Past alive in Independence celebration

“Get away from my cookie jar!” yelled Jim Flanagan, leaning in and wagging his finger in the faces of children and parents gathered around him Saturday in the Ohio Village Church. The author and educator served as the storyteller for the Ohio History Connection’s annual Independence Day celebration.

“Storytelling is something that’s old (and) is new again,” said Flanagan, a retired middle school principal who has spent the past 20 years as a storyteller, spinning tales in places such as schools, senior

centers and libraries. He has traveled across the nation — and as far as Ireland.

“Teaching in schools, I got famous for telling stories,” Flanagan said. “This is about the seventh or eighth time I’ve told here (at Ohio Village). … Twenty years, I’ve had a good time.”

Children giggled in the pews as they listened to tales of ghosts, magical shops and flying cats. Meanwhile, historical re-enactors portraying Ohio Village residents in the 1890s danced to tunes played by a fiddler in the square outside.

Since the 1970s, the Ohio History Connection, which operates the Ohio History Center and the adjacent Ohio Village next to the state fairgrounds, has celebrated the nation’s independence with old-fashioned entertainment. In addition to storytelling, this year’s celebration included hand-cranked ice cream, old-school “base ball” and a grand procession of patriots in 19th-century attire.

“Celebrate the Glorious Fourth!” the village mayor (played by Mike Follin) called as the grand procession made its way around the village square. Female village “residents” carried signs promoting women’s suffrage, calling out “Give us the vote!” as they marched. Visitors joined and brought up the rear of the parade.

Afterward, on the steps of the town hall, the mayor and his party of gentlemen offered speeches and toasts to rally the audience.

“Three cheers for America!” the mayor shouted to the crowd. Village residents and guests alike cheered “Hip, hip, hooray!” and carried on to some of the other activities of the day.

Some gathered inside the town hall to join in patriotic hymns or to cast a ballot for mayor. Others flocked to the 17th Avenue field for an Ohio Village Muffins base ball — spelled as two words, in period style — game. Some prepared to walk sideby-side with villagers for a women’s suffrage march or participate in the annual pie-eating contest.

Dr. Balthasar — also played by Follin, after a quick costume change — performed his Miracle Medicine Show to close out the day’s events, in the style of a traveling sideshow of the day.

[FRED SQUILLANTE/DISPATCH PHOTOS] Visitors learned the reel, a social dance popular in the late 1800s, while dancing with actors in period dress at Ohio Village on Saturday.

Bob and Jean Kreisel, both 84, greet visitors in the schoolhouse at Ohio Village. The Kreisels explained what school was like for teachers and students in the 1890s.

Mike Follin, playing the mayor of Ohio Village, told visitors about the replica of a 1898 runabout, parked in the street. In 1895, manufacturer John Lambert built a three-wheeled runabout that often tipped over. By 1898, Lambert had added a fourth wheel.