Warren County Genealogical Society Warren County, Ohio Chapter of Ohio Genealogical Society Shaker Records
(513) 695-1144	406 Justice Drive, Lebanon, Ohio 45036 Hours: 9 AM-4 PM Monday through Friday Driving Directions	wcgs@co.warren.oh.us

The Shakers also known as United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing lived celibate lives in communal communities. Although Shakers lived celibate lives, descendants of Shaker ancestors do exist for those individuals who had children prior to joining the faith or those who left the community and married and raised a family afterwards. 

Warren County's Shaker community was known as Union Village, located in Turtlecreek Township about three miles west of Lebanon near the current intersection of Highway 63 and Highway 741 where the Otterbein Retirement Community is now located.  Union Village existed from 1805 through 1912 and was the largest Shaker community west of the Allegheny Mountains.  By the 1840's there were about 700 members of the Shaker faith living in Union Village.  The community peaked in membership prior to the Civil War.  A total of about 4000 people lived in this community over time; the last Shaker resident being Elder James Fennessey.

The Union Village Shaker community was successful in their many endeavors.  They farmed more than 4500 acres of land, sold herbal medicines, garden seeds, and brooms; raised livestock including pigs, cattle and sheep; and their community was populated with more than 100 buildings.  In 1912 Union Village was disbanded and the land was sold to the United Brethren Church.  The Otterbein Retirement Community is currently located on what was known as Union Village.  Few of the original Shaker buildings are still standing.  Otterbein has an excellent collection of Shaker memorabilia, photos and artifacts in their library.

For more Shaker details and photos refer to the Warren County Historical Museum website:  http://www.wchsmuseum.org/index.php/shakers/

WCGS has many Shaker books and records available for use in our library as listed below. This list was compiled by WCGS volunteer, Sue Frary.

Books

• A Different World – A Different Time.  Canterbury, NH, 1983.
• Andrews, Edward Deming.  The Gift to be Simple.  Dover Publications, Inc.: New York, 1940. 
• Andrews, Edward Deming.  The People Called Shakers – A Search for the Perfect Society.  Oxford University Press: New York, 1953.
• Barker, Sister Mildred R.  The Sabbath Day Lake Shakers: An Introduction of Shaker Heritage.  The Shaker Press: Sabbathday Lake, Maine, 1985. 
• Bauer, Cheryl and Rob Portman.  Wisdom’s Paradise: The Forgotten Shakers of Union Village.  Orange Frazier Press: Wilmington, Ohio, 2004. 
• Bauer, Cheryl.  The Shakers of Union Village.  Images of America Series.  Arcadia Publishing: Chicago, Illinois, 2007. 
• Boice, Covington and Spence.  Maps of the Shaker West: A Journey of Discovery.  A Collection of Maps and Histories of Better Known and Lesser Known Shaker Sites in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan beginning in 1800.  Knot Garden Press: Dayton, Ohio, 1997. 
• Brewer, Priscilla J.  Shaker Communities – Shaker Lives.  University Press of New England: Lebanon, New Hampshire, 1986. 
• Burress, M. B., Editor.  Whitewater, Ohio: Village of Shakers: 1824-1916. Its History and Its People.  Cincinnati, Ohio, 1979.
• Evans, F. W. Compendium of Shakers – Origin, History, Principles, Rules and Regulations, Government and Doctrines of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing. AMS Press: Appleton, New York, 1859. 
• Foster, Lawrence.  Religion and Sexuality: The Shakers, the Mormons and the Oneida Community.  University of Illinois Press: Urbana, IL, 1984. 
• Goodwillie, Christian.  A Selection of Songs Commemorative of the Bicentennial of Union Village, Ohio, 2005. 
• Handberg, Ejner.  Shop Drawings of Shaker Furniture and Wooden Ware, Vol. 3.  The Berkshire Traveller Press: Stockbridge, MA, 1977. 
• Hands to Work – Hearts to God: A Bibliography of Shaker Books and Materials in the Walter Havinghurst Special Collections.  Miami University Libraries: Oxford, Ohio, 1985. 
• Hunt, Melba L.  Summers at Watervliet.  The Kettering-Moraine Museum and Historical Society: Kettering, Ohio, 1985. 
• Ireland, Opha.  A History of Rose Cottage.  Otterbein Home: Otterbein, Ohio, 1982. 
• Kephart, William M. “The Shakers”, Extraordinary Groups: the Sociology of Unconventional Life Styles.  pp. 159-193.  St. Martin’s Press: NY, 1976
• Milburn, Gwendolyn.  Shaker Clothing.  Warren County Historical Society: Lebanon, Ohio, undated.
• Mooney, William T.  A List of Shaker Names from the Official Church Record of Watervliet, Ohio, 1800-1882.  Knot Garden Press: Dayton, Ohio, 2003. 
• Morse, Flo.  The Shakers and the World’s People.  University Press of New England: Lebanon, New Hampshire, 1980. 
• Morse, Flo.  The Story of the Shakers.  The Countryman Press: Woodstock, Vermont, 1986. 
• Peckham, Arline B.  Faces of the Spirit: A History of Otterbein Home, 1912-1987. Self-published: Otterbein, Ohio, 1987.
• Phillips, Hazel Spencer.  Richard the Shaker.  Typoprint, Inc: Oxford, Ohio, 1972. 
• Phillips, Hazel Spencer.  Shaker in the West.  Philadelphia Museum Bulletin, Spring 1962. 
• Phillips, Hazel Spencer.  “Shaker Records”. Bulletin: Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio, January 1960, Vol. XVIII, No. 1, pp. 53-63. 
• Piercy, Caroline B.  The Shaker Cook Book – Not by Bread Alone.  Crown Publishers, Inc: New York, 1953. 
• Pike, Kermit J., Chief Librarian.  A Guide to Shaker Manuscripts in the Library of the Western Reserve Historical Society with an Inventory of its Shaker Photographs.  WRHS: Cleveland, Ohio, 1974. 
• Sprigg, June and David Larkin.  Shaker Life, Work and Art.  Houghton Mifflin Co.: Boston, MA, 1987.
• Van Houten and Cole.  Shakers of Union Village: 1805 to 1920.  Cardinal Research: Loveland, Ohio, 2003. 
• Williams, John S.  The Shakers – A Brief Summary.  Shaker Museum Foundation: Old Chatham, New York, 1956. 

