BATAVIA, Ohio — Clermont County’s honorary historian walked commissioners through the local roots of the nation’s slide into civil war this week, tracing how the issue of slavery touched local churches, courts and communities in the decades before the fighting began.
Gary Knepp presented “Clermont County’s Countdown to the Civil War” during the Sept. 2 Board of County Commissioners session, part of his run of history talks tied to America 250 Clermont, the county’s recognition of the nation’s 250th anniversary, according to the county.
Knepp discussed how slavery shaped nearly every part of American life in the years leading up to the war, including local churches, politics, the law and Clermont County communities specifically, the county said. He also revisited the county’s Underground Railroad research, which the county said documented 19 Clermont County sites accepted into the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom program.
The presentation also covered local anti-slavery leaders, divided churches and Clermont County’s connections to John Brown and the events that pushed the country toward war, the county said, framing the local history as part of the larger national story.
Knepp, a retired attorney, has served as Clermont County’s honorary historian since 2020. He previously directed the county’s Underground Railroad research project, which grew into the Clermont County Freedom Trail, and has taught history as an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati’s Clermont College campus. He has written eight books on local history, including “Freedom’s Struggle: A Response to Slavery from the Ohio Borderlands,” which examines Clermont County’s role in the antislavery movement.
The talk is part of “An American Moment,” Knepp’s series exploring the people, places and events that shaped the nation, Ohio and Clermont County. The county said the written series, published at discoverclermont.com, has featured 24 articles, and residents can read the full archive online.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Clermont County.