January 28, 1941
To Mr. Carlton W. Smith.
Apparently Mr. Smith wrote a letter to Mr. Fitzgerald wanting Mr. George B. Smith to be remembered by donating a case for storing historical relics in the Newcom Tavern. Mr. Fitzgerald thinks that this is a good idea and is forwarding copies of the letter to the architects and the Trustees of the Fred Beaver Trust Fund (Eugene Kennedy, Miles Kuhns and Mrs. A. H. Dunham).
March 14, 1941
From Schenck and Williams to Miles S. Kuhns.
The architects have received the letter and the check for the job completed by Ganger Brothers.
March 19, 1941
From Carlton W. Smith.
Mr. Smith refers to the letter he wrote to Mr. Fitzgerald and says that he wants to use money from the Fund for the preservation of documents and relics.
March 21, 1941
From Miles S. Kuhns to Mr. Carlton W. Smith.
Mr. Kuhns informs Mr. Smith that Mr. Fitzgerald has referred the matter to the Trustees of the Fred Beaver Trust Fund for action and that he agrees not only to repairing the Tavern but also taking care of its furnishings and contents.
March 21, 1941
From Miles S. Kuhns.
Mr. Kuhns suggests to Mr. Fitzgerald that they have to use care in selecting relics. To this Mr. Fitzgerald agrees, and also that Smith's Memorial be something that would fit with the contents.
March 22, 1941
To Miles S. Kuhns.
Mr. Fitzgerald is replying to his letter and says that he is concerned with the contractor's reputation; he also noticed that they have not sprayed the wood yet with the chemical donated by the Monsanto Chemical Company. He hopes that everything will be carried out right. He also has an application to be filed with Dayton Power and Light Company.
March 24, 1941
From Eugene Kennedy.
Mr. Kennedy informs Mr. Fitzgerald that work is going slowly but satisfactorily. Mr. Schantz would contact Mr. Smith for the Memorial of Mr. G. Smith.
April 14, 1941
From R. J. Atwood to Miles S. Kuhns.
Mr. Atwood is returning the Rodberg Building Company certificates with all other papers left at his office.
May 1, 1941
To Mrs. Schantz.
Mr. Fitzgerald is sending Mrs. Schantz a copy of a newspaper article praising the Old Court House and hopes that this will be republished.
Above this letter is an untitle newspaper article.
May 1, 1941
To members of the Dayton Historical Society.
Mr. Fitzgerald is appointing a committee to determine how the Historical Society will participate in the Dayton Centennial Miami Valley Celebration, June 15-22, 1942. Of great importance are the Newcom Tavern and the Old Court House.
May 10, 1941
From Miles S. Kuhns to Harry Williams.
Mr. Kuhns is concerned with the completion of the project in time for the Centennial Celebration which is coming in June, and the House Committee wants to have time to prepare for this celebration.
May 24, 1941
To Mrs. G. A. Metzer.
Mr. Fitzgerald is asking for the list of members. He received some artifacts that belonged to Elias Gage of Philadelphia, a General in the Revolutionary Army, owned by Dr. Joseph B. Stewart. Work at the Newcom Tavern will be completed in less than a month.
May 26, 1941
From Miles S. Kuhns to Rodberg Building Company.
Mr. Kuhns asks the Rodberg Building Company to complete the work by June 1st for the Centennial Program.
June 12, 1941
From H. M. Lydenberg to Mr. Alfred Decker Keator, Harrisburg, PA.
Mr. Lydenberg is asking the Library of Pennsylvania to give them any information pertaining to Elias Gage. Did he really serve as a General in the Revolutionary War or in any armed forces of this country? He could not find his name in the official list of generals in the Revolutionary War.
June 13, 1941
From Miles S. Kuhns.
Mr. Carlton Smith donated a display case as a memorial to George B. Smith and Mr. Kuhns notifies Mr. Fitzgerald.
June 14, 1941
From Philip H. Word, Jr.
