USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I > Part 58
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115
PAINTING AND SCULPTURE.
As before stated, music, because of its inherent qualities, enjoys a wider appeal than painting and sculpture. But it is in the field of painting and sculpture that Champaign county has produced its greatest artists. Critics have agreed that John Quincy Adams Ward was one of the great- est sculptors America has ever produced. His brother, Edgar A. Ward, was an artist who achieved distinction by his painting. But the county's greatest painter has been Robert Eichelberger, whose death at the age of twenty-nine, was acclaimed as a distinct loss to art. Some of his later landscapes and seascapes were pronounced by competent authorities as being as fine as had ever been produced in America. Another local painter who has risen to a prominent place among the artists of the country is Warren S. Cushman, who is now living at Zanesfield, Ohio. In addition to these men there are a number of others who have painted with more or less dis- tinction, but whose work never received wide recognition.
In the following pages is set forth the history of some of the musical organizations of the county, all of which were connected with the county seat. Then follows brief sketches of some of the more noted of the county's painters and sculptors. The list does not claim to be complete, but it does represent those who have risen to a place where their work has been recog- nized outside the limits of the county.
599
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
URBANA CHORAL SOCIETY.
The Urbana Choral Society was probably the first definite musical organization in the city, although the historian has not succeeded in finding the date of its beginning. For several years after it was organized by the pastor of the New church, Rev. Frank Sewell, who was also its conductor, this society sang so well that it established firmly the reputation Urbana bears for extraordinary musical talent.
While the society was active it sang an oratorio once a year, and often reproduced the very best vocal music for the appreciative audiences of Urbana. Moreover, noted soloists, such as Osgood and Amy Sherwin, often appeared in conjunction with the society, and thrilled Urbana music lovers with their genius. The reputation of the society was more than local, for during several seasons it appeared in the Cincinnati May Festival.
This choral society had a most active career until Mr. Sewell left Urbana in 1886. Lacking his steady hand, the society struggled along for a few years and then passed out of existence. A few years ago an effort was made to revive the society. For a few weeks rehearsals were held and a concert was given under the able direction of R. S. Pearce, Jr., but it seemed that the interest in such an organization had reached a point where it was impossible to keep it together. Consequently, the organization was allowed to take its place along with other defunct musical organizations of the city.
SECOND METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH CHOIR.
Probably the second vocal musical organization in the city to attain more than local fame, was the Second Methodist Episcopal church choir. This band of singers was in its prime some fifty or sixty years ago, when they became famous in central Ohio where they entered vocal contests in the county seats.
The personnel of the organization was as follows: Robert Sanders, W. R. Ross, W. A. Sampson, Daniel Price, basses; Charles Stone, William Davies, I. B. Happersett, tenors: Miss Fannie Sampson, Mrs. Agnes Lee Stone, Mrs. Julia Geiger Stone, Mrs. Annie Ross Davies, sopranos; Mrs. Martha Sampson Happersett, Mrs. Belle Brand Ross, Mrs. Lee, and others, altos; Mrs. Mallie Whitlock, organist; Doctor Lee, director.
THE ARIONS GLEE CLUB.
This organization had its beginning about 1880. The young .men who composed the organization were at first wont to go serenading the young
600
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
ladies of the city on quiet summer evenings, but the appreciation with .which their efforts were always greeted prompted them to organize into a glee club, and for several years the organization was a most excellent one. The leader was Waldo B. Talbott. The young men formed the nucleus of such comic opera performances as "The Mikado," "Chimes of Normandy," "Pirates of Penzance," "Trial by Jury," and "Pinafore." Through their efforts, Urbana, always noted for its amateur talent, was enabled to give fin- ished performances which ranked in excellence with professional companies.
The members of the . Arions were W. B. Talbot, Charles Chowning, Harry ("Pete") Hubbell, Ernest Wilson, Newton Ambrose, Lee and Charles Pennock, L. B. Berry, Joe Fithian, John Ross and Evans Patrick. Half of these still live in Urbana and the rest, with the exception of Jack Ross who is deceased, have gone to other parts,
PLUMED KNIGHT GLEE CLUB,
The Blaine campaign of '84 prompted several young Republicans to organize themselves into a glee club to "whoop it up" for the Plumed Knight of Maine. Wearing high white hats as their mark of distinction, this singing organization made itself famous in central Ohio. Under the direction of the late S. B. Price, the club extended its activities to subse- quent campaigns.
