Sons of the American Revolution
Marietta, Ohio Chapter
www.mariettasar.org
2009 Patriots & Pioneers History and Genealogy Conference
List of Speakers and Their Background
Scott Britton has taught a number of individual Learning and Retirement classes at Marietta College
concerning the Civil War and has given frequent speeches throughout the Mid-Ohio Valley concerning
various aspects of local soldiers and their actions in the during the Civil War. He is a Past President of
the WCHS, Past Commander of the General Benjamin D. Fearing Camp, SUVCW and is currently
Secretary and Historian of the Marietta Chapter Sons of the American Revolution. For 3 years, he has
served as the Ohio Department SUV’s Buffington Island Representative. He was a member of the 2003
Ohio Bicentennial Committee in Washington County and has performed many living history programs
on local Civil War and Revolutionary War Soldiers at local schools, civic and veteran organizations, as
well as public events since 2000. He has written several historical articles for the Marietta Register
newspaper as well as the WCHS and New Matamoras Historical Society newsletters.
Henry Burke has studied African-American genealogy and Underground Railroad history for over 50
years. He has received a number of awards for his work on the Underground Railroad research, is active
in many local historical and genealogical groups and was a board member of the Ohio State
Bicentennial Commission in 2003. He wrote a weekly newspaper column for nearly 10 years and has
written four books on the Underground Railroad and slavery: Escape of Jane, Mason Dixon Line, The
River Jordan and Washington County Underground Railroad. For more information on his life and
historical research background, visit http://henryburke1010.tripod.com.
Wes Clarke has been working as an archaeologist for over thirty years. His focus has been in the
American Midwest, mainland Southeast Asia, and includes field work throughout Ohio and at some of
the major earthwork sites at Chillicothe. He is currently employed by the Ohio Department of
Transportation, Marietta office, as an environmental planner with a focus on cultural resource
management issues. Wesley has worked on the Indian Acres archeology dig in Marietta for a number of
years and has examined sites around Washington County involving local Native-American cultures.
Phil Crane is a retired Marietta Middle School history teacher and a 46 year researcher of family and
local history. Phil is a member of the Lower Muskingum Historical Society and compiler of the
society’s data base. Crane is a graduate of Marietta College, BA in 1971 and Ohio University, M.Ed. in
1984. Phil and his wife Teresa, (his computer guide) live at Waterford and enjoy the search to their
pioneer past.
Harley Dakin and his wife Marianne, of Newcomerstown Ohio are owners of Appalachian Ancestry, a
company founded specifically for research of Appalachian Heritages. Mr. Dakin is Administrator and
Webmaster of two surname websites and Administrator for two Y-Dna surname projects. He is editor of
the “Cline Times” newsletter and avid Genealogy researcher for over 30 years. He is an affiliate of the
International Society of Genetic Genealogy and speaks throughout Ohio and Western West Virginia on
the subject of DNA research used in Genealogy. He completed a course in the study of Genealogy given
by West Virginia University and is a member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, the Ohio
Genealogical Society and four County Genealogical Societies in Ohio and one society in West Virginia.
He is the founder and chair of the Newcomerstown Genealogy Roundtable. Among others, he has
authored books on the Cline and Dakin surnames.
Ken Finkel is currently President of the Washington County Historical Society. He is an avid
genealogist and a life member of the Lower Muskingum Historical Society in Beverly. Ken joined the
Mt. Moriah Masonic Lodge # 37 in Beverly, Ohio in 1983, progressing through the officer line and
became Master of that lodge in 1988. He served as presiding officer in Rufus Putnam Chapter # 108
Royal Arch Masons in Beverly, Marietta Council # 78 Royal and Select Masons of Marietta and
Marietta Commandery # 50 Knights Templar. He was elected and received as a Knight York Cross of
Honor in 1999 and served three years as a District Deputy Grand High Priest for the Grand Chapter of
Royal Arch Masons of Ohio. He belongs to the Scottish Rite as a 32 degree mason and several other
appellant Masonic bodies.
