Preble County Historical Society and Nature Reserve

Preble County Historical Society and Nature Reserve Non-profit organization dedicated to preserve and promote the knowledge of Preble County history.

The Preble County Historical Society is a non-profit corporation organized in 1971 with the mission to promote knowledge of Preble County and to collect, preserve, display, and maintain materials and objects of all types which have historical interest and significance to Preble County. The Preble County Historical Society is located at the intersection of three state routes (503, 122, and 725) in

southeast Preble County. The Center is a 255-acre farmstead established in 1974 when Sara Swartsel conveyed her property to the Society. The property includes the following resources:

• 108 tillable acres leased for farming operations
• 11 acres of museum grounds, including a 19th century farmstead, an 1813 log house, Exhibit Hall building, an 1855 smokehouse and over six miles of hiking trails

Did you know? Arthur St. Clair was born on March 23rd, 1737 in Scotland. St. Clair became the first governor of the Nort...
08/13/2026

Did you know?

Arthur St. Clair was born on March 23rd, 1737 in Scotland. St. Clair became the first governor of the Northwest Territory in 1788. He settled in Ohio to get acquainted with the new region and to end the Native American claim to the land. It was during this early period he faced his great defeat against the Miami Chief Little Turtle near modern-day Fort Recovery. Fort St. Clair was later named for his sake and constructed to bridge the distance between Fort Hamilton and Fort Jefferson. St. Clair is buried in Pennsylvania where he lived out the rest of his life. However, his name is present throughout the county today.
City of Eaton Downtown Eaton

Do you know someone planning a wedding for 2027? We still have dates OPEN next year! Please reach out soon. Email info@p...
08/13/2026

Do you know someone planning a wedding for 2027? We still have dates OPEN next year! Please reach out soon. Email [email protected] to book your tour!

We will CLOSE the trails this week due to the conditions. ☔️ Please come back next week when things dry up. We appreciat...
08/12/2026

We will CLOSE the trails this week due to the conditions. ☔️ Please come back next week when things dry up. We appreciate you!

Planning for this year's Fall Gathering Festival celebration on Saturday, October 17, is underway and they are currently...
08/12/2026

Planning for this year's Fall Gathering Festival celebration on Saturday, October 17, is underway and they are currently seeking heritage and artisan vendors to help bring history to life for our visitors.

They are especially looking for demonstrators and craftspeople who showcase traditional skills such as blacksmithing, basket weaving, woodworking, quilting, broom making, candle making, pottery, leatherworking, and other heritage crafts and living history activities. Small Businesses welcome too!

If you or someone you know would be interested in participating, we would love to hear from you. Please feel free to reach out for more information about the event, vendor details, and registration.

We look forward to celebrating Preble Counties rich history.
Email [email protected]

Thank you!!

Carol Habekost Lunsford was one of West Alexandria’s Jill of all trades. Hercareers and accompanying achievements could ...
08/12/2026

Carol Habekost Lunsford was one of West Alexandria’s Jill of all trades. Her
careers and accompanying achievements could have spanned several lifetimes.
Lunsford’s professional career was defined by her 58 years dedicated to her
Pin-Up Beauty Shoppe; 20 years as the mayor of West Alexandria; and 60 years as a
Sunday school teacher. Lunsford held memberships to numerous Preble County
organizations, including: Kiwanis, Coterie Club, West Alexandria Celebration
Committee, Caring Citizens Organization, Christmas in Our Village, Ole Fashioned
Jamboree, Preble County Mayors’ Association, Eaton Grange, Gleaners Chapter OES
#182, Ohio Gateway Development Council of Preble County, and the Council on Aging.
She also volunteered for the Preble County Pork Festival and as a literacy tutor
and emergency response team member. Lunsford’s commitment to her community
earned her numerous awards: 4-H Advisor of the Year; Dayton Daily News’ Top Ten
Women of the Miami Valley; Preble County Woman of the Year; Peacekeeper Award for
Preble County Women’s Shelter; and West Alexandria Citizen of the Year.
In her 81 years, Lunsford’s dedication to her community never wavered, and her
legacy lives on in all of the lives she improved. Carol is one of 6 being inducted into the 2026 Hall of Honor.

