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Thaddeus B. Hurd

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Thaddeus Baker Hurd
Born(1903-10-03)October 3, 1903
Clyde, Ohio
DiedMarch 12, 1989(1989-03-12) (aged 85)
Toledo, Ohio
NationalityAmerican
EducationClyde High School (graduated 1920), Oberlin College (1920—1922), Cornell University (1923—1927, 1929)
Occupation(s)Architect, historian, educator
Known forResearch on the history of Clyde, Ohio
Parents
  • Herman Hurd (father)
  • Jennie Hurd (mother)
RelativesHiram Hurd (brother)[1]

Thaddeus Baker Hurd (October 23, 1903 – March 12, 1989)[2] was an architect and historian who is known for his interest and extensive research in the history of the city of Clyde, Ohio, United States.[3][4] Hurd had several jobs in the field of architecture until his retirement in 1967. He was the founder of the Clyde Heritage League, a historical society. His work was contributed to several museums and libraries.

Background

Thaddeus B. Hurd was born on October 23, 1903 in Clyde, Ohio.[5] He was the son of Herman and Jennie Hurd. Herman was a local grocer[1] and was a good friend of Sherwood Anderson,[6][7] who is well known especially in Clyde for his novel Winesburg, Ohio.

Hurd graduated from Clyde High School in 1920,[5] and attended Oberlin College in Oberlin for two years after graduation. In 1922, he returned to Clyde and taught in a public school for one year. In 1923, Hurd moved to Ithaca, New York for a bachelor's degree, and later a Master of Architecture, from the Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. From 1930 to 1933, Hurd was a professor of architecture at Cornell.[1]

Architectural career

Before attending graduate school at Cornell, Hurd moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to work at an architecture firm for one year. After achieving his Master of Architecture degree, Hurd obtained several New Deal architectural jobs, which mostly took place in Raleigh, North Carolina, until 1944. He then moved to Detroit, Michigan for a career at the Great Lakes Steel Corporation, a major steel producer at the time. In 1949, Hurd returned to Ohio to join the Toledo architectural firm Britsch and Munger. He worked at this firm until 1955, when he worked as a self-employed architect until he retired in 1967.[1]

Historical research

Hurd moved back to Clyde during his retirement, and had a large interest in the history of the city. Earlier, in 1957, Hurd was a prominent figure in the reestablishment of the Sandusky County Historical Society. In 1975, he established the Clyde Heritage League, a historical society and the parent organization of several museums in Clyde. He was also a member of several other historical societies in the Clyde area and across the state of Ohio. Hurd is best known in the city for his collection and preservation of information and genealogical data as well as thousands of historic pictures, documents, and other items.[5] Collections of his research are kept in several local museums and libraries.[1][8][4]

A great portion of his research focused on notable residents of Clyde, mainly Sherwood Anderson, the author of the 1919 short story cycle Winesburg, Ohio, which was based on Clyde, and on James B. McPherson, a career United States Army officer who served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War.[1][5] Anderson maintained a somewhat negative reputation in Clyde in the 20th century because his realistic novel Winesburg, Ohio was seen by many as a ridicule to the city, and residents felt that some characters and situations in the novel reflected their personal lives. Hurd is noted for helping to change their perspective of Anderson and his work in the town through his research.[6]

Memorials

On June 21, 2015, Cherry Street Park in Clyde was officially renamed to Thaddeus Hurd Park in a resolution by the city council.[5] Scott Black, the mayor of Clyde, said that "it might take a while for older residents to adapt to the name change, but it will eventually catch on."[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Thaddeus B. Hurd". Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  2. ^ "Ohio Obituary Index". Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  3. ^ Feehan, Jennifer (13 September 2012). "Clyde landmark gets brick, cupola renovation". The Blade. Retrieved 2016-01-20. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ a b "The Thaddeus B. Hurd Digital Archive Has Arrived". Clyde Public Library. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  5. ^ a b c d e "RESOLUTION NO. 2015 - 34" (PDF). City of Clyde. 21 June 2015. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
  6. ^ a b Anderson, Robert (26 February 1984). "Sherwood Anderson's hometown: All is forgiven". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2016-03-11. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ Bryer, Jackson (1989). Sixteen Modern American Authors: Volume 2: A Survey of Research and Criticism Since 1972. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press. pp. 11, 12. ISBN 978-0-393-00569-1.
  8. ^ "Clyde Public Library". Ohio Memory. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  9. ^ Ricker, Jeanette (27 June 2015). "Cherry Street Park being renamed". Fremont News Messenger. Retrieved 2016-01-18. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
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