The future of the past is digital, mobile and public.
We’re preserving history for academic research and for use by the general public. We are currently focused on four different projects.
Historic Portsmouth Newspaper Digitization Project
The largest Center for Public History project involves the digitization of over 180 years of Portsmouth newspapers, including over twenty different titles, dating back to the 1820s and up to the early 2000s.
As the digitization project moves forward with a pilot project set for Spring 2023, the public, along with faculty and students, will be able to complete research in the original, print copy editions.
Thanks to a generous donation by Dr. George and Sandy White, the Center’s newspaper collection is now inventoried and shelved in the archives of the new Center.
Make an appointment to dive into this collection. Our staff will be on hand to assist you in your research.
Ohio Speaker Vern Riffe Collection
The Center has begun digitizing the papers of the late Ohio House Speaker and SSU Founder Vernal G. Riffe Jr. The recently acquired collection include speeches, correspondence, photographs, and other records from his decades-long life of public service.
This invaluable collection will be the basis for original undergraduate research in political science, communications, rhetoric, and history. Researchers can now access an initial selection of the Speaker’s Papers on the Center for Public History’s online archive on the Digital Commons at SSU
Scioto Historical Mobile App
Shawnee State’s Center for Public History serves as the host-sponsor of the Scioto Historical mobile app and website, which explores the history of Portsmouth and the surrounding Appalachian region.
The Center, with grant funding from the Ohio Humanities Council and the SSU Development Foundation, is currently supporting the creation of Version 4.0 of Scioto Historical, which includes new content and historical tours of Portsmouth and Scioto County.
Ohio History Service Corps (AmeriCorps) program
As a host-site for the Ohio History Service Corps (AmeriCorps) program, the Shawnee State Center for Public History supports the work of our community partners, providing volunteer hours and access to resources from the Ohio History Connection. Current outreach support is being provided the Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center, the Scioto County Heritage Museum, and First Presbyterian Church.
