Article by John Zimkus, WCHS Historian/Education Director and Historian of The Golden Lamb (The first half of this article was featured in the Issue 11. November, 2023 Medallion Newsletter. The continuation can be found below the images below.) On December 23, 2023, The Golden Lamb Restaurant & Hotel, in Lebanon, “Ohio oldest continually operated business” will be celebrating its 220th birthday. Two centuries and a score years earlier, Jonas Seaman, who originally hailed from Hopewell, New Jersey, walked across the once muddy, and now frozen street of Broadway in the newly platted Lebanon to go one block north to what would soon be his competition, The Black Horse Tavern. This log cabin tavern, whose name now graces The Golden Lamb's bar, was serving a dual purpose in 1803. Besides being a place local settlers could get some libation and the latest news, The Black Horse Tavern was also functioning as Warren County's first courthouse. Like in the old western movies many of us grew up watching as children, here they would close the bar and hold court. On Friday, December 23, 1803, Warren County clerk of courts recorded, "Court Grants License to Jonas Seaman to keep the house of public Entertainment in the house he now occupies in the South of Lebanon at the rate of four Dollars." Although the phrase “house of public entertainment” may sound provocative, it simply means that Seaman was going to open up a “public house” or a “pub”. Being in the south of Lebanon is worth noting because at the time Lebanon was only three blocks going north and south, and Seaman’s cabin was in the southern part of the middle block. Had his home/establishment been located three or four doors to the north, I'm sure it would be considered in the north of Lebanon. The four dollars Jonas Seaman spent for his license would have a buying power of about $80 today. As time progressed, so did Seaman’s tavern. In 1815, his log structure was replaced by a two-story brick building, what is now covered by The Golden Lamb's two-story porch. In 1844, a third story was added. A three-story addition was made to the “hotel” to the north in 1854. 1878 saw a fourth story added to the entire structure. The new Black Horse Tavern was constructed in 1964, and the very popular Golden Lamb veranda in 2019. Since 1926, when Bob Jones began to manage “The Hotel,” and shortly thereafter own it, The Golden Lamb’s reputation began to skyrocket, and it continues today. The Golden Lamb has recently been declared the “most iconic restaurant” and the “most famous restaurant” in Ohio. Almost 50 years ago, however, The Golden Lamb was part of a celebration of something else that was reaching a 200 year milestone — the United States of America. The man who is considered by many, including myself, of being the greatest wordsmith in television journalism in the 20th century, visited The Golden Lamb. His name was Charles Kuralt. Kuralt and his CBS News crew visited Lebanon, Ohio in early November 1975. He was famous for his “On the Road” segments appeared weekly on “The CBS Evening New,” which was hosted by, according to multiple polls in the 1960s and 70s, by the “most trusted man in America” - Walter Cronkite. On the Friday, November 14, 1975 edition of the “The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite”, Cronkite introduced the last segment of that evening’s news by stating, “When Sherwood Anderson created the fictional Winesburg, Ohio he used a hotel, the new Willard House, as a focal point of his stories about the everyday people of his native state. When Charles Kuralt went “On the Road” in 1976 to paint his Bicentennial Portrait of Ohio, he too found a hotel rich with stories.” Charles Kuralt then said, “Start the music box in the lobby of The Golden Lamb and think about Ohio’s past. No place evokes that past so well, at least for me, as this old hotel in this old town –– The Golden Lamb at the crossroads in Lebanon.
