MS 976 - Tiffin River Scenic and Historic Association

Title	MS 976 - Tiffin River Scenic and Historic Association
Introduction	The records of the Tiffin River Scenic and Historic Association (TRSHA) were donated to the Center for Archival Collections in October 2002 by the association itself. The records, dating from 1904 to 2002, consist of bylaws, minutes, letters, news clippings, and manuscripts. No restrictions exist on the research use of this collection and duplication is permitted for research purposes. The collection was arranged and described by Devon Proudfoot in January 2014.
Agency History	The Tiffin River Scenic and Historic Association was founded in 1983 in order to “promote the scenic beauty and rich heritage of the Tiffin River Valley, and preserve the Northwest Ohio River in its natural state for future generations.” Founding president, W.P. “Jack” Johnson, began the organization in Stryker, Ohio with the goal of preserving and promoting the Tiffin River. The organization has played a major role in river politics including preventing the channelization of the Tiffin River in the 1980s. The group was also responsible for the Knights Landing Park and Rupp Landing Park in Stryker, Ohio. George Opdycke became the president in 1990 and stayed involved up until the group’s termination in 2009. Upon TRSHA’s closing, members decided to donate the remaining funds to the Friends of the Goll Homestead, Stryker Area Heritage Council, and the Lockport Mennonite Church.
Scope and Content	The Tiffin River Scenic and Historic Association collection is comprised primarily of proceedings, manuscripts, newspaper clippings, and correspondences. While a majority of the collection is the documents of TRSHA, it also includes the newsletters and bylaws for other similar nature preservation organizations. The major strengths of the collection are the minutes, newspaper clippings, and letters. The minutes taken by the secretary include information from officer reports as well as announcements of future events for both the monthly general meetings and the steering committee meetings. The minutes included date back to 1983 through 2000, and are arranged chronologically. A large number of newspaper clippings are included are included from 1979 to 1995. These articles come from newspapers local to Northwest Ohio such as the Bryan Times, the Archbold Buckeye, and the Toledo Blade. These news articles cover the events put on by TRSHA along with other stories relating to the rivers and waterways in the area. A very large portion of the collection is correspondence from members of TRSHA, as well as the organization itself. The letters cover the topics of funding and planning for the organization. A few of the letters are between TRSHA and similar organization and governmental agencies, but many come from the presidents of the association. W.P. Johnson and George Opdycke, both past presidents, sent and received a number of letters concerning the various projects of TRSHA. The rest of the collection contains a great number of brochures, photographs, and manuscripts from TRSHA and other similar groups offering an overview of this now defunct organization.
Series Description	PROCEEDINGS MINUTES 1983-2000 Arranged chronologically The treasurer’s minutes of both general and special TRSHA meetings. General meetings contain officer reports while special meetings contain the information given by the executive board or steering committee. MEMBERSHIP RECORDS 1984-2000 Arranged chronologically Annual listings of the members of the TRSHA which includes the name, address, and phone number of the member. BYLAWS 1982-1998, n.d. Drafts and adopted bylaws and constitutions for the TRSHA and other similar nature conservancy groups like Rivers Unlimited and the Colombia River Conservation League. Lists the formal purposes of the organization along with membership eligibility, meetings, and officer elections. CORRESPONDENCE CORRESPONDENCE 1974-2000, n.d. Letters from the collections of past presidents W.P. Johnson and George Opdycke on topics such as the state of TRSHA, funding for projects, and government assistance. Also includes correspondence with other similar groups like Rivers Unlimited and American Rivers. REPORTS ANNUAL REPORTS 1973, 1983, 1988-1991 The annual report booklets released by organizations like American Rivers and Rivers Unlimited listing the update on the current state of the finances and projects of the groups. STATISTICAL REPORTS 1976, 1982, 1985, 1987 Statistical analysis of the aspects of the Tiffin and other rivers, along with the projects of TRSHA. TREASURER REPORTS 1980-1996 Monthly report from the TRSHA treasurer listing the dues and donations received along with the groups expenditures. LITERARY PRODUCTIONS NEWSLETTERS 1981-2002, n.d. Arranged chronologically Newsletters from TRSHA along with Sierra Club, Save the Old Portage, and Northwest River Council, and various others. These list the information on past and upcoming meetings along with the upcoming events put on by the respective organizations. SPEECHES 1980 These include notes from speeches given by the TRSHA, Department of the Interior, and Friends on the Earth concerning nature and rivers. MANUSCRIPTS 1967-1999, n.d. Books and articles regarding the nature of Ohio, river restoration, and town histories. Contains information utilized by TRSHA in their projects and reports. LEGAL DOCUMENTS PETITIONS 1984-1988 The petitions of the TRSHA presidents, George Opdycke and W.P. Johnson, in attempt to improve the Tiffin River. SCRAPBOOKS AND SCRAPBOOK MATERIALS NEWS CLIPPINGS 1979-1995, n.d. Newspaper articles and pictures concerning the events of TRSHA and the current information relating to the rivers of northwest Ohio. Come from publications like the Archbold Buckeye, Toledo Blade, Bryan Times, Crescent News, and other non-local newspapers. The historical newspaper articles portray a historical context for Northwest Ohio and the Tiffin River. MAPS, CHARTS, DIAGRAMS, GRAPHS, LISTS, ETC. MAPS 1984 Various maps of Northwest Ohio depicting the roads, topography, and the rivers of the surrounding area. PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS n.d. Historical photographs of the buildings and nature surrounding the Tiffin River, along with current photographs from TRSHA meetings and events. The collection also contains drawn pictures of the Tiffin River as well as comics used in manuscripts on the subject. ARTIFACTS ARTIFACTS 1993, n.d. Stickers and patches for the TRSHA and Sierra Club, along with a calendar for the bridges of Ashtabula County, Ohio.
