Shelby Ohio Authors

 DAWN POWELL

 Background post cards were published circa her years in college.
 
After her high school graduation Dawn began plans for attending college. Her first choice would probably have been Oberlin College except that her father and her stepmother had recently moved to Oberlin and Dawn would have wanted nothing more to do with stepmother Sabra. There was also Erie College for women in Painesville, Ohio. It was a suitable second choice, but the real problem was the cost. There was no money for any college. Auntie May would contribute money as would Shelby attorney and friend of Auntie May, George M. Skiles.
 
Vivian Small, Erie College president, had stated, " Poverty should not be a barrier to education - We see our best nature about the girls who find it necessary to earn their way through college." Even so, it would take a "pleading letter" from Dawn to president Small to convince Miss Small to accept Dawn as a member of the class of 1918. 1
 
At that time, every Erie College student had certain assigned chores and Dawn's was to operate the elevator in the main building (see below). This was not a choice assignment since it required hand pulling the rope-operated car up and down the five floors of that large brick Victorian structure. 1
 
 
Surprisingly, nothing was published in the Shelby Daily Globe concerning Dawn Powell's departure for college in the Fall of 1914 and her first year passed almost without comment in the local paper.
 
Lake Erie College Campus c. 1914

 

 1915 
The following two notices were the first mention of her college days.
 
Daily Globe - March 27, 1915:
"Miss Dawn Powell, who is a student at Lake Erie college for women at Painesville, arrived home yesterday, and will remain here with relatives during the spring vacation."
 
 
Daily Globe - June 30, 1915:
"Miss Dawn Powell left last night for Painesville, Ohio, where she will spent(sic) the summer at the country club near that city. Next fall she will enter Lake Erie college for women this being her second year at that college."
 
 
c. 1914

The "country club" where she was employed was "The Shore Club" outside of Painesville, Ohio.
 
 
Date unknown

 
 
"During the summer of 1915, while working as a maid and waitress at a summer resort called the Shore Club on Lake Erie, Powell kept an occasional journal in a school notebook, addressed to an imaginary friend named 'Woggs' ". 1
 
1915 journal

 
 
"Dear Woggsie, I'm melancholy again. It's too bad that I'm always confiding in you on those days I feel the bluest. This book is enough to make a stone weep and if anyone should read it they would think the writer was indeed in pathetic straits. But no one will ever read it so I think I am really wiser to do it this way - tell my blue, weepy thoughts to you, who will never reveal them to another soul, instead of inflicting them on the people around me - and when I'm in a flip, gay mood, I take it off on other people."1
 
In 1915, Dawn was quite aware of her personality quirks and the baggage that she was carrying due to her earlier difficult life experiences, when in her conversations to Mr Woggs, she wrote:
" I must make myself strong for the knocks that are to come, for no matter what you tell me - 'You've had enough knocks, you'll have happiness the rest of your life' - something in me says that life for me holds more knocks than joys, and the blows will leave me crushed, stunned, wild-eyed and ready to die, while the joys will make me deliriously wildly, gloriously happy. It's the way I'm made, Woggs - that Irish strain in me, perhaps. Yet better for one of my nature to have it that way than to have life a peaceful, placid flow of quiet contentment. I must have days of rushing excitement."1
 
 
She also had time for composing short stories for Mr. Woggs' benefit as in this example:
 
 
"The Color of the Sea
 
Ever since she had been a little girl Jean had wished for a dress the color of the sea - a quivering blue-green with lace like waters breaking into foam on the shore. She had pictured it to herself often; there would be perhaps a suggestion of pink or a glint of gold in it like the sea at sunset and a cloak of the same purple as the sky. As the years went by the dream-dress did not change - a lace petticoat and gold- colored slippers were added, besides a jeweled evening scarf and a fan. But the plan of the dress did not change. Jean grew from a tall lanky girl to a slender, graceful woman with heavy masses of red hair and starved eyes - the color of the sea. In her blue woolen dress she looked beautiful." 2
 
 
Since this drawing appears opposite her story, it could be assumed that Dawn visualized her "color of the sea" dress in this manner. Notice in the lower right corner the word "Schimmelpfennig." From the German, it translates: moldy/mildewy penny. It could be used as a nickname for a "pennypincher": one who keeps their pennies till they become moldy. Next, note the word "Schwartz" written vertically to the lower right of the dress. It is often used as a German surname, and usually translated "black" but sometimes a nickname for one with black hair or dark complexion.
 
