Betty Eicher and meticulous financial record keeping Ohio 1934-1944

When opening a box of materials sent by Billy, William Alan Eicher, of Lakeland FL, my cousin and nephew of "Betty", Ethel Elizabeth  Eicher (1913 Miamisburg OH - 1992 Lakeland FL) , I was amazed to find a detailed ledger started in Spring 1934, when we was a student at Ohio State University in the midst of the great depression.    I sense a focus in Betty and a flowering of her affection for a woman, often referred to here as M.P.B, as she seems to use code, to write under the dominant cultural radar, that in those times did not recognize same gender love and relationships.  Clearly she and MPB, were rural pioneers, and became very well educated and literate, and took care of financial resources as well.  Betty's dad, Charles A Eicher had a diverse business background, working in a bank until he was let go in 1935 in the middle of the depression...and he was on the Miamisburg School Board, built homes in West Carrollton and had an insurance business in the old Union Building in the center of West Carrollton, although maintaining a home that he built in W Central in Miamisburg, in the area of Hillgrove Cemetary where so many Eichers, Stupps, found their local resting place. 

 A loose paper summarizing school expenses at OSU in 1938-39 and 39-40, the years of her earning her BA and MA.  Then the first page of what I call her little back book finance ledger 1934-1943.
This is a wonderful find to see how she spent her money and perhaps what she earned as well.  I found the page, not dated, near the end of the ledge (1942?) below, with Tutoring at the top,with various names of likely students, with even dollar amounts. Might be interesting to look at students and families in Franklin at the time, and family names. :-)

Tutoring income likely in 1942-43 in Franklin OH.  Betty was a teacher in the Public Schools and then started writing short stories, for something like 23 years, and her brother Bill commented she sold stories for $50 a piece to church magazines, one the stands out is the Methodist Church, and that income stopped when children started watch TV a lot in the late 50's early 60'sI would surmise.

Over the years, I would Christmas expenses and gift expenses in Betty's ledger and on random pieces of paper in the box form Billy:

 

 

Marjorie Root Eicher - Photos for ID

 Back of photo from June 1950, has Bill Eicher, Marjorie Root named...is tall fellow on the right was identified as Bill Eicher's father Charles Eicher today by his grandson, Billy Eicher of Lakeland FL.   (Marjorie and Bill were married in Berea OH Aug 5, 1950 according to my research.   Respond to tomw@wopida.com

 

Photo not dated,  man. Billy Eicher, Marjorie's son today, with Marjorie A Root that this is NOT Oliver Root, as me was short. and  died in May 1979 and Marjorie in OCT 1980. 

 
William A Eicher, Christmas 1958, Kettering home of Wm H and Marjorie Root Eicher 

Aunt Betty Eicher A Single Woman in Lakeland - Travels and Connections - Lee Willis

 With the support of my cousin, William A "Billy" Eicher, I have been going through a box of his Aunt Betty's things this winter to discern what her life was like, first living as a closeted lesbian women in the late 1930's to 1947 in rural Ohio, having lived with Mary Parker Brown at that time.

Then the two of them moved to  Lakeland FL.  The first paper I found regarding, is  related to the death of Betty's father,  Charles A Eicher on August 5, 1951.   Prior to computers, this was  the quickest way to have written communication then was the Telegram Sent from Miamisburg by her younger brother Bill, sent to 817 Southern Blvd in Lakeland Fl


1951 Aug from Bill Eicher to his older sister Betty, Miamisburg OH  to Lakeland FL.
With some journals and accounting books along with her passports

e

Clipping that supports that Betty still was writing short stories for trade magazines...during the BC, before computers era.

I found no clippings describing Mary Parker Browns later years in Florida with Betty, from 1947  to her death in May of 1961.

Betty Eicher's Travels and House Mate Lee Willis -


 
Passport that shows Betty traveling to Europe and arriving London in May 1965, with a return through New York on Jun 17.......She took notes on her travels written in careful cursive.


Lee Willis Photo in Betty Eichers archives, now with her nephew Wm Billy A Eicher of Lakeland.

