Northern Ohio Soldiers' Aide Society, Cleveland, Ohio ca 1864

Joined
May 12, 2018
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To quote Cleveland Historical.org:

The Soldiers' Aid Society of Northern Ohio grew out of Cleveland's Ladies Aid Society's efforts to assist soldiers serving in the Civil War. The parent organization of the Soldiers' Aid Society was the U.S. Sanitary Commission, which was established by the federal government in June 1861 to provide aid and medical care for Union soldiers throughout the North... The Cleveland Branch of the Soldiers' Aid Society was located at 95 Bank (West 6th) Street...

Typically you only see one photograph connected with the Cleveland branch, but I have found after some quick searching that it was an entire photo shoot! There are actually a series of photographs of the Soldiers' Aide Society taken in sequence with one another that have some fascinating details and I thought I'd share them here.

Interesting things I've spotted thus far:

In the first image, and barely visible in the second image is a sign reading: "Employment for Disabled Soldiers, 95 Bank St.".

Some kind of container with something with a handle sticking out of it resting on top of the crate on the right in the third image and on the crate on the left in the first image. I wonder if it isn't a paint pot & paint brush for sign writing? It appears to be large tin cup sized but with a rather long straight handle.

In the third image, their appears to be a pose struck by a current and former solider over a barrel, with the latter missing a leg! There also appears to be a black guy peaking into shot on the far right, although perhaps he is just in shade, it's hard to tell. I believe the severe looking lady in the bonnet at the center of the third photograph is Rebecca Rouse, the society's founder. She's depicted as such on the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, allegedly Schofield used these photographs as reference.

This building still exists today, I think at 1370 West 6th St. (not as the Cleveland Historical. org claims 1235 West 6th St, the Hat Factory Apartments, which aside from being completely the wrong type of building is the home of the modern Legal Aide Society, and so obviously a mistake). I intend to go there and do a photo shoot, probably sometime in the spring.

There's certainly a great display of variations of mens and women's civilian outfits in these pictures.
 
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In Feb. 1864 the 19th Ohio returned home to Stark County for furlough through Cleveland. "The men were greeted by six companies of the 29th Ohio Volunteer Militia and the Temperance Band, who led them to the Sanitation Fair building where a beautiful cold super had been prepared for their reception. . Food was well served by a few patriotic ladies and gentle men who were present to do honor to our soldier braves. From there the men were furloughed out."

A card of thanks appeared in a Cleveland newspaper two days later for "Their generous action . . . of the Ladies Aid Society, the efficient assistance from which has so often cheered us in the field."

Might the building in the above photo be the Sanitation Fair building in which the 19th Ohio was served their cold supper?
 
In Feb. 1864 the 19th Ohio returned home to Stark County for furlough through Cleveland. "The men were greeted by six companies of the 29th Ohio Volunteer Militia and the Temperance Band, who led them to the Sanitation Fair building where a beautiful cold super had been prepared for their reception. . Food was well served by a few patriotic ladies and gentle men who were present to do honor to our soldier braves. From there the men were furloughed out."

A card of thanks appeared in a Cleveland newspaper two days later for "Their generous action . . . of the Ladies Aid Society, the efficient assistance from which has so often cheered us in the field."

Might the building in the above photo be the Sanitation Fair building in which the 19th Ohio was served their cold supper?
"The NORTHERN OHIO SANITARY FAIR (22 Feb.-10 Mar. 1864) was organized by women of the SOLDIERS' AID SOCIETY OF NORTHERN OHIO to raise funds to assist soldiers during the Civil War. It was patterned after a similar event that had been staged in Chicago. The widely advertised Cleveland fair was housed in a specially constructed building on PUBLIC SQUARE. In the shape of a Greek cross, the building housed exhibits, including floral, artistic, and war-souvenir displays. Single admission tickets cost $.25. No free passes were issued; even visiting dignitaries were required to contribute. Local railroads cooperated with the Soldiers' Aid Society by selling tickets at their stations and promising free return rail fare to any visitor purchasing more than $1 worth of admission tickets. They also lifted freight charges for goods consigned to the fair. The fair, opened formally by Major General JAMES A. GARFIELD, was more popular than expected and extended longer than planned. All unsold goods were auctioned off, and the lumber and other building materials were also sold, bringing more than $10,000 in profit. Total proceeds were over $78,000."

https://case.edu/ech/articles/n/northern-ohio-sanitary-fair

The building was a temporary structure. After the fair it was sold off to another fair in, if I recall correctly, Pittsburgh.

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If you want to know more about the Ladies Aide Society, and the fair, I can put you in contact with Tim Dailey, formerly of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. If I recall correctly he wrote his dissertation on them.
 
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