Are her words merely coincidence, thoughts written in a convenient place?
Why German and what would be the connection or reason?
 
The following is another excerpt from her 1915 journal:
 

 
July fifth 
Out alone on the bank consecrated to the help. I gathered up Woggs, the same stack of magazines I took yesterday, and strolled out to the bank, which was deserted. You know, my dear Woggs, that whenever I take you with me anyplace, any magazines or books that I have are bound to be neglected. I have decided not to think about myself so much, and then I won't be so dissatisfied with everything. After all, there are loads and loads of girls who are much worse off than I am. I must "press my cares deep in my heart and feign hope with my countenance" even as pious (A)Eneas did.
What do you think Woggs? A fine looking man with a little kid just passed and he smiled ever so genially at me and said,"I thought your work was over for the summer." And I, almost too astonished to breathe smiled back and said - oh I've forgotten what I said. Anyway I was awfully pleased. Wish there were some goodlooking
 
married men around here who were willing to make life a little more entertaining for the poor waitress girl. Now, Uncle Woggsie, don't frown at me like that. If you're going to be nasty and preachy I'll take Clara or Katherine along with me instead of you. Gwinevere, too would have been far more sympathetic. If you show yourself a comfortable companion during the summer, I may send Guinevere on to Vassar and take you with me to Lake Erie. But we shall see what we shall see.
Did I tell you I've only got a quarter tip so far? Well, that's all. It was from the Pages in Painesville, and do you know I felt so silly taking it - you see he shoved it right at me, that I came almost not taking it. I blushed in the most approved style, hesitated and finally took it but honestly and truly, Woggs, I did feel funny about it.
You know most of the people here look at the waiters as though they are poison, and
 
1915 Journal excerpts - 2

 
 
 
honestly it is sort of hard especially when you know that you are just about as good as they are. Some society buds are out here now and looking just like a drawing from Vogue.
 
Woogsie, do you suppose I'll ever have pretty clothes, plenty of money, lovely home, lovely friends and - and more?
 
There are the Windsor boys and another fellow over there now. Remember, you are only the Help, and don't look over there at them, Dawnie.
 
The lake is black with mud today and is washing all over the beach. I intended going in and making a third attempt at learning to swim. but the water is so muddy that of -
 
Six months later, during Christmas holidays, the following article appeared in the local paper:
 
Daily Globe - December 27, 1915:
"Lake Erie college girls all over the country are working to raise money for the new gymnasium which the college hopes to build this year. The fund was started two years ago and in a dozen different ways the girls have been working to swell the gym fund. Forty or fifty thousand dollars have already been raised but several more are needed before the real work of erecting the building can be started. Realizing that in order to maintain their reputation as holder of the world's record in women's athletics, they must have a fit place to train in, the girls are striving to raise a goodly portion of the necessary sum during this vacation. The Shelby Lake Erie girls, Dawn Powell and Martha Armstrong, assisted by two Mansfield girls, Sara Tracy and Winona MacFarland, are giving a dance and card party in the Eagle hall, Tuesday evening of this week, for the benefit of this fund. Patrons and patronesses of the dance are, Mr. and Mrs. James Van Horn, Mr. and Mrs. J. Morris, Mr. and Mrs. Claud Sellen, Mr. and Mrs. George Scott, Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Williams, Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Wiggins, and Mr. and Mrs. Will Myers."
 
 

 1916 
 
Then in the Spring a neighboring community paper published the following:
 
Crestline Advocate - April, 1916:
"Miss Hazel Hetrick, of Shelby, spent last week with her sister, Mrs. George Eckstein and family. Misses Ruth Summers and Emma Jollay were guests over Sunday at the home of Mrs. F. W. Beck and family. Miss Dawn Powell, who is attending Oberlin (sic) college and Miss Phillis (sic) Powell. of Shelby, visited Saturday and Sunday with sister, Mrs. Edgar (Mabel) Pocock."
 
 

 1917 
 
Daily Globe - January 4, 1917:
"Miss Dawn Powell, who has been spending the holidays with friends and relatives in Shelby, returned yesterday to Lake Erie college."
 
