Reprinted with permission of
the Journal-News
By Linda Ebbing
JournalNews
HAMILTON — Before Butler County became Butler County and
Ohio officially became a state, Dr. John A. Stewart’s ancestors had already laid
down roots in the area. In 1802, Stewart’s great-grandfather settled in Butler
County.
To commemorate that long association, Stewart and his wife,
Marian Vail Stewart, have donated a sculpture, “A Pioneer Family,” in
recognition and honor of his ancestors. The sculpture was unveiled Sunday
outside the log cabin on Monument Street.
Cincinnati artist Jerry Hawkins made the piece of art
designed by Stewart and his wife.
“We designed it ourselves and feel that it depicts what the
Stewart family was all about — a pioneer family,” he said. The man is carrying
a hoe, which represents agriculture, and a rifle, which represents protection.
The woman is standing beside him holding a baby and a Bible. The faces on the
man and woman are taken from a picture of the couple when they were 25 years
old, Stewart said. “She’s a typical
pioneer woman,” he said. “She represents motherhood, religion, the hardworking
pioneer women.”
He said the sculpture started out with just the male, but he
woke up one night and said to himself, “That’s male chauvinism.” “So I told my wife, we need a woman, like it
says in the Bible, God told Adam he needed a helpmate, so he created Eve.” Behind the woman is a frog with a quote from
his wife, “I found my prince, June 23, 1945,” the year the couple was married.”
Stewart’s wife, Marian, suggested the sculpture after
listening to Gerry Hammond, president of Hamilton’s City of Sculpture
Committee, give a talk on the city of sculpture in Hamilton. “We decided it
would be a nice way to commemorate our anniversary,” he said.
Stewart said his mother started a study of his family’s
history that he and his wife continued after they were married. “(Our lineage)
goes all the way back to the kings of Scotland, to Robert the Bruce who married
a Stewart,“ he said. “Our family arrived in the United States from Scotland in
1735 and settled near Philadelphia. From there, they came down the Ohio river
on a flat boat and settled in Kentucky before moving to Ohio.” After settling in Fayette County, Ky.,
Stewart said, Simon Kenton formed a posse of the Stewarts and the Campbells and
crossed the Ohio River and chased Blue Jacket out of the area. Soon after, in
1802, his great-grandfather, Charles Stewart, bought 600 acres on the north
boundary of the John Cleves Symmes purchase in southern Butler County, which
extended from south of Middletown to the Ohio River, he said. “They were
selling land for people to migrate,” he said. “The whole purpose was to develop
the area.” He said he is not sure how much the land cost, “some say for 3 cents
per acre, some say $3.” His family lived on that farm until the early 1900s,
when they moved to Monroe. Since then, a member of their family has lived in
Butler County, including Charles Stewart’s son, John W.D. Stewart, and his
grandson, James Edward Berry Stewart, who was Stewart’s father.
Stewart, an obstetrician/gynecologist for 40 years before
his retirement in 1991, said he has never left Hamilton and never wanted to. “I
think Hamilton is great. This is God’s little acre,” he said. “That’s why we
spent the money — to increase the image of Hamilton — because this is the place
we love. We are going to die here.” The
couple has two children, John Vail Stewart, and Dr. Robert Vail Stewart. A
daughter, Barbara Vail Stewart Keating, is deceased.
Stewart would not reveal how much money his family donated
to fund the sculpture. City of Sculpture officials say they are pleased with
the donation. “Another generous Hamilton family giving back to the community
they love,” Hammond said. “We think this is a great gift to our community and
we are happy to facilitate anyone who is interested in donating a sculpture to
the city.”
This sculpture makes the 11th piece since Hamilton was
designated the City of Sculpture by Gov. Bob Taft. The City of Sculpture
committee plans to dedicate another sculpture at the end of September, funded
by general donations, by artist in residence Dennis Baker.
“These works of art are putting Hamilton on the map in a classy way,” said Debra Fescina Bridge, executive director of the Greater Hamilton Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It has helped bring back enthusiasm for community members and brought pride to our community.”