ROSS COUNTY, Ohio — The Ross County Historical Society’s 2022 Spring Speakers Series begins Wednesday, April 27, with a program commemorating the 200th of birthday General Ulysses S. Grant.  Featured will be the country’s foremost portrayer of Grant—acclaimed living historian Dr. Curtis Fields, Jr., of Memphis, Tennessee.  Fields returns for the first time since he played to a full house during the opening of the society’s 2019 Spring Speakers Series.  His presentation then covered Grant’s early life growing up in Georgetown, Ohio, through his exploits as a West Point cadet, service in the Mexican/American War, and life on lonely military outposts.  This time he will address “The Desperate Years” that followed Grant’s resignation from the army in 1854 including several failed business ventures and struggles to earn a living, his reenlistment in the army and quick rise through the ranks at the beginning of the Civil War, and his early victories on the battlefield that set him on a path to higher command and greatness.  Dr. Fields presents a convincing, true-to-life image of Grant as he really appeared and acted.  His first-person presentations are based on Grants actual words—both written and spoken.  The public is invited to participate in an unforgettable evening with General Ulysses S. Grant as only Dr. Curtis Fields can present him.  It also happens that April 27 is Grant’s 200th birthday.

The program is admission-free and will take place 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Ross County Heritage Center, 45 West Fifth Street, Chillicothe.   

The Ross County Historical Society’s 2022 Spring Speakers Series will also include the following programs:

  • Wednesday, May 11, at 7:30 p.m.— “The Harness Artifact Collection: Perspectives on an Ancient Ross County Landscape and Its Use by Prehistoric Peoples,” featuring speaker Gary Argabright, a retired Chillicothe educator and resident authority on prehistoric artifacts.  Argabright will provide a detailed discussion on the artifacts found on Ross County’s renowned Harness farm and the insights they provide into how this particular landscape was used by its lesser-known prehistoric inhabitants.
  • Wednesday, May 25, at 7:30 p.m.— “Exploring Zane’s Trace through Ross County,” featuring speaker Lisa Uhrig, Photo Archivist for the Ross County Historical Society.  Uhrig will deliver an intriguing presentation on the evidence she has uncovered in early county histories, traveler’s diary accounts, family stories passed down through generations, and on-site visits that help reveal the story of Zane’s Trace and its path through Ross County.

Each program is free and open to the public and will take place from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Ross County Heritage Center, located at 45 West Fifth Street, Chillicothe.  Refreshments will be served.