Homer, Ohio.....................

After starting to read Notorious Victoria, it became apparent that I had ignored some local history.  Homer is a small village in north-central Licking County.  One driving between Granville and Mount Vernon passes right through it.  Only dimly aware of the story of Victoria Woodhull, no effort had ever been made to "go take a look."  This week, I went and took a look.  The State of Ohio historical markers provided a start.  Stopping at the smallest grocery store imaginable, I met the nicest proprietor imaginable.  She shared her knowledge and pointed me towards the 1850 census showing clearly the Claflin clan residing in Homer.  She also suggested the library.  For a wee village, Homer has a fabulous library.  The helpful staff had limited knowledge on the Claflin/Woodhull issue, but, confronted with a curious visitor, called in, from "down the street," the local repository of historical knowledge.  He came down and gladly shared what he knew and what he suspected.  While waiting, I thumbed through the over-sized three ring binder titled "Woodhull."  It was filled with newpaper clippings, journals, and other assorted historical musings about Woodhull.

While reading through such collections, one can find the most interesting thing.  I found a letter (forgetting to take a picture of it to share with you all) written by former three-term Newark mayor, William S. Moore, to some significant historical entity who had proclaimed that Belva Ann Lockwood was actually the first woman to run for president of the United States.  Moore politely asked if they had ever heard of Licking County's Victoria Claflin Woodhull?  The snippy response to Moore's question was that Woodhull may have run, but her name appeared on no ballots anywhere.  Therefore, she didn't count.  Bah humbug.

Can you name Woodhull's almost running mate on the Equal Rights Party slate?   Answer here.

Here is a little slice of Americana for you:

Village of Homer, County of Licking, State of Ohio

A little slice of Americana

Homer claims her, without really embracing her

"In a town with one intersection in the middle of the vast state of Ohio"

The Indian mound described still survives, hard by the village library

No one knows for certain, but the suspected site of the Claflin homestead

What are the odds?  Another notable family from a village of "less than 300"

with two high achieving siblings, at about the same time as the Claflins.

Site of the old Rosecrans home, an 8 iron away from the Claflin's

The friendliest little store in a very little village