Daily Globe - January 25, 1917:
"Miss Dawn Powell of Shelby, distinguished herself in the play presented by the junior class at Lake Erie College, Jan. 20. 'I'm Looking for a Lady' was the musical comedy in which Miss Powell played ' Little Skeezicks, the office boy,' and which she rote in collaboration with Miss Charlotte Johnson of Vincennes, Indiana."
 
Daily Globe - May 22, 1917:
"Miss Dawn Powell, who has been spending a short vacation at home, returned to Lake Erie College at Painesville, this morning."
 
 
 
Dawn as Puck in A Midsummer's Night Dream
Lake Erie College, 1917 - 3

 
 
Daily Globe - June 20, 1917:
"MISS DAWN POWELL
 
A Student at Lake Erie College for Women One of the Honored Ones of the Class of 1918
 
"At the close of the graduating services at Lake Erie College for women at Painesville, President Small announced the academic honors for the year.
 
Honor was awarded to these members of the class of 1917: Ruth Frazier, of Norwalk, Margaret Geltz, of Cleveland, Cynthia Sykora of Cleveland, Teressa Terry of Norwalk, and Margaret Wolfe of Ben Avon, Pa. Of the class of 1918: Helen A. Alger, of Wheeling, Beatrice Detling, of Greenwich, Ohio; Ida Durham of Cleveland; Josselyn Hayes, Cleveland; Beulah Knok, Utica, N. Y.; Dawn Powell of Shelby, O.; Ruth Smith, Mount Carmel, Pa.; and Cornelia Wolfe, Ben Avon, Pa."
 
Daily Globe - July 17, 1917:
"Miss Dawn Powell leaves today for North Port, Mich., where she will be the guest of Miss Margaret Haserot, of Cleveland, who has a summer camp at this popular summer resort. Miss Powell will remain there until the camp closes the latter part of August."
 
Daily Globe - July 28, 1917:
"Miss Rachael Schwab
Chosen As Head of the Physical Training Department at Lake Erie College.
"Shelby people will be greatly pleased to learn of the appointment of Miss Rachel Schwab as head of the department of physical training at Lake Erie College, Painesville, for the coming term. Miss Schwab is a daughter of the late John Schwab of this city and resides with her sister, Mrs. John B. Kingsboro, on West Mian street. She is a Lake Erie graduate, having received her diploma in 1913. She was very popular at school, being honored with the presidency of the senior class. She had charge of physical training at the Lakewood High School for two years after her graduation from Lake Erie, and then entered Columbia University for post graduate work, winning the degree of master of arts in 1916. Last year she returned to her position at Lakewood.
 
"As physical training teacher at Lake Erie College, Miss Schwab will occupy a unique position. She will have charge of the athletics and outdoor life which play such a large part in the life of Lake Erie girls. This institution has held more world's records in athletics than other women's college in the United States. The annual track meet, which takes place every May, is always of great interest inasmuch as each year sees some world's record smashed. Miss Schwab will have charge of the training for this event, which begins in April. . . . .
 
"Miss Schwab is to be congratulated upon receiving this appointment, and undoubtedly will fill the position with great credit.
 
"Shelby women who have been students at Lake Erie are Mrs. Anderson (nee Daisy Steele), Miss Loretta Brucker, Miss Caroline Schwab, Mrs. R. C. Skiles, Mrs. Egbert (formerly Miss Dana Seltzer) and Miss Martha Armstrong. Mrs. Anderson is now president of the Lake Erie Alumnae Association of Columbus, Ohio. Miss Dawn Powell will graduate from Lake Erie next year."
 
Daily Globe - August 27, 1917:
"Miss Dawn Powell, who has been spending the summer at Camp Caho, Northport, Mich., will not return to Shelby until Sept. 1. The camp closes August 30th and the girls of the camp give a play on that date."
 
Cabin at Camp Caho Northport, Mich.

 

 1918 
 
Daily Globe - March 28, 1918:
"Miss Dawn Powell of Lake Erie college is at home for a visit of a few days."
 
 
No further articles in the Daily Globe until -
 
 
 
 
 
1. Dawn Powell - A Bibliography, Tim Page, Henry Holt and Company - 1998.
2. 1915 Journal excerpts with the permission of the "Estate of Dawn Powell."
3. Photo from Dawn Powell - A Bibliography, Tim Page, Henry Holt and Company - 1998.
 
 
On To New York
 
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