Periodicals

• American Spirit: Daughters of the American Revolution.  “Bringing the Shakers Home: The Restoration of Mount Lebanon.”  May / June 2009, pp. 38-43. 
• Bauer, Cheryl.  “Brother Reuben Wise”.  Civil War Times.  Vol. XLIV, no. 4, October 2005: pp. 20, 22, 24, 65-65. 
• Bauer, Cheryl.  “Shaker Made”.  Ohio. Vol. 28, No. 4, June 2005: 95-98.
• Bauer, Cheryl and Rob Portman.  “Wisdom’s Paradise”.  Inspire : Book Buzz.  May / June 2005, p. 30. 
• Gara, Lenna Mae.  “An Expedition Against the Shakers”. Timeline.  Vol. 10, no. 3, May/June 1993, pp. 46-53.
• Haggerty, Patricia.  “Helpful Sources for Researching Your Shaker Ancestors”. New England Genealogy Society. Vol. 7, #4-5, Holiday Issue 2006, pp. 28-29.
• Haggerty, Patricia.  “Researching my Shaker Ancestors”. New England Genealogy Society. Vol. 7, #4-5, Holiday Issue 2006, p. 30.
• Harwood, Herbert H. Jr.  “The Van Sweringen Enigma”. Timeline. Vol. 21, #4, July/ August 2004, pp. 38-56.
• Medlicott, Carol.  “Issachar Bates, Shaker Missionary”. Timeline.  Vol. 26, no. 3, Jul/ Sep 2009, pp. 22-39.
• Melampy, Nelson.  “Celebrating our Roots”.  Vista: Otterbein Corporate Publications.  Summer 2005, p. 4-7. 
• Robinson, Elwin C.  “Heavenly Aspirations and Earthly Realities”. Timeline.  Vol. 17, no. 6, Nov/Dec 2000, pp. 2-9.
• The Shaker Messenger.  The World of Shakers.  Selected issues from 1979, Vol. #2 thru Vol. 16 #4.
• Wergland, Glendyne.  “Our Shaker Ancestors”.  New England Ancestors. Vol. 7, #5-6, Holiday Issue 2006, pp. 21-27.  

