It began in 1958 with the city's Federation of Women's Clubs, when the late Henry C. Hagloch, longtime editor of the Daily Reporter, cited the need for such an organization and suggested that the combined clubs sponsor it as a project.
The women responded with memberships, donations and work. The first objectives were met when the State of Ohio incorporated the society as a non-profit organization and trustees of the Dover Public Library offered the use of a display room.
Club members continued to volunteer their time, and to "spread the word" about the need for acquiring items which would help to tell the story of the area and its people. Within three years, the library room was overcrowded and arrangements were made to move into a larger space in the city-owned Memorial Hall. Displays were expanded and catalogued and by 1973 it was apparent -the society needed a permanent home of its own.
Plans were formulated for a building program, but a new structure became unnecessary when arrangements were completed on December 30, 1975, for the Jeremiah E. Reeves Home from the estate of Agnes Reeves Greer. Restoration was begun almost immediately, with generous support from the Reeves Foundation.
The Dover Historical Society has an average annual membership of approximately 500, in various categories. Its trustees and officers are dedicated to the preservation of the property and the historical relics and documents which have been entrusted to them, for the benefit of future generations.
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