Inventory	Box 1 Folder 1. TRSHA Minutes, 1983-2000 2. Special Meeting Minutes, 1983-1996 3. Membership Records, 1984-2000 4. TRSHA Bylaws, 1986 5. Assorted Bylaws, n.d. 6. TRSHA Letters, 1982-1998 7. W.P. Johnson Letters, 1974-1986 8. W.P. Johnson Letters, 1987-1993, n.d. 9. George Opdycke Letters, 1984-1998 10. American Rivers Letters,1987-1997 11. Bowling Green Correspondence, 1983-1997 Box 2 Folder 1. Correspondence on Funding, 1983-1993 2. ODNR Letters, 1976-1990 3. OEPA Letters, 1983-1996 4. Rivers Unlimited Letters, 1982-2000 5. Sierra Club Letters, 1983-1985 6. Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1974-1998 7. Miscellaneous Correspondence, n.d. 8. American Rivers Annual Report, 1988-1990 9. Maumee Watershed Conservancy District Annual Report, 1973 10. Trust for Public Land Annual Report, 1983 11. Rivers Unlimited Annual Report, 1991 12. Report of Studies, 1976, 1985 Box 3 Folder 1. Flood Report, 1982 2. Statistical Report, 1987 3. Treasurer’s Report, 1980-1996 4. Financial Reports, 1984 5. TRSHA Newsletter, 1984-1987 6. TRSHA Newsletter, 1990-1998 7. TRSHA Newsletter, 2000-2002, n.d. 8. Environment Ohio Newsletter, 1988-1990 9. Nature Conservancy Newsletter, 1983, 1985, 1987 10. NWRC Newsletter, 1983-1991, n.d. 11. Sierra Club Newsletter, 1985, 1988 12. STOP Newsletter, 1985-1987 13. Assorted Newsletters, 1981-1996 14. Speeches, 1980 15. Oral History, n.d. 16. Education Proposal, 1990 Box 4 Folder 1. Tiffin River Proposal, n.d. 2. Historical Documents, 1904-1920 3. OEPA, 2000 4. Other State River Policy, 1985, n.d. 5. Ohio Humanities Council, 1989 6. News Release, 1983-1991, 2000, n.d. 7. Rivers Unlimited Publication, 1999 8. David Stansbury Manuscript, 1967-1972, n.d. 9. Magazine Articles, 1976-1990, n.d. 10. Assorted Manuscripts, 1980-1986 11. Assorted Manuscripts, 1986-1997, n.d. 12. Scenic Rivers Petition, 1984-1988 13. News Clippings, 1979-1991, n.d. Box 5 Folder 1. News Clippings, 1979-1991, n.d. 2. Historical Newspaper Articles, 1983-1993 3. Maps, 1984 4. Certificates, 1988 5. TRSHA Banquet Programs, 1982-1996 6. Assorted Brochures, n.d. 7. Assorted Brochures, n.d. 8. Canoe Route Association Flyers, n.d. 9. Assorted Flyers, 1985, 1991, n.d. 10. Photographs, n.d. 11. Pictures, n.d. 12. Comic Pictures, n.d. 13. Artifacts, 1993, n.d.

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