MS-260
The John T. Carpenter Scrapbook Collection
INTRODUCTION
The John T. Carpenter Scrapbook Collection was accessioned into the Piqua Public Library in 2016 as a part of a larger donation by the estate of John T. and Clarice C. Carpenter. The full donation contained books of genealogy of the Booher Family, Eidemiller Family, Carpenter Family, Francis Family and Vogel Family. These are cataloged and are on the Local History Room shelves under the call number LH 929.2.
The Carpenter Scrapbook Collection is housed in two Gaylord 1215 boxes containing 12 scrapbooks and 7 file folders. The ownership of this collection has been transferred to the Piqua Public Library Archives and Special Collection and there are no known restrictions on the use of these materials. The collection was processed into the archives in September 2017 by Gary D. Meek.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The John T. Carpenter Scrapbook Collection has been divided into the following two series:
SERIES I: Scrapbooks – Box 1, Book 1 through Box 2, Book 12
SERIES II: Miscellaneous – Box 2, Files 1-7
CONTAINER LIST
BOX 1
SERIES I: Scrapbooks
Book
1 Houston High School Class of 1940 – This scrapbook contains class photographs beginning with the First and Second Grade in 1928 and continuing through the Senior class photo in 1940 and reunion photos from the 25th, 50th, 55th, 60th, 65th and 70th class reunions. It also contains sports photos of basketball teams 1937-38 and 1939-40. Finally, the book contains obituaries and other newspaper articles of class members.
2 Canals of Ohio – This scrapbook begins with a two part article by Marilyn G. Hood of the Ohio Historical Society entitled “Ohio Canals 1825-1913.” The scrapbook contains a 27 page booklet, The Ohio and Erie Canal: from Lockbourne to Carroll and The Columbus Feeder Canal, published in 1974 by The Canal Society of Ohio. However, the majority of the scrapbook photos and articles are on the Miami and Erie Canal with special emphasis on the Piqua experience and the area around the Johnston Farm.
3 City of Piqua, Ohio – This scrapbook contains 14 double sided pages and approximately 70 photographs of buildings in Piqua. The last pages contain eleven photographs of the 2003 statues on the sidewalks of Troy, Ohio. The photographs were generally taken by John Carpenter.
4 Route 66 “Nostalgic Trek” – This scrapbook contains maps, photos and a journal written by Clarice Carpenter of three week trip out west to Tucson, Arizona and then north through Utah, Idaho and Wyoming and then home. The John and Clarice Carpenter took this trip in June 1998.
5 Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865 – This scrapbook contains numerous newspaper articles, newspaper photographs, post cards and other items pertaining to the life, presidency, assassination, death and burial of President Abraham Lincoln. Also included are Lincoln postage stamps dating from 1894 to 1995.
6 USS Halford – DD 480 – This scrapbook contains pictures and articles pertaining to the World War II actions of the destroyer USS Halford – DD 480. The scrapbook also contains DVD’s of John Carpenter’s trip to Washington, D. C. as part of Mission: Veterans to D.C. to view the World War II memorial. Contained in this book is an eleven page account plus newspaper articles of the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
7 Air-Sea Battle Costly to Japs Off the Philippines – This scrapbook contains newspaper articles and other accounts of the actions of the USS Halford – DD 480 in the Solomon Islands, in waters off the coast of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, in the invasion of Guam and Siapan, in the Battle of Leyte Gulf and Surigao Strait and in actions with the Northern Pacific Task Force under the command of Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher. Included in this book are copies of photographs of the men of the USS Halford including John T. Carpenter. The Halford was initially designed to carry a catapult launch scout plane, one of seven Fletcher Class destroyers so designed. This was found not to be workable and the scout planes were removed and more guns added to increase their firepower. There is an article about the experiment in this book. There is a copy of a Navy Pay Receipt dated August 1, 1945 signed by WT 3/c John Thomas Carpenter in the book. Finally there are documents relating to the U.S.S. Halford Association ship’s crew reunion in San Antonio, Texas May 6-9, 2002.
