Tales of Life in Early Beavercreek Township Ohio
Have you ever wondered what daily living was like in the early pioneer days when Ohio became the 17th state in 1803?
Local historian Brett Williford will be presenting a history of Beavercreek and the role it played in the settlement of Ohio at the Beavercreek Historical Society quarterly meeting on Tuesday, April 22, 6:00 p.m., Peace Lutheran Church at 3530 Dayton-Xenia Rd.
Included in his topics will be stories about Beavercreek happenings throughout history such as the Civil War, the Shaker colony, early industry, the traction line transportation system, murder and mayhem, old structures (some still in existence), covered bridges, plane crashes, and prominent (and some infamous) families. Brett loves all things Beavercreek and has a mind for remembering many little tidbits, which he is willing to share!
Please join us for a lively discussion filled with interesting facts—and maybe some tall tales! The presentation is free and open to the public.
We’re Celebrating Greene County History Month
Wartinger Park Open House
Sunday, April 6, 1-4 pm.
3080 Kemp Rd. Beavercreek
Beavercreek Historical Society will be hosting an Open House at Wartinger Historical Park in conjunction with the April Greene County History Month.
The first settlers in Beavercreek arrived in the late 1700’s. By 1800 Congress had granted settlers the right to purchase land in the area, and Ohio became a state in 1803. The Wartinger Park Open House will provide a glimpse of what life was like for those early settlers. The Park contains four authentic log cabins from 1803-1828 and an 1859 barn. All structures will be open and hosted by docents for touring during the event. The cabins and barn are furnished with period-appropriate artifacts to help visitors visualize and gain a deeper understanding of the past and the history of the settlement of America in our region.
Please bring your family and friends to enjoy this free event. (For information about additional Greene County activities planned for Greene County History Month, visit https://greenelibrary.info/gchistorymonth/)
Preserving the Past for the Future is the mission of the Beavercreek Historical Society, which was created to protect structures of historical significance, to develop and present community educational programs, and to provide a learning center for historic education about early pioneer life for the Beavercreek community and the State of Ohio.
BHS Winter 2025 Quarterly Meeting and Program
UPDATED Jan 22, 2025 to include WSU map and Parking Pass for Lot 11
This quarter’s membership meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 starting at 5:30pm at the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library on Wright State University’s main campus. Immediately following the brief meeting is the Public Program that will run from 6:00pm-7:00pm with program details included below. The general address for WSU is 3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy Dayton Ohio 45435.
As you enter WSU’s campus, look for Lot 11, the Dunbar Library parking lot. When you get to the library door, library staff will direct you to the meeting/presentation room. Click here for the Parking Permit for WSU Lot 11 Click map to enlarge.
BHS and Wright State University are pleased to host “An Evening in the Archives”
Have you ever wondered how Beavercreek became a city?
Above is a bumper sticker that you or your parents/grandparents might have had on your cars back in 1979! Please join us at our January program and you will find out more about this and other interesting facts about early Beavercreek.
The Beavercreek collection is just a small part of the vast archival holdings of Wright State University’s Special Collections and Archives inventory. This two-part program will include a presentation and tour about the Special Collections and Archives and the historical material it holds, featuring items from the collections that highlight Beavercreek’s history.
The Special Collections and Archives collects, preserves and provides access to primary sources that document the history of aviation, the legacy of the Wright brothers (for whom the university is named) and the local and regional history of the Miami Valley, including Beavercreek. Please join us and WSU Archivist Grace Ethier for a behind-the-scenes look at interesting items from Beavercreek’s history.
The program is free and open to the public. Tell your friends, or better yet, bring them!
Note: Wright State campus map and parking pass are contained in the January Log by Log newsletter and can also be obtained by emailing [email protected]. Parking passes will also be available at the door.
2025 Membership Application/Renewal form posted!
To join or continue your membership in the Beavercreek historical Society, please click here for the 2025 BHS Membership Sponsorship Application
Annual Meeting & Tobias-Zimmer Barn Addition Dedication at Wartinger Park
Tuesday, October 22, 5:30 at the Tobias-Zimmer Barn in Wartinger Park, 3080 Kemp Rd.
We have an exciting program planned for you at our Annual Meeting and Barn Addition Dedication.
The restroom addition to the barn is complete and will be dedicated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5:30. Beavercreek City and Parks Department representatives will be on hand to host the dedication, which will include singing happy 100th birthday to Bob Zimmer, who donated the barn in 1996!
Immediately following the dedication, we’ll have a brief Annual Meeting and elections.