URBANA MUSICAL UNION.
Another musical organization of strength and talent was the Urbana Musical Union. This band of singers organized themselves in 1874 mainly through the efforts of John Bruner, Henry Phelps, and Milton Johnson. At first the society had a hundred members, and S. W. Hitt and Barton O'Neal were its first presidents.
The Union did not attempt to sing any complete oratorio, but selected concert numbers from the best composers. In its repertoire was Butter- field's "Belshazzar."
FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH QUARTETTE.
Among the excellent choirs and quartettes of many years ago was the one at the First Methodist Episcopal church. In this quartette were Charles Clark, basso profundo; Thomas McComb, tenor robusto; Mrs. Ella Baxter,
Digitized by Google
601
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
soprano; and Mrs. Hattie Reed, alto. For several years the quartette sup- plemented the choir and congregational singing at the church with well- selected special music.
HARMONIC QUARTETTE.
During the hundred years of Urbana's history there have been numer- ous musical organizations of various kinds, but there is one organization still in existence which is without a peer in its line. This is the Harmonic Quartette which was organized in 1899 to sing in the Grace Methodist Episcopal church. Its original members were W. H. Madden, C. A. Ross, Lloyd Reed and E. H. Hollinger. Madden was replaced a year later by M. R. Todd and in 1904 Dr. D. H. Moore took the place of Ross. Subse- quently, Ross again bessere a member of the quartette and has since remained a member of the organization. The reputation of the quartette has secured for it a large number of Chautauqua engagements and it always gives satis- faction wherever it appears.
PORTER'S BAND.
There are many old citizens of Urbana who remember the famous band which was organized there on the eve of the Civil War. It was known as Porter's Band, so-called after its leader, James A. . Porter. It was organized in the summer of 1859 for the avowed purpose of taking part in the Presidential campaign of the following year. Its leader and twelve members were stanch supporters of Lincoln, and, as the campaign progressed they took an increasingly important part in the political meetings throughout the state. Their uniforms were a striking combination of blue linsey hunting shirts and blue jeans trousers. Those who recall the natty appearance of the band on parade maintain that they looked quite martial.
The members of the band, together with the names of the instruments they played, are as follow : James A. Porter (leader ) keyed bugle; A. F. Vance, Jr., alto horn ; William W. Vance, E-flat cornet ; A. M. Vance, cor- net; Levi Shyrigh, bass drum; William Shyrigh, snare drum; Burdette Shyrigh, E-flat cornet ; Jacob C. Jones, first tuba; John Minturn, B-flat bass; Fred Falta, tenor horn; Harrison Wiley, baritone; Richard Arm- strong, second E-flat bass. It is a tribute to the power of music that three of these musicians of fifty-three years ago are still living; of these A. F. Vance and Burdette Shyrigh are still living in Urbana, and Fred Falta lives in Kenton, Ohio.
602
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
When the Civil War broke out the band heard Lincoln's call and entered the Sixty-sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. After the war was over, James Porter organized in 1866 a large band, which included some of the original members. That band achieved a state-wide reputation, and in the campaign of 1871 was the official band of the Cincinnati Duckworth Club at the Democratic national convention at New York. Mr. Porter, who left during the seventies for Galion, Ohio, placed the band in the care of Francis Williams. The latter conducted the organization until it was finally disbanded.
After the organization had ceased to exist, some of the members played in other bands for several years. Even though Urbana has had other such organizations which have served the city faithfully and well, yet none has enjoyed the reputation, or has ever held the affection of the people of Urbana, like the original Porter's Band.
FIRST CITY ORCHESTRA OF URBANA.
The use of instruments other than organs in churches dates from about 1875. It seems strange to the present generation that there should be any objection to the use of musical instruments in church, but anyone who can recall conditions as far back as the Civil War will recollect the antipathy of many good people toward the introduction of musical instruments into the church. Before the Civil War the question of music in the church was a frequent cause for the division of churches into the rival camps. The Baptists, in the forties, and even later, divided into two sharp camps on the question of music in the church, and for years the schism persisted on this score. Now practically all churches in the average town have an orches- tra or would install one if they could secure the musicians.
