roared back up flying right through the scrambling formation taking aim at one of the reconnaissance planes which went down in flames as well.

Having lost the element of surprise, the overwhelming number of enemy planes began a concerted effort at shooting down Eddie. He would later recall that he “saw tracer bullets go whizzing and streaking past his face.” Eddie then withdrew from the combat and headed back home.

For that feat and his courage Rickenbacker would receive the Medal of Honor and the admiration of many Americans. Just 14 days later “old man” Eddie Rickenbacker would celebrate his 28th birthday. By war’s end, Eddie downed 26 enemy planes and given the title “Ace of Aces.”

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Sept 24: Blue Star Service Flag Officially Recognized by Congress

By John Merrill

On this day in 1917, Ohio congressman Ivory Emerson introduced the a flag to the United States Congress that can be displayed by a household when one of its members is currently serving in the armed services. Congressman Emerson lived in Cleveland and served 3 terms as a representative from 1915 through 1921.

Captain Robert Queissner of the Ohio National Guard had two sons, Charles and Robert serving in the United States Army on the front lines in Europe during the Great War. It was his idea for families of service members back home to show their pride in their family member’s service during active hostilities where American military forces are involved.

The flag quickly was adopted by military families during the war, and again when the United States became involved in World War II. During that war specific guidelines were developed that helped standardized its use.

The Blue Star Service Flag was to be in the same size ratio as the American flag. It has a wide red border with either a blue star or a gold star during any period of war or hostilities in which the Armed Forces of the United States are engaged. A Service Flag can display from 1 to 5 stars depending on the number of active service members currently serving. A special designation of the gold star is used if the family member dies while in service, regardless of cause, in a time of hostilities.

In 2010 Congress passed a resolution adopting the Silver Star Service Banner in which includes the red border and a field of blue with a silver star designating a family member that has been discharged from service because of wounds received during combat.

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