If you took a stagecoach north from Cincinnati, Lebanon’s the town you’d get to just at dark. That’s why Henry Clay stopped at The Golden Lamb so often on his way from Kentucky to Washington during those years when he was trying to find a compromise that would prevent the Civil War. A canal used to lead to Lebanon also. That’s what brought Dewitt Clinton, the statesman and philanthropist, in 1825, to help plan the canals that would lead to Lake Erie and the Atlantic, and end Ohio’s isolation from the world. Mark Twain came by train, and he too climbed the hill to find a warm toddy and soft pillow at the old inn that stood, and stands, a block from the train station. ‘Home, Sweet Home’ is the tune the music box plays. And The Golden Lamb has been that to travelers every day, and every night, since it opened in 1815, a dozen years after Ohio became the first state to be carved out of the Northwest Territory. It was already a 60-year-old inn when Lebanon celebrated the nation’s centennial, 100 years ago. The local weekly, The Western Star, reported that The Golden Lamb was the center of all the fireworks, and hangovers, of the celebration. If only a man could have lived long enough, . . . he could have sat here, in the front room of The Golden Lamb, and glanced up, once in a while, and watched the whole history of Ohio pass by these windows. The boys marching past on their way home after helping Commodore Perry lick the British up to Lake Erie. The boys assembling in the side-yard on their way to help General Grant lick the Confederates. Here, people from a small Ohio town sat... and rocked,.. and talked about events of the world. ‘Look here. Did you see Napoleon got wiped at Waterloo?’ ‘Pass the rolls, please, George.’ ‘What do you think of Hayes’ chance against Tilden?’ And, in time, the world came calling. Charles Dickens dropped by on his grumpy tour around America in 1842. He pronounced The Golden Lamb’s coffee detestable... and its tea worse... and he ordered a brandy. But this was a temperance house back then, and the innkeeper of the time, Calvin Bradley, informed him that liquor wasn’t served. The great novelist was appalled, and when he wrote about the incident later he suggested that abstentious innkeepers, like Mr. Bradley, should totally abstain... from inn keeping! Washington never slept here, but John Quincy Adams did; Martin Van Buren did; and all eight of Ohio‘s presidents –– Both Harrisons; Grant; Hayes; Garfield; McKinley; Taft; Harding. The old hotel just waited patiently at the crossroads of this quiet village, and the busy world came to it. ‘Home, Sweet Home.’ All those Ohio presidents are gone now. Henry Clay and Charles Dickens have been in their graves for 100 years and more, but the inn, where they stopped for the night remains. The story doesn’t end. The shutters are still open, and Ohio’s history is still passing on the stagecoach road outside. Charles Kuralt, CBS News, ‘On the Road to ‘76’ in Ohio.” To paraphrase the way Walter Cronkite signed off each one of his “CBS Evening News” broadcasts, “And that's the way it is,” was, and continues to be at the historic Golden Lamb in Lebanon, Ohio.
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The Greater Loveland Historical Society's mission is "to collect, preserve and display historical information pertinent to the Greater Loveland, Ohio area, be regarded as a local authority on historical designation, serve as curator of locally significant art, and foster within our community an appreciation and curiosity regarding our area's past." "Through a combination of permanent exhibits, special presentations, and educational facilities," the Greater Loveland Historical Society "encourages guests to step back in time, discover the lives of Ohio's pioneers, explore Victorian-era comfort, and learn about the changes that time, innovation, and the industrial revolution brought to this early suburb and rural escape." The museum is open: March-December
Affiliate Member: Elizabeth Harvey Free Black School / Harveysburg Community Historical Society11/18/2023 Established in 1831 in Harveysburg, the Elizabeth Harvey Free Black School was the first free school for African American children in Ohio. In 1976, the Harveysburg Bicentennial Committee acquired the building and restored it. The building is now the home of the Harveysburg Community Historical Society and their community museum. Since its establishment in January of 1979, the Mason Historical Society has worked hard to preserve and share the humble beginnings of Mason, Ohio. Starting with only 26 members, the Mason Historical Society has grown tremendously and now takes pride in its treasure, the Alverta Green Museum. The Victorian house built in 1890 was deeded to the Society in January 1987 by Alverta Green, a longtime Mason resident and local antique dealer, just a few months before she died. The museum showcases various artifacts from Mason's great history, taking viewers on a journey back in time. Members and volunteers of the Society dedicate their time to preserve the 200 year history and heritage of Mason, and at the same time create and promote new interest in that history and heritage. - photo and biography courtesy of the Mason Historical Society Website We wish to acknowledge our new Affiliate Members! We'll be featuring each of these fantastic museums in the coming weeks!