Trip Book - Travel Diary Of Elizabeth Eicher - Intro Monday May 3, 1965

"Lee and L.C. drove me to McCoy Airport at Orlando. A little nervous.  Left at 12:55 by Jet.  Arrived Kennedy International Airport at 4:00 NY time.  Bus to Clifton Ford Hotel where she stayed in London, side trips to Oxford, Stratford etc.




Entry on, below, likely on  June 17 (arrival back in US )  describing flight into New York and then to Florida. Lee (Willis) is mentioned to have "redone the bath and kitchen for me as a surprise".   I have worked to find a Lee Willis in Lakeland on line, and Ancestry as a Lee J Willis as a widow, having been married to Ernest Willis in the past.

1947 living at 817 South Blvd Apt 2, Lakeland Florida.
 

1985 Jan Tom Weaver, Betty Eicher and Bill Eicher (William H Eicher) in Florida near Nokomis, Bill and Jo Frame Eicher home.

Reflections on Feb 2007 Lunar New Year - Celebration for Peg Weaver and friends.

Awareness of the ARC, the arc of mylife...Action, Reflection and Celebration is "coming up" for me here in the new year of 2016. As I have been clearing things out of my space and my mind, my life has slowed down to savor things, like good food, and sensuous sharing with selected people who are safe to be vulnerable with.   From my life lessons, and my Serenity, Courage and Wisdom on the spirited path of MKP and long term recovery in Al Anon (not taking on others dramas, be they politicians, lovers, partners or friends, children, who are not emotionally and physically present.   Dropping into my flexible and resilient body, that has softened after 5 + years of Rosen and IFS integrative body work, I have been able to throw discs farther and have more balanced full body work outs than ever in my life.  Go figure, I am dropping into feeling like a 30 - 45 year old man with 69 winters of experience. 

  Those who know me, and discern a new direction during the winter dreamtime and story telling time.  In my 69th winter, waneyetu wichemna shakpa sam sahdogan, in Dakhota, the language of connection that has quelled any fear of abandonment and deepened my connection to life, to make assertive cost effective choices in my travel and with whom I share my truth and my intimate pleasures and desires in safe places!  And grateful  to the plant and animal nations who I connect with at an ever deepening level here on planet earth . Mitakuye Oyasin

Shifting my consciousness to this indigenous language, has allowed me to drop into my heart and have a greater sense of discernment of safety, who is living in integrity and who might be in their shadow, and use the English language to put "spin on things".  On a practical level of history, the Chappelear family tree, which connect to my French heritage and here in Minnesota, Mni Sota, the French who first arrived in Etole du Nord (Star of the North) state of Minnesota,  intermarried with the Dakhota, in the early 1800's in the Eurocentric way of keeping time . This author was born in Faribault a city named after the Faribault family.  From Wiki " Alexander Faribault, was the son of Jean-Baptiste Faribault, a French-Canadian fur trader and Elizabeth Pelagie Kinzie Haines, a woman of the Dakotah tribe.^[7] Another source maintains the city is named for Jean-Baptiste Faribault.^[8] He is credited with fueling most of the early settlement activity in the area beginning in 1826, when he established a fur trading post on the banks of the Cannon River. By 1834, the trading post had grown in popularity and was relocated to the Straight River, one mile (1.6 km) upstream of its junction with the Cannon River, the site of modern-day Faribault. The young Alexander Faribault used his knowledge of Dakotah language and culture to improve relations with the displaced Wahpekute and even helped the tribe to resettle in the area." During the time of settlement here in Minnesota, my French ancestors in the 1800's moved from Virginia into the new state of Ohio.  Here is the summary I incorporated into my celebration of the coming of spring in 2007, the February celebrated my 60th winter... and my mom, Peg Margaret Glessner Weaver  was in her 97th winter:

 
Over the years, Peg had instilled an interest in languages, by modeling learning French, enough to engage with mycologists who lived in France as she developed her mushroom hobby in the 1960's.
In her memoir she honored her ancestry as well, the Salem Witch connection through Rebecca Nurse whose offspring who marrried a Bixby in  Massachusetts Colony. A Bixby, Bixbee married a Chase in Delaware Ohio and her curiosity to learn more, and follow leads, was passed on to me, her youngest son, and only daughter.  My inner Julia Child, a 6'3" auburn - red haired presence had the vision to make a Ragout de boeuf, porc et bison as indicated on the menu.  I did not have the focus to take photos, and Byron Aldrich, an MKP brother stepped up, and he was a support person in helping me find the Colony in Eden Prairie which had a pond and a place to put Peg's bird feeder, when Nate Weaver, Kerry Johnston and I moved her down from Brainerd.  Also Victor Youcha, Steve Basil and Blaine McCutchen expanded the circle of support here in the Twin Cities.  Here are some of the photos that Byron took some 9 years ago. Feb 2007 in Eden Prairie MN,  Fun to reflect on the events..
 
During set up, my sister Jane Newell, in white, talks with Steve Wolfe as we set up the setting to honor Peg at my 60th birthday give away celebration.  I have learned on my D/Lakota path to be generous to those in this life, who have supported me on my journey, living in the moment, as Albert White Hat Sr modeled in his life  "Be Ready for anything at any time"  I had a vision to honor Peg's Chappelear and Glessner lineage by shining up the quadruple plated silver service on the right, made in Meriden CT that her grandparents, Emma Chappelear and Leonard Cowles Glessner used in their home in Findlay Ohio.  Fun to see it used again and notice that Peg's grandson, (11th Generation) Jesse and his mom, Susan showed up for the celebration.
 
Peg meeting Andrea Will as she enters as the celebrated elder, at the celebration.   
Peg Weaver. soon to celebrate her 97th birthday in June, being led to the seat of honor at the head of the table by her youngest son, me Tom Weaver.  My inner Julia Child envisioned and created this dinner over 3 days of cooking from my then Bloomington MN rental home....I polished  the family late 1900's  French - German....Chappelear-Glessner silver service within easy reach on the left.  Honoring the spirit of the Chappalear (Chapelier) and Glessner Ancestors.  Leonard Cowles Glessner husband of Emma Chapplear Glessner was the founder of the Glessner Medicine Company in Findlay OH, where Peg was born in 1910. 
 
Marsha Onkka here (Paul Onkka her husband is off camera to the left) who knew my parents through his business as a pharmacist at Poirier Drug Store  (featured in a scene in Grumpy Old Men) and the Episcopal Cathedral in Faribault.  My friends Eric Wickiser and Karen Anderson of Minnetonka...
 
Karen Anderson, dark hair next to Blaine McCutchen and Rita Mays who brought a chanterelle soup, which is remarkable for my mom' passion for mushrooms and the French traditions.  Me, Tom Weaver chatting with Steve Wafler a long term friend from Faribault, Bob Pahl from Bloomington in the front next to Andrea Will "Will' a Korean born friend of my roommate at my rental home in Bloomington at 90th and Emerson, I rented for a couple of years to be close to Peg. Anna Karras Wafler and Ron Morris on the right.

Overview by Byron, Andrea Will, Peg Weaver, Marsha and Paul Onkka, Steve Wolfe, Tom Weaver, Blaine McCutchen with Rita Mays (white sweater), Ron Strangerhorse, Bob Lodin

Jesse Weaver, Peg's youngest grandchild, and Sue Weaver, Jesse' mom after the meal, by Byron Aldrich.

Jesse Weaver 21 yr old son, and his dad, Tom Weaver, 60 in Feb 2007, by Byron Aldrich. Just yesterday, Pat Linehan my apartment caretaker, mentioned I now look much younger -  I see how much stress and energy I had during the time to take care of mom, and deal with the dysfunctional medical system to move her out of the Brainerd Nursing Home AMA "against medical advice" as encouraged by Kerry Johnston one of Peg' advocates in 12 step recovery, and move her with my son Nate and Kerry for 3 1/2 years of good living in Eden Prairie.  Thanks Peg for modeling "How to Die Young....as Late in Life as Possible.

