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Logan County History Center, 521 E Columbus Avenue, Bellefontaine, OH (2026)

09/05/2026

Guy Mathews
by Mary E. Mortimer

Guy Ellsworth Mathews, a gifted artist and interior decorator from West Liberty, was born in 1874 to Edgar and Rosalie Raff Mathews. From an early age, he worked alongside his father, learning to paint and mix colors from natural ingredients. He later recalled the process simply as mixing “oil and dirt” to make paint.

Guy attended school until age 10 and later decided to run away from home with 50 cents in his pocket. He boarded a train and sat beside an elderly woman who befriended him. After changing trains in Dayton, they traveled on to St. Louis, arriving at 2:00 a.m. Once there, they left the train and went their separate ways.

Mathews was awed by the city. With no plans, he began walking and later that day bought a sandwich and a cup of coffee for 10 cents. He met a homeless boy about his age who was selling newspapers. The boy gave him papers to sell, but Mathews had no luck. That night, the boy invited him to stay in his cardboard box home. When they reached the homeless settlement, several other boys discussed breaking into a store the next night. Mathews wanted no part of it, so once everyone was asleep, he slipped away and began walking again.

For five days, he wandered the streets of St. Louis. Finally, broke and hungry, he entered a hotel and asked for help. After hearing his story, the clerk took him to the kitchen, where the cook gave him a hearty meal. Mathews then returned to the lobby and asked the clerk for paper and an envelope so he could write to his parents. Sitting in one of the large, comfortable chairs, he noticed two interesting looking men in the lobby. Instead of writing the letter, he sketched them and showed the drawing to the clerk. Impressed, the clerk shared it with the men, who each gave Mathews a silver dollar and asked for another copy. The clerk then offered him a job as a bellhop, and Mathews accepted. He worked at the hotel for three years and earned extra money drawing pictures of customers. Mathews continued selling his artwork and eventually saved enough to start a business as an interior decorator.

Mathews married Effie Fanning in 1892, and the couple had four daughters and one son. They lived in Indiana, where Mathews worked as an interior decorator and painter. In the 1920s, the family moved to West Liberty after Mathews and his partner, Leon Cropiot, known as “Frenchie,” were commissioned to decorate Schine Theatres in Kentucky, West Virginia, Michigan, and Ohio, including the Holland Theatre in Bellefontaine. During this work, Mathews began experimenting with plaster of Paris. Using a foot-powered jigsaw, he crafted ornate frames for his paintings, many enhanced with gold leaf.

Mathews first opened an art shop in Bellefontaine before relocating it to West Liberty. One side of the shop was lined with nearly 100 old cracker jars filled with ingredients for mixing paint. Using oil and natural materials, he created a wide range of colors, including grays made from dirt and oil.

For many years, Mathews and his wife, Effie, traveled to county fairs, festivals, and carnivals in his 1922 Ford “station wagon.” Dressed in gypsy costumes, they greeted customers while Mathews reproduced photographs and painted oil pictures on art board as people waited. He also painted murals in many homes, some of which were later covered by wallpaper and rediscovered years afterward when the wallpaper was removed. In 1937, he painted a mural for the sanctuary wall of the United Church of Christ in West Liberty, where it remains a cherished part of the church.

Music and artistic talent ran throughout the Mathews family. Guy Mathews played the mandolin and several horn instruments, while his father played the cornet. Both also performed with the West Liberty band. Guy and Effie’s daughter Zelma played the organ for silent movies in West Liberty. Gaynell became a private piano and organ teacher in Texas, Ahdell served for many years as West Liberty’s librarian, and their son, Glenn, operated an art printing shop in Los Angeles, California. Their daughter, Violet, married George Scofield and later moved to Charleston, West Virginia; no information was available about her artistic talents.

Mathews died in 1959 after a lifetime devoted to creating art. His paintings were often displayed in local businesses in Bellefontaine and Urbana. Through his paintings, decorative work, murals, and handcrafted frames, Guy Mathews brought artistry into homes, businesses, and public spaces, leaving a creative legacy in the communities he served.

