Ohio University Chillicothe to host a screening of "Our Town: Chillicothe"

Ohio University Chillicothe will host a screening of the WOUB Public Media documentary "Our Town: Chillicothe" on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. in the Bennett Hall Auditorium. The hour-long historical documentary film will be followed by a short Q&A period featuring WOUB Producer/Director Chris Flanery, Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library Executive Director James Hill, and Associate Professor of History John O’Keefe.

Chillicothe was the first capital of the state of Ohio and is known for its presence on the State of Ohio seal with a circular coat of arms that depicts a Chillicothe sunrise. The film examines many other unique aspects and people of Chillicothe including: how it is home to the oldest newspaper west of the Allegheny Mountains; the influence of the papermaking industry; how World War I contributed to the city’s growth and its notable residents like Librarian Burton Stevenson who created an immense library system for Camp Sherman; Commander Henry Walke, a prominent naval Captain and artist during the Civil War; David Nickens, the first Black ordained minister in Ohio who helped start Chillicothe’s First Baptist Church; and Former U.S. First Lady Lucy Webb Hayes, who was the first First Lady to have a college degree.

“Throughout the process of editing this film, one thing has been abundantly clear: Chillicothe knows and loves its history. To be able to visually share Chillicothe’s unique stories and rich history with an audience is an exciting payoff,” said WOUB Producer/Director Chris Flanery. “I hope the residents of Chillicothe enjoy seeing their history brought to life on the big screen as much as I have.”

Chillicothe is the eighth documentary in WOUB’s "Our Town" series. Previously highlighted communities in the series include Lancaster, Pomeroy, Nelsonville, Jackson, Athens, Morgan County and Gallipolis.

The screening is free and open to the public. OHIO Chillicothe asks those who plan to attend to RSVP at https://bit.ly/4865ErN.