Here I am in the Wicklow Mts of Ireland south of Dublin at the Kippure Course where I met Erno from Finland who was my guide here amid the sheep.

Me, Tom Weaver with my mountain bike, taken by Bob Pahl on our way to the Twin Cities Pride Parade in June 2015.  I have been an openly gay, two spirited board member at the Twin Cities Men's Center that has a Gay Pride booth for the last 7 years.  www.tcmc.org

Chappelear Family Tree The Mitakuye Oyasin Principle Four Directions and Four Human Races in Turtle Island - A vision and mission for Peace and Centeredness in the 21st Century. What is Under the racial unrest and politics of today?

 Tom Weaver here during the winter dream time....Musing about new beginnings in 2016 and the journey of my Chappelear (Chapelier) French "Hat Makers" from the 1600's to the current times.  Zachariah and William Woods - in Ohio 1830- 1850's
In Feb 2007, When I turned 60,  I hosted a give away and I had a hit to use some of the traditions of the Chinese lunar calendar too.   Besides the red and yellow are so cheery as colours to my eye.


 I designed this menu, and invited some 20+ guests on my 60th birthday Feb 18, 2007. My intent was to honor my mom, and invite some of her friends, including Marsha and Paul Onkka who she knew in Faribault. And share a meal a la' Julia Child. Peg was inspirational in working to learn French. in fact this week I got an acknowledgment from Alliance Francais for the gift of sets of tapes she used.  So this is the lineage back to France through the Chapalier -Chappelear - Here are 11 generations that I had discerned by 2007.  
 
Ohio As Center for The Underground Railroad with the little red lines from 1830 - 1865

 Celebrating the Four Directions and Four Races of  Ikci Wichasta in 2016.
As a two spirited elder, on the path of recovery now since 1981, with the death of my father. Paul Henry Weaver, I have become so grateful for the lessons and teaching from my family of origin and now my family of choice.    As always, Take What fits, And Leave the rest.

During the winter, I have learned from my elders and teachers, including Lakota and Dakota elders about entering the winter cave of dream time, to renew my life and the life of others in a good to support others to walk in our centers, in the axis mundi, the center of our bodies, our hearts and lives, of "so above as below" -   I just woke up here now it is just - 11 below zero and this is the cup I am drinking my pejuta sapa from .....See the four directions on the Iyokapte the cup in Dakota and the center is Wico zani.  Centered health, that I aspire to share with others on my path of recovery with Creation as my teacher.  Mitakuye Oyasin

Grateful for the lost keys to my green pony that tunkashila brought back to me at a disc golf course this week.   The little things of life can bring such joy to my heart and soul! 
I was sharing with my Thoska, nephew Bobbi Today about healing of each other through songs of prayer and connection that elders have shared with us from the South, Condor medicine with those of the North Eagle and Buffalo Medicine this morning, as we open up the doors to the new year of 2016.  The 4 direction medicine wheel of the north of America and the southern medicine of the Chakana symbol he learned about as a give away on his path.
https://www.inkadesign.net/en/the-meaning-of-the-inka-cross-chakana/

The Inka Cross a strong Symbol of the old Cultures of the Andes

The Inka Cross or Chakana is a strong symbol of the old cultures of the Andes and is considered the most complete, holy, geometric design of the Inkas. This symbol is often found in old places and holy centers in the Andes in Peru and in Bolivia. The Chakana has had, and still has, a considerable meaning to the Inkas and it also represents many meanings in its design.