Mathews family history was drawn from an article written by Phil and Betty Jo Black, granddaughter of Guy Mathews, and from the West Liberty Historical Society.

Visit the Logan County History Center to learn more interesting aspects of Logan County history. The History Center is open for tours Wednesday through Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Our history articles are also available on the History Center blog at www.loganhistory.org/blog and Sunday mornings at www.peakofohio.com.

08/29/2026

White Cottage Park
by Mary E. Mortimer

For generations of Indian Lake visitors, White Cottage Park at Russells Point offered the simple pleasures of lakeside summers: fresh air, fishing, boating, and rows of bright white cottages near the water. Salathiel and Keturah Prater opened White Cottage Resort on their farm at Russells Point in the spring of 1898 with six cottages. By August 1904, the Praters advertised that “the summer houses at White Cottage Resort, Lewistown Reservoir, are engaged until fall. The rush there this season has been remarkable.”

The Praters rented their property for camping and fishing parties. In June 1898, the Lunatic Fishing Club from Conover and Lena pitched their tents there and spent the week fishing. One member stated, “Mr. Prater is a whole-souled, good-natured fellow who extended a hearty welcome and many courtesies and privileges, including excellent stable room for the horses and good boats and fishing tackle.” The club caught 2,058 fish during its stay.

Salathiel Prater served in the Civil War with Company H of the 96th Ohio Infantry Regiment. Around 1908, the Logan County Old Soldiers Association began holding its annual reunions at White Cottage Resort.

In December 1918, the Praters sold White Cottage Resort and Prater’s Landing to Peter and Bessie Schlegel of Prospect, Ohio. The resort was renamed Schlegel’s White Cottage Park, and the landing became Schlegel’s Landing. The Praters kept their home at White Cottage Park and looked forward to continuing friendships with the many visitors they had met over the previous twenty years.

In November 1921, the Schlegels announced plans to build ten new cottages, bringing the total to sixty-six. All the cottages were painted pure white, and 108 maple trees were planted. In August 1923, they purchased fifty more lots and planned to erect additional cottages.

Many of the cottages were rented months in advance, often for the entire season. Rates ranged from $2.50 to $8 per day, or from $14 to $35 per week. The resort advertised three types of cottages:

“Type 1: Fully equipped for camping with dishes, cooking utensils, electric lights, gas for cooking, cold running water in the kitchen, and inside toilets.
Type 2: Fully equipped as Type 1, except with hot and cold running water in the kitchen and a bath with shower.
Type 3: Fully equipped as Type 2, with an additional electric refrigerator.”

“Note: On all types we furnish bedding but no linens of any kind. Bed linens may be rented at our office; rate 75 cents per bed. We have two to seven-room cottages with accommodations for two to ten persons. Extra cots equipped: single $1.50.”

White Cottage Park included a tennis court, picnic grounds, playgrounds, ice delivery on the grounds, natural gas for cooking, and a grocery store within a short distance of every cottage. The store carried a complete stock of groceries, soft drinks, and fresh meats. The resort also advertised “sixty row boats, all kinds of fishing tackle and fish bait at reasonable prices.”

Peter Schlegel died in December 1939, and his wife, Bessie, continued to operate the resort. In 1944, Nathan and Gail C**n purchased Schlegel’s White Cottage Park. The C**ns also owned and operated the C**n Lumber Co. in Russells Point.

In May 1951, the C**ns advertised “70 cottages, 75 boats, a laundry for patrons, dock facilities for all watercraft, a bait and tackle supply store, and a nearby grocery,” which had been sublet by Carl Broseke for the second season. The advertisement added that “fishing has been good on the open water off White Cottage Park, and there are good swimming facilities at nearby Silver Isle Beach.”

A mechanical diorama was added to White Cottage Park in May 1960. Featuring tiny, animated figures going through their daily chores, the hand-carved display was created by Ben B. Dowell of Sidney and attracted hundreds of visitors during its first year at the park.

