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In 1902, Albert Belmont Graham (1868-1960), a school teacher and superintendent, established the Boys and Girls Agricultural Experiment Club in Springfield, Ohio. Graham believed in learning by doing, a concept at the core of 4-H, which stands for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. In 1905, Graham became the first Superintendent of Agricultural Extension at The Ohio State University and he brought the idea of 4-H with him. 4-H is in all 50 states and over 70 countries, and more than 7 million members enroll annually. One in six Ohioans have been members.
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Dr. Jared Potter Kirtland was a prominent nineteenth century professor, physician, naturalist and horticulturist. In 1837, Kirtland purchased land in Rockport Township that stretched from Madison Avenue to Lake Erie. Kirtland used that land as a natural laboratory and filled it with gardens, greenhouses and an arboretum where he developed fruit and grape varieties best suited for the region. His success with new varieties inspired area farmers to successfully concentrate on fruit and grape growing. In 1839, he built a home at Detroit and Bunts Roads and lived there unitl his death in 1877. (Continued on other side)
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The Harding Hospital, initially called the Columbus Rural Rest Home, was founded in 1916 by George T. Harding II, MD (1878-1934) and his associates, many of whom shared his commitment to service and his Seventh-day Adventist Christian faith. The psychiatic treatment center moved to Worthington in 1920. The hospital’s goal was to provide treatment with attention to the person’s physical, mental, social and spiritual needs. The program, with its emphasis on relational issues and psychotherapy, drew patients from across Ohio and beyond. In 1936 a residency program in psychiatry for physicians was started and educational programs for other mental health professionals followed. The campus’ beauty contributed to its being a place of healing for many. Since 1999, Harding Hospital has been a part of The Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center.
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Established during the Great Migration and intense segregation in Columbus, The Big Walnut Country Club (BWCC) was one of the first Black country clubs in the United States. Conceived in 1925 and incorporated two years later, the club encouraged and promoted aquatic and athletic sports by providing the means and facilities otherwise not available to the Black community. Members enjoyed golf, swimming, archery, tennis, badminton, boating, dining, and dancing on the nearly 20 acres of land between the Big Walnut and Rocky Fork creeks. The club was a social, professional, and political hub for Central Ohio’s growing Black population in the decades leading to the Civil Rights Movement. The BWCC closed in 1963. Gahanna purchased the land in 1970 and opened its first public park, Friendship Park, the following year.
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City architect Frederic H. Betz designed the St. Clair Avenue Public Bath House and it was constructed in 1919-1920 at a cost of $320,000. The facility included a large gymnasium, swimming pool, and laundry, in addition to showers. City Council dedicated the newly completed building to the late, beloved Cleveland Indians shortstop Raymond Chapman in 1920. The St. Clair Recreation Center, as it was later known, was in the impact zone and survived the East Ohio Gas Company disaster on October 20, 1944. The facility was remodeled in 1949 and subsequent renovations demonstrate the utility of the building. Edward J. Kovacic (1910-1974) was the superintendent of the bathhouse from 1933-1934 and served on the City Council from 1940-1953. In 1977, the facility was renamed to honor Kovacic’s contributions to the citizens of the St. Clair neighborhood and to the city. (Continued on other side)
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In the early 20th century, the City of Cleveland began opening public bath houses as a way to address the unsanitary living conditions of its overcrowded immigrant neighborhoods. Opened in January 1908, the Clark Avenue Bath House was Cleveland’s third public bath house. It cost $32,000 to build and was designed by prominent Cleveland architect Charles F. Schweinfurth. The semi-Colonial building featured heavy Ionic columns that framed the two entrances marked for “Men” and “Women” overhead. Clark Avenue Bath House had 35 private shower “cabinets,” two group showers, locker rooms, and a gymnasium with a spectator gallery. By 1921, seven such bath houses served the city. Today, five remain and four continue to offer public services to their neighborhoods as Neighborhood Resource and Recreation Centers.
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