One of my Tunwin "Auntie" Teachers whose daughter went to Oberlin in the 1980's, taught me to "deal with the addiction that is killing me the fastest first.  And well, As a recovering adrenalin addict, I have learned to easy does it, slow town, in order to choose my words more wisely when I speak or write.
OHIO and current issues and education.
So, Recently my adopted sister, Jane , moved to take a job in the land of my ancestors, at Miami University in Oxford Ohio.  Near the Indiana border between Cincy and Dayton, another red area on the map.  My relatives Glessners------- (mom, Peg who attended Oberlin from 1928- 1932, and then met my father Paul Henry Weaver in Columbus in 1935, and he attended Antioch College on the Little Miami River SE of Dayton prior to transferring to OSU, where he completed his medical education in 1938.......Oberlin in the north, which is one the map below below Lake Erie, as it was a destination on the underground railroad. Interesting the Glessners, and Chases in the North  and Weavers Brandts, Pauls and Eichers in the south stayed put during that era. One man's family, William Woods Chapplear b 1818 in Virginia, married 1st 03/29/1840 Muskingum Co., OH  to Elizabeth Ewing Chapplear b 1823 Washington Guerney Co, Ohio,  moved west to Missouri with their growing family in 1950, right when things were heating up between the values of the north and south, especially with the new states of Nebraska and Kansas and a law passed in the time of Abolitionism and folks like John Brown. 
“my father in 1850 left Ohio in a covered wagon for Northwest Missouri with my mother and five small children, Col. Chappelear's father being the eldest.(Col Louis Chappelear's father was  Lt Henry Stewart Chappelear,  a Sgt. & 1st Lt. in Company D, l7th IL. Cavalry  during the Civil War, enlisting 1st, 05/30/1862, being disabled 09/26/1862. He reenlisted 02/01/1864, and was discharged 12/14/1865.
The writer Mary Chappelear Ross  09/28/1928 writing to  George W.  Chappelear, Jr.: "I am the oldest of six sisters, all of whom were teachers. Four of us are living in this city (Los Angeles, Calif), and three of us celebrated our golden weddings."

 For the Context -  As a background to racial history and inequality in America's past.
 "The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed by the U.S. Congress on May 30, 1854. It allowed people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery within their borders. The Act served to repeal the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which prohibited slavery north of latitude 36°30´." "A law passed by Congress in 1854 that divided the territory west of the states of Missouri and Iowa and the territory of Minnesota into two new territories, Kansas and Nebraska. The law was extremely controversial because it did not exclude slavery from either territory, despite the fact that the Missouri Compromise prohibited slavery in these territories. By effectively repealing the Missouri Compromise, the law outraged many northerners, led to the collapse of the Whig party and the rise of the Republican party, and moved the nation closer to civil war.
 William Woods Chapplear, settled to raise a family 1850, in Platte Co, Missouri and moved back east to Illinois in 1959....landing in Clinton, the epicenter of the Lincoln Douglas Debates....DeWitt County...
This authors, great aunt Mary E Glessner wrote of her grandfather as the “roving fiddling cobbler”, as she wrote the heading to a book she hoped to write to honor her mothers father.  They traveled in a covered wagon from Ohio to Missouri in 1850 to Platte County MO.  Children were born around Platte City and Camden Point.  Wm Woods was against slavery and a shot was fired over his bed and in 1859 they family crossed the cold Missouri River to Kansas.  His wife, caught pneumonia and died later in that year and she was buried on a hill in Easton KS.  According  Aunt Mary, the oldest son, Henry left to go back to  the east, to Illinois.  Father William Woods took the youngest 7 children back across the river in the spring, heading first to Clinton IA where they spent the summer of 1860 before reuniting with Henry in Clinton Illinois. Clinton in DeWitt Co Illinois, was the location of one of the Lincoln Douglas Debates -  They missed the Lincoln Douglas debates in Clinton, being a year and two late!

