O. B. Workman collection

Collection – Multiple Containers

Identifier: MS-0019

Staff Only

Collection Overview

Abstract

The O. B. Workman papers consist primarily of materials dating from the 1890s to the early 1970s collected in conjunction with the Black Swamp Museum and the Paulding County Sesquicentennial.

Dates

Creation: 1878-1970, undated

Extent

1.38 Cubic Feet (3 legal archive boxes)

Creator

Workman, O. B. (Orin Bernard), 1908-1971 (Collector, Person)

Scope and Contents

The O. B. Workman papers consist primarily of materials dating from the 1960s and early 1970s collected in conjunction with the Black Swamp Museum and the Paulding County Sesquicentennial.

The bulk of the manuscript material is made up of topical papers sent to Workman for the Sesquicentennial, with a few items from the collections of the Black Swamp Museum in Paulding. Also included is a 1970 inventory of the holdings of the Museum.

The strength of the collection is in the non-print materials, the photographs and sound recording tapes. The photographs include a great number of original prints, many taken between 1890 and 1910, depicting the agricultural, industrial, and small town life of the Paulding County area. Notable among these images are pictures of tile kilns, timber industry, and the Miami Erie Canal around the Melrose, Ohio aqueduct. The recordings, made in 1969 and 1970 in conjunction with the Paulding County Sesquicentennial, include interviews with long-time county residents about rural life, industry, and social life of the Black Swamp region.

Biographical / Historical

O. B. (Orin Bernard) Workman was born on October 29, 1908 in Melrose, Ohio, son of Orin and Rosa (Fisher) Workman. He worked in construction in the Paulding county area after World War II, and was the president of O. B. Workman, Inc. As founder and president of the Black Swamp Historical Museum in Paulding, Ohio, he was active in local historical activities, particularly the Paulding County Sesquicentennial in 1970. He died December 9, 1971 after a fall while working at a construction site.

Conditions Governing Access

No known access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers using this collection assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright, and are responsible for securing permissions necessary for publication or reproduction.