More than 160 people visited the historical society’s old-fashioned ice cream social held in the Emma Ritchie Auditorium on Saturday, September 10. Many of them said they were first-time visitors and dozens of people toured the Benninghofen House Museum and many others saw the Native American Indian Exhibit which opened last June during the Ohio Chautauqua program in Hamilton.

The ice cream social was held in conjunction with the Ohio History Connection’s Open Doors statewide celebration honoring the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act which was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966. More than 100 museums and landmark sites across the state took part by providing free tours, talks and fun activities during the 10-day celebration from September 9 through 18.

The society made more than six gallons of chocolate and vanilla ice cream for the event, most made the old fashioned way by hand cranking a small churn. Plans to make some of the ice cream with the power of an antique “hit and miss” engine attached to a five gallon ice cream maker were changed because of the threatened rain storm. Children and adults all seemed to like the toppings, sprinkles and cherries they could add to make their ice cream a special treat.