Then, back by popular demand, is our program showcasing the Historical Society’s third grade Living History Program, with the cabins open 6:00-7:00 and activities in the barn. Through a longstanding partnership with Beavercreek City Schools (including St. Luke) all Beavercreek third graders visit the park each Fall or Spring to experience what life was like in our community during the 1800’s. Over the years the program has served well over 16,000 students! Many thanks to members Amy Rohrback and Marsh DeWeese for operating this program!! And thanks to our many volunteers!
The cabins will be open for you to tour (first floor) and see where and what the students learn about during their trip to the park. Maybe you would like to become a volunteer and help us with the program! As a visitor to the park that evening, you can experience the techniques of candle making (make your own candle) and washing laundry as it was practiced in the past. These hands-on activities will provide a fascinating insight into the craftsmanship and daily routines of earlier eras. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage in history in a meaningful and interactive way.
The Summer 2024 edition of the Log by Log Newsletter is now available!
Click Here to view the latest Log by Log Newsletter
A great way to explore local history is to go through past issues of the Log by Log which is available here: Log by Log Archives
Summer 2024 Community Ice Cream Social at Wartinger Park
Tuesday, July 23, 5:00-7:00 p.m at the Tobias-Zimmer Barn in Wartinger Park at 3080 Kemp Rd.
The Beavercreek Historical Society (BHS) is sponsoring its annual community ice cream social on Tuesday, July 23, 5:00-7:00 at the Tobias-Zimmer Barn at Wartinger Park. The community is invited to come out and enjoy an evening in the park complete with ice cream and cookies. The historic cabins will be open for touring. This event is free and open to the public.
Wartinger Park was named and dedicated as “John H. Wartinger Park” in 1975, honoring a local teacher and community servant. In the years following, it eventually became the home of four early Beavercreek family historic cabins representing the first settlers in the area: Philip Harshman, Samuel Ankeney, John Nicodemus, and George Jarusiewic. The Tobias-Zimmer Barn (circa 1858) was added in 1996 to complete the collection. All buildings will be open for visitors during the event.
Limited special needs parking is available adjacent to the barn at 3080 Kemp Rd. (behind the fire station). Public parking is available at the Beavercreek Board of Education, 3040 Kemp Rd.
Note for BHS Members: A brief quarterly meeting will be held at 5:00 at the Tobias-Zimmer Barn, including the dedication of the installation of a new ADA-compliant picnic table donated in honor of Kenny Fancher.
Questions? contact us at [email protected]
The Spring 2024 edition of the Beavercreek Historical Society Newsletter, the Log by Log, is now available
Click here to view the latest Log by Log Newsletter
A great way to explore local history is to go through past issues of the Log by Log which is available here: Log by Log Archives
Historical Society April 2024 Quarterly Meeting and Program
Tuesday, April 23, 7:00 p.m.
Peace Lutheran Church, Fellowship Room
3530 Dayton-Xenia Rd.
Presentation: American Indian Impacts in Beavercreek Township Prior to 1800, presented by Dave Nolin.
Within the last 25 years there has been an increasing awareness that American Indians had a major influence on the landscape throughout much of North America, mainly by their use of fire. They wielded it like a paintbrush to create and maintain landscapes that provided them with food, safety, and easy traveling, and they had been doing it for thousands of years. Dave has been mapping public land survey records for the Dayton Region, and it is clear that Beavercreek Township was heavily managed by American Indians, a legacy that can still be seen today. These native cultures had been on the land for over 10,000 years, lasting until 1830 when all were forcibly removed from Ohio by the Indian Relocation Act. The winners write the history books, which often depicted them as “savages” and their cultures, practices, and connection with the land was lost. This presentation is intended to increase awareness of a history that lasted far longer than our recent one.
If you would like to see an interactive map of the public land survey records of the Dayton/Beavercreek region, click the link below. You can zoom in and out, turn layers off and on etc. If you click on the section lines, the mile-long lines around each square mile, it will return the actual comments made by survey teams around 1800. If you click on “more info” it will link to the actual survey record in the National Archives.
https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=a9850ab5d299424fbc21e3feb3986025
Dave Nolin grew up in Fairborn and attended Wright State University, receiving both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology. He retired from Five Rivers MetroParks in 2015 after 30 years involvement in conservation and land acquisition work for the agency. Dave is a former president of Beaver Creek Wetlands Association and is the author of Discovery and Renewal on Huffman Prairie.
The Winter 2024 edition of the Beavercreek Historical Society Newsletter, the Log by Log, is now available
Click here to view the latest Log by Log Newsletter
A great way to explore local history is to go through past issues of the Log by Log which is available here: Log by Log Archives
Historical Society Quarterly Meeting and Program
Tuesday, January 23, 7:00 p.m.