Eugene and Inez Newman purchased the White Cottage grocery store in 1963. Before moving to Indian Lake, the Newmans had been involved with a large chain grocery store in Dayton for twenty years. Among the improvements they made was off-street parking on the east side of the store. They also reopened the lunch counter, which had been closed.

Nathan and Gail C**n owned and operated White Cottage Park until April 1969, when they sold it to Charles Tavenner. The park closed around 1973, and some of the cottages were removed to make way for new condominiums. In 1977, Wilfred “Willie” Yoder purchased the diorama and moved it to West Liberty, where he opened The House of Animation at 101 N. Detroit St.

For more than seventy years, White Cottage Park welcomed vacationers seeking a comfortable place to stay while enjoying Indian Lake’s many attractions. Close to Sandy Beach Amusement Park, dance halls, roller skating, swimming, boating, and fishing, the resort remains part of the lake’s long tradition as a gathering place for recreation, relaxation, and summer memories.

Visit the Logan County History Center to learn more interesting aspects of Logan County history. The History Center is open for tours Wednesday through Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Our history articles are also available on the History Center blog at www.loganhistory.org/blog and Sunday mornings at www.peakofohio.com.

08/26/2026

Flatwoods One-Room School
Ohio History Connection Open Doors/Tour

When: September 15, 2026
Where: 150 W. Lake Ave., West Mansfield, OH 43358
Time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Admission: Free

Every two years, buildings, places and historic sites across Ohio open their doors and seldom seen spaces to the public for free during Ohio Open Doors. This year is gearing up to be the biggest yet! More than 250 tours, events, and open houses are happening in every Ohio county September 10 - September 20. For more information visit ohiohistory.org/opendoors. There’s something for everyone!

This year, The Flatwoods One-Room School at West Mansfield has been selected for the Open Doors Tour. The school was constructed in 1868 in the historic Black settlement of Flatwoods, located in Logan County. The building served as a school until 1923, when many of Logan County’s rural schools were consolidated.

Following its closure, the structure was repurposed as a barn and remained in that use for several decades. In the late 1990s, the property owners planned to demolish the building to make way for a larger agricultural structure.

At that time, a teacher at Bellefontaine Middle School recognized the building’s historical significance and introduced it to her sixth-grade enrichment class as a preservation project. The students led a remarkable grassroots effort, raising more than $30,000 to save and relocate the schoolhouse to Veterans Park in West Mansfield.

Their work earned numerous awards in state and international problem-solving competitions. In partnership with the students, the Logan County Historical Society undertook the restoration of the building. Today, the Society owns and maintains the schoolhouse, opening it to the public for field trips and tours.

For more information contact The Logan County History Center at 937-593-7557 or [email protected]. The Ohio History Connection Flatwoods Open Doors/Tour
https://www.ohiohistory.org/events/flatwoods-one-room-school-open-doors-tour/

To see a list of all tour locations visit https://www.ohiohistory.org/preserving-ohio/state-historic-preservation-office/ohio-open-doors/

08/22/2026

Sparks & Hamilton
by Mary E. Mortimer

For nearly half a century, the Sparks family operated an automobile dealership from its location in the former JoHantgen Carriage Co. building at 132 S. Detroit St. The Sparks Motor Co. was established there in 1915 by French Sparks and his son, Ruric Sparks. French had owned a nearby livery business since 1901. The new venture secured an agency for Wescott automobiles, which were manufactured in Richmond, Indiana, and later in Springfield, Ohio.

Soon afterward, Gail Hamilton, French Sparks’ son-in-law, joined the business as a partner, and the company became Sparks & Hamilton. Around this time, the firm also became a Chevrolet agency. In 1921, it advertised the “Cleveland Light Six” automobile from the Chandler Motor Car Co.

After French Sparks died in 1930, Ruric Sparks and Gail Hamilton continued the successful business. Ruric’s son, Richard, later joined the family operation and managed it from 1946 to 1962 before becoming associated with Earl W. Miller Pontiac and Barton Oldsmobile-Pontiac in Bellefontaine.