The First Methodist Episcopal church of Urbana was the first to have a regular Sunday school orchestra. H. D. Crow. the present city auditor, his brother, H. M. Crow, later chief justice of the supreme court of the state of Washington, and J. M. Johnson, flute and clarionet player, formed the nucleus of an orchestra which came into existence about 1875. With them were associated other members form time to time until an organization of twelve was built up. In addition to the three enumerated there were the following : Charles Conrey and Charles Price, violins; Charles West, bass viol : Doctor Butcher, cornet ; Jacob Jones, tuba. This orchestra changed its membership, as old members dropped out for one reason or another and
603
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
new members were added. Probably the only members of this first orches- tra now living in the city are H. M. Crow and J. M. Johnson. It lost its identity as a distinct organization many years ago.
MANDOLIN AND GUITAR ORCHESTRA.
Another of Urbana's musical organizations of bygone years was the Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra, organized by R. W. Kirby in 1889. Its members included the following: R. W. Kirby, leader and first mandolin : Edwin Barlow, first mandolin; Henry Cool and E. H. Hullinger, second mandolins: Percy Todd, mandola: John Conrey, J. F. Knight, Raymond Hubbell and R. S. Pearce, Jr., guitars : E. Boswell, flutist ; M. R. Todd. violin cello; Clyde Shyrigh, vocal soloist. This organization flourished for several years and there are many who still recall the delightful concerts the orchestra frequently gave. This orchestra maintained a regular organiza- tion until about 1895, and then, on account of some of the members having left the city and others having duties which absorbed all of their time, the organization gradually died out. Of this group, one member, Raymond Hubbell, has made a national reputation as a composer of songs. Another member, R. S. Pearce, Jr., is the director of the present city band and orchestra.
SOME ARTISTS OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
From the beginning of the history of Champaign county there have been devotees of art in some of its various phases. From the borders of the county have gone out painters in water and oil, pastel and miniature . artists, land and seascape artists, genre and historical artists and at least one sculptor who made a national and even international reputation. Years ago there was a photographer of Urbana who was a noted portrait painter; in fact, he was primarily a worker in oils and subsequently combined pho- tography with his painting.
HARRISON HITE.
As far back as the forties there was at least one man in the county who had achieved wide fame as a portrait painter. Little is known of the career of Harrison Hite, but fugitive references to his work in the local papers and in the magazines of his day testify to his artistry. Hite was a son of George Hite, one of the pioneers of the county, and early in life showed a
Digitized by Google
604
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
decided talent for painting. He became a noted miniature painter, and reached such a place in his art that he finally located in New York City to devote all of his time to miniature painting. It is presumed that he passed the remainder of his days in that city.
SIMEON SWEET AND C. R. BROWN.
Simeon Sweet was born in Champaign county and was a contemporary of Cushman. He specialized in portrait painting and early in life developed considerable talent. He worked for a time with W. S. Cushman, the artist, painting portraits of each other. Sweet died at Bellefontaine, Ohio, about four years ago. Emmet R. Brown was born in Champaign county and studied for two years with W. S. Cushman, later studying in Chicago. He won considerable fame as an artist before his death in 1907.
ANDREW WAY.
Andrew Way seems to have been the first of the local artists to study in Europe. He started out as a portrait painter, but his greatest reputa- tion rests on his paintings of a historical nature. He finally settled in Baltimore, where his talents would command a wider recognition than it would be possible for them to receive in Urbana. As far as known he passed the remainder of his days in that city.
W. M. DEVOE.
W. M. DeVoe, for many years a resident of Urbana, was considered one of the greatest photographers of his day. In 1888 he was awarded first prize for his work at the national convention of photographers at Chicago. DeVoe did considerable painting in connection with his photo- graphic work and it was of unusual quality, considering the fact that he was self-trained. He executed nearly all the etchings used. in the Chani- paign county atlas of 1872. In after years he went West, where he resided until his death about 1907.
ROBERT A. EICHELBERGER.