Mr. Word did research to locate any record of a General Elias Gage and found nothing. He also talked to Randolph Adams, a Revolutionary authority of the University of Michigan, and he has no knowledge of any person with this name. Maybe the last name is wrong.
June 14, 1941
To Mr. Carlton Smith.
Mr. Fitzgerald has been given the letter which Mr. Smith wrote to Miles S. Kuhns. Mr. Fitzgerald informs Mr. Smith of the progress of the Tavern and is sending Mrs. Adam Schantz a copy of Mr. Smith's letter so that she may arrange for the installation of the case donated in memory of Mr. G. Smith. Also, he talks of the great variety of objects that they have to house and care for and hopes that some day they will have a historical museum.
Attached:
July 1, 1941
From Miles S. Kuhns to Mrs. Adam Schantz.
He tells Mrs. Schantz that Mr. Carlton Smith is anxious to give the display case on behalf of the daughter of the late George S. Smith, and Mr. Kuhns thinks that they should utilize this offer.
June 19, 1941
To Mr. George Roth, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Mr. Fitzgerald is writing with concern for the "Old Court House" which was erected in 1847-49 by Howard Daniels of Cincinnati. He wants to prevent the destruction of the Old Courthouse; he discusses its historical significance, and asks Mr. Roth for help.
July 1, 1941
From Miles S. Kuhns.
Apparently Mr. Fitzgerald had received information as to Elias Gage and he sent a copy to Miles S. Kuhns. Mr. Kuhns is thanking him. Apparently Elias Gage was a "pal" of George Washington and fought from Bunker Hill to Yorktown.
July 1, 1941
To William M. Pettit, Miles S. Kuhns, Eugene G. Kennedy, Philip H. Worman.
Mr. Fitzgerald is inviting all of the above to attend a conference on the subject of the Old Court House. Apparently they wanted to demolish the building.
July 9, 1941
To the Independent Building Cleaning Company, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Mr. Fitzgerald is asking for prices for cleaning the outside of the Old Court House. There has been talk of selling the site and demolishing the building, and for this reason the Society thought if the outside were cleaned that people would appreciate this artistic treasure and protect it.
The same letter was sent to:
July 14, 1941
From Miles S. Kuhns to Schenck and Williams.
Mr. Kuhns is enclosing a certificate of the Rodberry Building Company for work on the Newcom Tavern and asks them to return the certificate to the undersigned.
July 17, 1941
To Robert Patterson, Dayton, Ohio.
Mr. Fitzgerald is enclosing a copy of his letter sent to Ralph Adam Cram, the noted Boston architect. He tells him of his attempts to stop the selling of the Old Court House corner for commercial purposes. He has an offer to clean the building.
July 18, 1941
From R. A. Cram, Boston.
He received the letter from Mr. Fitzgerald and he is going to write soon about the Old Court House building.
August 14, 1941
From Miles S. Kuhns to Mr. Carlton W. Smith.
Mr. Kuhns informs Mr. Smith of the completion of the Newcom Tavern and that they are ready to accept the display case that his wife wishes to donate in memory of her father, the former President of the Dayton Historical Society.
August 15, 1941
To Mrs. Adam S. Schantz.
Apparently based on the application to Dayton Power and Light Company, Mr. Kuhns informs Mrs. Schantz that the installation of electricity to the Tavern will be very expensive. He wants the committee to help either to eliminate or minimize the expense.
September 2, 1941
From Miles S. Kuhns to Buckeye Iron and Brass Works.
The Society wants to purchase a tablet to be placed in the Tavern by the door in honor of Frederick P. Beaver and tries to make arrangements with Buckeye Iron and Brass Company.
September 2, 1941
From Miles S. Kuhns to Mr. Harry Williams.
Mr. Kuhns informs Mr. Williams that Mr. Rodberg told him that the bell tower of the Tavern needs attention.
October 2, 1941
From the trustee members to P. M. Harmon Company.
The trustee members are asking for a price on fifty folding chairs.
October 3, 1941
From Fred R. Rossiter Furniture Company, Dayton, Ohio to Miles S. Kuhns.
