Millersburg steps back in time through HCHS series

Keeping history alive is the goal of every historical society, and recently, the Holmes County Historical Society continued its tradition of doing just that through its Our Town series.

The HCHS presented “Our Town Millersburg Part II: A Journey Through Time 1900-current” in American Hall in Millersburg in the third-floor event center on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.

A nearly packed house in the American Hall experienced plenty of memories of the people, places and events that helped shape Historic Downtown Millersburg.

The Our Town series continues to make an impact on the various towns, villages and communities where the HCHS pours itself into exploring, defining and discovering the past so it can share that information with the public.

This second edition of delving into Historic Downtown Millersburg’s past included revisiting its most prominent people, historical buildings and events that played a key role in its history.

Mark Boley presented the portion dedicated to the buildings, which included detailed information on the Wise Building, which is currently home to Bag’s; the Koch Building, which was the former CSB bank building and is currently home to the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce; and Miller’s Creamery Building and Hotel Millersburg.

Millersburg Mayor Kelly Hoffee discussed the influential public officials who have helped shape HDM including Lyman Critchfield, Louis Mayers, Dr. Owen Patterson, grocer Arlie Rodhe and John Fenton, creator of Millersburg Glass.

Carmen Camacho spoke about some historical event highlights including visits from U.S. Presidents Grover Cleveland and William McKinley, the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, polio in the 1950s, the 1969 flood, the blizzard of 1978, and the ice storm of 2004.

While the presentations were informative, what took place following the presentation was just as important, according to Boley, as he watched numerous small pockets of people congregate and discuss what they’d heard along with other memories of past events and people.

“That’s really what this is designed to do, create discussion and generate interest in our history,” Boley said. “Just seeing people standing around sharing stories is heartwarming.”

One remarkable moment came following the presentation. The HCHS had provided a print of a Rustin Baker painting of HDM.

Little did they know Brodie and Allie DeHass would pay a visit with the original painting.

There were many other pieces of memorabilia presented too.

“We had no idea that they would have the print here when we brought it,” Brodie DeHass said. “It’s neat to compare the two.”

DeHass said he purchased the original Baker painting from his aunt Tootsie Snyder and has several other pieces as well.

Mark Miller, owner of New Towne Gallery in HDM, said these types of events are wonderful to propagate memories and discussion of past events, but they also are imperative because they help younger generations better understand where the people of Millersburg came from along with the historical value of how the village was shaped.

“These events are so relevant, and we need them to remind our younger generations about the details of how our communities were developed,” Miller said. “It’s been fascinating to take it all in, and seeing everyone excited about our history is pretty incredible.”

He said it has inspired him to research details about his downtown store.

Greg Oswald, owner of the Millersburg Glass & Collectibles, said his family settled in the area in the 1800s, and he moved back into the area about 17 years ago.

“I’m running into relatives I didn’t even know I had. These events are important to all of us because they explain our ancestry and how Millersburg came about,” Oswald said. “I hope they do another one because there’s a lot more to learn.”

That sentiment was shared by others, and Boley said plans are to invest in a third Our Town series in Millersburg.

“We knew coming in that we had only touched the tip of the iceberg when it comes to exploring Millersburg,” Boley said. “There are so many other significant people and events that we have yet to explore, so there will probably be a third one at some point, and we will probably expand outside of just the downtown area.”

Boley said the HCHS dedicated the entire program to the Rodhe family, generational owners of Rodhe’s Marketplace/Rodhe’s IGA for 90 years.

The beginning of the Our Town event began with an audio piece created by Elaine Maag in 2014 when she did an interview with second-generation owner Arlie Rodhe, who went into great detail about the store and family’s history.

“Hearing that history in Arlie’s own words is remarkable and powerful,” Boley said. “What better way to convey our history than right from the person’s mouth.”

It was a powerful interview in an evening filled with memorable moments that help keep the past alive and well.

The entire event was aired live on WKLM and can be viewed on its YouTube page.