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Our 2019 Holiday Ornament:
Celebrating
The Norwester Magazine

The second in our holiday ornament series, this year’s inspiration derived from a hundred year-old cover of The Norwester Magazine.

$10. Available now at Fresh Crafts Gallery - 2068 Arlington Ave; At Winter Festival on the Mallway (Dec 6); At Tremont Center Christmas (Dec 17).


Today we know “Norwester” as the name of our UAHS yearbook, first published in 1923. But before Upper Arlington even had a high school, The Norwester Magazine was circulated to residents in hopes of drawing this young community together.

Produced from November 1917 through March 1922, the magazine first focused solely on the new homeowners in Upper Arlington, eventually including those living in nearby Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff. From WWI to Upper Arlington’s first elections and beyond, news was presented in a highly personalized and neighborly style.

Articles reveal the issues of the day, activities of burgeoning organizations, profiles of residents and suggested housekeeping tips. This December issue profiles three newcomers, including Percy Minshall who resided at 1814 Roxbury Road. The accompanying photos of his and others’ homes are a priceless record of our architectural past.

Browse through the surviving issues to learn more about these neighbors of our past. Thanks to the UA Archives initiative through the Upper Arlington Public Library, they are digitally available, along with many other historical documents and images.

If you have existing Norwester magazines to donate OR other items of possible historical interest, please contact us. With your ornament purchase, we thank you for your support of the Upper Arlington Historical Society.