Local historian and retired teacher Paul LaRue was honored Thursday morning, along with the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park (HCNHP) for their work on a lesson plan.
On Thursday at the HCNHP, the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office Award was given to LaRue and HCNHP for their collaboration in developing the lesson plan “Camp Sherman and the Mound City Earthworks: A Unique Story of Preservation.” Preservation officer Burt Logan presented the Public Education and Awareness Award.
“Each year, the state history organization highlights outstanding historic preservation achievements in communities across Ohio through the presentation of these awards,” a press release from Ohio History Connection said. “This organization is one of five winners in 2020.”
According to the press release, “Camp Sherman and the Mound City Earthworks: A Unique Story of Preservation” is a lesson plan developed to be used with curriculum in the state of Ohio. The plan outlines the historic interaction between the Mound City earthworks and Camp Sherman, an army cantonment from World War I.
“At first glance, this interaction seems fairly simple — the Mound City earthworks had been at this location for centuries,” the press release said. “After the outbreak of the war, the land was acquired by the federal government and Camp Sherman was built. The lesson plan prompts students and educators to think about the big picture and whether Camp Sherman was detrimental to the earthworks, or if it actually served to prompt their preservation.”
Following the war, as the camp was closing, there was a state-level effort by the Ohio History Connection (then known as the Ohio Historical Society) to work with the army and the federal government to preserve this valuable historic resource.
Ultimately, the Mound City earthworks were declared a National Monument in 1923 by President Warren G. Harding. Today, they are maintained as a part of the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park under the National Park Service.
“It was an honor to receive the award at the Hopewell Cultural National Historic Park,” LaRue said on Thursday via email. “The Park today occupies the grounds where Camp Sherman once stood. More than 120,000 soldiers trained at Camp Sherman on their way to France in World War I. Many of these soldiers went on to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Today, October 7, one hundred and two years ago; (110) soldiers died of pneumonia at Camp Sherman during the Influenza pandemic of 1918.”
This lesson plan is now publicly available online for students here in Ohio, across the country and internationally. See it on Ohio Memory the digital archive at https://bit.ly/2F6mM84.
Other 2020 winners include:
The Millennia Companies, City Architecture, K2M Design and The Albert M. Higley Company for rehabilitation of the 1912 Hotel Statler as The Statler apartments.
The Orlean Company, City Architecture, Drake Construction and Renewal Housing Associates, LLC for the rehabilitation of the 1923 Fenway Hall as the Fenway Manor apartments.
The Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation for acquisition of the Fortified Hill Earthworks, near Hamilton in Butler County, ensuring its preservation.
The Barr Family and Jarrod Burks for their work to research and preserve the Snake Den Mounds Complex near East Ringgold in Pickaway County.
ABOUT OHIO HISTORY CONNECTION:
The Ohio History Connection, formerly the Ohio Historical Society, is a statewide history organization with the mission to spark discovery of Ohio’s stories. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization chartered in 1885, the Ohio History Connection carries out history services for Ohio and its citizens focused on preserving and sharing the state’s history. This includes housing the State Historic Preservation Office, the official state archives, local history office and managing sites and museums across Ohio. For more information on programs and events, visit ohiohistory.org.
The information in this article was provided by Ohio History Connection.
Reach Martin Graham at (740) 313-0351 or on Twitter @MartiTheNewsGuy.
