Public History

If you were asked to name which commodities were grown in northwest Ohio, would you say corn, wheat, and soybeans? If so, you’d be half right. 

In the Midwest, seemingly endless fields of corn have come to define the entire region…oh so many memes! But like most things, there’s a kernel of truth to the claims: the Midwest does have a corn obsession. From gullets to gas tanks, the yellow stuff is in almost everything we touch, taste, and feel. In northwest Ohio, this is no different. But have you ever stopped to ask yourself if this is the way it’s always been, and forever will be? 

Luckily, history offers us incredible insights. 

“More than Corn” then offers us an opportunity to explore this often overlooked history of vegetable production in northwest Ohio; a region once dotted with fields of bright red tomatoes and deep green cucumbers. So many were grown here, in fact, that businesses flocked here looking to rake in the profits, and we’re talking household names like Campbell’s and Heinz. Yet the last fifty years haven’t been kind to regional producers as the decline pushed many from the industry entirely. Now they’re few and far between, replaced by corporate operations. 

It may not seem like much but the history of vegetable production in northwest Ohio illuminates just how rapidly agricultural production changed throughout the twentieth century. More importantly, it demonstrates just how removed we are from the food we eat. 

A lifelong Flyer, Irwin A. Welling graduated from Lake High School in Millbury, Ohio, in 1940. He was drafted into the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) in 1943 and assigned to the 447th Bomb Group of the 8th Air Force stationed in England. Aboard a B-17 nicknamed the "Black Puff Polly," Welling flew twenty-two successful missions between February and May 1944. On May 28, 1944, he was shot down over Dessau, Germany, and captured by the Gestapo. Taken prisoner of war (POW), Welling was interned at Stalag Luft IV in Gross Tychow, Pomerania (modern-day Poland) for 240 days. On February 6, 1945, the "Death March Across Germany" began. Spanning 86 days, the horrifying journey covered 600 miles and claimed the lives of thousands. On May 6, 1945, he was liberated by British Forces. A steward of the soil, Welling returned to the family farm raising three children alongside his wife Alberna "Bernie" Welling. Dedicated to his community, Welling served his community in a variety of roles from the school board to veterans organizations. Sadly, Irwin Welling passed away on July 29, 2010, at the age of eighty-seven. 

In 2023, the Lake Local Schools District commissioned "Flyer Takes Flight," a permanent exhibition designed to honor and celebrate the life, legacy, and service of Welling. Unveiled on November 10, 2023, the exhibit is fully accessible and open to the public.  

Irwin's Memoir:

Downloadable PDF

Devastated following the Second World War, Europe faced growing economic uncertainty.  Concerned about the region's susceptibility to communist subversion, then-secretary of state, George C. Marshall, envisioned a grand economic rehabilitation of Western Europe. The implementation of this vision through the European Recovery Program (ERP) placed Massey-Harris tractors on the frontlines of an ideological battle for global hegemony. In France, these mighty Midwestern machines reinvigorated a stunted agricultural sector and situated Racine craftsmanship at the heart of the Cold War. 

Praise: 

"Over the past fifteen years, this magazine has prided itself in bringing readers many previously unpublished articles, stories, and photos. So, when I was introduced to a young man who was working on his [MA] in Rural History, I was pretty impressed. He told me that during his research at the National Archives, he had discovered historic photographs of the Massey-Harris Company in the Post-World War II period and he was interested in doing an article...We are privileged to publish this article by Chase Fleece." - Gary Heffner, editor. 

Located in Kenton, Ohio, the Hardin County Historical Museums preserves and interprets the county's vibrant history.  To learn more, you can visit the organization's website here. In June 2023, I was unanimously approved and appointed to the Board of Directors. Based on my experiences within the academy, I provide professional insight as chair of the education committee.