One of the most promising artists of Champaign county was Robert A. Eichelberger who died at the early age of twenty-nine. He was born at Fletcher, Miami county, Ohio, May 20. 1861, and died at East Hampton,
605
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
Long Island, April 2, 1890. He was educated in Urbana and early in his youth gave promise of genuine artistic talent. In the fall of 1880 he went to Europe and for the following four years studied art in Munich undet the best teachers to be found there. Later he spent one year studying in Paris, and then located in New York City, where he opened a studio and lived until his death. After death many appreciative articles concerning his work appeared in New York papers. Some of his finest work is still to be seen in the Metropolitan Museum of Art at New York.
The New York Herald, in its issue of April 4, 1890, says that Eichel- berger's "The End of Nepeag Harbor" was remarkable alike for its color and effect. In the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery, in the exhibition of 1890, there were two hundred and six works of American artists and the New York Sun in its issue of April 28, 1890, makes the following statement: "It is surely no injustice to any other canvas in the room to name first the 'Surf and Fog' of Mr. Eichelberger (73). Its border of crepe hints at a pathetic story. Here was a young painter, who in two or three years, had won himself a high place in the estimation of his fellows. Then he creates a masterpiece, and, as the last touches are given, died from exposure while at work-killed by the sharp breath of the sea which he was painting as it had never before been painted."
Eichelberger was the son of Joseph Eichelberger and a brother of George M. Eichelberger, the lawyer. His sister, Isabella, became the wife of Edgar M. Ward, also a famous artist, and a brother of John Q. A. Ward.
WARREN S. CUSHMAN.
One of the distinguished artists of Champaign county for years was Warren S. Cushman, now a resident of Zanesfield, Ohio. He belongs to the Cushman family of Woodstock and for several years made his home in that village. He was born at Woodstock, Ohio, January 17, 1845, and now in his seventy-second year is enjoying good health and is still able to produce creditable work.
Starting out as a painter, he added sculpture to his work and has divided his talents between the two lines of artistic endeavor. In painting he has specialized in portraiture work and his work in this line extends over a period of half a century. He has produced more than a thousand paint- ings and now has hundreds in his home at Zanesfield. In 1893 Mr. Cush- man probably achieved his greatest success. In that year his painting "Span-
606
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
ish Dancing Girls" was exhibited at the World's Fair at Chicago and was later sold for $10,000.
Mr. Cushman studied in the Corcoran Art Gallery, Washington, D. C., in 1875-76, and a number of his paintings are now hanging in that gallery. In the nation's capital hangs a portrait of President Hayes which was painted by Mr. Cushman. In the Sloan public library at Zanesville is a magnificent portrait of Dr. Earl S. Sloan, the donor of the library, which is the work of Mr. Cushman. He also painted several notable scenes as mural decora- tions in the new residence of Doctor Sloan at New Bern, North Carolina. Among his other paintings which have attracted attention are three large Biblical studies-"Faith," "Hope" and "Charity"-which he painted for Doctor Sloan.
Mr. Cushman's work is scattered from coast to coast and he is still busily working. He has worked in Woodstock, Urbana, Springfield, Day- ton, Bellefontaine and Washington, D. C., in addition to the immense amount of work he has done at Zanesfield. In the cemetery at Woodstock stands a striking and unique monument, known as the Cushman monument, which is a fine example of his ability as a sculptor.
Those who have seen the paintings of Mr. Cushman do not hesitate to pronounce them fine works of art. Champaign county is glad to honor him as one of its distinguished sons.
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS WARD.
Not only is it the good fortune of Ohio to have given birth to a number of men whose pre-eminence in military service and in statesmanship is known the world over; but also our state can hoast of a son whose work in marble and bronze places him without a peer among America's greatest sculptors. The work of this artist, John Quincy Adams Ward, will stand for centuries to attest the greatness of the creative genius which gave them form. Cham- . paign county should be doubly proud of this eminent artist, since he is a native son of Urbana.
John Quincy Adams Ward was born on June 29, 1830, at Urbana, in the old homestead still standing on the southwest edge of town, and now occupied by the sisters of the artist. He died in New York City on May 1, 1910. His mother's maiden name was Macbeth; his father was John A. Ward, who owned about six hundred acres of land which he inherited from his father, Col. William Ward, the proprietor of the site of Urbana.