Elizabeth Harvey Free Black School / Harveysburg Community Historical Society Alverta Green Mason Historical Society The Greater Loveland Historical Society We wish to announce the establishment of The Elva Robinson Adams Educational Fund. This was made possible by a generous donation from her family. Elva Adams (pictured, left) served as Director of WCHS and was a noted author, educator and historian. This significant fund is to support learning about the art, history, and culture of Warren County. It will help educate teachers and students about the diverse collections here at the Harmon Museum. We are sincerely grateful to Dr. Jennifer Adams in guiding this initiative. The first of these initiatives is the MUSEUM AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, a 7 month professional learning experience that aims to equip educators with the skills and knowledge to effectively integrate primary sources into their classroom curriculum across various subjects. Through monthly, in-person meetings, and engaging online workshops using protocols from Smithsonian and Harvard’s Project Zero, teachers will dive deep into the treasures at the Harmon Museum to develop tools that will enhance instruction. MAP teachers receive a stipend and meet THIRD SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH FROM 10:30-12, NOVEMBER-MAY. The second initiative, HARMON ARTS, is a monthly arts-integration program for children ages 5-14, offered on the THIRD SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH FROM 1-2:30pm, OCTOBER -MAY. Children will create an object inspired by works in the museum collection, listen to a story read aloud, enjoy a guided visit to the galleries, and learn from museum experts. Art works made by students will be displayed at the museum for public view. Harmon Arts is for children ages 4-12. These programs are supported in part by the ELVA ROBINSON ADAMS fund. The mission of this fund is to support programs and initiatives grounded in principles of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. Written by K. B. Niehoff. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: countless years of diligent work, research and documentation performed by dedicated professionals, volunteers and tribal partners has yielded a positive outcome. On September 19, 2023, at their annual meeting, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee through the inscription process has placed the Ohio Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks on the UNESCO World Heritage list of World Cultural Sites considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5243/ The Fort Ancient hilltop enclosure three-and-a-half miles of sinuous earthen embankments are accompanied by a continuous necklace of clay-lined ponds. The enclosure has 67 gateways, a few of which must have been more important than others such as the northeastern entrance that is framed on the outside by two large, conical mounds. Within the northern enclosure, the so-called north fort, four stone-covered mounds form a perfect square. From one of these mounds there are alignments though particular gateways to important solar and lunar events.
Ohio’s Hopewell Earthworks are the pre-eminent examples, and the largest concentration in the world, of prehistoric monumental landscape architecture. They display a truly astonishing scope, beauty, and precision in form, intent, and execution. This is the 25th site in the United States. http://worldheritageohio.org/hopewell-ceremonial-earthworks/ "For me, photography is my way of creating art. Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be an ‘artist’! I started in film photography and darkrooms in high school and college and was hooked.
My darkroom now is Photoshop and I enjoy creating art by combining my photography with sometimes, extensive editing. I use all of the ‘art’ and photography skills that I learned along the way…composition, lighting, color, rules of perspective, proportion, and symmetry, and most importantly, impact to create memorable images." - Taken from an interview with tripodcamera.com Ohio's longest running antique show returns on September 9 & 10, 2023! Browse over 30 dealers for a large selection antique furniture, art, glassware and collectables. Check out this video from last year's Antique Show! John Wanat of Indianapolis has been a general line antiques dealer since 1988, specializing in Victorian era antiques and with recent changing trends he is now offering a display of Mid Century styles and collectibles. John has presented educational classes and seminars with local & national historical groups, clubs and museums. John is current promoter of the Lakeside Chautauqua Antique Show (Aug), the Lebanon Ohio Antique Show (Sept), the Maumee Ohio Historical Society Antique Show (Dec), and exhibits at various events throughout the United States. Join John when he teaches all about what to look for while shopping for antiques in his seminar, Shopping For Treasures. Michael the Archangel 1965 Robert Koepnick Plaster Maquette Gift of John Koepnick On display in Harmon Museum's Contemporary Art Gallery FUN FACT: Koepnick pioneered a new casting process for the final work. This aluminum sculpture was made for St. Michael’s Church in Houston, Texas and is over 30ft tall!
