Hudson Heritage Association Explores The Life and Legacy of Lincoln Ellsworth

March program will feature WRA Historian and Archivist Tom Vince.

HUDSON, Ohio – He is the reason Hudson’s sports teams are called the Explorers. He’s the only Hudsonite to be featured on a U.S. Postage Stamp. And he captivated the world with his exploits at the North Pole and Antarctica in the 1920s and ’30s.

The daring life and lasting legacy of Lincoln Ellsworth, Hudson’s great polar explorer, will be the subject of Hudson Heritage Association’s March 14 program at Barlow Community Center.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt hands the National Geographic Gold Medal to Lincoln Ellsworth at The White House in April 1936. At left is Lincoln’s wife, Mary Louise Ulmer Ellsworth.

Ellsworth (1880-1951) was the son of Hudson’s benefactor, James W. Ellsworth, who reluctantly sponsored his son’s first polar expedition in 1925.

Lincoln attended Western Reserve Academy and later served on the school’s Board of Trustees. The WRA Archives hold a large file on the explorer, who is buried along with his aviator wife, Mary Louise Ulmer Ellsworth, in Hudson’s Markillie Cemetery.

Lincoln Ellsworth, in white WRA sweater, takes a break from a game of lawn tennis at Evamere Hall in Hudson in 1893.

“There is no one better to speak about Lincoln Ellsworth than Tom Vince, who’s been studying him for 40 years,” said Don Husat, co-president of Hudson Heritage Association.

“Anyone who’s enjoyed a presentation from Mr. Vince knows that we are going to be treated to a fascinating evening of history, stories and photos about one of Hudson’s most famous residents.”

During his 50 years in Hudson, Tom Vince has become perhaps the town’s most recognized and beloved citizen. In addition to his two decades at Western Reserve Academy, he has served as director of the Hudson Library and Historical Society and president of Hudson Heritage Association. He’s written more than 250 articles about Hudson and its history and has given hundreds of walking tours and presentations. He’s been named Hudson’s Citizen of the Year twice.

His presentation on Lincoln Ellsworth will highlight Hudson Heritage Association’s March program on Thursday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Barlow Community Center. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

What: HHA’s March meeting: “Hudson’s Great Explorer: Lincoln Ellsworth”
When: 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 14, 2019
Where: Barlow Community Center, 41 South Oviatt Street, Hudson.
Who: Everyone. This program is free and open to the public.

In 1988, the U.S. Postal Service issued this stamp as part of a block of four stamps featuring American polar explorers.

About Hudson Heritage Association: Founded in 1962, Hudson Heritage Association works to protect Hudson’s historic buildings, the village streetscape, and the city’s Western Reserve architectural aesthetic. HHA encourages the preservation of historic buildings by providing research, resources and education to homeowners who wish to maintain their historic homes. The association co-sponsors the city’s work with the Cleveland Restoration Society. HHA also works with building owners to help them meet historic marker requirements and identifies those buildings with the HHA historic marker. The association celebrates the history of Northeast Ohio by publishing books and newsletters, conducting workshops and field trips and hosting monthly meetings that feature preservationists, historians and craftsmen. For more information, follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Photos courtesy of WRA Archives