Peace Lutheran Church, Fellowship Room
3530 Dayton-Xenia Rd.
Presentation: Beavercreek’s Secrets and Surprises in County Archives
The Greene County Records Center and Archives holds the records of long-term and historic value for Greene County offices—but what does that mean in practice for the community? Join the Beavercreek Historical Society and Greene County Archives public outreach coordinator Mary McKinley to hear about the mission and operations of the Archives, their plans for America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, and the secrets and surprises their archives records hold for the Beavercreek community.
Mary McKinley is the Public Outreach Coordinator for the Greene County Records and Archives and is responsible for the Archive’s Volunteer and Educational Outreach programs. Mary attained a Bachelor’s degree in History and Classical Languages from the College of Wooster, and a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Maryland at College Park. In addition to her academic credentials, she has worked in libraries and archives of many sizes and kinds throughout the years—including working in local history and genealogy at two Carnegie libraries!
This program is free and open to the public.
The Fall 2023 edition of the Beavercreek Historical Society Newsletter, the Log by Log, is now available
Click here to view the latest Log by Log Newsletter
A great way to explore local history is to go through past issues of the Log by Log which is available here: Log by Log Archives
Beavercreek Historical Society Annual Meeting and Program, Tuesday October 24, 2023
6:00pm-8:00pm at Wartinger Park, 3080 Kemp Rd. Beavercreek, Ohio
Program for this meeting:
Experience Early 1800s Life in Ohio
The Beavercreek Historical Society is pleased to present a mini version of its popular Living History Program depicting early 1800s life in Ohio.
The presentation will take place on Tuesday, October 24, 6:00-8:00 pm at Wartinger Park, 3080 Kemp Rd. The evening will start with a brief officer’s election for members at 6:00 pm in the historic 1858 Tobias-Zimmer Barn, immediately followed by the Living History Program presentation.
The four authentic log cabins in the park will be open to feature live demonstrations. Volunteers in period costume will engage visitors in early American daily activities such as butter churning, spinning sheep wool, making rag dolls, finger knitting, quilting, barn/gardening chores, and school lessons. Attendees can make the rounds to see the mini demonstrations that interest them most—or see them all!
The Beavercreek Historical Society created the Living History Program in the early 1990s as a way to share Beavercreek’s rich history with each new generation.
Since that time, it has served well over 15,000 Beavercreek third-grade students through a day-long interactive program, which also fulfills a state curriculum requirement for students to learn about Ohio’s history.
Join us for an enjoyable evening in the park! There is no charge for this event. Parking is available at the park at 3080 Kemp Rd. and at the Beavercreek Board of Education at 3040 Kemp Rd.
Donor Pledges $40,000 Match for Tobias-Zimmer Barn Project
The Beavercreek Historical Society recently hosted a celebration on Sunday July 23 at Wartinger Historical Park to rededicate the Tobias-Zimmer Barn to the Beavercreek community. The original 1858 barn was destroyed in the 2019 tornadoes and a historically accurate rebuild was completed in 2022.
Festivities included free ice cream and historical cabin tours, and an interesting presentation highlighting Beavercreek’s colorful history.
The event kicked off a fundraising campaign to add restrooms and a warming kitchen to the barn with the announcement of a $40,000 matching gift commitment from barn donor Bob Zimmer. Mr. Zimmer will match donations dollar-for dollar up to $40,000. For example, a $100 gift will be matched with a $100 gift, doubling the value of the original gift.
The addition of restrooms and a warming kitchen will increase the usability of the barn, making it a more attractive rental venue, with proceeds directly supporting the maintenance and operations of Wartinger Park. The restrooms will also be accessible to park visitors during park hours. The park currently does not have restrooms. The project will begin in August with the installation of the water/sewer line.
Donated to the park in 1996 by long-time Beavercreek residents Bob and Agnes Zimmer, the barn joined four early Beavercreek family historic cabins representing first settlers in the area: Philip Harshman, Samuel Ankeney, John Nicodemus, and George Jarusiewic. The Tobias-Zimmer Barn was added in 1996 to complete the representation of early life in Beavercreek.
The barn and cabins are open for touring during special park events, including the City’s annual Winter Welcome set for December 15.
The Tobias-Zimmer Barn serves as a site for community and private gatherings, as well as an educational interpretive center for the Society’s annual Living History Program which fulfills a state curriculum requirement by teaching local third-graders about Ohio life in the early1800s. Launched in 1993, the program has served over 15,500 Beavercreek school children.
Contributions to the Tobias-Zimmer Barn Fund can be made by check to Beavercreek Historical Society, 1368 Research Park Dr., Beavercreek, OH 45432, or by donating online at greenegiving.org. Please specify “Beavercreek Historical Society Tobias-Zimmer Barn.”
The Society is always looking for descendants of early Beavercreek settlers. Contact [email protected] for additional information.
Visit beavercreekohio.gov for barn rental information.