By Christine Bryant
Staff Writer
This photo shows four generations of the Pickering family. They are, from left to right: (standing) Mary Ann Price Pickering, her son Jacob Pickering, Jacob’s son Otha Allen Pickering; (seated) Jacob’s wife, Lavinnia Allen Pickering; Otha’s wife, Mary Maxwell Pickering; and Otha and Mary’s baby daughter, Agnes Lavinnia Pickering.
An exhibit featuring historic images, books, tools and other artifacts is celebrating the founding family of Pickerington.
The special exhibit that showcases the Pickering family during the 19th century is on display at the Pickerington-Violet Township Historical Society Museum now through September.
Herron, said photos and information about other Pickering family members, and what is believed to be the original Pickering family homestead located along the banks of Sycamore Creek, also are included.
Although the community can see the exhibit during normal museum hours 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday, society members created the exhibit to complement the organization’s “Afternoon at the Museum” planned for Sept. 16. It’s at this event when museum inhabitants will come alive, Arendt says.
Guests will have the opportunity to explore this exhibit as well as meet Pickerington’s 1815 founder, Abraham Pickering, who will be on hand in the form of Baltimore, Ohio, historian John Cooper, she said.
“As museum inhabitants will come to life during our Sept. 16 ‘Afternoon at the Museum’ program, we wanted to have artifacts and information available in one area that pertains to Abraham Pickering as he will be one of the featured ghosts of the past,” Arendt said.
Other past residents haunting the museum that day will include Andrew Carnegie, W.B. “Doc” Taylor, Cleo Mason Richter, Anna Milnor Young and Ray Wetherell.
The exhibit also gives the historical society an opportunity to showcase some 19th century artifacts housed in the museum, Arendt said.
These artifacts include family photos, a scabbard and sword engraved with Jacob Pickering’s name on the blade, tools used by 19th century pioneers, the first six volumes of “McGuffey’s Eclectic Readers,” a large framed map of 1776 Ohio Indian trails and towns, and the book “1875 Atlas of Fairfield County,” which contains hand-drawn maps of Fairfield county towns and townships.
Special exhibits are nothing new for the museum, with previous ones featuring the Hanna family, the Dovel family, Wetherell Dairy and the women of Pickerington.
On Oct. 1, the historical society will unveil its next three-month special exhibit, “Honoring our Community’s Military,” which will include Pickerington and Violet Township residents’ military uniforms, military equipment, rations, photographs, love letters and more that date from the Civil War to the present.
The Pickerington-Violet Township Historical Society Museum is located at 15 E. Columbus St. The exhibit can be seen during regular museum hours, as well as during two special upcoming events – from 9:30 a.m. to noon Sept. 3 during Pickerington’s Labor Day Parade, and at the “Afternoon at the Museum” event planned for 2-4 p.m. Sept. 16.
Email pickhistsociety@hotmail.com or go to pickhistory.org for more information.
