Ohio Wesleyan University - Le Bijou Yearbook (Delaware, OH)

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i-. 4-.1 V , The Past Delaware is generally thought of as an old city, but there are few people who realize that the seat of Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the oldest ten communities in the state. The little city of Delaware came into existence in 1805 around the sulphur spring at the end of the campus, main walk when Joseph Barber erected a small log cabin in its vicinity and opened up a little trading station. And today, despite the passage of over a century many of the Univer- sity's and city's ehoicest memories gather about that historic spring. From its genesis, for a quarter of a century Delaware grew apace as a result of the many mills which were built along the Olentangy river. It served as a natural trading center for a considerable portion of central Ohio. A new era was entered in 1833 when two of Delaware's most progressive citizens, recognizing the medicinal properties of the Sulphur and Odevene springs conceived the idea of establishing a watering place and health resort. A ten acre plot of ground surrounding the spring was immediately purchased and a hotel later known as the Mansion House was erected. The project was quite successful for a time but failed during the financial crisis of Van Buren's adminstration. About the same time and from the same cause the two denominational schools then under the control of the Ohio Conference, Augusta College at Augusta, Kentucky, and Norwalk Seminary at Norwalk, Ohio, failed. For four years the members of the Ohio Conference cast about for a site suitable for another Method- ist institution of learning. Finally in 18411, Adam Poe, the pastor of the Williams Street Church recommended the Sulphur Spring property. After securing the approval of the Conference the citizens of Delaware raised 310,000 by popular subscription and purchased the abandoned Mansion Housev and presented it with a surrounding five acre plot of ground to the Methodist Church for Seminary founding purposes. A charter was granted to the infant college in 184-2 and one of the first acts of the now legally constituted University was the election of Ed- ward Thomson as the first president of Ohio Wesleyan University. The necessary endowment funds came in very slowly, however, and the new college did not be- gin its first session until November 13, 1844-. At this first meeting we find a stu dent body composed of twenty-nine men presided over by a faculty of five. And so, amid these humble yet' inspiring surroundings Ohio Wesleyan had her genesis, We will pass over the ensuing eleven years when we find ourselves viewing the founding under the auspices of the Ohio and North Ohio Conferences on a seven acre plot in west Delaware, of the Ohio Wesleyan Female College. These two- in- stitutions iof learning existed side by side for a period of twenty years when the two were merged into one and the Ohio Wesleyan of today came into being. Such is a short sketch of our University told as simply as possibly. The re- cord of these few bare facts grows in meaning and significance when the energy and zeal, enthusiasm and unselfish effort, high idealism and religious spirit which made the Ohio Wesleyan of today possible is slowly pondered over. Twenty-three -- ,b41l12DI94 e --