Microfilm

• Shaker Collection of the Western Reserve Historical Collections.  “Shaker Membership Card File”.  Microfilm #123.  Western Reserve Historical Society: Cleveland, Ohio. 

WCGS Collection of Extractions Pertinent to Shakers from Existing Sources

• The following OAHS extractions are name indexed
  • Barnes, Sherman B.  “Shaker Education.” Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society Publications.  Ohio Historical Society: Columbus, Ohio.  Vol. 62, 1952, pp. 67-76.
  • Bradford, J. E.  “The Centennial Churches of the Miami Valley.” Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society Publications.  Fred J. Heer: Columbus, Ohio.  Vol. 25, 1914, pp. 234-258.
  • Johnson, Charles A.  “Early Ohio Camp Meetings, 1801-1816.” Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society Publications. Ohio Historical Society: Columbus, Ohio.  Vol. 61, 1952, pp. 32-50.
  • Lindsey, David. “A Backwoods Utopia: the Berea Community of 1836-1837”. Ohio Historical Society Quarterly.  Ohio Historical Society: Columbus, Ohio.  Vol. 65, 1956, pp. 272-296
  • MacLean, J. P.  “The Society of Shakers: Rise, Progress and Extinction of the Society at Cleveland, Ohio”.  Extracts from Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society Publications.  Fred J. Heer: Columbus, Ohio.  Vol. 9, 1901, pp. 32-117. 
  • MacLean, J. P.  “The Shaker Community of Warren County: Its Origin, Rise, Progress and Decline.” Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society Publications.  Fred J. Heer: Columbus, Ohio.  Vol. 10, 1902, pp. 251-304. 
  • MacLean, J. P.  “Mobbing the Shakers of Union Village.” Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society Publications.  Fred J. Heer: Columbus, Ohio.  Vol. 11, 1903, pp. 108-133. 
  • MacLean, J. P.  “Shaker Mission to the Shawnee Indians.” Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society Publications.  Fred J. Heer: Columbus, Ohio.  Vol. 11, 1903, pp. 215-229. 
  • MacLean, J. P.  “The Kentucky Revival and its Influence on the Miami Valley.” Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society Publications.  Fred J. Heer: Columbus, Ohio.  Vol. 12, 1903, pp. 242-287.
  • MacLean, J. P.  “Origin, Rise, Progress and Decline of the Whitewater Community of Shakers Located in Hamilton County, Ohio.” Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society Publications.  Fred J. Heer: Columbus, Ohio.  Vol. 13, 1904, pp. 401-443.
  • Nixon, Edgar B. “The Zoar Society: Applicants for Membership”. Ohio Historical Society Quarterly..  Ohio Historical Society: Columbus, Ohio.  Vol. 45, 1936, pp. 341-350
  • Piercy, Harry D., M.D.  “Shaker Medicines.” Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society Publications. Ohio Historical Society: Columbus, Ohio.  Vol. 63, 1954, pp. 337-348.
  • Youngs, Benjamin Seth.  “An Expedition Against the Shakers, 1810.” Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society Publications.  Fred J. Heer: Columbus, Ohio.  Vol. 21, 1912, pp. 403-415.

•  “SHAKER ARTICLES” 

There are numerous Shaker Articles extracted from the local newspapers as listed below in two binders on the WCGS shelves titled “Shaker Articles from Local Papers” and “Shaker Articles from the Western Star.”  These binders are every name indexed with many from the western Turtlecreek Township area.  Many Shaker names are included. Newspaper included: The Western Star; The Lebanon Gazette; The Franklin Chronicle; The Miami Gazette; and The Miami Visitor.

• “SHAKER ARTICLES FROM FAR and WIDE”
  • This binder contains Shaker articles indexed by date and name of publication from which extracted. 

