Do you remember the days
when people congregated to talk, laugh, and learn together? If you
are an old codger like me, you must be missing such opportunities
more and more in this fast-paced, digital society. I'm not talking
about conversations and memes on Facebook, Twitter, and other forms
of distant social media. I'm reminiscing about getting together
face-to-face with other community members and sharing all sorts of
information … I'm speaking about actually participating in
meaningful learning activities.
Long-time Lucasville
resident Hilda Pfleger Miller has completed research on a group from
Lucasville that played an important role in the community of the
1940s and 1950s. Thanks to her diligent investigation of a group of
which she was once a member, I can write with insight about an
organization that successfully drew together many elements of
Lucasville community.
In Lucasville that
organization was known by most as “The Institute.” There were
several official names for the group – Lucasville Community
Institute, Lucasville Farmers Community Institute, and the Farmers
Institute. The annual institutes were an outreach of the Scioto
County Agricultural Extension Office in connection with other local
civic groups throughout the county.
Among the organizations
that sponsored the Institute included the Garden Club, the Farm
Bureau, councils, the Civic Service Club, Grange, the Valley Local
Schools, and the Scioto County Agricultural Extension Office.
Hilda found many newspaper
articles about the Institute and its activities from 1946 to 1953 in
the Portsmouth Times archives. She laments that the coming of
the A-Plant was announced in August 1952 and Lucasville seemingly
“went in a new direction.”
The Lucasville Institute
evolved into a two-day session. The first evening included speakers
on topics such as agriculture and soil conservation. For example,
these programs were presented to the community by the Institute
during its heyday ...
* Dr. M. T. Meyers of
Hillsboro spoke about the development of hybrid seed corn.
* Mrs. J. H. Frowine
addressed the group on the topic of 4-H Club activities.
* Boss Johnston, featured
speaker on WLW radio's “Everybody's Farm Hour,” offered
agricultural advice.
* Judge Dermison of
London, Ohio, even presented a “Corn Show.”
* Demonstrations of rug
making and other crafts.
There was also group
singing and music by the Valley Band and Glee Club at the gatherings.
“The 50-piece Valley High School Band” under the direction of
Ralph French presented concerts. And other groups entertained such as
the Senior Girls' Sextet that sang popular songs such as “Shine on
Harvest Moon” under the direction of Miss Betty Pollock.
The Institute also
highlighted student academic talent such as an oration from Peggy
Adams, Prince of Peace declamation winner.
The second night featured
a talent program – Hilda says “not a talent contest, but a
program open to anyone who wanted to take part.”
And, Hilda Pfleger Miller
remembers participating in one of the talent shows. Corine
Blankenship and Hilda sang verses from the “Ballad of the Boll
Weevil” they had sung in their music classes at school. She
recalls: “Obviously it was an early institute; we would never have
done this as teenagers!”
He was sitting on
the square
The next time I seen
a boll weevil
He had his whole
family there
They are looking for
a home
They were looking
for a home”
Another talent show act
was presented by Hilda's mother, Glady Pfleger, who gave a very long
recitation featuring many hats as props. The skit was about a lady
trying on hats in a shop and finally walking out without making a
purchase. Hilda says she still has a copy of her mother's recitation.
The Institute was a very
popular foundation. A Lucasville Community Institute in 1953 in the
Valley High Auditorium with Charles Bradshaw, president (succeeding
Grant Malone); Elza Stambaugh, vice-president and hostess; and
Raymond Zaler, secretary-treasurer boosted an attendance of 450
people.
Other presidents during
the time of the Institute included locals Mont Preston, Charles
Zaler, Lee Butler, and Edward L. Miller.
Reports and presentations
by Lucasville organizations added further community cohesion during
the institute sessions. For example, in 1952, these people addressed
the assembly about a variety of community affairs …
* Miss Enid C. Swerner,
home demonstration agent;
* J. W. McKinley,
Lucasville Civic Club representative;
* Dr. A. A. Melior, “new”
physician;
* P. L. Bogan, Valley
Township Fire Chief;
* Mrs. T. J. Cyrus,
Lucasville PTA representative;
* Mrs. Dorother VanHoose,
Lucasville Garden Club representative; and o
* Other people from the
Scioto Valley Grange and Farm Bureau Council were on the program.
The Institute was further
bolstered by adult Executive Committee members such as Lawrence Comer
and Ralph French, Valley High; Mrs. Earl C. Moulton, home council;
Mrs. Harry Wagner, youth and 4-H Clubs; Mrs. Charles Zaler, Mrs.
James Peebles, and Lynn Sloan, farm organizations; and John Collis,
Guy Bumgarner, and Mrs. Gaylord Preston, other businesses.
Of course, it is
impossible to name all the contributors to the Institute some 60-70
years later. Newspaper accounts of the time give sparse detail.
Perhaps readers can add to this initial investigation into the group.
If you have further information, please submit it to the Lucasville
Area Historical Society for safe keeping and public consumption.
Now, it seems to me such
an effort to coordinate, centralize, and develop the Lucasville
community is sorely lacking now. Oh, I know people are so busy these
days, and everybody lacks time for such commitment. However, what a
loss when the Lucasville Community Institute faded into the
proverbial “sunset” and went “over the rainbow” in the
mid-50s. Reading about the efforts of the members of this group makes
me feel a void – the diversity of the Institute and its broad
inclusion of interests formed lasting fellowship.
I want to thank Hilda
Pfleger Miller for caring about her old community. She now lives in
Dayton, Ohio. I find her concern about the Lucasville area of today
stimulating. She benefited so much from her association with the
people and organizations of the past that she longs to see continued
efforts to fortify that strong social structure. To her, it matters
greatly. And, I, for one, agree.
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