Zoar, Ohio photograph collection

              AV 9
Zoar, Ohio Photograph Collection
Page 1
OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Audiovisual Collections
AV 9
Zoar, Ohio Photograph Collection
Ca. 1870 – 1960
OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION
Number:
AV 9
Title:
Zoar, Ohio Photograph Collection
Creator:
Collection assembled by the Ohio Historical Society
Dates:
Ca. 1870 - 1960
Media:
Photographs, negatives, glass plate negatives
Quantity:
1.5 cubic feet
Location:
Ohio Historical Center
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE COLLECTION
Future members of the Society of Separatists of Zoar arrived in the United States in 1817 after fleeing their homeland of Wurttemberg, Germany in search of religious freedom. On August 14, 1817 they landed in Philadelphia and found friends in the Quaker community. They bought a 5,500- acre tract of land on the east bank of the Tuscarawas River in northeastern Ohio with a loan from the Quakers. This land would become the Zoar settlement. In the fall of 1817 the Separatist leader, Joseph Baumeler ( later changed to Bimeler), and other members left Philadelphia to prepare their new home in Ohio. On December 1, 1817, the first home in Zoar was completed. The Separatists wanted to create a self- sufficient community where they would be able to worship freely, but an economic system had to be established. Johannes Breymaier advocated a form of communalism that was accepted by most of the members. Both male and female members of the community signed the Articles of Association, which created the Society of Separatists of Zoar, on April 15, 1819. The Articles were revised in 1824 and in 1833 a constitution was accepted. It stated that the government of the society would consist of a board of three trustees, a standing committee of five, an agent general, and a cashier. The Society contracted to dig seven miles of the Ohio- Erie Canal, which passed through their land. Their work was completed in 1828 for $ 21,000 and allowed the Society to pay off its land debt. The canal opened the area for commerce and at one time, the Society operated as many as four canal boats. Zoar was almost totally self- sufficient, and excess goods were sold to outsiders.
AV 9
Zoar, Ohio Photograph Collection
Page 2
In 1884 Zoar was incorporated as a village with an elected municipal administration. The Society administration continued to function and the Society officers were often the same as the village officials. The society started to wane in productivity after Bimeler's death in 1853 and dissent arose toward the end of the 19th century. Part of the problem was that nonmembers were being hired to work in the fields and in various industries, and older members felt their presence had an adverse affect on the younger members of the Society. On March 10, 1898 the formal decision to dissolve the society was made at a meeting of the members. In the final settlement all members were able to keep their clothing, personal items and their home in the village. They also received about fifty acres of land and a $ 200 cash dividend. The collapse of the Society also meant the end of the Separatist religion. Former Society members formed an Evangelical church.
Today, Zoar is a community of approximately 75 families living in houses built from 1817 to the present. The 12 block historic district is unique in that it remains a living part of the community. The Ohio Historical Society maintains many of the buildings as museums, but the remainder is primarily comprised of restored residences. Many of these residences contain home occupations much like in the Zoarites's era.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION
The collection contains photographs relating to the Society of Separatists of Zoar from the 1870s to the 1960s. There are formal portraits as well as more candid shots of members of the Society and village residents. There are also images of Zoar buildings, including some more recent images of some of the buildings in various states of disrepair.
AV 9 was assembled from P 362, N 57 G and five SC collections: SC 586, 587, 1523, 5020 and 5376.
ORGANIZATION OF THE COLLECTION
Series I: Photographs
Subseries I: People
This subseries contains both formal portraits and informal images of Society members and village residents. Many of the people pictured are unidentified. See Appendix A for a name index of identified people in this series.
Subseries II: Physical surroundings
This subseries contains images of Zoar buildings, scenes of farm labor, landscapes and street scenes.
Subseries III: Miscellaneous
This subseries contains the photographic prints that correspond to the glass plate negatives in Series III and miscellaneous photographs.
AV 9
Zoar, Ohio Photograph Collection
Page 3
Series II: Safety Film Negatives
This series is located in an envelope at the end of box 3. It contains negatives of the Zoar Village Tin Shop in various states of disrepair, and the corresponding prints are in AV 9/ 2/ 12. There are also miscellaneous negatives.
Series III: Glass plate negatives
This series contains glass plate negatives of Zoar physical surroundings. The corresponding photographic prints are in AV 9/ 3/ 8.
RELATED MATERIALS
MSS 110 Society of Separatists at Zoar Records
Please search the online collection catalogue for additional collections related to the Society of Separatists of Zoar.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Access:
This collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Ohio Historical Society.
Preferred Citation:
Researchers are requested to cite Zoar, Ohio Photograph Collection, AV 9 and the Ohio Historical Society in all footnote and bibliographic references.