"By Thomas F. Schwartz
Undoubtedly the most famous utterance ever attributed to Lincoln is, “You can fool all
the people some of the time and some  of the people all the time, but you cannot
fool all the people all the time.” Early recollections place the saying in
an 1858 speech Lincoln delivered in Clinton, Illinois. The first appeared in
1904 by E. E. Pierson, who remembered Lewis Campbell, a respected citizen
of DeWitt County, telling him of the 1858 speeches that Lincoln and Douglas delivered in Clinton. According to Campbell, Lincoln said, “Judge Douglas cannot fool the people: you may fool people for a time; you can fool a part of the people all the time; but you can’t fool all the people all the time.”1 The following year, the Chicago Tribune and the Brooklyn Eagle undertook
investigations in an attempt to solve the mystery. Many remembered Lincoln speaking in Clinton but fewer remember his exact words with only a handful indicating that Lincoln uttered something about fooling people. The findings of these newspaper investigations became part of a 1905 revised
and expanded edition of Lincoln’s writings originally edited and compiled by John Nicolay and John Hay. A footnote for the Clinton speech entry reads: “The question has been widely discussed and still remains unsettled as to whether Lincoln originated the memorable epigram: ‘You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.’ In 1905 the Chicago ‘Tribune’ and the Brooklyn ‘Eagle’ combined efforts in
an endeavor to solve the enigma for all time. After investigation several witnesses
were found, notably Lewis Campbell of DeWitt County, Ill.; J. J. Robinson of Lincoln, Ill.; and J. L.
Hill of Fletcher, O., who agreed that Lincoln had expressed the sentiment, if not the exact words generally quoted. It is supposed that he used the phrase in the above speech while addressing
the people of Clinton, though the ‘Pantagraph’ fails to cite it. Naturally, the newspaper reports in those days were never complete, and the editor on this particular occasion even apologizes
for his lack of space to give the entire report of this speech.”2 Nicolay and Hay remained suspicious of recollected words. Since Nicolay died in 1901 and Hay on July 1, 1905, the inclusion of the note was undertaken by the editor of the revised edition, not Nicolay and Hay. The editor also assigned the incorrect date of September 8, 1858, to the speech. "For the People, A Newsletter of the Abraham Lincoln Association Vol 5 Number 4 Winter 2003, Springfield IL http://abrahamlincolnassociation.org/Newsletters/5-4.pdf


Above  is the map I referred to of the Underground Railroad - note both by land and by sea, to Canada.

Miami - History of a people in Ohio and the names that remain -Myaamia, Miami, Maumee, Miamis-burg - Eicher Weaver relatives in the area history.

 

Weaver ancestral farm CA 1911 rural Miamisburg Montgomery Co, Miami Twp, 110 acres homesteaded by Phillip Weaver, here front with with Noah Weaver, Hattie holding her grandson, Paul Henry Weaver, Noah Elwood Weaver 

back row, two farm labor homestead workers, William Weaver and Edna Eicher Weaver. This farm stead is up bindery hill a 1/2 mile or so from the Miami River on Co 725, today a paved road.

 My hankashi "sister" Jane Newell, today is driving to the east, to Ohio and Miami University in Oxford Ohio , as a door opened for her to teach and use her skills as a teacher, facilitator, for social understanding, as a visiting professor.  Mari Harris and I drove to West St Paul for a breakfast with Jane and Don Roden, as they prepared to drive east with a full trailer and Jeep.   My Weaver, Eicher, Brandt, Paul, Lender, Bolender, German, ancestors settled in the Greater Miami River Valley, in the south of what the white people called the State of Ohio, founded in 1803 - from Wiki "The name Ohio originates from the Iroquois Indian word for "good river." This Indian name was later translated by the French as La Belle Riviere (the Beautiful River). Ohio is the 17th state admitted to the Union March 1, 1803."  As a man interested in history, and who finds connections in the spirit of "Mitakuye Oyasin" comforting, and evocative of the living spirits of the land today,  I am creating this as an overview of weaving further stories to support life and joy, sunshine too, into the 21st Century.

As I young boy, I visited my grandparents, Noah Elwood and Virginia Magee Weaver in West Carrollton Ohio in the 50's and 60's, which is right on the Greater Miami, and they would take me to Miamisburg Mound  and to the Hill Grove Cemetery in the village of Miamisburg nearby.  Also trips to Ft Ancient above the little Miami River was a big treat.  Also, the name of Maumee, the River in the north of Ohio, that the Blanchard River in Findlay, my mom's home town, is derived from the name for the people, the Miami.  Like most people of color in the early history of white "America" on Turtle Is, the politicians had some control issue, around who "owns the land and the stories" back in those days of the post revolution , like in 1785 when the Northwest Ordinance was drafted and the continuing idea the the indigenous people of Turtle Island were different and savages somehow.

