"Our Ohio" Newspaper Feature – October 1953

Seventy years ago, Ohio was almost through celebrating its sesquicentennial year. As part of the festivities, a special cartoon feature entitled "Our Ohio" was offered to newspapers. Here are a few samples that appeared in the Lorain Journal in October 1953 .

"Crisp Autumn Morning"
Watercolor Painting by L. McClelland

The feature was drawn by Leland S. McClelland, who enjoyed a fine career as a cartoonist for the Columbus Citizen until it folded in 1959. He later became well-known as a talented watercolorist. (You can read more about his career here on the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum - The Ohio State University Library website.)

The "Our Ohio" samples are fun to look at, although the caricatures of huge-nosed Native Americans are probably a little inappropriate now. The cartoon of George Armstrong Custer (with a beard?) also looks like there was no available photo or painting of him for reference. Oh well.

But there's a nice selection of Ohio trivia and historical tidbits. I also like the mixture of cartoons and realistic renderings.

Alas, this kind of little cartoon feature that used to liven up newspapers (like Scott's Scrapbook) are a thing of the past, right along with the papers they used to appear in. But in their heyday, they provided some entertainment and maybe even served to stir up some interest in topics that many newspaper readers previously never knew existed.

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Kingston of Vermilion has a nice collection of watercolor prints by Leiland S. McClelland decorating many of the walls in the east wing.