Kidron Ohio History Fences
Who would design a historical display about fences? The answer is the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. As part of the program named Museum on Main Street, the Smithsonian has created a traveling display to illustrate the history and use of fencing in the United States from the time of the first settlements until today.
Sponsored by the Ohio Humanities Council, the display will be at the Kidron Heritage Center of the Kidron Community Historical Society, from Oct. 20 through Nov. 17. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
The display is arranged in five parts and traces the history of the use of fences, beginning with the reaction of the Native Americans to the use of fences by European settlers. The exhibit is not static, but reactive and challenges the viewer to consider the concept of why we need fences to show ownership of land, which was so different from the Native American concept that only the earth “owns” the land and everyone can use it wisely.
The exhibit continues to trace the use of fences through the range wars of the West during the 1800s. It asks the viewer to consider whether fences are used to keep things in or keep things out, including people. There is even an example of the use of a “spite” fence.
The exhibit ends with an exhibit illustrating the use of no fencing or barbwire fencing to define international borders with Canada and Mexico. The exhibit asks us to consider what we are saying about ourselves and our neighbors and what are we trying to accomplish.
The Kidron Community Historical Society opened its own exhibit in April, illustrating the use of traditional fences in the Kidron area beginning in 1819 and how each type of fence was constructed. Entitled Good Fences Make Good Neighbors, the exhibit began with an essay and photography contest on the theme. The Kidron exhibit will be open during the same times as the Smithsonian exhibit, also at no charge.
The special hours for both exhibits are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tours may be arranged for groups and schools by calling the Kidron Heritage Center at 330-857-9111.