A native of Cincinnati, Angie (Tallarico) Meehan has been a life-long artist and painter. She began drawing at a very young age and pursued studies in art throughout elementary and high school, college and beyond. She has a degree in graphic design from UC’s college of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning and has studied painting with numerous accomplished contemporary artists. She is a signature member of the Woman’s Art Club of Cincinnati and associate member of Oil Painters of America (OPA). Angie’s work has been recognized and awarded throughout the years in both Club and juried shows. (bio supplied by the artist.) Connect with Angela on Facebook page. View Angela's work, and meet the artist, at the Opening Reception to her joint show with Scott Miller, Véjà Du- by Two, on August 11 at 6:30. Véjà Du- by Two will be on display at Harmon Museum July 28 - September 9. A native of Lebanon, Ohio, Scott Miller is a product innovator, artist, and photographer. He holds a master’s degree in business and a bachelor’s degree in industrial design. Many products Scott has designed can be found in your home. Marshall Miller, Scott’s father, introduced Scott to photography as a child and his interest has continued to develop. Scott enjoys photo outings with Marshall, and together they have made numerous photography excursions. Scott’s photographic subject matter is primarily landscapes. These scenes are captured from his personal journeys, with images and compositions that unravel the complex majesty of this earth that we are so blessed to inhabit. Scott also enjoys woodworking as another artistic outlet. Scott’s professional design work can be found at the following locations: • Your home, Target, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Costco, Kroger… • The Harmon Museum & Historical Society • The Cincinnati Art Museum • The Cleveland Art Museum • The Carnegie Institute of Art • The Chicago Athenaeum Museum His professional works have been honored by the following publications: • Six International “Good Design” awards • More than 100 design and mechanical patents. • Two Japan “Red Dot” awards • IDSA /Businessweek Magazine award • Fortune Magazine, Package Design Magazine, Dayton Daily News, and The Plain Dealer See more of Scotts Photography at his Online Gallery. (bio provided by the artists.) View Scott's work, and meet the artist, at the Opening Reception to his joint show with Angela Meehan, Véjà Du- by Two, on August 11 at 6:30. Véjà Du- by Two will be on display at Harmon Museum July 28 - September 9. John J. Zimkus, WCHS Historian/Education Director (featured in the July 2023 issue of the Medallion Newsletter) Mention the term “airship” and many people today may have no idea of what you are talking about. A few might know that you are referring to a dirigible, a lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power.
