This photo shows the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry reunion in 1893. This was President Hayes’ Civil War regiment. He died before this reunion, although he and his wife, Lucy, attended many others.
FREMONT – A historic photo of one of President Rutherford B. Hayes’ Civil War regiment reunions, a fur stole and presidential campaign memorabilia were some of the artifacts and manuscripts the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums acquired this year.
The manuscripts department received a photo of the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry’s 1893 reunion at Lakeside from a private collection. The picture shows the first reunion of Hayes’ regiment after his death, which was in January 1983.
“This photograph fills a gap in our collection of materials documenting the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry’s proud history,” said Julie Mayle, Hayes Presidential curator of manuscripts. “The comradery and friendships established between these men during the Civil War endured for decades, and their reunions are an important part of the regiment’s story.”
The 23rd had many reunions, sometimes at Spiegel Grove, and Hayes and First Lady Lucy Hayes regularly attended. President Hayes, who ended the war as brevet major general of the 23rd, felt his Civil War service was his greatest accomplishment in life.
The artifacts collection gained a mink stole created by Bixler’s furs in Fremont and various items from presidential campaigns through the years.
Bixler’s Furs opened in 1946 on Port Clinton Road in Fremont and later relocated to West State Street. It closed in the mid-’60s.
“While the focus of our collecting policy centers on President Hayes and his life and times, we do occasionally collect pieces that preserve our local history,” said Kevin Moore, Hayes Presidential curator of artifacts. “This stole is a good illustration of the Fremont of yesteryear. It also serves as an example of ecological history, a testament to environmentally harmful practices that have undergone a great deal of reform. Preserving that history aligns with honoring Hayes’s loves of both local history and nature.”
Hayes Presidential also received a donation of several items of campaign memorabilia from various presidential campaigns and party conventions. Items include a red, white and blue telephone used in the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago and labeled with convention logos, various presidential campaign pins and buttons, sunglasses and a cigar.
The items include campaign pieces from Presidents Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. There are also items from candidates who lost their bid for election.
“While not specific to Hayes, this collection showcases the ever-evolving process of running for president,” Moore said. “These items are already being used by our Teen Museum Council to craft a display on the history of presidential conventions and campaigning.”
Hayes Presidential has more than 20,000 artifacts, and not all of them are on display. Some of these items will be used in special displays or exhibits, such as the Teen Museum Council project coming in the spring, or for educational purposes during tours and events.
The Hayes Presidential Library & Museums is America’s first presidential library and the forerunner for the federal presidential library system. It is partially funded by the state of Ohio and affiliated with the Ohio History Connection. The Hayes Presidential Library & Museums is located at Spiegel Grove at the corner of Hayes and Buckland avenues.
For information, call 419-332-2081, or visit rbhayes.org. Like HPLM on Facebook at @rbhayespres and follow on Twitter and Instagram at @rbhayespres.
