FREMONT - Winter need not deter people from visiting The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont. The staff has some special events going on in February.
Find clues to your past with "Internet Genealogy I," a class to help participants find and use free genealogical websites. The class is to run 9:30-11:30 a.m. Feb. 11 at a cost of $10 for adults and $5 for students through high school age.
A new exhibit, "The Wildlife Art of Bob Hines," is to open with a reception 5:30-8 p.m. Feb. 16 in the Hayes Museum. Opening remarks are to be offered at 6:30 p.m. Ohio native Robert Hines (1912-94) holds the distinction of being the only U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee hired as a full-time artist. His official title was national wildlife artist.
Hines developed his love of nature growing up along the verdant banks of the Sandusky River in Fremont. Despite almost no formal training, his artistic talent was recognized worldwide. Hines also was key in starting the federal Duck Stamp program and had one of his works accepted.
Created with an array of original artwork from private and public collections, this exhibit showcases Hines' life and work on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth. The exhibit is to continue through Aug. 14. Admission is $7.50 for adults, $6.50 for senior citizens and $3 for children ages 6-12.
In honor of Presidents' Day, tour the 25-acre estate of 19th U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes using the mode of transportation he used - a horse-drawn sleigh. From 1-4 p.m. Feb. 18 and 19, rides through Spiegel Grove are to be provided by South Creek Clydesdales of Fremont. Riders are invited to stay for the day and tour the Hayes Museum and Library. (The Hayes Home is closed until Feb. 29 for restoration.)
Fact Box
Regular hours at the Hayes Center are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sundays and holidays (closed Mondays and Easter). For information on any of these events, visit www.rbhayes.org or call (419) 332-2081.
Presidents' Day weekend provides the forum for the Hayes Lecture on the Presidency, a lecture and open discussion about the nation's highest elected office.
Daniel P. Jordan, former director of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, is to present "Jefferson in Perspective" at 7 p.m. Feb. 19. A reception and dinner are to be served at 5 p.m. The cost is $30 per person for the dinner and lecture or $10 for the lecture only.
Reservation deadline is Feb. 14.