This company replies to the request for prices for chairs, and they are also enclosing a catalog.
October 4, 1941
From P. M. Harmon Company to Miles S. Kuhns.
Apparently Mr. Kuhns wrote to other companies for prices of chairs, and this company is also replying.
Attached:
Are the styles of the chairs.
October 10, 1941
From L. M. Holmes, Dayton Power and Light Company to Miles S. Kuhns.
The electric company went to the Tavern to inspect the electricity and found some minor problems that they fixed; however, they are asking Mr. Kuhns to have the city inspect it so that they'll have service.
Attached:
October 11, 1941
From Miles S. Kuhns to J. C. Federle Electric Company, Dayton, Ohio.
Mr. Kuhns encloses a copy of the letter to Dayton Power and Light and asks him to do whatever is necessary.
October 16, 1941
From F. O. Eichelberger, City Manager.
Mr. Eichelberger is sending Mr. Fitzgerald a blueprint of the proposed relocation of McKinley Monument together with an estimate of cost.
October 30, 1941
To William M. Pettit.
Mr. Fitzgerald informs Mr. Pettit that he is the Chair of the Committee appointed by the Dayton Historical Society to preserve the Wright Brothers' home.
November 12, 1941
To William M. Pettit.
Mr. Fitzgerald thanks Mr. Pettit for investigating the legal principles involved in the vesting of title to the Old Court House, evidently aimed at preventing it from possible destruction.
November 13, 1941
From William M. Pettit.
Mr. Pettit points out some legal precedents which might protect the Old Court House; essentially the State of Ohio cannot pass retroactive laws which would put pre-existing legal agreements at risk.
December 20, 1941
From Miles S. Kuhns to Dayton Power and Light Company.
He is sending a bill that should be sent to the treasurer of the organization.
December 24, 1941
From Miles S. Kuhns to Dayton Power and Light.
He asks Dayton Power and Light to send the Society's bills to Mrs. Adam Schantz, who is the Chair of the House Committee.
January 2, 1942
From Miles S. Kuhns to James K. Baker.
Mr. Kuhns is paying a bill of $44.70.
January 5, 1942
From Miles S. Kuhns to Mrs. Adam Schantz.
Mr. Kuhns is enclosing a check for $100 contributed for a memorial to George B. Smith. There is a handwritten note saying that $90 was spent for a new case and $3.00 for a table. The balance of $7.00 to be sent to William Pettit.
March 28, 1942
From Miles S. Kuhns to Schenck and Williams.
The plumbing and heating installation of the Tavern cost $1,649.81; Mr. Kuhns is enclosing the check for this.
March 30, 1942
From Schenck and Williams to Miles S. Kuhns.
Upon request of Mr. Kuhns, they are sending the original purchase order, receipted certificate and lien release as executed by Ganger Brothers.
Note:
Information is not attached.
April 1, 1942
To Henry C. Shetrone, Columbus, Ohio.
Mr. Fitzgerald is replying to Mr. Shetrone in reference to the request for space for the storage of valuable records in the basement of the Tavern. Mr. Fitzgerald agrees to this.
April 17, 1942
From Miles S. Kuhns to Carlton W. Smith.
Mr. Kuhns is enclosing a report on the display case and also the wording of the memorial for Mr. George B. Smith. He wants Mr. Smith's opinion.
April 20, 1942
From Carlton W. Smith to Miles S. Kuhns.
He agrees with the previous letter from Mr. Kuhns.
April 23, 1942
From Miles S. Kuhns to Mrs. Schantz.
Mr. Carlton W. Smith approves providing for the memorial to George Smith and tells Mrs. Schantz to go ahead and order the plaque.
May 23, 1942
To Mrs. A. Schantz.
Apparently, Mrs. Schantz had communicated with Mr. Fitzgerald about the fact that the stone slab memorial and historical tablet at the Patterson Memorial east of Newcom Tavern had been broken by vandals. She is trying to preserve the pieces until it will be replaced. Mr. Fitzgerald informs her that they contacted Mr. Deeds, since this was supported by funds of the late J. H. Patterson. Also, he has asked Mr. William Hamilton to investigate the damage and price for replacement.