When you ask those familiar with the word “What was the world’s greatest airship disaster?” the vast majority of answers will probably be the horrendous explosion of the Hindenburg at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey on the evening of May 6, 1937. Out of the total number of 97 passengers and crew on board, 35 were killed along with one member of the ground crew. Anyone who has seen the famous newsreel footage of the Hindenburg going up in flames and crashing to the ground find it hard to forget. Nor can they forget radio announcer Herbert Morrison’s emotional cry of “Oh, the humanity!” as he witnessed the airship’s devastating conflagration. As memorable as the Hindenburg disaster was, it was not the world’s greatest airship disaster. That unfortunate distinction belongs to the all but forgotten US Navy airship, the USS Akron, nearly 4 years earlier. Ninety years ago, within the first hour of Tuesday morning, April 4, 1933, off the coast of New Jersey, the Akron went down into the Atlantic Ocean. It lost 73 of its 76 crew and passengers. Also perishing were two sailors who were attempting to rescue the survivors of the doomed airship. The “blimps” that can be seen flying over sporting events today are non-rigid airships. Typically the only solid parts on them are the passenger car (gondola) and the tail fins. Both the Hindenburg and the Akron were rigid airships. They had an outer structural framework that maintains the shape and carries all structural loads. The major difference between the Hindenburg and the Akron was the lifting gas. The Hindenburg used hydrogen. It has a high lifting capacity and was ready available but, as the Hindenburg proved in 1937, it is also highly flammable. The Akron used helium gas. It has almost the same lifting capacity as hydrogen and is not flammable, but is rare and relatively expensive. The Akron was the first of a class of two 6,500,000 cubic foot rigid airship built for the US Navy. Construction began in October 1929 by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Company at the Goodyear Airdock in Akron, Ohio. The USS Akron (ZRS-4) was christened on August 8, 1931, by first lady Lou Hoover, the wife of President Herbert Hoover. It was 785 feet long, about 20 feet shorter than the Hindenburg. It had a cruising speed of 55 knots (63 mph) and a maximum speed of 69 knots (79 mph). The USS Akron was a “flying aircraft carrier.” The heart of the ship, and said to be “her sole reason for existing,” was its airplane hangar and retrieval system. In May 1932, the Akron first tested its in-flight handling of the F9C Sparrowhawk, launching and capturing the small plane from its “trapeze”. This light biplane fighter was an example of a parasite fighter, a small airplane designed to be deployed from a larger aircraft such as an airship or bomber. The Akron could nominally hold five of the F9C Sparrowhawk, but practically it was limited to three. On the evening of April 3, 1933, the USS Akron departed the Lakehurst Naval Station at 7:28 p.m. on a mission to calibrate radio direction finding equipment along the coast of New England. A few hours after taking off it encountered unexpected severe weather just after crossing the east coast of New Jersey. The weather did not improve when the airship passed over Barnegat Light, New Jersey. Wind gusts of terrific force struck the airship's massive airframe. Around 12:30 a.m. on April 4, the Akron was caught by an updraft, which was followed almost immediately by a downdraft. Ultimately a violent gust tore away its lower rudder cables leaving the nose of the airship tilted upward between 12 degrees and 25 degrees. The crew was unaware of how close the tail of the airship was to the ocean surface because of its "nose up” position and the altitude indication was inaccurate. In that precarious position, and with the control gondola hundreds of feet high, her tail struck the ocean and its lower fin was torn off. The Akron then rapidly broke up and sank in the stormy Atlantic. Most of the 73 casualties met their death by drowning and hypothermia. Shockingly, the crew of the USS Akron had not been issued life jackets, and there had been no time to deploy the airship's one and only rubber life raft. The safety gear had been transferred to another airship and had not been replaced. The crash killed VIP passengers Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, Chief of the Navy’s Bureau of Aeronautics who was often referred to as the "Father of Naval Aviation"; and Commander Fred T. Berry, the commanding officer of Naval Air Station at Lakehurst and its Rigid Airship Training & Experimental Squadron. The two were aboard the flight as observers. Another passenger on the dirigible that lost his life was Lt. Col. Alfred F. Masury of the US Army Reserve. Masury