In the early 1930s, Sparks & Hamilton advertised as a “bonded Pennzoil dealer,” and they sold Mobilgas distributed by the Parks-Klay Co. of Lima, Ohio. By the mid-1930s, the business also offered Cadillac LaSalle automobiles with V-8 engines and a starting price of $1,240.

In 1941, the building underwent extensive remodeling; the paint and body repair departments were rearranged, and new fluorescent lighting was installed in the sales and parts rooms. The vacant lot next to the building continued to serve as the used-car lot, with plans to illuminate it at night.

Sparks Auto Sales also offered 24-hour wrecker service. By the early 1950s, the business sold Chrysler and Plymouth automobiles and provided complete automobile service for all makes and models. It remained in operation until about 1962, when the property was sold to the U.S. Postal Service for construction of a new facility.

A related family note: another of Ruric Sparks’ son, Herbert “Bud” Sparks, owned and operated The Bellefontaine Lumber Co. at 300 E. Columbus Ave. from 1937 until he sold it to James P. Hess in 1964. Hess Lumber Co. remains family owned and operated. Gail Hamilton, mentioned above, married Katherine Sparks and died in 1955; he should not be confused with the Gail Hamilton who served as mayor of Bellefontaine from 1996 – 2000.

Visit the Logan County History Center to learn more interesting aspects of Logan County history. The History Center is open for tours Wednesday through Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Our history articles are also available on the History Center blog at www.loganhistory.org/blog and Sunday mornings at www.peakofohio.com.

08/21/2026

Bellefontaine Hill Climb Revival
Corkscrew Hill, County Road 28, Zanesfield
Date & Time: August 22, 2026, 8:30 a.m.– 4:00 p.m.

The History Center was pleased to once again host registration and safety inspections today for the 8th Annual Bellefontaine Hill Climb Revival. Visitors can relive the glory days of sports car racing in Ohio tomorrow beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Corkscrew Hill, located on County Road 28 near Zanesfield.

The original Bellefontaine Hill Climb began in 1953 and continued until 1974, when the gas crisis of 1974–1975 led to its suspension. Although efforts were made to revive the event in 1977 and 1978, the race did not return until 2019, when the Bellefontaine Hill Climb Revival was launched.

The revival was spearheaded by Kurt Niemeyer, a longtime member of the Sports Car Club of America. Niemeyer, of Cincinnati, raced for many years and served as editor of several automotive magazines. His family helped establish the Western Ohio Region of the Sports Car Club of America, and his aunt and uncle chaired the Hill Climb in the 1950s. Although he did not attend the races as a child, Niemeyer grew up with fond memories of the stories his family shared.

Around 2014, Niemeyer was on his way to a race reunion in Put-in-Bay when he decided to drive through Bellefontaine and up Corkscrew Hill. After seeing in person where the great Hill Climb races had taken place, he knew he wanted to revive one of Ohio’s most challenging motorsport events.

After five years of hard work and planning, Niemeyer’s dream became reality. The first Bellefontaine Hill Climb Revival took place August 23–25, 2019. Most of the cars entered in the race were built before 1974, including Porsche, Austin-Healey, MG, Fiat, Jaguar, Triumph, Camaro, Corvette, and Shelby Mustang models.

After tomorrow’s Hill Climb, a parade of Packard cars from America’s Packard Museum in Dayton will lead the performance cars into downtown Bellefontaine for a 5 p.m. display in front of the Holland Theatre. A car show and awards party will follow from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the theatre on East Columbus Avenue.

For more information, visit the Bellefontaine Hill Climb Revival page at:
https://www.facebook.com/Bellefontainehillclimb/

08/15/2026

Winfield Scott
by Mary E. Mortimer

When Winfield Scott established Scott’s Santal Pepsin Co. in Bellefontaine in 1897, he entered the thriving late nineteenth-century world of mail-order patent medicines and bold advertising claims. From his Bellefontaine business, Scott promoted his “miracle pills” as cures for kidney, bladder, and other diseases.