Provenance:
This is an artificial collection composed of audiovisual material that was previously located in collection P 362, N 57 G and SC collections: SC 586, 587, 1523, 5020 and 5376. The Ohio Historical Society acquired the collection from various sources.
Processed By:
Stacia Kuceyeski, Audiovisual Research Assistant, July 2001
Property Rights:
The Ohio Historical Society owns the property rights to this collection.
Copyrights:
Copyright of photographs created prior to 1883 is in the public domain. Consideration of all other copyrights is the responsibility of the author and publisher.
AV 9
Zoar, Ohio Photograph Collection
Page 4
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Note to Researchers: To request materials, please note both the location and box numbers shown below.
Series I: Photographs
Subseries I: People
Box
Folder
File Title
Dates
1
1
Formal Portraits, Men
2
Formal Portraits, Women
3
Formal Portraits, Children
4
Formal Portraits, Groups
5
People
6
People
7
People
8
People
9
People
10
People posed in front of buildings
11
People posed in front of buildings
Subseries II: Physical Surroundings
Box
Folder
File Title
Dates
2
1
Canal
2
Zoar Village, Buildings
3
Zoar Village, Buildings
4
Zoar Village, Baker
5
Zoar Village, Brewery
6
Zoar Village, Garden
7
Zoar Village, Garden House
8
Zoar Village, Meeting House
9
Zoar Village, Mill
10
Zoar Village, Number 1 House
11
Zoar Village, Service Building and Laundry
12
Zoar Village, Tin Shop
13
Zoar Village, Tool Shed
14
Zoar Village, Zoar Hotel
15
Farm Scenes
16
Farm Scenes
3
1
Street Scenes
2
Outdoor Scenes
Subseries III: Miscellaneous
Box
Folder
File Title
Dates
3
3
Zoar Artifacts
4
Fox Hunt
5
1890 in Zoar
6
1890 in Zoar
7
1890 in Zoar
8
Glass negative corresponding prints
9
Postcards
10
Miscellaneous
AV 9
Zoar, Ohio Photograph Collection
Page 5
Series II: Negatives
Box
Folder
File Title
Dates
Envelope
1
Zoar Village, Tin Shop
2
Miscellaneous Negatives
Series III: Glass Plate Negatives
Box
Folder
File Title
Dates
4
1
View of Main Street from Second Street
ca. 1894
2
Tuscarawas River and Dam
3
New Hotel
4
Number 1 House
5
Mary Sturm/ Jacob Ackerman House
6
Summer house
7
The Hermitage
8
Tuscarawas River and Dam
9
Flowers
10
Zoar Band
11
Joseph Bimeler House
12
The Hermitage
13
John Rouf House
14
Alexander Gunn stone
15
Farm scene
16
The Hermitage
17
Ohio Canal
18
Slaughter House and Brewery from southwest
19
Tailor shop and store
20
New Hotel
21
Mary Sturm/ Jacob Ackerman House
22
New Hotel
23
New Hotel
24
Tuscarawas River
Appendix A
Index to Identified People and Homes
Name
Date
Box
Folder
Beiter, Albert ( wagon master) and John ( blacksmith - two copies of photo)
2
3
Beiter, John, village blacksmith, and daughter Helen
3
1
Bimeler home
2
3
Bimeler, Lillian Ruof
1
2
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Zoar, Ohio Photograph Collection
Page 6
Name
Date
Box
Folder
Bimeler, Mrs. Lillian R. ( pictured with another woman)
1910
1
2
Bimeler, Peter, the miller, with pipe organ that he built and ran by water power
3
3
Bimeler, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. ( 2 photographic postcards)
1907
1
4
Bimeler, Mr. and Mrs. Wm.
1
4
Bimeler, Wm.
1
1
Breymaier, Joe
1
6
Buherer, Stephen ( next to spring on other side of Zoar brickyard)
1
9
Davenport, Joseph and his son, grandson and great- grandson, Eugene, Harry and Clifford Davenport
1
9
Gunn, Alex with dog outside of cottage
3
1
Kuemmerle, Joseph and Jacob Sylvan at work in the shoe shop
1
7
Mohardt, Tillie
1910
1
2
Mueller, Annie and Tom Schmidt ( outsiders from Cleveland)
1
7
Reiker, Clara ( married August Bimeler)
1
2
Ruof, Edgar ( left) and Wm. Bimeler ( seated) with wagon used to deliver cider and maple syrup
1
7
Ruof, Lillie ( pictured with four young women)
1
5
Ruof, Lillie ( pictured with seven young men and women)
1
6
Sturm home
1898
2
3
Weber, Lena ( age 18, not a Zoarite, worked at Zoar Hotel)
1
2