Millie (Covey) Fry is a graduate of the Kent State University School of Library and Information and a
retired librarian with over 38 years of service in libraries in Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. She
developed Library Leadership 2000, a week-long leadership conference for young librarians in Ohio
who work with nationally recognized librarians serving as their mentors. Millie was named Librarian of
the Year in 1995 by the Ohio Library Council, received the national ASCLA Award for Leadership
Excellence in 1996 and the KSU School of Library and Information Science named her the 1998 Alumni
of the Year. She appears in Who’s Who of American Women. Millie is the author of The Charles
Snodgrass Family: Frontier Life in the Monongahela Valley; Women on the Ohio Frontier (winner of
the 1978 Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Commission essay contest); German-American
Communities, Churches, Cemeteries, and Records in Washington County and Adjoining Townships in
Noble and Monroe Counties, Ohio; Tecumseh’s Unrequited Love; James Galloway and Tecumseh: The
Pact of Peace and Friendship; At the Monument: Standing Where They Fell (with Debra Ice); and Kinnections. Millie began researching her family in 1969 and enrolled in genealogy classes taught by Joy
Moulton, a nationally recognized genealogist and author, in Columbus, Ohio in the early 1970s and
participated in a week-long family research conference in Salt Lake City in 1980. Millie is a member of
First Families of Washington County, First Families of Ohio, Washington County OGS and Marietta
Chapter, DAR where she helped establish their research library. She lives in Columbus area where she
is the owner of a family research business.
Dick McAllister, born in Indianapolis, he spent most of his business life living and working around the
world in the Chemical & Plastics business. He eventually settled in Parkersburg while working for
Marbon Chemical (Borg-Warner) as Vice-President of the Specialty Chemical Division and later
President of Kemron Environmental Services in Marietta, Ohio. Subsequently, he and his wife Peggy
founded Arts & Letters bookstore and gift shop and Marietta Computer on Putnam Street. His family
moved to New England and Delaware where he became a Registered Investment Advisor. After several
very successful years, the McAllister’s moved back to Parkersburg to be close to their children and his
ancestors. His Patriot ancestor lies at rest in Mound Cemetery and his great grandfather was born in
Marietta and fought in L Co. of the Ohio Calvary in the Civil War. He is active in the Marietta Chapter,
SAR as color guard commander and Vice President. He has given numerous historical presentations.
John McClure was born in Marietta and attended Marietta City Schools. He has a bachelor’s degree
from Marietta College and master’s and doctorate degrees from Ohio University. He taught in Marietta
City Schools and was engaged in research and technology activities for the Republic Steel Corporation
and West Virginia state government. He has been using computers for about 40 years and has done a
substantial amount of genealogical research. One of his areas of study is the families who migrated from
the Kusel, Rhineland-Palatinate, region of Germany to Washington County. Although he uses a variety
of hard-copy sources for his research, he spends a great deal of his research time using the Internet. He
reviewed the family of Hezekiah Sanford Bundy, a Marietta native and U.S. congressman, for the
Washington County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society in 2007.
Jim Miracle is a Retired US Navy Hospital Corpsman and Substitute Teacher in the Wood County
School System. He has been the Chairman of the Wood County Historic Landmarks Commission, WV
since 2001, President of the West Augusta (Wood County, West Virginia) Historical and Genealogical
Society since 1997, is a member of the Wood County Historical and Preservation Society, a Past SeniorVice Commander & Junior Vice Commander of the General Benjamin D. Fearing Camp, SUVCW and
serves as Secretary. He performs many living history presentations on the Civil War Soldier and Civil
War Medicine at local schools and public events. He has authored History of the Miracle Family of
Ohio; John Andrew Miracle and Co. D, 63rd O.V.I.; Central Station, Doddridge County, West Virginia:
Railroad Center to Obscurity, the Demise of a Small Town; and Beechwood, The Saga of a Steel
Community on the Ohio River.
