Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center

George Held, Sr. Family

LH-351

Introduction

Biography Sketch

Scope and Content

Inventory

Introduction

This collection was donated to the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center by Michael and Gloria Picciuto, Fremont, Ohio.

Biographical Sketch

Mr. George Held, Sr. was born in Canton, Ohio, June 2, 1838, youngest son of George and Mary Ann Held. His father was a native of France and a teacher in the Canton, Ohio schools. As a boy, George had a great love for music. His father gave him the best musical education possible as well as an extensive education in English, German and French. At the age of 12, George became the first organist of St. John’s Catholic Church at Canton. He attended St. John’s College in Cleveland, Ohio, finishing his musical education in preparation for a teaching career. In 1856 George Held, Sr. had charge of the parochial school of St. Francis De Sales Church in Toledo. He also served as the church organist. After teaching there for several years he moved to Indiana, where he taught school until 1860. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, he returned to his home in Canton. There he met Rev. George Peter, assistant to Rev. Father Malone of St. Joseph’s Church in Fremont, Ohio. Peter encouraged Held to move to Fremont. Beginning in 1861, Mr. Held taught school, played the church organ and directed the choir under Father Mose at Fremont’s St. Joseph’s. . He remained at St. Joseph’s for many years. Later, Held went to Fremont’s St. Ann’s Church and assumed the position of organist, where he remained until he resigned in his 80^th year. Mr. Held also taught German in the Fremont Public School as early as 1869. Mr. Held became a charter member of the old city band of Fremont, where he continued for 12 years. In 1879 he became a member of the famous Light Guard Band, and remained with the organization for 34 years, playing the bass horn and oboe. Held taught piano to hundreds of Fremont residents. In 1863, he married Miss Cecelia Weber of Fremont. Mr. & Mrs. Held were the parents of eight children: Charles, Fred, George, Jr., Mrs. Josephine Tischler, Louis, Mrs. Virginia Buchman, Theodore. and Mathias. Mathias preceded him in death. Held was the grandfather of eleven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. In 1913, Mr. & Mrs. Held celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Cecelia Held died in 1918. Twelve years later, George Held passed away one day prior to his 93^rd birthday.

Scope and Content

This collection spans the years from 1865 to 1950 and contains primarily identified photographs, documents, memorabilia, and some miscellaneous correspondence of the George Held, Sr. family. The scrapbook also contains identified family photographs and three letters written by George Held, Sr. to his son George Held, Jr. during George Jr.’s service as a musician with the Ohio National Guard at Camp Bushnell in 1898. In addition to photographs contained in this collection, a number of identified photographs were transferred to the Portrait File. The photographs are listed by name at the conclusion of the inventory.

Inventory

Ac. 5708

1/3 linear ft.

1. HELD FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS

George Held, Sr. (corner of Garrison St. & Lincoln St., Fremont, Ohio)

George Held, Cora & Mayme

Mamie [?]

George Held, Sr. & unidentified woman

Members of the George Held, Sr. Family

“Dad, Aunt Laura, Mother, Phene, Virgie” (“seeing Phene off to Oklahoma”)

Held Family

George Held, Sr., Cecelia Held, unidentified woman

Cecelia Held

George Held, Jr.

House of Mr. & Mrs. George Held, Jr. (1412 Croghan St., Fremont, Ohio)

“Mother, Dad, Dora and I” (new front porch, Feb. 22, 1915

Josephine Held

M. Josephine Held Tischler (baby pictures)

Frank Tischler

Theodore Held

Mr. & Mrs. Theodore Held with children & relatives (25^th wedding anniversary)

Virgie Held (graduation picture)

Virgie Held & unidentified woman

Virgie Held

Mathias Held, funeral floral arrangement

Mat[hias?] Held, glass plate negative [transferred to Grob Negative Collection: #8411]

Aunt Lizzie & Stella (at Grandfather & Grandmother Held graves in Canton, Ohio)

Carrie Held & Harold (son)

Harold Held

2. LIGHT GUARD BAND, 16^th REGIMENT, COLUMBUS, OH PHOTOGRAPHS

George Held, Jr. – National Guard Band, 16^th Regiment, Columbus, OH

George Held, Jr. – Nation Guard Band, 16^th Regiment, Columbus, OH

National Guard, 16^th Regiment

Unidentified men marching

Band

3. MISCELLANEOUS PHOTOGRAPHS

General James B. McPherson Monument, McPherson Cemetery, Clyde, Ohio (cyanotype)

Fremont City Hall, Fremont, Ohio (cyanotype)

Unidentified drive and stagecoach (cyanotype)

Unidentified photograph of floral funeral arrangement

Unidentified photograph of floral funeral arrangement and portrait

4. INCOMING CORRESPONDENCE

Aug. 10, 1912, Toledo, OH

Dec. 21, 1925

July 23, 1926, Oslo, Norway

Dec. 20, 1929, Fremont, to Mrs. Josephine Tischler (envelope)

Sept. 23, 1950, Chicago

1950, Chicago

n.d. Christmas greeting card

n.d. Happy New Years greeting card

n.d. Postcard

5. HELD FAMILY DOCUMENTS

Promissory note signed by Geo Held, Jr.

Marriage certificate of George Held, Jr. & Mary Miesle, Feb. 1907

Last Will & Testament of Cecelia Held, Fremont, Ohio

Oakwood Cemetery certificate of ownership, Jan. 22, 1907

Confirmation documents

6.FAMLIY MEMORABILIA

Invitation to Centennial Celebration of the Defense of Fort Stephenson, Aug. 12, 1913 (booklet)

Leap Year Ball, Feb. 24, 1892, Dance card

Postcard, WGN Studios, Chicago

Light Guard Band, card

Grand Tournament Concert Ticket, June 11, 1867

Light Guard Band, Membership card, 1873

Funeral Card, Cecilia Weber, Died June 2, 1891

Funeral Card, Michael Stull, Died Oct. 17, 1896

School Composition Book, Miss Virgie Held, 1898-1900

Autograph Book, Miss Josephine Held, 1888

7. FAMILY MEMORABILIA

Beauty Forms, 1898-99, Virgie Held

Composition Book, Virgie Held

Book cover (no pages or back cover)

8. SCRAPBOOK

Newspaper articles and family obituaries

Three letters from George Held, Sr. to George Held, Jr. stationed with Ohio National Guard at Camp Bushnell, dtd. 1898

PHOTOGRAPHS TRANSFERRED TO THE PORTRAIT FILE [prior to accession of this collection]

Mrs. Buchman

Rutherford B. Hayes

Cecelia Held

George Held

Theodore Held

Josephine Held Tischler

Mathias Weber [tintype, in Civil War uniform, n.d.]