When doing research, you never know what you are going to find in our collections. Even as a seasoned records and archival professional, I still find exciting and new gems that we do not expect. This is exactly what happened earlier this week when I was searching our Minister’s License books, doing research related to the first black Mayor of Lebanon, James Mills. A few pages into volume four, I found a Minister’s License for one Rev. Floyd Harold Flake for the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME).
Warren County Minister’s License, Volume 4, Page 25; Probate Court
The name sounded familiar, and I was already going in research circles that day, so down the rabbit hole I went!!! And boy did I come up with some surprising finds. Turns out the reason this particular name sounded so familiar was not only was he a practicing reverend in Lebanon in 1969 and 1970, he also later became a U.S Congressman and President of Wilberforce University!
While Rev. Flake was attending Wilberforce University in the late 1960s, he was also a reverend at the Bethel AME Church in Lebanon, Ohio. Over the next year, he continued his work at Bethel AME and presided over several marriages for couples in the area. He would later leave the area in 1970 to take a position at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.
Warren County Marriage Certificate Returns, #22659, Probate CourtWestern Star, 11/4/1970, page 12, Ohio History Connection, Ohio Memory
In 1976, Rev. Floyd and his wife, Rev. Elaine Floyd, would land at the Greater Allen AME Church in Jamaica, NY. This would eventually become one of the largest AME churches in the country under Floyd’s leadership. By the mid-1980s, his popularity in the community allowed him to run for the House of Representatives. After winning in 1986, Rev. Floyd stayed in office until 1997, and returned to the Greater Allen AME Church, serving as senior pastor. Five years later, in addition to his responsibilities at the church, he would find his way back to Wilberforce University and serve as President until 2008. According to the Greater Allen AME website, Rev. Floyd retired from the ministry in 2020, and still plays a major role at the church today.
This was one of those moments as a researcher that I felt like I struck gold. It is incredible how one research dead end allowed for the discovery of such a prolific member of the Black community.
Floyd Harod Flake Lapel Pin for Re-Election – Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives Accession No. 2008.047.010
The Records Center & Archives newest exhibit is up and running! Be sure to stop by the Warren County Administration building to view our exhibit on the Warren County Silver Street Jail at 406 Justice Drive, Lebanon, Ohio 45036.
What was the Silver Street Jail?
The Silver Street Jail was built in 1890, in response to regular complaints from the Grand Jury that the previous jail was unsafe and inadequate for the purposes of Warren County. This jail would be the third erected on this site, the first in 1820, and the second in 1844. An attached residence for the Sheriff was completed in 1894. While living at the jail may seem odd by today’s standards, in the 19th century it was not unusual, especially in small rural areas, to consolidate the responsibilities of jailer and Sheriff into a single job, operating from a single location. This residence was occupied by Sheriffs and their families up through the 1960’s. As Warren County and its population grew, available space at the Silver Street jail became inadequate to safely house inmates. This led to the development of the Criminal Justice Center in 1975.
Intern Brent Adams, Archives Technician Tori Roberts, and Deputy Archivist Jenifer Baker, creators of the Silver Street Jail Exhibit.
Creating an exhibit for Kings Mills was a huge challenge! This one time factory town may have been small but it packs a vast and fascinating history! The design of the exhibit has to be one of our favorites so far from the accordion time line to the wood stands, there is a lot to look at. When creating the panels we tried to keep the history of the factory, town, and family as concise as possible. We really needed a few cases to be able to include all of the information we found during our research.
We would like to say a huge thank you to Karen Dinsmore, The Warren County Genealogical Society, Peters & King: The Birth & Evolution of The Peters Cartridge Co. & The King Powder Co. by Thomas D. Schiffer, and the Warren County Facilities Department for all of your help!
King’s Great Western Powder Company & Peters Cartridge Company
Putting together one shelf of information on any part of Kings Mills was a huge task. For the history of the two company’s that were the reason for creation and expansion of the town of Kings Mills we condensed it into a simple timeline. We were able to take the major events on the timeline created by Thomas D. Schiffer in his book Peters & King: The Birth & Evolution of the Peters Cartridge Co. & The King Powder Co.. This book is an amazing collection of images and a comprehensive history of these two companies. There was so much rich history that we had to omit from these panels about the progression of the factory and what it was like for the workers and how the production effected the land around the factory.