Debbie Noland Nitsche is a local historian and researcher. A native of Marietta, now living in
Bensalem, Pa., she is a descendant of many early pioneers of Washington County, Ohio including Major
Asa Coburn, an officer of the American Revolution, and his son in-law, William Bion Mason, one of the
first 48 settlers who came with Gen. Rufus Putnam and made the first permanent settlement in the
Northwest Territory at Marietta. For the past 10 years, Debbie has researched and compiled several
family histories and assisted many children and adults across the United States with their genealogy
research. She is the editor/publisher of a free e-mail Newsletter that features many items that relate to
the history of Washington County, Ohio. She has written several stories & transcribed hundreds of old
newspaper articles, records and documents that are now online. She has several websites that relate to
the history & genealogy of Washington County that contains hundreds of old photos of people, places,
and old head stones. Her website "Washington County, Historical & Genealogy Links"
<www.washogs.org> has been proven to be very helpful for researchers across the country, as well as
with many libraries, colleges, universities, teachers and school children.
R. W. “Dick” Phillips has lectured and authored articles on marketing and other subjects during his 30
years as head of three public relations agencies in his native Cleveland, and in Phoenix and Scottsdale,
Az. He began as communications manager and publications editor for a Fortune 500 industrial. After
25 years in Arizona he and his wife Mary returned to St. Clairsville, Ohio to be nearer his family. Dick
still takes on media initiative projects for clients and is also a self-described storyteller and history buff.
His recent interest started with curiosity about his city’s namesake, Arthur St. Clair, which has also led
to research and published articles about St. Clair and other 18th century patriots who impacted the Ohio
Valley and the National Road. While he has written about other historical figures, it is the story of
Arthur St. Clair to which he devotes the most attention, placing newspaper and magazine articles and
speaking about a man he has come to regard as “The Unappreciated Patriot.”
William “Bill” Reynolds has written numerous articles and has been a researcher of the early
Northwest Territorial settlement for over 30 years. Bill has a BA in Art History and Elementary Art
Education from Kent State University in 1970. He has been an employee of a local area history museum
and been a speaker at frequent venues regarding General Rufus Putnam, aspects of the Revolutionary
War and Ohio’s pioneer settlers. He was a member of the Brigade of the American Revolution living
history association where he conducted educational seminars and demonstrations and served as a
historical consultant to the award-winning PBS documentary film, Opening the Door West.
Eric Richendollar of Marietta is a 1988 Ohio University (BA) graduate. Eric has been conducting
genealogical research since 1982, having published a number of articles in genealogical and historical
society newsletters and local history books. He has been an employee at the Washington County Public
Library since 1999 and a Library Assistant in the Local History & Genealogy Department since 2001.
Beverly (Cochran) Schumacher began tracing her various family branches in 1979 and was a founder
of the Athens County Chapter of the OGS in 1980 and has served as President for the first three years
and many years since. She is a member of the DAR and served many local and state chairmanships
including the Nabby Lee Ames Registrar and Regent and the Ohio State District Director. She serves on
the Board of the Athens County Historical Society and Museum and for about 25 years served as Editor
of their newsletter, The Bulletin. She organized First Families of Athens County and is a member of
Colonial Dames of the Seventeenth Century and has served two chapters including delegate to their
National Conference. She is the Ohio State Registrar for Daughters of Founders and Patriots of
America. She is a National Volunteer Genealogist for DAR and Colonial Dames receiving her training
and certificates by attending classes in Washington D. C. at their National headquarters. In the last three
years, Ms. Schumacher has completed more than 60 applications for the Marietta and Ewing Chapters of
the SAR and none have been rejected. Beverly has compiled, authored, edited, co-wrote or helped with
about 40 genealogical publications used for mostly Athens County research. Currently, she is cataloging
the genealogy/history library for the Athens County Historical Society & Museum in Athens.
