PLYMOUTH, Ohio — History was brought to life Saturday during the Plymouth Area Historical Society’s cemetery walk, which allowed participants to hear from re-enactors portraying some of Plymouth’s most prominent residents.
Shirley Wolf, president of the Plymouth Area Historical Society, said this was the first cemetery walk the organization has held, and hopefully not the last.
“The first time I did it was the first one that they had in Mansfield and thought it was a lot of fun. And since this is [Plymouth’s] bicentennial, I thought we should do this,” she said.
During the walk, participants visited the gravesites of 12 individuals (six men and six women) who had some connection to Plymouth. “They lived here, worked here, raised families here, sometimes they moved on, but they’re all buried here,” Wolf said.
Some of the people who served as re-enactors were relatives of those whom they were portraying.
That included Ann Jaquay, who impersonated her father’s second cousin, Eleanor McCollum. Jaquay said she knew McCollum since she was a little girl.
“She was a very passionate person,” Jaquay described.
A native of Plymouth, McCollum was recognized for her philanthropic participation in musical, religious, charitable and medical fields.
Her autobiography, “Invitation to Joy,” was published in 1971 by Harper and Row.
She performed several charitable acts for her hometown, including providing resources for the Plymouth museum, Greenlawn Cemetery, Plymouth High School, Viking Academic Booster Club, among other facilities, Jaquay said.
Jaquay said it was challenging limiting her speech to four minutes, noting, “There are so many stories I could tell about her.”
Paul McClintock portrayed William Wolf Drennan, who once served as mayor of Plymouth.
Born in Canton in July of 1820, Drennan worked at a dry goods store in Plymouth during his 20s, McClintock said. “At that time, the Sandusky, Mansfield and Newark railroad finished laying its track through town, which greatly helped our businesses. In fact, the first goods ever delivered to Plymouth by rail were consigned to [Drennan],” said McClintock.
In 1850, Drennan married Hannah Brinkerhoff, the sister of General Brinkerhoff of Mansfield, McClintock said, adding, “In fact, I believe the Brinkerhoff name is still well-respected in the town of Mansfield.”
While working at the dry goods store, Drennan studied law and passed the bar exam, said McClintock. He served as justice of the peace for a while and later became mayor of Plymouth, he noted.
During another one of the stops, participants learned about Samuel Parker from re-enactor Nathan Buzard.
Buzard said that Parker was a buggy and wagon builder and later manufactured musical instruments, primarily guitars, mandolins and violins.
He always put his name and the year it was built on the inside of each instrument, Buzard said.
“There are two violins at the Plymouth Area Historical Museum. This is one of them,” he said while holding a violin that Parker created.
Wolf also served as one of the re-enactors. She portrayed Dollie Hanick.
“She was a milliner here in town and had a business for 50 years. Her daughters took it over after she passed away,” said Wolf.
“All of the ladies in the area came to get their hats from Dollie…She made the most beautiful hats.”
Wolf said there are other prominent individuals who weren’t highlighted in the walk, but that they could be featured another time because the Plymouth Area Historical Society hopes to hold another cemetery walk in the future.