There was talent of a high order in his family, as is shown by the
Digitized by Google
607
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
beautiful and masterly work of his brother, Edgar Ward, but, in the case of the elder artist, the native force inherent in the family has been touched by the divine quality of genius. Talent may be inherited; environment and cultivation may contribute a wonderful impetus to mental growth, but no process of culture can account for genius. William Dean Howells says : "One of the most interesting facts concerning the artists of all kinds is that those who wish to give their lives to them do not appear where the appliances for the instruction in them exist; a literary atmosphere does not create litterateurs : poets and painters spring up where there never was a verse made or a picture seen. This suggests that God is no more idle now than He was in the beginning, but that He is still and forever shaping the human chaos into the instruments and the means of beauty." These words are as pertinent to the career of John Quincy Adams Ward as if they had been written with a full knowledge of his early life.
TALENT EARLY RECOGNIZED.
John Q. A. Ward received his first instruction from the teachers in the family, then in the village schools, and lastly from John W. Ogden, a good scholar and worthy lawyer, who lived in Urbana. An old series of the "Encyclopedia Britannica" proved a great storehouse of knowledge for him.
Long before he was ten years old the boy was exercising his faculty of imaginative construction by forming clay birds and animals and figures of the heads of his companions. He found his material in a clay bank near the old home. A neighbor, however, showed him a better kind of clay which he used in making his pottery, and taught him how to make and bake jugs. Thus his faculty for imaginative construction was developed and his ambition for greater and bigger work was stimulated. Intuitively he was conscious of his gifts, hence there came to him dreams of a career in life wherein he could create new forms of beauty. His father, not understanding or recognizing the value of his son's gift, wanted him to become a farmer; but this was like hitching Pegasus to a plow.
Young Ward heard little of sculptors and saw little of their work. Until he visited New York in his eighteenth year the only piece of sculpture he had ever seen was a plaster bust of Apollo in the home of John H. James, Sr., which had been made by Hiram Powers in his young days at Cincinnati. Moreover. the suggestion of becoming a sculptor frightened him, for he had never heard of schools of art where anatomy was studied and technique
Digitized by Google
608
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO.
mastered. He recognized, however, that an untrained novice could never coax from the stubborn marble the forms which would meet his ideals of beauty. Obviously the youth did not understand himself, and there was no one at hand who could sympathize with his feeling or could interpret the same to him. The growing consciousness of his gifts unfitted him for his work at home and yet he did not understand himself clearly nor the method of approach to the career for which he longed.
Ward was rescued from his dilemma by his sister, Mrs. Thomas, who lived in Brooklyn, New York, and who recognized in him great possibilities. She asked him this question: "Quincy, would you really like to become an artist ?" He bashfully answered, "Yes." In his eighteenth year he was taken to New York, but for many weeks he could not muster up sufficient courage to enter the studio of Henry K. Brown, although the latter was a friend of his sister's family. Finally, however, he ventured timidly to ask him if he would take him as an art student. Brown told him to go back home and model something, so that he could see what he could do. With alacrity he set about to procure a copy of the "Venus di Medici," and lugged this with a bag of clay a distance of two miles to his sister's home. When he presented his clay "Venus" to Brown, the teacher readily recognized the great possibilities within this would-be pupil. Ward worked six years with his master. He executed a wolf's head for a fountain in Mexico, for which Brown gave him ten dollars. This was the first money he ever earned by his art.
"NOBLE SIMPLICITY" OF WARD'S WORK.
Soon the public appreciated and patronized his genius. His first accepted works were busts of Senators John P. Hale and Hamlin, Joshua R. Gid- dings and Alexander H. Stephens, which he executed in Washington City in 1857 and 1858. He came to Columbus early in 1861 with a model statute of Simon Kenton, hoping to obtain a commission from the state. While here he made a bust of Governor Dennison. His next effort was the now famous "Indian Hunter." in Central Park, New York City, which scored a remarkable success from the first. Six copies in bronze, reduced in size, were sold for good sums. Then follows the principal works of Ward in order: "The Freedman," the bust of Admiral Dewey in marble. and the collosal statue of Commodore M. C. Perry at Newport. His stat- ues of the "Seventh Regiment Soldier," bronze, and of Shakespeare, "The Good Samaritan" and General Reynolds are in Central Park. In Hartford,
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.