Oberlin History FAQ
Where does the name "Oberlin" come from?
Oberlin was named after John
Frederic Oberlin (1740-1826), a minister and social reformer in the Alsace region of France. He was passionately committed to universal education, and enforced on his parish a universal tax to support free public education. (Among other things, he also improved existing transportation infrastructure and advocated business and vocational training for men and women. He worked to improve agricultural knowledge, importing new breeds of livestock and experimenting in horticulture and and grafting "standard" varities of fruit trees onto local indigenous plants. He encouraged village residents to be trained in medicine and midwifery, promoted good hygiene and sanitation, including litter collection, and, when it became available, made the smallpox vaccine obligatory for residents of his parish.)
Which came first, the town or the college?
They were both founded at the same time. The year was 1833. The first residents of Oberlin wanted to found a Christian perfectionist settlement away from the sinful world. (They were coming from Elyria, OH!) Part of their mission included education, which they considered a necessary part of proper living. (The Conservatory "officially" began in 1865; before that, it was simply part of the College.)
Was Oberlin really the first co-educational college?
Effectively, yes. The first three women--Mary Hosford (later Fisher), Elizabeth Smith Prall (later Russell), and Mary Caroline Rudd (later Allen, pictured at right)--to earn and receive their bachelor's degrees got them from Oberlin College in 1841. (A fourth woman began her work toward the B.A. with these three women, but she ended her studies early to marry. Collectively, however, these women are sometimes known as "the Oberlin Four.")
Was Oberlin really the first college to admit African-American students?
Actually, it was not. Oberlin was the first college to
have a policy of not discriminating against African-Americans--race-blind admissions, if you will, beginning in 1835. It was also the first college to grant a degree to an African-American woman: Mary Jane Patterson, OC 1862.
Are there really underground tunnels in Oberlin for fugitive
slaves?
Probably not. The Underground Railroad was (mostly) "underground" in the sense of "secret" or "hidden," not literally below-ground. Though sometimes tunnels were part of the Underground Railroad, we don't know of anywhere in Oberlin where that was the case.
Are there any homes in Oberlin where we know fugitives on the
Underground Railroad stayed?
Yes. In fact, pretty much any house in town built before the Civil War could have been part of the Underground Railroad. (The one exception to this rule is the Chauncey Wack House--Wack was decidedly, and vocally, not an abolitionist.) Buildings in Oberlin that we're fairly certain were used in the Underground Railroad include First Church and the Bardwell House.
Was Oberlin a dry town?
Yes. Oberlin has a strong tradition
of temperance: the Anti-Saloon League was founded in Oberlin in the 1890s. In fact, it has only been in the past few years that it has
been possible to buy alcohol in Oberlin.
Was aluminum invented in Oberlin?
Not quite. Aluminum has been recognized as a metal for several centuries. Before 1886, however, it was extremely expensive to produce. Charles Martin Hall, an Oberlin resident and OC alumnus, invented an inexpensive and (relatively!) easy way to produce aluminum--the same process we use today. Hall also founded ALCOA and produced a lot of aluminum, and made quite a fortune.
Why is there that big stone monument in Tappan Square?
Oberlin College originally included a Theological Seminary. Many of the graduates of the Seminary ended up working as missionaries in all regions of the world. One "hotspot" for Oberlin-trained missions was China, particuarly the Shansi (Shanxi) province of China. In 1899, a group of Chinese nationalists (the "Boxers") decided to expell all foreign influences, including missionaries, from their nation. Because Shansi is an interior province, however, expelling them proved too inconvenient, so many were killed instead. The "Memorial Arch" in Tappan Square is a monument to the Oberlin-trained missionaries who were killed in the Boxer Uprising/Rebellion. (More recently, a plaque has also been added to the Arch to honor the Chinese nationals who also were killed in the violence.)
Do you have another question that you think ought to be a part of the Oberlin History FAQ? If so, email it to ohioweb@oberlinheritage.org, and we'll put the answer online for you.