Website Offers a Window into Wooster History

Have you ever wondered what you would see if you could view your neighborhood through a time tunnel?  How would the view from your front door or apartment window change if you time-traveled back beyond the era of the automobile, before forests or grasslands were cleared for farming and cities, and then even before the entry of European colonists, settlers, and fur traders?

Thanks to an article by Dottie Sines in our Wooster Weekly News/The Bargain Hunter-Wayne (01-18-20), I discovered the Wooster Digital History Project (WDHP).  The WDHP was launched by Gregory Shaya, professor of history at The College of Wooster, for the purpose of compiling and sharing a comprehensive history of the City of Wooster.  Sines quotes Prof. Shaya as saying that WDHP is providing “…a great research experience for the students, and it produces a tangible result.  It also connects the students to Wooster in some really neat ways.”  Sines describes resources available at the WDHP website as follows:

“Exhibits are categorized by early settlement, cultural and religious communities, agriculture, economic development, conservation and the environment, society and social movements, civic development, wartime Wooster, and the college itself. Rare photographs and video interviews enhance the material, and links are provided for further exploration.”

Three noteworthy historic glimpses which I found interesting from the WDHP website are as follows:  (1) The importance of historical records in any study of land use changes and associated effects on soil, water, and biodiversity; (2) the role of philanthropy in helping to salvage The College of Wooster following a fire, in 1901; and, (3) the unusual civility of the Wayne County community following the Civil War which had so horribly divided America.

Historical Records, Land Use Changes, and Stewardship

Every modern agricultural or urban community such as those which make up Wayne County and the City of Wooster have a history of prior land ownership, transactions when land is sold, and resultant changes in land use at the behest of subsequent owners.  The history of the changes in ownership and the way in which each owner managed the land determines its current ecological and biological condition.  We can see from this logic that the current state of a given landscape will tell us much about both its history and the extent to which the respective owners practiced good stewardship (conservation) of the soil, water, and biodiversity under their care.  Thus, land “owners” who view themselves as “stewards” (i.e. temporary caretakers with a long-term view) will manage the soil, water, and biological diversity (e.g. wildlife) as if they value not only monetary profit from their farm products but also the long-term sustainability of the soil and water so that it will be fruitful for the future.

Thanks to the Wooster Digital History Project, I have become interested in the history of one particular tract of land, known in 1873 as the Grandview Farm, owned by A.H. and B.C. Byers (see photo above).  Thanks to assistance from the Wayne Co. Historical Society, I was able to locate the farm pictured in a lovely artists rendition (pictured at left).  The farm buildings were located near what is now Parkview Elementary School.  The name “Grandview” will seem logical to any reader who has enjoyed the wonderful view while driving south on Oak Hill Road past the school. 

Site of the Byers (Grandview) Farm buildings, now Parkview Elementary

Grandview Farm eventually became a significant portion of what is now Country Club Golf Course.  Thanks to the historical and legal records, we can now gain insight into the history of past land stewardship and land use changes of a given parcel.  These data could then inform current ecological studies to evaluate the management strategies of the Country Club Golf Course to address storm water runoff, scheduling fertilizer applications to limit stream pollution, etc.  Interestingly, the WDHP provides a images and text accounts of the 1969 Flood.

Wooster Fire and Andrew Carnegie
Today, we often hear of the corruption and injustice of “big business.” According to Naomi Schaefer Riley, resident fellow of the American Enterprise Institute, and author of “The Givers and Their Attackers,” wealthy individuals and families are often the subjects of scorn and suspicion.  After all, they must have acquired their wealth through unfair business practice.  Indeed, there are many people who have amassed great wealth through unjust practices.  Yet free market capitalism is also responsible for raising millions of people from lives of limited opportunity and poverty to enjoy fulfilling lives that impact many others for good. 

The life of Andrew Carnegie is one of many “rags to riches” stories.  Carnegie amassed great wealth through expansion of the steel industry in America.  Although Carnegie is criticized for building his fortune through unjust treatment of workers, he believed that “those with great wealth must be socially responsible and use their assets to help others.” If they refuse, they practice “the worst species of idolatry.”  Carnegie practiced what he preached, and gave 90% of his fortune, estimated at $301 billion in today’s currency, to worthy causes.

Visitors to the Wooster Digital History Project can learn of Mr. Carnegie’s impact on this midwestern city.  In fact, Carnegie may be largely responsible for the survival of The College of Wooster following the fire of 1901 that destroyed the main academic building.  What could have been disastrous for the young college turned out to be a blessing.  The fire and Andrew Carnegie combined to elicit a generous effort by the Wooster community to raise $100,000 to match a challenge gift from Mr. Carnegie.  According to the WDHP account, “Carnegie originally refused to give to a Christian college, because he was not a member of any church. Yet, even in his first meeting with [President] Holden, Carnegie declared that if he ever gave money to a Christian college, it would go to Wooster.  The great philanthropist made good on his promise, in 1902.

Civility after the Civil War
There was a third snippet from Wooster history that reminded me of the importance of knowing more about our communities in years past.  This one was also of interest to Dottie Sines, the Wooster Weekly News article’s author.  She notes that patriotism ran so strong in Wooster following the Civil War that it became a force for unity between factions that had been at odds during the war.  This demonstration of post-Civil War unity as highlighted in the Sines article and quoted below ought to be a valuable lesson from American history for today’s divided America to consider:

“The Wooster Republican newspaper published letters sent home from Wayne County soldiers. At times even the Wayne County Democrat, which was never shy in displaying its opposition to the war, chose to put patriotism first. When praising the deeds of two returning officers, the paper guessed that they must have felt proud of both parties welcoming them home and doing honor to them as soldiers of the Republic. More unity of this kind would work miracles in the cause of the country, where the prosperity of all the people is contingent upon the unity of the country.

Thank you for “time-traveling” back in history with me to consider a couple of historic chapters out of the history of our town, Wooster, Ohio.  Maybe if you are curious enough to visit the Wooster Digital History Project, or a similar history resource from your geographic location on this Earth, you will gain a better appreciation for the ways in which your community has been shaped by past cultures, people, land uses, conflicts, and triumphs.  We ought not be ignorant of our history and the lessons we can learn from it, and from evidence of God’s providence through it all.

How About You?
May I invite you to respond using “Comments” to inform readers of  available resources on local and American history you would recommend?