   

• Other Miscellaneous Shaker Articles
  • “Account of the Conduct of the Shakers in the Case of Eunice Chapman and her Children plus Other Testimony and Depositions”.  Western Star.  Van Vleet and Cameron, Editors: Lebanon, Ohio, 1818.  [Extracted from a court case in New York in 1818.]
  • “A Tour of Union Village, Aug. 2, 2003.”  Western Shaker Study Group: Otterbein, Ohio.  Extracted from the WSSG Program, 2003. 
  • Bogan, Dallas.  “Shaker Collection.”  WCGS Member and Author.  From the local history section of the Warren County, Ohio US GenWeb project.  (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohwarren/Bogan/ : accessed 5 May 2005, 21 Aug 2008 and 28 Oct 2008). 
  • Johnson, Theodore E.  “Prudence Morrell’s Account of a Journey to the West in the Year 1847”.  Extracted from July 1903, The Shaker Quarterly, pp. 37-96.
  • Ohio Department of Transportation Office of Environmental Services, “Encountering the Shakers of the North Family Lot, Union Village Ohio: Vol. 1: A Corner of Wisdom’s Paradise – The North Family Lot Archaeological Project” Prepared by Bruce Aument and Andrew R Sewell.  Extracted from DVD submitted to Mr. Paul Graham by Hardlines Design Company: Columbus, Ohio, 2009. 
  • Ohio Department of Transportation Office of Environmental Services, “Encountering the Shakers of the North Family Lot, Union Village Ohio: Vol. 2: A Clean and Lively Appearance – Landscape and Architecture of the North Family Lot” Prepared by Andrew R Sewell, Roy A. Hampton and Rory Krupp.  Extracted from DVD submitted to Mr. Paul Graham by Hardlines Design Company: Columbus, Ohio, 2009.
  • Ohio Department of Transportation Office of Environmental Services, “Encountering the Shakers of the North Family Lot, Union Village Ohio: Vol. 3: Tracing Prosperity and Adversity – A Social History of the North Family Lot” Prepared by Bruce Aument and Andrew R Sewell.  Extracted from DVD submitted to Mr. Paul Graham by Hardlines Design Company: Columbus, Ohio, 2009.
  • Ohio Department of Transportation Office of Environmental Services, “Encountering the Shakers of the North Family Lot, Union Village Ohio: Vol. 4: Simplicity Comes in All Forms – The Shaker Ceramic Industries of Union Village” Prepared by Patrick M. Bennett, Thomas Grooms, Andrew R Sewell, and Bruce Aument.  Extracted from DVD submitted to Mr. Paul Graham by Hardlines Design Company: Columbus, Ohio, 2009.
  • Pauly, Fred L.  “The Shakers: A History of Union Village”. Reprint, July 1903 issue of The Trilobite of the National Normal University.  Warren County Historical Society: Lebanon, Ohio, 2005.
  • Rowland, Katherine.  “Shaker Collection.” WCGS Member and Author.  From the Shaker Section of the Warren County, Ohio US GenWeb project.  (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohwarren/Shaker/ : accessed 24 June 2005, 5 July 2005, 27 Oct 2007 and 25 July 2008).
  • “Shaker Songs.” Extracted from The Shaker Messenger.  Holland, Michigan, 1982-1995.
  • “The Other Side of the Question in Three Parts.”  Shaker Records.  Looker Reynolds & Co., Printers: Cincinnati, Ohio, 1819.
  • “The Shakers.”  Articles extracted from Heir Lines.  WCGS: Lebanon, Ohio, Summer 1985, pp. 42-60.
  •  Union Village: Warren County, Ohio: Register of Deaths, April 1906 to May 1920.  Extracted from microfilm from the Northeast Document Conservation Center: Andover, MA, 1988 by Chester Dunn of WCGS in 1989.
  • Winans, Cathie, Ex. Director.  North Union and the Darrow Connection: Timeline.   Shaker Historical Museum: Shaker Heights, Ohio, 2005

Both Otterbein Retirement Community and the Warren County Historical Society have extensive Shaker records in their collection. http://www.wchsmuseum.org/index.php/shakers/ The Mary L. Cook Library in Waynesville also has some Shaker books. 

The Dayton Metro Public Library has a good collection of Shaker materials. Check the online link for a list of their sources:

http://ead.ohiolink.edu/xtf-ead/view;jsessionid=B01AC8D8FEFDD6E5A0879F04879825FE?docId=ead/ODa0003.xml&query=&brand=default

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This page created 26 November 2008 and  last updated on 03 February 2011