Looking to understand :

Interesting from a perspective of what is an "official" political map, here in 1804, that the state of ohio covers a lot of river networks, draining to the south into the Ohio River,La Belle Riviere (the Beautiful River) back then the Good river was the major route of transportation to enter the new lands from the east.And "Indian Lands" in the northwest of the political map with "ownership' etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_people

--> The name Miami derives from Myaamia (plural Myaamiaki), the tribe's autonym (name for themselves) in their Algonquian language of Miami-Illinois. This appears to have been derived from an older term meaning "downstream people." Some scholars contended the Miami called themselves the Twightwee (also spelled Twatwa), supposedly an onomatopoeic reference to their sacred bird, the sandhill crane. Recent studies have shown that Twightwee derives from the Delaware language exonym for the Miamis, tuwéhtuwe, a name of unknown etymology.^[2] Some Miami have stated that this was only a name used by other tribes for the Miami, and not their autonym. They also called themselves Mihtohseeniaki (the people). The Miami continue to use this autonym today.
And whole history of Wars and conflict promoted it seems by the dominator culture...

http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Miami_Indians?rec=606

--> Portrait of Mi-A-Qu-A, a Miami chief.
-->

Little Turtle was a great leader of the Miamis, with affiliations to the Eel River tribe. He helped to lead a force of Miami and other American Indians to victory over two United States armies. They defeated the army of General Josiah Harmar in 1790 (Harmar's Defeat) and the army of General Arthur St. Clair in 1791 (St. Clair's Defeat).

General Anthony Wayne defeated the Miamis and other American Indians with Ohio lands at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. The Miamis, along with other American Indians living in Ohio, were forced to surrender most of their Ohio lands with the signing of the Treaty of Greeneville. In 1818, the United States forced the Miami to give up their last reservation in Ohio. Many of the displaced Ohio Miami settled in Indiana, but, once more, the U.S. federal government removed some of them to Kansas during the 1850s, while others were permitted to remain in Indiana.

Descendents of the Ohio Miami are members of the federally-recognized Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, and of the unrecognized Miami Nation of Indiana"

Interesting that most indigenous people I know, are interested more in character and life and connection, that owning land and conquests and living in peace.   

Here are some of the images and stories from my recent ancestors, and  I am most grateful for the spirit catching abilities of photographer, Noah Elwood Weaver, my grandpa born and raised in Miami of Ohio Lands 

Edna Eicher Weaver, with young son, Paul Henry Weaver  strolling up the hill to the Weaver farm from Miamisburg  "The Burg" to the mostly German immigrants that took over the Miami Indian land that the US government promoted.  My Weaver ancestor Jacob Weaver with son Philip got land for his service in the Pennsylvania Militia during the Revolutionary War of 1776 -

 



 
1913 temporary bridge over the Greater Miami River during the great flood,  by NEWeaver - Looking west toward the Weaver family farm

 
Miamisburg 827 E Central Ave, Ethyl Elizabeth "Betty" Eicher in front of the family home. CA 1917 as she was born in 1913, the year of the big flood.  

Betty Eicher as a young girl in front of the same home.

1939 when Betty Eicher graduated from USU with her BA in Liberal Arts.  Miamisburg home.

 
1937 Steps up Miamisburg Mound by NEW in Album 1932-37 Album archived with Wright State University Archives. Noah Elwood Weaver collection. 

 

1952 Ft Ancient picnic bench.  Esther Eicher, Noah Elwood Weaver and left,  Tom Weaver, Paul H Weaver Peg Weaver on right.. 

Paul Henry Weaver and Virginia Magee Weaver 1957 Miamisburg Mound?  By NEW

1973 Yellow Springs in Yellow Springs Ohio, Paul H Weaver (age 63)

1984  Hill Grove Cemetery, Miamisburg OH, Tom Weaver at his great grand father and great grandmother's marker, Henry Eicher and Helena Paul Eicher, photo by William H Eicher.

 
1984 Kettering Ohio, Tom Weaver , Nate Weaver and Bill William H Eicher .
 
1985 Florida Tom Weaver with Betty Eicher, photo by Bill Eicher, Betty's brother Nokomis FL.