What we were able to include is a panel detailing the explosions at the factories and what the future holds for these historic buildings. The deadliest explosion occurred July 15, 1891, killing 9 people, including women and children.
Creating the history of the Warren County Common Pleas Court, it’s buildings, and the judges who have served within them, has been are largest exhibit to date! We were given the opportunity to create a permanent exhibit that spans 2 walls within the current Warren County Courthouse. With this exhibit we wanted to make sure we kept the design and content classic to stand the test of time. In addition to what is included in the exhibit, we left room at the end to update the exhibit as Warren County continues to grow. *SOME IMAGES IN THE EXHIBIT COURTESY OF: Warren County Historical Society, Warren County Common Pleas Court, and Judge Joe Kirby
Spotlighting and celebrating over two centuries of the Auditor’s Office was the goal of the newest permanent Warren County wall exhibit completed August 2023. Located on the second floor of the Warren County Administration Building inside the department of its namesake, the Auditor’s exhibit is a testament to the individuals who have served Warren County in this elected position. With the aid of the Auditor’s Office, the Spaeth Family, Vicki Jo Warnock, Facilities Management, and the Warren County Genealogical Society, Property, Proficiency, & Protecting You is a colorful glimpse into two hundred years of Warren County government and the impact of the Chief Financial Officer and Tax Assessor.
Exhibit Creators (L to R): Archives Assistant Jacob Stickel, Records Center Support Ted Hitchens, Assistant Archivist Tori Otten, Intern Maddie Durham
The Warren County Records Center and Archives officially celebrated our 20th Anniversary on August 29, 2022. To celebrate this milestone we compiled a history of how we came to be and combined that with how much we have grown these first two decades! This exhibit was so much fun to put together because some of our employees have worked here for a decent amount of those years. We hope you enjoy reading about how we came to be and what we have managed to accomplish.
The Records Center & Archives newest exhibit is up and running! Stop by the County Administration Building to view our exhibit on the Warren County Infirmary at 406 Justice Drive, Lebanon, Ohio 45036.
What was the Infirmary?
In 1829, land was purchased to build the Warren County Infirmary in 1831. For over 130 years, the Infirmary housed and cared for the poor, ill, helpless, and insane of the county. Fire destroyed the main Infirmary building twice, but did not stop the institution from expanding its facilities, including the mad house, the poor farm, and an operating room on the 3rd floor. Both positive and negative media attention followed the Infirmary, though documentation and records are scarce today. The 3rd Infirmary building, closed in 1967, now houses the Warren County Health and Human Services Center.
A time capsule was placed in the Infirmary’s cornerstone in 1916. The time capsule will be extracted from the former Infirmary building in September of next year!
Interns Shelby Dixon and Tori Roberts with Deputy Archivist Jenifer Baker, creators of the Infirmary exhibit.
Time Capsule Location Verified!!!
When we originally opened this exhibit we promised an update regarding the time capsule that was discovered amongst the Commissioner’s Journals & The Western Star from 1916. Now that we are closer to the 100th year anniversary we have begun the initial steps in determining what we are planning to do with the time capsule.
The first step in the process was to verify that there is an actual time capsule located within the building. We are happy to say that we were able to locate what we believe is a metal box within the cornerstone of the old Infirmary building! With the help of Bob Ferrell and his trusty metal detector, he confirmed for us that there is in fact metal located only within the cornerstone. This is extremely exciting news because this gets us one step closer to unlocking the mystery of the past.
Stay tuned for further updates in this unfolding 100 year old mystery!
Bob Ferrell inspecting the Infirmary building cornerstone for a metal time capsule.Bob Ferrell inspecting the Infirmary building cornerstone for a metal time capsule.
