MSS 584 Hess Family Papers

              The Hess Family
MSS 584
The bulk of the collection concerns the affairs of James H. Hess
( b. ca. 1837 d. 1889) and include correspondence ( both personal and
business), accounts, legal agreements, ledgers, day books and minutes
from the meetings of various organizations of which he was a member
( e. g. Democratic County Central Committee). Hess was a teacher
but primarily he was a business man particularly in the realm of
agriculture. He was a produce broker and took interest in many farm
activities, most clearly evidenced by his long standing membership
in the " Patrons of Husbandry Organization." He also took an active
part in civic affairs manifested most clearly by his involvement
in the DCC as well as the affairs of the Olentangy Free Turnpike,
the Lane Avenue Station and the Railroads. He was educated at
Otterbein College in Westerville for which many of the speeches and
essays in the collection were written. He also belonged to many
literary organizations such as the Philo- Phronian Club. He was
co- founder of another literary organization, the Greenlawn Lyceum.
Other family members represented in the collection are:
1. William P. Brown
2. Catherine Oller
3. Charles E. Brown
4. Louisa Hess Brown
5. Mary E. Hess
6. William Wilson Hess
7. Mary, Jessie, Ballard and Edvard Brown