Scott was born in Zanesfield in 1848, the only son of James K. and Wilhelmina Scott. As a young adult, he entered the sewing machine and musical instrument business. In 1883, he began working for the Evans Chemical Co. of Cincinnati, a position that took him far beyond Ohio. During his fourteen years with the company, he traveled across the United States and abroad, visiting Australia, New Zealand, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), India, Egypt, Spain, Canada, and many other countries. Along the way, he gathered souvenirs and rare trophies, which he displayed in his apartment on the upper floor of the Lawrence Block in Bellefontaine. His “bachelor quarters” were said to be the envy of all who visited.

In June 1897, Scott left the Evans Chemical Co. and opened Scott’s Santal Pepsin Co. The business soon grew, and he employed several men in his factory. Scott sold his “miracle pills” nationwide by mail order, through the Frank Butler Pharmacy in Bellefontaine, and at many other pharmacies. Advertisements for Scott’s Santal Pepsin capsules promised “a positive cure for kidney and bladder diseases” and claimed the capsules could cure “quickly and permanently the worst cases of gonorrhea and gleet,” with “positively no injurious effects to the stomach.” Another advertisement stated, “For inflammation and catarrh of the bladder and diseased kidneys. No cure, no pay. Cures quickly and permanently all unnatural diseases of the urinary organs. Absolutely harmless. Sold by druggists; price $1.00, or by mail, postpaid, $1.00, or three boxes for $2.75. Address: The Santal Pepsin Co., Bellefontaine, O.”

The New York American Journal of Health endorsed Scott’s Santal Pepsin capsules in its February 17, 1899, issue. By June, Scott’s business had become successful enough for him to rent three more rooms in the Lawrence Block.

Scott also created Scott’s Blood Tablets, advertised as a way to improve the blood. One advertisement claimed, “Scott’s Blood Tablets are an absolute purifier of the blood. We would advise the use of them in all cases of blood taint, where the system has become impaired, and to a person low in vitality, they act promptly and soon build up your vital organs to a healthy condition. They remove pimples, make healthy blood, rosy cheeks, and clear complexion. Dose: One tablet before each meal and one tablet on going to bed.” Scott did not list the ingredients for any of his medications. Like other miracle pills of the period, their advertised claims were not fully reliable.

In June 1904, The Bellefontaine Republican reported that Scott’s business was flourishing and that he had received six hundred boxes for shipment of his pills.

For many years, Scott hosted a two-week summer camp called “Camp Great Scott” at Lake Ridge, Indian Lake. There, he entertained friends and family with gracious hospitality. His friends called him “General Winfield Scott” because of his “genial nature, accommodating manner, and usefulness around the island.”

In July 1905, while Scott and his friends were gathering supplies for “Camp Great Scott,” he became seriously ill and died soon after. After his death, his relatives took possession of his belongings, and Scott’s Santal Pepsin Co. closed. Scott never married and was survived by his two sisters, Georginia Reames of Zanesfield and Arah Jamison of Bellefontaine.

The parlor set from Scott’s apartment was given to Augustus Kaylor, a partner with Scott in the Santal Pepsin Co. Kaylor’s wife was a distant relative of Winfield Scott. Ralph and Ann Wood, along with Mark Wood, donated Winfield Scott’s parlor set to the Logan County Historical Society, where it is now on exhibit in the East Parlor of the Orr Mansion. Ralph and Mark Wood are descendants of Augustus Kaylor.

An original Scott’s Santal Pepsin Co. sign and pill tin are also on exhibit in the General Store Room of the Logan County Museum.

Visit the Logan County History Center to learn more interesting aspects of Logan County history. The History Center is open for tours Wednesday through Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Our history articles are also available on the History Center blog at www.loganhistory.org/blog and on Sunday mornings at www.peakofohio.com.

08/08/2026

William Kauffman, Architect
by Beth Marshall

Architect William Kauffman designed some of Logan County’s most remarkable buildings. His work reached well beyond the county, leaving a legacy of architectural beauty and distinctive design.