Benjamin Hanby was born in Rushville, Ohio, on July 22, 1833. He is knownlocally for writing the Christmas song “Up on t...
08/12/2026

Benjamin Hanby was born in Rushville, Ohio, on July 22, 1833. He is known
locally for writing the Christmas song “Up on the Housetop” here in New Paris.
However, this was not his only claim to fame.
Hanby’s love of music began at an early age after purchasing his first flute. This,
combined with his father’s history as having been an indentured servant, founder of
Otterbein University, and conductor on the Underground Railroad, sparked strong
anti-slavery feelings in young Hanby.
Upon his move to Rushville, Ohio, Hanby continued in his father’s footsteps as a
conductor on the Underground Railroad. In 1842, a fugitive slave named Joe Selby
sought refuge at his home. Selby was on his way to Canada, where he planned to earn
enough money to purchase his love Nelly’s freedom. However, he never got the chance.
Selby died at Hanby’s home before he could complete his journey.
Hanby was so deeply affected by the loss that he wrote “Darling Nelly Gray”
which became a famous anti-slavery song. It is truly heartbreaking to listen to.
Although his two most famous songs vary significantly in tone, they are only a
fraction of his 80+ item discography. Hanby’s influence would have undoubtedly spread
even further had he not succumbed to tuberculosis at the young age of 33. Hanby is one of 6 Hall of Honor Inductees for 2026.

Robert Fosdick was born in Preble County, Ohio, in 1874. He moved to Dayton,Ohio, around 1909, when he was hired as a ma...
08/12/2026

Robert Fosdick was born in Preble County, Ohio, in 1874. He moved to Dayton,
Ohio, around 1909, when he was hired as a manager for William F. Oheman Company,
a manufacturer of rugs and draperies.
In 1923, Fosdick received his first of four patents: a lens grinding apparatus;
followed by a detectoscope in 1924; a compound reading lens in 1939; and a lens
grinding machine in 1942.
In 1925, with the help of his patents, Fosdick began work on a 27 1⁄2 inch lens for
the Cincinnati Astronomical Society’s observatory. It took him 12 years to complete!
Fosdick relayed to the papers that it took him 4,000 hours and $350,000 to complete.
That is the equivalent of over $8,000,000 in 2026!
During this construction period, Fosdick also founded the Fosdick Glass Company, which at its height had around 50 employees, all of whom were personally trained by Fosdick himself. The company manufactured optical goods for airplanes and machine guns. Over his career, he and his company built more than 30 astronomical telescopes for colleges and universities, including the Dayton Astronomical Society, which he headed for 32 years.
Although he had only a fifth-grade education and had never read a physics or
astronomy textbook, Fosdick explained that, when it came to his interest in the subjects,
“I guess I just took to it.” Robert is one of 6 inductees in the 2026 Hall of Honor.

In celebration of the Preble County Historical Society's 40th anniversary in 2011, PCHS and the Register-Herald partnere...
08/12/2026

In celebration of the Preble County Historical Society's 40th anniversary in 2011, PCHS and the Register-Herald partnered to create the Hall of Honor. The PCHS Board of Trustees designated that the Hall of Honor be named after Sara Swartsel in recognition of the heritage and philanthropy of the Swartsel Family and Sara's enduring gift to the Preble County Community. The Register-Herald joined as a co-sponsor in recognition of the natural partnership of the two organizations in recording the history of Preble County. This year, on Sunday, September 13th, 2026, the Hall of Honor Committee has selected six recipients to receive this honor, celebrating the 15th anniversary of this program and the Blue Star Banquet. Tickets 🎟️ are available on our website. You can find more information about nominating future members by visiting www.preblecountyhistoricalsociety.com. Nominations for the next class are due no later than 5-1-2027.

HUGE NEWS! Preble Players, a local non-profit theater group will be performing a LIVE ACTION Fall Play at the 1813 Log H...
08/11/2026

HUGE NEWS!
Preble Players, a local non-profit theater group will be performing a LIVE ACTION Fall Play at the 1813 Log House on Saturday October 17th. Show time are 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30pm. Bring your lawn chairs. The program is FREE for all thanks to Erica Howard with Prime Lending who is our sponsor! Please join us!

Address

7693 Swartsel Road
Eaton, OH
45320

Telephone

(937)7874256

Website

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