History surrounds us.
Whether it is past, present or in the making one can experience history
daily. Lake County may be Ohio’s
smallest county but it has the most history. Concord Township is not exception to this claim. One need look no farther than the Old
Stone Schoolhouse to witness and share your community history. Visitation and tours are available on
posted dates, by appointment or during upcoming special events in 2016.
The schoolhouse serves as the township museum of
history. The names Leuty, Wellman,
Luhta, Adams and Pomeroy are
shared here. A school bell from
the Judd Corner schoolhouse may be found on the premises. The story of Concord’s early industry,
notable farms and Little Mountain Hotels are shared there. Artifacts from the schoolhouse years of
1841-1923 are on display. The
museum has much to share and is always looking for township documents, photos,
family heirlooms and permanent artifacts to add to the still growing story that
is Concord Township.
Walter Wellman – Born in 1858, his life as a noted journalist, explorer
and aeronaut is examined in detail at the history museum. As a journalist he was the founder of
the Cincinnati Evening Post. As an
explorer, his efforts may have identified the exact arrival spot of Christopher
Columbus. However it is his
aeronaut efforts that best define him.
A staunch pioneer in the airship / dirigible industry, he set to be the
first explorer to arrive at the North Pole. His crew left Paris in 1905 on an airship for the North
Pole. Failure resulted and a
second attempt in 1907 was again non-successful. Additional airship endeavours in 1910 (America) and in 1911
(Akron) met with tragic results.
Remnants from these historic attempts were stored in 1912 at Goodyear
Tire & Rubber. In the 2000s
Wellman’s spirit was recognized and his airship artifacts sent to the
Smithsonian for all to see. A
portion of his story is on display in Concord Twp.
Connie Luhta – Seven terms as a local official and 48 years as a
resident are only the tip of the iceberg of this lady’s story. This aviatrix is featured on aviation
coins and banners with notable women pilots Besse Coleman and Amelia
Earhart. Connie earned degrees
from OWU and LEC and enjoyed a career as a research chemist for Standard Oil
for much of her life. However it
was the opening of Concord airpark in 1952 with her husband that began her rise
in aviation history. Twelve
international air races, ten coast-to-coast races and 17 proficiency races
sealed her spot in aviation annals.
A member of the Silver Wings, VP of the Experimental Aircraft
Association and one of 55 female pilots to be enshrined in the Burke Airport /
International Aerospace Museum are a few kudos on her resume.
You are invited to visit the History Society at the Old
Schoolhouse. You are welcome to
volunteer. More importantly you
are encouraged to share your artifact and story with our community here!!! This is the first installment in a series of continuing posts about local county artifacts -watch for new stories in late 2016 and early 2017.
For more information visit – www.concordtwp.com
