The Ohio Genealogical Society has awarded the Wood County Genealogical Society’s and North Baltimore Historical Society’s joint publication, North Baltimore and Henry Township Pioneer Days, its Henry Howe Award for being the best Ohio state, county or local history for 2023.
The publication is a compilation of first-person accounts originally published in the North Baltimore Weekly Beacon between 1889 and 1923. The award was presented on April 29 at the Genealogical Society’s annual conference in Sandusky.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, George W. Wilkinson, the editor of the Beacon, encouraged elderly locals to write about their experiences in the settling of Henry Township and the founding of North Baltimore. Wilkinson realized that the last of the pioneer residents of the township were passing away and he wanted to preserve their memories of the early days, so he published their letters in a series of articles which he titled “Interesting Pioneer Sketches.”
Tom Boltz, who initiated and led the compilation effort, found several of the letters while conducting genealogy research in the Beacon including one written by one of his own ancestors. Since these articles provide a unique perspective on the area’s early history, Boltz decided that these letters needed to be consolidated so they would be more accessible to genealogists, historians and the public. Further research in the Beacon archives located a total of 37 articles.
While officially published by the Wood County Genealogical Society, many members of both the historical and the genealogical societies jointly researched, selected photos, indexed, reviewed transcriptions and administered the publication process.
Copies are available at the North Baltimore Public Library, Wood County District Public Library, Findlay-Hancock County Public Library and the Ohio Genealogical Society Library in Belleville. The publication can also be purchased from the North Baltimore Historical Society, the Wood County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society and the Wood County Historical Museum.