Linda Showalter is the Special Collections Associate at the Marietta College Library, where she assists
researchers in accessing rare books, manuscripts, photographs, and other historical materials. She
recently served as project archivist in preparing the Manuscripts and Documents of the Ohio Company
of Associates for preservation and digitization, a project funded in part by a Save America’s Treasures
grant. She is the author of History Goes to School, a manual for small museum educators, and the
former editor of The Magic Lantern, a local history publication for elementary students, and of The
Tallow Light, the journal of the WCHS. Linda has developed and presented numerous programs for
school groups, genealogists and historians over the past twenty-six years.
Doug Thompson has worked with computers since he was 26. First as owner/operator of The Computer
Store of Marietta & New Martinsville (1992-2003), Doug is now the hands-on owner of Bestone
Computers, LLC at 5th and Washington Streets in Marietta. There he enjoys using his 23 years of
computer experience to repair and assist people through the computer challenge. Doug served in the
USAR 463rd Eng. Bn., Combat heavy, (79'-89'). He is also an EMT Firefighter since 1992 and served
with the Oak Grove Vol. Fire Dept. (1992-2005). He is a member of Marietta Chamber of Commerce,
National Computer Assoc. of America, is A+ Certified with Computing Technology Industry
Association and attended training schools with Epson, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq, Apple, and Microsoft.
Richard Walker: Historical works authored by Walker include: “Where Is the Legendary
Silverheels?,” ”Stockport, Ohio: A Compendium of Historical Information; “Wolf Creek and the
Muskingum: Notes on the Settlement of Southeastern Ohio,” and ”Who Was Caleb Swan?” Walker
also authored a major non-historical work: “Essentialism: A Hierarchical Theory of Epistemology.”
Walker, now a resident of Springfield, Illinois, was born and raised in Stockport, Ohio, a graduate of
Belpre High School, 1967, a B.A. graduate from Marietta College, 1972, and a M.S. and Ph.D. graduate
of Purdue University, 1976. His career included sociology professor, 1976-1985; senior policy analyst,
Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety, 1985-1989; and science assessment consultant, Illinois State
Board of Education, 1989-2007, to retirement in June 2007.
Gary S. Williams is a lifelong resident of Ohio. A native of Tuscarawas County, his first job was on the
archaeological excavation of Fort Laurens, Ohio's only Revolutionary War fort. He has a B.A. in History
from Marietta College, a Masters of Library Science from Kent State University, and 25 years
experience as a librarian. He lives near Caldwell, Ohio. His is the author of four books: Historic Tours
of Ohio;, Spies, Scoundrels and Rogues of the Ohio Frontier; Gliding to a Better Place: Profiles From
Ohio's Territorial Era and The Forts of Ohio: A Guide to Military Stockades.
Kyle Yoho began Civil War Reenacting at the age of 15 in 2004. He planned his first reenactment at
the age of 16, the Woodsfield Civil War Encampment, the first reenactment to ever be held in Monroe
County. This year he is planning the fourth Woodsfield Civil War Encampment for June 13 and 14.
Last year's reenactment received a grant from the Ohio Humanities Council. Kyle is a Freshman History
Major at Marietta College with a goal to become a Civil War Historian. He is a member of the Monroe
County Historical Society and the 91st Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company B.
Jean Yost is a graduate of Ohio University and lifelong resident Barlow area. He is the current
President of the Marietta Chapter, SAR and is the Coordinator of the Marietta Chapter’s Patriots and
Pioneers Project. From 1995 to 2000 he was the Donor and Volunteer Coordinator for major renovation
of the Floral Hall (T-Building) and other buildings on the Historic Barlow Fairgrounds. In 2000 and
2003, as a member of the Western Washington County Historical Society, he served on the White Oak
Bicentennial Committee and the Ohio Bicentennial Project at the Barlow Fairgrounds. He currently
serves on the Board of the Muskingum Valley Chamber of Commerce and is a U.S. Marine Corps
Veteran of Vietnam and member of American Legion Post 64.
Abbreviations:
DAR – Daughters of the American Revolution
PBS – Public Broadcasting System
OGS-Ohio Genealogical Society
SAR-Sons of the American Revolution
SUVCW-Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War
WCH&G Washington County Public Library, History & Genealogy Department
WCHS-Washington County Historical Society