Ohio Village Soldiers’ Aid Fair

The Ohio Civil War 150 Advisory Committee invites you to participate in a reconstruction of 1864 history. In keeping with our theme of “The Home Front,” the Ohio Historical Society is planning an “Ohio Village Soldiers’ Aid Fair: A Civil War Sanitary Fair” at the Ohio Village on Memorial Day weekend, May 24-25 2014. There will be a period-correct fair in the Village itself, and inside the Historical Center will be a place for counties, regions, historical societies, Civil War Roundtables, and others, to “show their stuff.”

The 1860s Sanitary Fairs, sponsored by the United States Sanitary Commission, collected money and goods for the troops in the field, the hospitals, and the Soldiers’ Home in Cincinnati. Two Sanitary Fairs were held in Ohio: at Cincinnati in December 1863-January 1864, and in Cleveland from February-March 1864. Booths from church groups, Soldiers Aid Societies, Union Clubs, and school groups featured handmade items, clothing, toys, floral arrangements, and more. Some were intended for display only, some for sale or raffle, with the money going toward relieving the wants and sufferings of the soldiers, and to cause them to feel that their sacrifices and labors were appreciated, and to let them know they were still within the circle of home affection and sympathies.

How can you participate? If your society or group has any or all of the following:

• A Civil War era relic, letter, photograph, etc.
• A tabletop display about your county, society, or group:
• A representative sample of handwork, such as quilting or embroidery
• A display of Civil War flag preservation or fund raising for a monument
• Anything about your non-profit group that will reach a great many people

There will be no charge for a display table unless your group is selling items, in which case the Ohio Historical Society must charge a vending fee. These displays will be indoors, therefore protected from weather and locked up at night.

The general theme for this re-imagined Sanitary Fair is Ohio: The Home Front, which can include such [subtexts] as “Greene County in the Civil War” or “Presbyterians of Jefferson County” or “Oberlin Students in Wartime” – the field is open. Let’s represent all sections of our great state and show the world that we treasure our history, and that we commemorate Ohio’s key role on not only the battlefields, but also at home! If you would like to participate, please contact Amy Rohmiller at arohmiller@ohiohistory.org or 614-297-2609.