Remembering Jennie McCormick

Our December exhibit pays tribute to a legendary Worthington historian, Virginia (Jennie) Evans McCormick.

Few people have done as much to document Worthington’s history as Jennie McCormick, who passed away on September 19, 2024. Along with her husband, the late Robert (Bob) McCormick, she co-authored numerous books and articles on a wide range of topics pertaining to Worthington’s past, including its founders, architecture, daily life and more.

As a solo author, she penned many more titles, including "Two Centuries of Educational History, Worthington, Ohio", “Worthington Neighborhoods” and “Scioto Company descendants: genealogies of the original proprietors of Worthington, Ohio”. Each of these books offers a clearly written, meticulously sourced overview of its subject-- anyone wishing to know the date that a particular Worthington school opened, for instance, needs only to consult McCormick's 200-year history of the schools.

She also wrote numerous articles on different aspects of life in Worthington’s past, many of which appeared in Worthington newspapers. A November 21, 1989 “Worthington News” article, written with her husband Bob, documents the former names of streets in Worthington: High Street was once called "Main Street," Dublin-Granville Road was "State Street" and E. New England Avenue was "Berlin Street," among other former names.

In articles in the June 24 and July 1, 1992 “Worthington News,” the McCormicks wrote about the history of fire, which was a constant threat in a town heated by fireplaces and wood-burning stoves. In the early morning of November 28, 1926, a fire broke out in J.C. Henry's Confectionery, sparked by a defective electric ice-box. The Confectionery was located in the “Jones building” (the present-day 693 High Street), which also housed the Ohio Bell Telephone Company; the noise woke up night operator Jeanette Griswold, who phoned firefighters and business owners to alert them. In the end, the fire destroyed several businesses and cost $30,000 in damages, equivalent to over half a million dollars today.

In the November 10, 1993 “Worthington Suburbia News,” the McCormicks wrote about a topic of eternal relevance in central Ohio: local transit. They describe the arrival of the electric railway from Columbus to Worthington, the first cars of which began running in November 1893. "Within a decade," they write, "the street railways made Worthington a real commuter village and set a pattern for residential growth which drastically changed the quiet 19th century village and shaped the city we know."

To find documentation for their books and articles, the McCormicks spent hours at the Ohio History Connection and the Franklin County Recorder’s Office, among other places, researching primary sources. Most of their works were written before historical records were widely available online. For anyone wanting to learn how to study local history, consulting the “Works Cited” list in their publications is a goldmine of sources.

A common refrain shared by both of the McCormicks was the importance of backing up claims with historical research, rather than repeating commonly told stories with no source-- an easy trap to fall into when documenting local history. In a June 24, 1995 “Worthington Suburbia News” letter to the editor, the McCormicks dispel several inaccuracies in a previous article, among them the oft-repeated statistic that Worthington lost its bid to become capital of Ohio by one vote. “The vote which selected the high bank east of Franklinton in February 1812 was 15-9 in the Senate and 27-19 in the House (Ohio Senate Journal and Ohio House Journal, vol. 10 [1811-1812]).” And in a letter to the editor, published in the December 12, 2001 "Worthington News (SNP)," Jennie McCormick pointed out inaccuracies in a previous article. "Since your reporter did not quote a source,” she wrote, “I assume he heard this information in conversation. Your readers deserve better."

The October 2024 issue of "The Intelligencer," the newsletter for the Worthington Historical Society (WHS), includes a tribute to McCormick. WHS Director Kate LaLonde writes:

"The efforts of the McCormicks' comprehensive research is truly remarkable. Not only did they write about a plethora of topics, but also created a large archive of primary documentation to support their findings, the bulk of which now is part of the Society's archive. Our understanding of Worthington's early days, its development over time and the people who shaped our community over time is in large part due to the diligent work and research skills of Jennie and Bob.

Personally, Jennie was a wonderful mentor in helping me develop my research skills. She patiently walked me through uncovering answers for patrons rather than supplying me with answers. We often conversed about topics, relishing in tracking down difficult-to-find answers to questions together. The Society is grateful for the work that Jennie did for the benefit of Worthington which will leave an indelible mark on our understanding of Worthington history."