Opening night audience at the Jefferson Theatre, March 31, 1903. L.C. OVERPECKThe city’s Globe Opera House, built in 1866 as the Dixon Opera House, had artificial gas theatre lighting and a stage too small to meet the production needs of even modest sized traveling theatrical companies. The Music Hall, erected in 1882, also had a
In 2005, the Butler County Historical Society was given a unique gift from an anonymous donor. When staff members unfurled the gift to see exactly what it was, they were amazed. Before them was an original 1855 Map of Butler County, Ohio. The significance of this map was immediately realized; only one other original is
A few weeks ago, I was toasting the last episode of the television series “Justified,” based on characters by the crime writer Elmore Leonard. The hero is a federal marshal, Raylan Givens, and in the seven year run of the show, he became my favorite TV tough guy. Not John C. Elliott, but Timothy
By Richard N. Piland It was surprising to learn recently that there was an earlier Butler County Historical Society. On June 14, 1901, a call was issued to people interested in forming a historical society to attend a June 18 meeting held at the county courthouse. At that first meeting officers and directors were elected
Earlier this year, out of the blue, a gentleman walked into the Butler County Historical Society with two boxes of old photos and letters that he literally rescued from the garbage. They had belonged to his neighbor, an elderly woman who recently passed away, and the man felt like someone ought to be interested in that stuff, so