July 2, 1942
To Mrs. Adam Schantz.
Mr. Fitzgerald wants the members of the Board to contribute and buy a metal folding card table with chairs to use for the affairs of the Old Log Cabin.
July 3, 1942
From Miles S. Kuhns to Mrs. Adam Schantz.
Mr. Kuhns informs Mrs. Schantz to go ahead and buy the chairs and table that they need; the money is to come from the Trust Fund.
July 16, 1942
From Charles F. Sullivan to Miles S. Kuhns.
Mr. Sullivan informs Mr. Kuhns that the chimney and the east wall of the Tavern need some repair. Mr. Sullivan is custodian of Newcom Tavern.
August 11, 1942
To Mr. S. C. Allyn, Dayton, Ohio.
Mr. Fitzgerald is enclosing the letter he received from Mr. William J. Hamilton, Chair of the Committee of the Dayton Historical Society for the restoration of the broken historical stone slab at the Patterson Memorial, and hopes that the project won't be very expensive.
August 12, 1942
From Edith N. Davies to Emerson H. Landis.
Miss Davies is writing to Mr. Landis, Superintendent of the Dayton Schools, about all the papers written by Mr. Charles F. Sullivan, who was the Curator of the Dayton Historical Society. She and Mr. Hamilton have arranged to give all these presentations to school students at the Public Library by the Head Librarian, Miss Jones. She is asking for his input to advertise these talks among children. Later they hope to have these talks at the Log Cabin with a tour of the building.
August 12, 1942
From the Chair (no name is given).
It is obvious from this letter that the House Committee of the Log Cabin is opposed to having children's programs at the Log Cabin. Mr. William Hamilton is willing to have these at the Library Museum.
August 20, 1942
To Mrs. Adam Schantz.
Mr. Fitzgerald received an antique sewing machine (Wheeler and Wilson - 1866) as a donation to the Historical Society, and he is asking Mrs. Schantz to find storage space.
August 24, 1942
From C. G. Jauch to Mrs. Adam Schantz.
Apparently, Mrs. Schantz had asked for information on having the Stencil Works Company make a plate out of brass and bronze; Mr. Jauch informs her of the type of metal they are using and the price.
October 22, 1942
To Mr. W. J. Hamilton.
Mr. Fitzgerald is asking Mr. William Hamilton to let him know about the expense for the memorial slab at Monument Avenue and to check some facts on the Old Court House by checking old Dayton newspapers.
December 1, 1942
From Harlan Hatcher, Columbus, Ohio.
Mr. Hatcher replies to Mr. Fitzgerald; he is apologizing for not writing sooner and refers him for help to Mr. Harry Graff, Supervisor of the Ohio Writers, in Columbus, Ohio.
January 26, 1943
A report from Charles F. Sullivan about all the expenses and visitors at the Log Cabin for the year 1942.
February 24, 1943
To Mr. W. Hamilton.
Mr. Fitzgerald is giving instructions on how the stone slab should be transported.
February 25, 1943
From Charles F. Sullivan.
Mr. Sullivan complains about Mrs. Schantz to Mr. Fitzgerald. She claims that he damaged her sweeper at Newcom Tavern and he disputes that. He thinks she has a grudge against him because of his anti-liquor sentiments and is willing to step down from his custodial job.
May 5, 1943
From Charles F. Sullivan to Miles S. Kuhns.
He is writing to inform him that water got into the Cabin, especially behind the case donated by Mr. Smith. He is making suggestions for repair.
May 23, 1943
From Charles F. Sullivan.
Mr. Sullivan is complaining that attendance at the Tavern went down and that payment is not enough for him. Therefore, he resigns his job.
May 26, 1943
From Mr. William Hamilton to Mr. [?] Buchmeister.
