Sanctuary In Sewickley - 0005 |
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Sanctuary in Sewickley Residents Unite to Save the Birds A light mist was falling on a cool April evening in 1914 as a small group of prominent Sewickley residents gathered at the newly refurbished mansion on the bluff overlooking the Ohio River. Their hostess was Mary Roberts Rinehart, the noted writer and war correspondent, but the purpose of the meeting was not literary. Rather, it was ornithological — birds! The impetus for the gathering was a reaction to the wholesale slaughter of wild birds. W.E.C. Todd of the Ornithological Department of Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh had spoken of the wide variety of birds, from terns to herring gulls, which were being killed for food and feathers — the plumage being widely used for decorative apparel. The issue had come to the nation's attention as early as 1886 when George Bird Grinnell, editior of Forest and Stream magazine, had called upon his readers to help stop the By Leo Stember slaughter and save the birds. Grinnell suggested that an organization be formed to protect and preserve bird life. Living in Ohio near the home of John James Audubon (the famous painter of birds) may have accounted for Grinnell's decision to name such an organization in honor of Audubon. Nearly a decade later, the first official chapter of the Audubon Society was formed in Boston. Mary Roberts Rinehart had heard Todd speak in Pittsburgh on the matter, was moved to action and gathered some friends together to form a group in Sewickley devoted to the study and protection of birds. As a result of that meeting, a committee of Mrs. John J. Edson, Walter C. Miller and George Mark, principal of the Sewickley School, drafted an announcement for the Sewickley Herald, inviting all interested persons to an organizational meeting to be held on the evening of April 28, 1914, in Room 29 of the Sewickley Public School. It was then that the aims of the group were formally set forth: to educate by means of illustrated talks on bird life, to observe birds on scheduled walks in the nearby countryside, and to protect wild birds in the community. The officers chosen at the meeting reflected the reservoir of qualified and capable individuals interested in the natural world around them. John M. Tate, Jr. was elected president; Bayard H. Christy, George H. Clapp, W.E.C. Todd and Norman McClintock, honorary vice presidents; and Miss Elizabeth S. Anderson, secretary- HISTORY ROOl/ On Arbor Day in 1915, the Sewickley school children gathered to proudly display their handiwork — 50 new homes for birds in the Sewickley Valley. Sewickley Magazine, October 1984 -Jjl
Object Description
Title | Sanctuary in Sewickley |
Subject | Audubon Society of Sewickley Valley - Sewickley, (Pa.); |
Description | Publications -- Sewickley, (Pa.); Magazine; Audubon Society of Sewickley Valley; Arbor Day; |
Creator | Stember, Leo |
Publisher | Sewickley Magazine |
Date | 1984-10 |
Repository Name | Sewickley Public Library |
Collection Name | Historic Images and Documents Collection |
Date Digitized | 2016-05-01 |
Media Type | Text |
Format | TIFF |
Language | English |
Rights | Reproduction of materials beyond fair use requires the permission of the copyright holders. Works not in the public domain cannot be used for commercial use without written permission. For all other uses, please contact the Sewickley Public Library. |
Contact | For information on source and images, contact the Sewickley Public Library, Attn: Reference Department, 500 Thorn St. Sewickley PA 15143. Phone: 412-741-6920. Email: sewickley@einetwork.net |
Contributing Institution | Sewickley Public Library |
Description
Title | Sanctuary In Sewickley - 0005 |
Subject | Audubon Society of Sewickley Valley - Sewickley, (Pa.); |
Description | Publications -- Sewickley, (Pa.); Magazine; Audubon Society of Sewickley Valley; Arbor Day; |
Creator | Sewickley Public Library |
Publisher | Sewickley Magazine |
Contributors | Stember, Leo |
Date | 1984-10 |
Repository Name | Sewickley Public Library |
Collection Name | Local History Collection |
Date Digitized | 2016-05-01 |
Media Type | TIFF |
Format | Black and White Print |
Language | English |
Contact | For information on source and images, contact the Sewickley Public Library, Attn: Reference Department, 500 Thorn St. Sewickley PA 15143. Phone: 412-741-6920. Email: sewickley@einetwork.net |
Contributing Institution | Sewickley Public Library |
Full Text | Sanctuary in Sewickley Residents Unite to Save the Birds A light mist was falling on a cool April evening in 1914 as a small group of prominent Sewickley residents gathered at the newly refurbished mansion on the bluff overlooking the Ohio River. Their hostess was Mary Roberts Rinehart, the noted writer and war correspondent, but the purpose of the meeting was not literary. Rather, it was ornithological — birds! The impetus for the gathering was a reaction to the wholesale slaughter of wild birds. W.E.C. Todd of the Ornithological Department of Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh had spoken of the wide variety of birds, from terns to herring gulls, which were being killed for food and feathers — the plumage being widely used for decorative apparel. The issue had come to the nation's attention as early as 1886 when George Bird Grinnell, editior of Forest and Stream magazine, had called upon his readers to help stop the By Leo Stember slaughter and save the birds. Grinnell suggested that an organization be formed to protect and preserve bird life. Living in Ohio near the home of John James Audubon (the famous painter of birds) may have accounted for Grinnell's decision to name such an organization in honor of Audubon. Nearly a decade later, the first official chapter of the Audubon Society was formed in Boston. Mary Roberts Rinehart had heard Todd speak in Pittsburgh on the matter, was moved to action and gathered some friends together to form a group in Sewickley devoted to the study and protection of birds. As a result of that meeting, a committee of Mrs. John J. Edson, Walter C. Miller and George Mark, principal of the Sewickley School, drafted an announcement for the Sewickley Herald, inviting all interested persons to an organizational meeting to be held on the evening of April 28, 1914, in Room 29 of the Sewickley Public School. It was then that the aims of the group were formally set forth: to educate by means of illustrated talks on bird life, to observe birds on scheduled walks in the nearby countryside, and to protect wild birds in the community. The officers chosen at the meeting reflected the reservoir of qualified and capable individuals interested in the natural world around them. John M. Tate, Jr. was elected president; Bayard H. Christy, George H. Clapp, W.E.C. Todd and Norman McClintock, honorary vice presidents; and Miss Elizabeth S. Anderson, secretary- HISTORY ROOl/ On Arbor Day in 1915, the Sewickley school children gathered to proudly display their handiwork — 50 new homes for birds in the Sewickley Valley. Sewickley Magazine, October 1984 -Jjl |
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