hy This Site?

The material presented here is to help vitalize the past, link distant individuals & families, and give to others a feeling of what the earlier people and towns & villages of our community represented. People in all communities lived their entire lives touching those around them. Anyone familiar with Forest or its surrounding area knows of its current status...

illages.

A first look at the towns of Dunkirk, Patterson, Grant, Kirby, Wharton, or Mt. Blanchard leaves one to think of places depressed, struggling, or having little or no family or historical ties. Nothing could be further from the truth. Of the thousands of individuals and hundreds of families living in the Forest-Area; all have family and community ties to the others. History is ever present. It doesn't disappear, it isn't destroyed, it just fades from memory due to deaths, moves, and busy schedules!

he Forest-Area Historical Society.

The Society hopes you will find these pages informative; of the people & groups, of the homes & buildings, of the railroads & railroad workers, and of the shops & shop keepers kindling thoughts of your own past. And how you are touched by what your memories. There is no particular order aside from the general groups;

The Society is currently in the process of collecting any old photographs pertaining to the groupings listed on the Main Menu if they represent any of the Dunkirk, Grant, Forest, Kirby, Mt. Blanchard, Patterson, or Wharton communities. The Forest-Area Historical Society will keep any photographs and/or items received unless there is a request in writing accompaning the photographs and/or items. All items requested for return will be scanned, photographed, and returned to the individuals requesting such.

eals of the State of Ohio.

Believed to be taken from the location where Thomas Worthington had his home, the Seal of the State of Ohio has many evolutions. Ohio U.S. Senator, Thomas Worthington, in a metting discussing what would be needed for a state seal with, William Creighton, the then Secretary of State of Ohio, and Edward Tiffin, the first Govenor of Ohio, espied the early morning sunrise. It must have enspired them as William Creighton is credited with sketching the original image of that scene.

1788

Govenor Tiffin

The first state legislature drafted a provision specifying a "Great Seal of the State of Ohio" on March 28, 1803, which was to be used officially by Govenor Tiffin. It was later determined that the law was too confining so on February 19, 1805 a repeal was enacted authorizing the seal’s use but design to be encircled with the entity necessary for that use. As a result no law governed the seal until 1866 when a law was officially enacted to designate the seal.

1803

1807

1840

1840

1866

1866

1876

1889

1899

1904

1967

1996

As you can see, the State of Ohio Seal has changed many times over the years. These are but a few of those changes. It should be expected that there will be more.

and Grants for the State of Ohio.

The State of Ohio received land grants from the U.S. Congress for many specific purposes. The state disposed of these land grants through Acts of their Legislature. The following is a description of the "school lands" grants.

School Lands - Section 16.

The federal government’s gift of land for educational purposes traces its origin to the Land Ordinance of May 20, 1785. Within the ordinance, the following language can be found. There shall be reserved the Lot No. 16, of every township, for the maintenance of public schools within said township. This then, began Congress’ intent to encourage public schools. By 1920, 73,155,075 acres of the public domain had been given as school lands to the public land states.