James and Elizabeth Kauffman moved to a large farm in Harrison Township, Logan County, in the1830s. The youngest of their eight children, William, was born in 1857. When he was eleven years old, the family moved to Bellefontaine. His father was director of the County Infirmary. After graduating from Bellefontaine High School, William studied architecture at MIT in Boston. He established his firm in Pittsburgh in 1884 and designed many buildings, becoming very successful and well-known for his “originality and the architectural beauty of his designs.”

One of the buildings he designed in Logan County was the Children’s Home. Built in 1886-1887, it was a large three-story brick building which stood until 1907 when it burned.

In 1887, he designed the Methodist Episcopal Church on the corner of Main Street and Sandusky Ave. in Bellefontaine which is still being used for its original purpose.

The Bellefontaine National Bank hired Kauffman to design their new building in 1892. It was an imposing three-story building on the corner of Main St. and Columbus Ave. that was described in the newspaper as “a most handsome edifice, an architectural beauty, and is a great improvement to the town.” It was razed in 1966 to make room for a new bank building.

Memorial Hall, built as a home for the Civil War veterans’ organization, Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), was built in 1894. Designed by Kauffman, the three-story red brick building still stands on the corner of Court Ave. and Opera Street. It was reported that the County Commissioners paid him $20,000 as the architect.

An 1896 newspaper article tells of Kauffman working with G.W. B. Ferris, inventor of the Ferris Wheel, on a reproduction in miniature of the great 1893 Columbian Exposition to be built in Cincinnati.

In 1903, Kauffman submitted plans for the new Carnegie Free Library in Bellefontaine. Andrew Carnegie had promised $12,000 for the construction of a town library. Kauffman donated the plans as his part of the effort to secure a library for Bellefontaine, saving the committee approximately $500. Since his original plans were slightly more than the appropriation would cover, he revised them and they were gladly accepted. The new library was a single story of buff brick and limestone with a basement. It had art glass windows and oak interior trim. The new Bellefontaine Public Library opened in 1905.

One of the most impressive buildings designed by William Kauffman is the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, built in 1906-1907. It cost $1.4 million and has an ornate eighty five-foot dome which can be viewed from the building’s interior. Kauffman was paid $50,000 for his services.

A memorial stone gateway to Rutan Park was designed by Kauffman in 1917. It was dedicated to the memory of the donor, Rebecca Rutan Williams, by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Kauffman retired and returned to Bellefontaine in 1931. He died in 1945, being the last of his immediate family, with only four nephews and a niece remaining as heirs. He had a large estate, which included a 966-acre farm in Harrison Township, several lots in Bellefontaine and investments. Provisions in his will left the income from his estate to his heirs. Upon the death of his last heir in 1967, Logan County received the farm property and Bellefontaine the remainder of the estate. The farm was auctioned for $1.2 million in 1977, with the proceeds used to build the county office annex behind the Courthouse.

Visit the Logan County History Center to learn more interesting aspects of Logan County History. The History Center is open for tours Wednesday - Sunday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Admission is free.

Our history articles are also available on the History Center Blog page at www.loganhistory.org/blog and Sunday mornings at www.peakofohio.com.

08/04/2026

Tourism Week continues Tuesday with history, sweet treats, and a reason to explore downtown Bellefontaine!

Looking for something fun, free, and family-friendly to do this week? Add Tuesday’s Logan County Tourism Week stops to your list.

Tuesday, August 4

1:00–4:00 PM
FREE History Scavenger Hunt at the Logan County History Center! Explore local history in a hands-on way with a free scavenger hunt through the History Center.

All Day / Passport Coupon Required
FREE Buttercream Cookie from City Sweets & Creamery! Stop by with your Tourism Week passport coupon and enjoy a free buttercream cookie while supplies last.

Tourism Week is all about finding new favorites, visiting local gems, and celebrating the places that make Logan County special. Grab your passport and make Tuesday a sweet little adventure.

Logan County Tourism Week: Summer Sendoff
August 1–8

Logan County History Center

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