The Infirmary Farm
The Infirmary property included a working farm to grow food for inhabitants. Products grown were also taken to the County Fair for an exhibit to showcase Infirmary produce. Corn, potatoes, cabbages, turnips, melons, tomatoes, and other vegetables were grown along with a fruit orchard and livestock.
News clipping from The Western Star, September 27, 1900
News clipping from The Western Star, September 27, 1900
‘Jennie, Sophie, and Mary Bowker at the fair , 1915’ from Leah Jones’ scrapbook‘Haymakers’ from Leah Jones’ scrapbook
The Infirmary in the News
Since Infirmary records are scarce due to multiple disasters, newspaper articles are helpful in bridging the information gap. Newspapers like The Western Star and Cincinnati Enquirer reported on the good and the bad at the Infirmary, giving detailed accounts and colorful opinions. From feuds to fires, local news sources did not hold back on keeping the public informed on what was new at the Infirmary.
Cincinnati Enquirer, 1891
Western Star, 1917
The Infirmary, 1831-1967
In 1829, land was purchased to build the Warren County Infirmary in 1831. For over 130 years, the Infirmary housed and cared for the poor, ill, helpless, and insane of the county. Fire destroyed the main Infirmary building twice, but did not stop the institution from expanding its facilities, including the mad house, the poor farm, and an operating room on the 3rd floor. Both positive and negative media attention followed the Infirmary, though documentation and records are scarce today. The 3rd Infirmary building, closed in 1967, now houses the Warren County Health and Human Services Center.
“Taken during fire that destroyed building Nov. 2 – 1915” – Leah Jones Scrapbook, courtesy of Warren County Historical Society“Ruins…Some more ruins” – Leah Jones Scrapbook, courtesy of Warren County Historical Society“Infirmary” – Leah Jones Scrapbook, courtesy of Warren County Historical Society
The Sweetheart of the Infirmary…
Leah Jones kept a scrapbook of photographs during her 40 years involved with the Infirmary. Her parents, William N. Thompson and Ottie D. Luce, became Superintendent and matron of the institution on March 1, 1913. Leah and her parents , who received high remarks as leaders at the institution, lived at the Infirmary. After her parents retired, Leah and her husband Jack, married February 25, 1918, became matron and Superintendent in 1931. Her scrapbook holds some of the only known photographs taken at the Infirmary still available today.
Murder and mayhem were not exactly a common occurrence in Foster’s Crossing, but when they came around, it was sure to be a memorable event. Two known cases of report occurred within the first fifty years of Foster’s Crossing’s settlement:
In 1866, a heinous murder occurred. George Schroeder alone murdered William Seaman(Semon) by stabbing him in the side of the abdomen causing a death wound of four inches long and three inches deep.
In 1872, a squabble over a tenant’s rights to land ended in death. George Burch and Charles VanHorne, along with others, were charged with the manslaughter of Joseph Stryker after assaulting him repeatedly with sticks and clubs.
Sam the Smoking Chimpanzee, date unknown Image courtesy of WCPO February 2017
The Records Center & Archives newest exhibit is up and running! Be sure to stop by the Warren County Administration building to view our exhibit on Mary Haven, Warren County Children’s Home. This exhibit was created exclusively by our summer interns Abbey Search, Brandon Kot, and Dan Maharg.
What was Mary Haven Children’s Home?
Funds to create Mary Haven Children’s Home were outlined in Mary Ann Klingling’s will following her death in 1867, opening in 1874, and originally being named “The Warren County Orphan Asylum and Children’s Home”. In 1880, Isaac Jones leaves and addition $7,000 to the Mary Haven Children’s Home trust. The Children’s Home was in operation until 1996, and was eventually demolished in 2012 after years of disrepair.
The exhibit highlights the buildings history and puts together a collection of stories about the children, their interaction with the community, and staff & visitor stories.
The Records Center & Archives newest exhibit is a break from our normal setup! We were given the opportunity to create an exhibit for Warren County in a new exhibit space. Check out our hanging panels that provide general history on suffrage in the United States, Ohio, Warren County, and the elected women of Warren County as a result of Women’s Suffrage.
Warren County Records Center & Archives 