A review of 2007 activities was presented at the annual meeting of the Blanchester Area Historical Society. The meeting was held Jan. 22 at the Blanchester Municipal Building & Community Center.

Historical society members concentrated last year on the 175th anniversary of the platting of Blanchester on March 23, 1832. The group focused on the history of the Blanchester area from 1782 to the present. Each month, attention was centered on a quarter century of U.S., Ohio and local history, sharing the relevance of events and the emergence of the Blanchester community.

The first white settlers came to Marion Township in 1814. The Hillsborough and Cincinnati Railroad opened in March 1852 from Loveland and was being built on to Westborough. The first graduate at Blanchester High School was in 1883. The conflagration on Oct. 18, 1895 burned most of the downtown buildings, the Methodist Church and several houses. Many of the buildings in the downtown were rebuilt in 1896 and 1897 for a rebirth of the community.

The first traction car arrived in Blanchester on June 11, 1906. The high school moved into its new building in January 1925. The anniversary of the platting of Blanchester was in 1932, but the Centennial was celebrated one year later, in 1933. Edenton and Jefferson schools became part of the Blancheser Local School district in 1959. The extreme winter weather of 1977 and 1978 was remembered. The Sesquicentennial was celebrated in 1982. The new Blanchester school buildings were dedicated in 2002. These were a few of the many events remembered in the development of the community.

Tours during 2007 included the OAHSM regional meeting at Price Hill; the Ohio Glass Museum and the Georgian House in Lancaster; Preble County Historical Society for the gala preview of the Smithsonian Institute traveling exhibit — covered bridges spanning the American Landscape, the Fort Recovery State Museum, the Bicycle Museum of America at New Bremen and the Shrine of the Holy Relics at Maria Stein.

Other activities included providing pictures for the new Kroger store and a program at Putman Elementary School for the six third-grade classes before they took a walking tour of Blanchester and a tour of the museum.

June 11 was the one-year anniversary of the dedication of the C M & L (Kroger) Traction Line mural at 203 S. Broadway, painted by local artist Ronald D. Keith.

The annual picnic was held at Stonelick Lake in July 2007 with an interesting program given by park ranger John Gillespie about the development of the lake.

A few of the items acquired during the year were displayed, including items donated by Edna Julien, a 1940 desk calendar with a clock and photograph of Lawrence R. Lyons at a desk in his local law office; H.L. Day Drugstore lending library book of the 1920s and several items of art work, a lapidary desk pen holder and bookends and a zipper art picture; many local items of interest from Virginia Brown; calendars from 1922 from the Rice Brothers Store and T. Roy Lyttle’s Sohio Bulk Oil Company; bank items such as a money bag from First National Bank and a bank book from Merchant and Farmers bank; wrapping paper holder from CC Brown Grocery & Meat Market, along with a cone bolt of string. Other items from Brown included Clinton County directories from 1964 and 1986-87, a metal food grinder, advertising items such as a metal egg separator and a small flower sieve, a bag of Fels Naphtha laundry soap, and Lifebuoy body soap in the original boxes. Items acquired at the estate sale for Paul O. Gardner, a local veterinarian were a wood business sign, office note pads, billing pads and office art work.

Changes in the community focused on the Cherry Street developments with the new Kroger Superstore that opened last January; the new water tower which is painted with local messages; the BIC Machine Shop and the new welcome sign to the village. Other major improvements in the downtown area were the on-going remodeling of the First National Bank building and the new facade for KOI Auto Parts Store. A display of photographs captured many of these physical changes in the community.

A backup generator was installed at the Blanchester Municipal Building & Community Center, a major step toward developing it as a shelter in case of a local disaster resulting from storms and power outages.

Programs planned in 2008 include Blanchester houses, identifying catalog houses in the community, dating old studio photographs, sharing school pictures and other related school items, genealogy, a cemetery walk, early settlers of Marion Township and Civil War veterans.

Officers elected for 2008 were Jane Richardson and Ramona Eaglin, co-presidents; Tom Penquite, vice president; Shari Creech, secretary; and J.W. Simpson, treasurer. Elected to the Board of Directors for two-year terms were Roger Stiles, Phyllis Allen, Sarah Lowman, Pat Garrett and Barbara Hameister. Board members who have another year to serve are James Fleming, Darlene Kassner and Daniel Wilson.

The historial society is a non-profit organization which encourages the preservation of the history of the Blanchester area. The purpose is to collect, preserve, study, interpret and exhibit for public education and enjoyment, significant specimens of historical or educational interest relating to local history, to establish and maintain a museum and to publish or otherwise preserve writings.

The historical society is a total volunteer organization and needs the help of many people to carry out the purposes of the organization. Volunteers are welcome. There are many ways volunteers can help.

Anyone interested in local history or genealogy is invited to attend any of the meetings and to join the historical society. Membership is $10 per person; $20 for a family and $25 for a business. Dues may be mailed to Blanchester Area Historical Society, 206 W. Main St., Blanchester, Ohio 45107.

As a member, you receive a newsletter four times a year. The newsletter reports on meetings held, meetings and tours planned, other activities, bits of history from the Star Republican 50 and 25 years ago and lists of items donated to the museum.

The next meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Blanchester Public Library. The program will center on houses in Blanchester. Everyone interested in sharing information relating to houses in the community is welcome to attend the meeting. Take any pictures you have pertaining to the house.

The museum is open from 1 to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays for people to tour the museum and do research of genealogy or local history.