History takes a long time in making so don’t expect me to be able to tell it in three sentences! In keeping this in historical perspective, I will begin with the fall of 1973 when I remember seeing feelers in the newspapers regarding the interest in forming a genealogical society. The dream of instituting such an organization was primary by two women, members of the Gateway Chapter, Daughters of the American Colonists. The first such newspaper brevity that we have record of was in the Sentinel on 19 September, 1973. The article listed the phone numbers of those women, Judy Magons of Ashtabula and Emily Miller of Kingsville. Plans were made to meet in a public building with a featured speaker.
The Star Beacon of 5 October, 1973, carried PR concerning a genealogical ‘workshop’ with Mrs. Charles Steed of Painesville as speaker. Responsible for getting us off the ground, it was held 15 October, in the Community Room of the Ashtabula County Savings and Loan, Ashtabula, with forty-one people in attendance. Following the speech, open discussion, led by Emily Miller, centered on the initial formation of a genealogical society for the county based on intense interest and dire need. (There was much concern among many in the audience as to proper care and housing of paper Americana in the county, and need for freer access of said materials to the public.) Emily was elected Chairman pro tem and Dorothy Mofett of Conneaut as Secretary pro tem. Judy was appointed chairperson of a committee to ascertain reference and resource materials available in the county of use to genealogists and to look into a possible central depository for such.
On 2 November, 1973, after a general calling by Emily Miller of many people. A very small group of four persons showed up at Judy’s home on Seven Hills Road in Ashtabula. At this meeting, the duty of Treasurer was added to Dorothy’s Secretarial job, Judy was assigned duties of Vice Chairperson, and Louise Legeza of Conneaut as Public Relations.
The first formal chapter meeting of the society was set for Tuesday, 27th November, 1973, at the First Congregational Church, Park Place, Ashtabula. This was an organizational meeting with discussion centering on a constitution and by-laws establishment, of a regular meeting time and place, future programs and committees. Dues were set at $2.00 per person to be payable at said CHARTER membership meeting. Those present at the meeting signed a formal charter, preserved by our Historian, who was Mary Hawkins since inception of the post. We began with 95 chapter members, most from Ashtabula County, 2 of Trumbull County, 3 of Florida, 2 of Lake County, 1 of Michigan and 1 from Nevada.
Lake County Genealogical Society’s constitution was used as a proto-type for ours. Mildred Steed of Lake County Genealogical Society was the main outside force consulted and because she was so instrumental in the formation of our society, she was granted an honorary membership.
To be assured of the most membership attendance possible at the January 23rd meeting, a morning and evening session was held for the purpose of voting on Henderson Memorial Library as a depository site. At this meeting, Lora Harwood was introduced as assistant librarian. Before the next meeting, our chairman pro tem, Emily, suffered a heart attack, leaving Judy to take over in February. During the February meeting, the first donations to the library came in from Ray Jones, Jan Allds, Layne and Dorothy Mofett and Mrs. Eli Kananen. That winter saw Ruth Balzer become the ACGS Librarian. The first finance committee consisted of Hume Frayer, Ruth Balzer, Bessie Spencer and Emily Miller. First Social Committee was Faith Konink, chairman, assisted by Pearl Salo.
The March, 1974, meeting saw the temporary officers solidified into permanent form with Barb Wieczorek, Treasurer, Bill Shelton, Finance Chairman, and Ruth Prostor as Reprint Chairman (a job she still holds). The first few months also saw the birth of our quarterly, the ANCESTOR HUNT with Louise Legeza as the first editor. Three months after our beginning, we were saddened by our first loss, the passing of charter member, Mrs. Edith Bach.
Our organization was barely a toddler (4 months old) when we decided to embark on the monumental task of indexing and reprinting of Williams Bros. History of Ashtabula County, 1878. In addition to the reprinting we also began printing our own family group sheets due to difficulties in securing same from Everton. This resulted in a substantial savings to our members.
By the April meeting of the first year, a Courthouse Records Committee was appointed: Elsie Berg, chairman (a huge job she stills holds), and Legislative chair, Laura Harwood, who presented the first reading of the revised constitution. Our founding President, Emily, resigned due to health problems following her heart attack.
These first few months set the course for the future of the Ashtabula County Genealogical Society and for that reason have been dealt with more extensively. Important “firsts” have been touched on, but, due to limited space, many will be missed.
By June, when we were six months old, already 455 copies of Williams Bros. reprint had been sold. Also by this time a family registry was implemented, and plans for a county wide Union list was started by Jean Allds (a large and vital undertaking). We purchased our own used microfilm camera at a court house auction for $25.00 which was the kickoff of our most significant project. At this time, Miriam (Mim) Miller began the cemetery project by contributing photo copies of all Tombstone readings in the Ashtabula Library. Mim and Judy traveled around the county compiling an accurate record of cemeteries.