8 Antiques: Information and Miscellaneous – This book contains photographs and articles relating to the classification and pricing of antiques. Topics included are: Stanley tools, Dates on furniture periods, Tiffany information, Cornish Ware, Mason’s Ironstone, Cut Glass, Moorcroft Pottery, American Linoges Pottery, Owens Pottery, Schlegelmilch Porcelain, Chintz Ceramics, Pickard China, 1930’s Dutch Pewter, 50’s Silver, Roseville & Weller Pottery, Steam Toys, Book Ends and Antique Signatures.
9 Old Cars – This is an album of photographs taken by John T. Carpenter of antique cars, which were taken in a variety of places including Piqua, Shelby County, at an auction in Phoenix, Arizona, in Hawaii and in Van Horn, Texas.
10 Welcome to Ohio, “Land of Yellow Barrels” – the subtitle is “A state where every Highway eventually narrows to a single lane, or detours, or worse!” This book contains a miscellany of information including: hand drawn directions to the Carpenter home in Piqua, inventions, the history of “Taps”, Civil War timeline, how tombstones originated, 1926 EN-AR-CO Motor Oil automobile and tractor lubrication charts, a guide for dating through Patent Numbers, a ten page article reprinted from Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage (April 2002) entitled “The Froschauer Bibles and their Significance for the Anabaptist Movement” and other miscellaneous items which John Carpenter labeled “My Junk.”
11 History – Current – Educational and Miscellaneous News Article - This is a large 12 ½” x 14 ½” x 1” scrap book. This is a collection of articles about Piqua, Miami County, Shelby County including persons, buildings and events which were of interest to John T. Carpenter.
BOX 2
Book
12 In Memory Of Juanita Gilberta (Brown) Volker – This is a funeral memory book for Juanita (Brown) Volker containing the funeral information , photographs of Juanita, her parents and other family members and an old photograph of Juanita’s grandparents, Mr. & Mrs. Lewis Brown.
SERIES II: Miscellaneous
File
1 The Chief, 1929 – The 1929 Greenville High School Yearbook that belonged to Juanita Brown who was a senior and graduate in 1929.
2 Materials and photos found inside Juanita Brown’s 1929 Greenville High School Yearbook:
[1] photograph of Juanita Brown – c. 1930
[2] photograph of Juanita and her mother Margaret (Mary) – c. 1930
[3] photograph of Harold L. Brown (brother of Juanita) and his wife Dortha M. (Dorothy) Brown.
[4] photograph of John Wesley Brown (father), Margaret Eibe Brown (mother) and Dorothy Brown (wife of Harold).
[5] A list of individuals attending the Greenville High School Class of 1929 – 45th Reunion held August 4, 1974.
[6] Program booklet for the 50th Anniversary of the Greenville High School Class of 1929.
[7] Certificate given to those attending the 50th Anniversary reunion.
[8] Program booklet for the 55th Anniversary reunion of the Class of 1929
[9] A funny get well card sent to Juanita by Dick and Jean – apparently Juanita had gone through hip replacement surgery.
3 County Road Maps (Around Shelby County) including the following:
[1] Maps for the following counties: Auglaize, Champaign, Clark, Darke, Logan, Mercer, Miami and Shelby Counties.
[2] Maps of the following Shelby County townships: Green, Loramie, McLean, Orange townships.
[3] A Miami County 1976 Plat Book
[4] A 1986 Shelby County Plat Directory
[5] 2000 Census records for the following Shelby County townships: Green, Loramie, McLean, Orange, Perry, Turtle Creek and Van Buren townships.
4 Clarice Carpenter attended Heidelberg College – in this folder are materials from the 40th Reunion of the Class of 1942; Alumni Day 1992 in which the Class of 1942 celebrated its 50th Reunion; Alumni Day 1997, the 55th Reunion of the Class of 1942. There is also a Heidelberg College marketing brochure.
5 Letter head stationery for Carpenter Construction Co., 7720 N. Village Avenue, Tucson, Arizona, John Carpenter and Howard Denman.
6 A five sheet, pasted together, computer generated family tree of John Thomas Carpenter and his sisters, Alberta June Carpenter and Mary Margaret Carpenter
7 A copy of a three sheet, pasted together, panoramic photo of a 1924 or 1925 Carpenter family reunion. Some of the individuals are identified.