Mr. Hamilton is asking for a memorandum of all the source books or authorities on the settlement and history of Dayton; then he refers to an article written by Mrs. Custer on "The First History of Dayton Ever to Appear in Print" by Howard Burba. A short summary follows.
June 1, 1943
From Charles F. Sullivan to Miles S. Kuhns.
He informs Mr. Kuhns that the repairs have been completed in the Cabin and is enclosing the bill. He hopes to be able to use the lights during gloomy days. Apparently he has not resigned.
June 5, 1943
From Miles S. Kuhns to Eugene Kennedy.
He is enclosing the endorsement for expenses for repairing the logs of the Cabin.
June 8, 1943
From unknown person to Charles F. Sullivan.
This is a list of historical items at the museum that are available for exhibits at the Newcom Tavern.
August 4, 1943
To Mrs. A. Schantz.
Mr. Fitzgerald suggests that lights be turned off, for electricity is expensive. Also, Mr. Sullivan may not remain at his job. Other people are being considered for the job. The next major project is the Old Court House.
August 7, 1943
To the Honorable William C. Wiseman.
Mr. Fitzgerald is sending a poem in reference to preservation of the Old Court House to Mr. William C. Wiseman, Probate Court Judge.
Attached:
Is the poem (untitled).
Attached:
August 9, 1943
To Miles S. Kuhns.
Mr. Fitzgerald informs Mr. Kuhns of the fact that Mr. Wiseman, Probate Judge, will not allow the County Commissioners to do anything to the Old Court House before the Society has a chance to investigate the plans. Mr. Fitzgerald insists that no structural changes would be made.
August 28, 1943
To Eleanor S. Wilby, Librarian of the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Mr. Fitzgerald is telling her that a lady from Indiana has a volume of Dayton newspapers from 1827 and a volume of the Cincinnati Evening Chronicle for sale. He is thinking of buying these but wants to know if they will be of any value to their Society.
August 28, 1943
To Josephine S. White, Portland, IN.
Mr. Fitzgerald is replying to Mrs. Josephine S. White about the papers that she has for sale and makes an offer of purchase.
September 14, 1943
From Eleanor S. Wilby.
Miss Wilby is replying to Mr. Fitzgerald about the Cincinnati Evening Chronicle of 1827. She says that it is called The Saturday Evening Chronicle, and that they have a complete collection with only one issue missing, April 1835 (they need no other issues).
September 15, 1943
To Josephine S. White, Portland, IN.
Mr. Fitzgerald is enclosing the letter he received from the Librarian of the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio at Cincinnati. He tells her that he is willing to make an offer after receiving this paper along with the old Dayton volume.
September 20, 1943
From Josephine S. White
Mrs. White is telling Mr. Fitzgerald that her son is very interested in the papers since he is a descendant of the Van Cleves and Shueys.
September 23, 1943
To Josephine S. White.
Mr. Fitzgerald is asking her to draw a diagram of the Benjamin Van Cleve family tree and also of the Shuey family for reference at the Historical Society.
October 7, 1943
From Miles S. Kuhns to Mr. L. E. Custer.
Mr. Kuhns is enclosing a statement of the Fred Beaver Trust Fund to the Society upon request.
October 28, 1943
From Miles S. Kuhns to Mr. Earle Schock, Colorado Springs, CO.
Apparently Mr. Schock is asking for some information, not mentioned in this letter, that Mr. Kuhns is unable to supply. He is sending the letter to Mr. Fitzgerald.
October 28, 1943
From Miles S. Kuhns.
He is sending Mr. Fitzgerald the letter that he is forwarding to Mr. Schock.
October 29, 1943
To Mr. Earle Schock.
Apparently, Mr. Schock was asking for genealogical information, and Mr. Fitzgerald informs him that they do not have the staff to do this type of research.
October 31, 1943
From Frank S. White.
Apparently Mr. Fitzgerald had written to the son of Mrs. Josephine S. White, and now he replies that he has to wait a while until he reads the diaries and family Bible he has in storage; he hasn't read them for a while.