That summer (1974), Elsie and Mary gained authorization to check, sort, refile, and microfilm the records in the county courthouse basement. The mess they walked into you’d never believe! By August, our supply of Williams Brothers reprints had so dwindled due to sales beyond our expectation that we inquired about a second printing. Work also began on IRS requirements for non-profit organization status. September of that first year, we had 150 members. Mim Miller suggested the adoption of a logo for the society. Over those first months the job turnover, realignment, etc., was terrific, necessary due to our explosive growth. Many people had learned where their interests lie and began to settle into what amounts to non-paying occupations.
October rolled around and with it our first order went out for what became our first basic reference works for the library. Microfilming of the earliest estate records, also indexing of our first year’s quarterly by Evelyn Lynch. Carol Fox became publicity chairman at a time when Bicentennial fever began to mount in the county. Naturally, ACGS had to get involved, which subsequently led to our “ARCHIVES DAYS.” Recapitulation of the first year’s worth of printed resource material placed in Henderson came to $799.00 Worth. In December, we held our first “presentation tea.”
1975 was brought in with a decision to index and then print the Ashtabula Bridge Disaster by Rev. Peet. On 2 December, a tea was held, honoring Judge Calvin Hutchins for his co-operation in our huge historic preservation project. It was this year also that our mammoth marriage record project was started which involved some 20,000 names. A portable microfilm reader was purchased, to be used for proofing and indexing by the microfilming committee.
The year 1976 saw Judy Magons elected as President for her third year, the Bridge Disaster reprint rolled off the presses, and an updated supplement to the Union List was made. Pioneer Sketches by Sargent was also indexed and reprinted. In June, the county commissioners recognized the volunteer members of ACGS for their outstanding contribution of microfilming old county records. Those honored, and their hours contribution to that date were: Elsie Berg, chairperson, with 725 hours: Mary Hawkins with 551 hours: Lora Harwood, 455: Lois Berg, 367: Judy Magons, 184: Joanne Shelton, 91: Ruth Proster, 48. Those offering 40 hours were: Mary Crane, Carol Fox, Grace Gault, Ruth Markley, Marion Holmes, and Millie Scott.
Judy was elected for a fourth term as president in 1977, a year that was to be a continuation of projects begun in earlier years. Courses in researching ancestors were begun by Dorothy Moffett and Louise Legeza. A Bible project was also started this year and Mary Hawkins began on-site photograph coping sessions.
A new president, Millie Scott, was installed in 1978 and was to remain at the helm for four years. By August, we had a mailing list of 250 members and exchanges. Our first Bible Record publication came out this year.
Our first Board of Trustees (as opposed to our Executive Board) was formed in 1979 and included: Maxine Clark, Howard Scott, and Glenn Kitson. This came about as a result of applying to the state for a charter of incorporation in December. ACGS made a donation to Western Reserve Historical Society towards the acquiring of the Soundex microfilm. In November, our own great lady of the book division, Wilma Kitson, gave her first demo on book repair. The Ancestor Hunt continued to be popular in its 34 page per issue format. By April of 1979, the microfilming committee had been responsible for producing 175 reels! This was the first year some of our members-at-a-distance volunteered to take on indexing the quarterly. Jeanne Workman, assisted by E. Marie Price, both of the greater Cleveland area, compiled same.
1980 was the year that the society purchased a microfilm reader for the library, placing a plaque on it in tribute of service by several members. Editorship of the quarterly passed from Louise Legeza, who had headed it for six years, to Donna Rodeabaugh, her assistant of recent times. Donna remained for four plus years with Marion Holmes eventually taking over as editor. About this time another distant member, Carmen Callaway of Kansas began indexing the quarterly and has done so since.
Memorial to the Pioneer Women of the Western Reserve was our next reprint project. It was a five volume set reprinted into two. This was done about 1981. Several small mimeo publications were also produced.
In 1982 Millie ended her very active two terms as president.
Genevieve Schulz followed Mildred Scott as ACGS president, resigning in December 1982. Mildred Littler served as interim president until Miss Sue Hudson was elected to fill the unexpired term. She was reelected in 1984.
Over 1,000 acquisitions now grace the shelves in the genealogical corner of Henderson Memorial Library. More than 400 rolls of microfilm have been taken by our Archives crew, with somewhat over half copied into the positive state and deposited in the library for public persual. The remaining films await additional finances before coping to positive state. The negative copies, after being checked and a table of contents made for some, are put into a safe. More Archives Days are to be done in the future.
Wilma Kitson our librarian has been busy the last few years compiling index cards to many resources. Our card file contains many thousands of names.
Louise Passmore Legeza
This was copied from History of Ashtabula County, Ohio copyright 1985