Logan County Historical Society

Bob and Dorothy Notestine in the Grand Marshall car in the Historical Society parade in 2014

Oswald "O.K." Reames was one of the founders and the first president of the Historical Society

The Historical Society was located at the corner of E. Columbus Ave. and Opera St. in 1961

A group of visitors at the Historical Society Museum in October 1961

The Historical Society museum was located at 400 Linden St. from 1962 to 1970

The Historical Society moved the museum to the former McBeth School in 1971

Rev. Guy Furbay was one of the charter members and Curator from 1947-1970

The Logan County Museum was opened in 1989

Bob & Dorothy Notestine were inducted into the Historical Society Hall of Fame in 2019

The Logan County Historical Society traces its origins to 1930, when an earlier historical society was organized with Oswald K. Reames serving as its first president. That organization ceased operations, likely as a result of the Great Depression, but was reestablished in December 1935, again under Reames’s leadership. Surviving records include minutes from a 1940 meeting and a treasurer’s ledger from 1941 signed by F. M. Henry. No further activity is documented until December 1945, when a new group met at the Sloan Library in Zanesfield and reorganized as the Logan County Archaeological and Historical Society, electing O. K. Reames as president.

In 2019, charter member Bob Notestine, shared memories of his first involvement with the Historical Society for a booklet “Bob Notestine, The Mayor, Part 1 of an Extraordinary Life” written by his grandson, Aaron Notestine.

“My mother’s mother, Emma Aiken, was a very active Historian. Emma was first married to John Koch who died in January 1920. The widow with five children, married Dow Aiken (a prominent attorney in Logan County). I am sixteen, and just received my driver’s license on my birthday, August 10, 1944. My Dad bought a used black two-door Pontiac sedan for he and I to drive. WWII is still in full swing and new cars are not available.

When Emma wanted to go somewhere, I was Johnny-on-the-spot! Emma is 70 years old and always called me Bobby. Emma called, ‘Bobby, can you take me to a meeting in Zanesfield Wednesday night?’ I said, sure Grandma! We drive to Zanesfield and the meeting is being held in the basement of the Sloan Library. The attendees are all older gentlemen, Emma, and me. Two of them are my schoolteachers!

This group of approximately twelve souls are all interested in Logan County history. After a considerable exchange of ideas and information, we all decided to form “The Logan County Historical Society.” A charter was written and a small dues structure was established. At sixteen years old, I was the youngest member. Emma paid my dues and said, ‘Bobby, you will never be sorry for joining.’ Today I am the oldest and only surviving charter member.”

In May 1946, the organization incorporated under Ohio law and continues today as the Logan County Historical Society. During its early years, the Society met in various locations and maintained exhibits at the Sloan Library. It also began commemorating significant historic sites throughout the county with bronze plaques placed on boulders or by roadside markers. By 1957, twenty-seven markers had been erected.

As the collection expanded under the leadership of Curator Rev. Guy Furbay, the Society leased a storefront in 1961 at the corner of East Columbus Ave. and Opera St. in Bellefontaine. The building had previously housed the City Market Grocery Store and later Notestine’s Floor Covering; it is now the site of the Logan County Courthouse Annex.

Although the location proved suitable, the lease was short-lived, and in 1962 the Society relocated to the former Cox Grocery Store at 400 Linden St., where its collection continued to grow. In 1971, the Society purchased the former McBeth Elementary School at the corner of Seymour St. and West Chillicothe Ave. from the First Church of God. While the McBeth School served the Society well, space was limited.

In the late 1980s, the Orr Mansion at 521 E. Columbus Ave., along with the attached former Latham’s Nursing Home, became available for purchase. In 1988, after great effort, the Society successfully raised the $50,000 purchase price, including a $25,000 contribution from City Council through the William Kauffman Fund. The McBeth School was sold to W. R. Arnold for $38,000 and subsequently remodeled into apartments. Following many hours of extensive cleaning and renovations, the museum opened at its new location in 1989.

The Logan County Transportation Museum addition opened in April 2014 with a grand celebration and parade, with Bob Notestine serving as Grand Marshal. The new addition unified the Orr Mansion, the Logan County Museum, and the Transportation Museum into what is now known as the Logan County History Center.

Bob Notestine and his wife, Dorothy, dedicated many years of service to the museum, volunteering extensively and serving as Board Members. They frequently assisted visitors by sharing knowledge of the exhibits and local history. Bob especially enjoyed recounting his experiences growing up in Logan County and his early jobs, including gathering and sorting soda pop bottles for his father’s newsstand that later became Jackson’s Newsstand. Bob was widely respected for his vast knowledge of Logan County history and was often consulted for information. As the Society’s last Charter Member, Bob Notestine’s passing on March 9, 2026, marked the end of an era, and he will be greatly missed.