was vice president and chief engineer of the Mack Truck Company and was said to be “a fan of rigid airships.” It has been speculated that the Akron’s commanding officer, Captain Frank C. McCord may have commenced and continued the flight in the bad weather “in an attempt to impress them.” Capt. McCord also perished in the crash. Losing such leading proponents of rigid airships sounded the death knell of the US Navy’s program. President Franklin D. Roosevelt commented afterward, "The loss of the Akron with its crew of gallant officers and men is a national disaster. I grieve with the Nation and especially with the wives and families of the men who were lost. Ships can be replaced, but the Nation can ill afford to lose such men as Rear Admiral William A. Moffett and his shipmates who died with him upholding to the end the finest traditions of the United States Navy.” Of the 76 passengers and crew there were only three survivors: the USS Akron’s executive officer, and second in command, Lieutenant Commander Herbert V. Wiley; Boatswain's Mate Second Class Richard E. Deal, and Aviation Metalsmith Second Class Moody E. Erwin. In July 1934, Lieutenant Commander C. E. Rosendahl, after interviewing the survivors and examining the evidence, published the article “The Loss of the Akron.” In describing what happened on the dirigible in the early minutes of April 4,1933 he wrote, “Plunging suddenly into very turbulent air, the elevator man [controlling the altitude) reported the ship falling rapidly, the bow slightly down. His altimeter read 1,100 feet, he reported. Lieutenant Commander Wiley, second in command and a veteran of scores of scenes aloft in thousands of flying hours, jumped from his station near the directional control to the elevator man's assistance.” “The elevator man” Lt. Cdr. Herbert V. Wiley assisted was my uncle - 27 year-old Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Joseph J. Zimkus. On May 22, 1933, Lt. Cdr. Wiley gave testimony before a Joint Committee of the US Senate and House of Representatives. When asked who was in the control car of the USS Akron on that fateful morning of April 4, he answered, “Captain McCord, myself, officer of the deck, Lieutenant Redfield, elevator men Swidersky and Zimkus; and . . . the rudder man.” He was then asked if both Swidersky and Zimkus were “experienced men?” He replied, “Yes. Swidersky was the better elevator man. He was a better elevator man than Zimkus, but Zimkus has considerable experience. He was no rookie.” He was asked to explain “What makes a good elevator man?” He responded that it was one who “could keep the altitude with less motion of the ship than another man. That is, he reacts to his observation and instruments quicker than another.” When asked if he thought “a good enlisted elevator man is just as appropriately at that elevator control as an officer?” “Better, sir.” Wiley answered. He then explained its “because he gets some experience, and the training is considerable . . . We hold schools of instruction for the men . . . and try to give them enough of the background and knowledge of these things so that they can act intelligently and know what is happening. I think all of our elevator men without question were thoroughly conversant with all those things.” “You are perfectly satisfied with the system of having an enlisted man on the elevator wheel and rudder wheel?” he was asked. “Yes, sir.” was Wiley’s reply. Shortly before the crash, the Akron was flying blind because its radio had unusually heavy static brought on by the storm. "As they passed over the coast,” Lynwood Mark Rhodes in a 1966 American Legion Magazine article wrote, “elevator man Joe Zimkus saw lights below stretching away like a gleaming necklace toward the north. The problem was to identify them. Rapid changes in course had made it difficult to get an exact position fix. Were they from Atlantic City - or Coney Island? If Coney Island, that meant the Empire State Building loomed ahead somewhere in the shapeless, churning fog.” Rhodes went on to say,“Jagged streaks of lightening crinkles the control car walls when, pitching and tossing, first up, then down, the Akron hit storm center in a few minutes later. Zimkus had had considerable experience in such storms but it took all his strength just to hold the wheel steady. Suddenly violent turbulence hit the ship. The wheel spun from his grip, out of control, its handles racing like the hands of a clock gone berserk. ‘The ship’s falling!’ Zimkus yelled. [Coxswain]Toney Swidersky, standing behind him grabs hold of one of the spokes, bracing himself as best as he could. [Lt. Cdr.] Wiley dashed from across the car to help. . .” Within minutes all were in the ocean. “Water rushed through the open port window of the control car, which was listing to starboard,” wrote John Toland in his article on the Akron in the 1961 book Early Air Pioneers; 1865-1935. “The torrent picked up Wiley and carried him out the starboard window. He felt a mass of rubberized fabric on top of him and knew that he was being dragged down with the ship. He swam under water until his lungs seemed about to burst. Then he surfaced. Lightning flashed and, in the brief glow, he saw the dirigible, her bow pointed in the air, drifting away.” At 12:55 a.m., the now unconscious Lt. Cdr. Wiley was pulled from the water. The body of Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Joseph Zimkus was never found. Soon after her loss, Navy divers located the Akron’s wreckage about a hundred feet below the ocean surface east of Atlantic City, New Jersey. In June 2002, the research submarine NR-1 revisited the airship's crash site, where much of her collapsed framework remained somewhat visible in the murky water of the Continental Shelf. My Uncle Joe was born on June 10, 1905, in Stamford, Connecticut. He was the oldest of seven children to survive to adulthood of Lithuanian and Polish immigrants, Frank and Dominica Zimkus. He was not quite 11 years old when my father, Edward W. Zimkus, was born. Eddie, as dad was called, idolized his older brother Joe. Young Joe was apparently not much of a student. An article on him in the Stamford Advocate newspaper after the Akron disaster states that Joe enlisted in the Navy in 1920 “soon after running away from Rogers school in Stamford. His stature was greater that his years, and he was accepted.” (I attended the same Rogers Junior High School as a 9th grader the school year before my family moved to Ohio in the summer of 1964.) The 1920 US Census, taken on January 20 of that year, lists Joe Zimkus as being 14 and employed as a “bell boy” at a hotel in Stamford. By December 26, 1920, Joe, now 15, was in the US Navy. On that day, navy records show that he was admitted as a patient to the US Navy Hospital in Hampton Roads, Virginia with the notation, “Fracture simple left clavicle (fall).” Prior to his duty on the USS Akron, Joe was assigned to the USS Mahan (DD-102), a Wicket-Class destroyer that was converted to a light minelayer on July 17, 1920. In 1930, Joe married Naomi Miller. I don’t know much about my Aunt Naomi. I do know that she and Joe were married in Philadelphia, and that she was born in Pennsylvania. Census records state that Naomi was 12 years older than Joe. Joe Zimkus was counted twice in the 1930 US Census. On April 5, 1930, Joe, age 25, is listed as living with Naomi, age 37, at 128 Ninth Street in Philadelphia. The “head of house” is Joe’s “brother-in-law” Joseph Nelson. Ten days later, on April 15, 1930, Joe Zimkus is recorded again. His “street address” for this entry is the “USS Mahan - Navy Yard Philadelphia PA.” Uncle Joe is said to have “joined the Akron crew when the dirigible was commissioned.” That would put it in the summer of 1931. In April 1933, at the time of the Akron disaster, Joe and Naomi Zimkus were living in Whitesville, New Jersey about 5 miles from the Naval Air Station at Lakehurst. On April 6, 1933, two days after the disaster, The Western Star, the Lebanon, Ohio weekly newspaper, had a front page article whose headline read “Nation Shocked by Akron Crash.” The article recalled that on October 16, 1931, “Thousand of residence of the Miami Valley” watched “the ill-fated Akron, queen of the skies and pride of the Navy’s air service” fly over on its final test cruise. “Residents of Lebanon were able to secure a plain view of the Akron for several minutes as she appeared and gradually faded from sight in the western sky. Students in the local schools were given a brief recess in order to obtain a glimpse of the giant dirigible.” In 1948, back in Stamford, Connecticut, Ed Zimkus and his wife of three years, Betty, were expecting their second child. If it was to be a boy, Ed wanted to name it after his long lost big brother. That year, however, a cousin of Ed’s, who lived about 10 miles away, had a son and named him Joseph Zimkus. That infant, however, was not named after Ed’s brother Joe. To avoid confusion, when a boy was born in early March 1949, Ed and Betty Zimkus decided to still name the child after Joe but reversed the order of his first and middle names. That’s how I became John Joseph Zimkus. PHOTOS 1 The USS Akron (above) 2 A portion of the group photo of the crew of the USS Akron. Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Joseph Zimkus is believed to be the sailor on the floor in the middle. 3 A newspaper photo of Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Joseph Zimkus published after the disaster. 4 Uncle Joe’s US Navy duffle bag and footlocker, which are in my possession. |
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