CLERMONT COUNTY, Ohio — A yearlong project chronicling the people and events that shaped the nation has wrapped up with a profile of George Washington, closing out a 24-part local history series timed to America’s 250th anniversary.
The finale, titled “George Washington: The Indispensable Man?”, was posted this week to discoverclermont.com, capping “An American Moment,” a project of America 250 Clermont examining the people, places and events that shaped the country at the national, state and local level, according to Discover Clermont, the county’s tourism agency.
The series was written by Gary Knepp, Clermont County’s honorary historian and a lifelong Milford resident. Knepp has directed the county’s Underground Railroad research project, developed the Clermont County Freedom Trail and taught history and political science as an adjunct professor at Clermont College, according to discoverclermont.com. He has authored eight books, one of which was recognized by Vietnam Veterans of America.
The Washington installment traces the general’s path from commanding the Continental Army through the Revolutionary War to presiding over the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and, ultimately, to establishing the presidency itself — the designation historians have long applied to him, notably in James Thomas Flexner’s 1974 biography “Washington: The Indispensable Man.”
Washington’s influence didn’t end with his two terms in office. His 1796 Farewell Address, which urged the young nation toward unity and warned against the dangers of political factionalism, is still read aloud each year in the U.S. Senate. The tradition began in 1862 as a morale booster during the Civil War and has continued as an annual observance of Washington’s birthday every year since 1896, according to Senate historical records.
Over the run of “An American Moment,” Knepp’s dispatches ranged across local and national history, including Clermont County’s Underground Railroad sites, Ohio’s presidents and the story of frontier-era minister Philip Gatch. Discover Clermont said the full 24-story series remains posted at discoverclermont.com/america250/blog.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Discover Clermont.