We were chatting about the life and times of the Rev. Joseph McDowell Mathews, a pioneer of education in Highland County in the 1800s. The good Reverend founded the Oakland Female Seminary in Hillsborough in 1839 and was a stalwart in education for the next couple of decades. He left Oakland to take a position as president of the Hillsborough Female College. He spent roughly four years as the college’s president, but he wasn’t seeing the success he’d seen at Oakland.
Ladies and gentlemen, when it comes to farming, Maynard Surber was an innovator, and his family members were pioneers of agriculture in Highland County. He was born April 4, 1920 in Highland County’s Whiteoak Township, and was actively engaged in dairy, livestock and crop farming with his brother, Cedric, for more than 70 years.
Ladies and gentlemen, Ted and Eileen Salter performed variety act shows of puppetry, music and British pantomime for audiences, paying or not. The Salters appeared on “Truth of Consequences,” “To Tell the Truth” and “The Steve Allen Show,” as well as several short films. The Salters made Highland County their home, and Ted even wrote a song for Hillsboro entitled “Hillsboro, O-HI-O.”
Bob will always exemplify the can-do spirit of American entrepreneurship and community leadership. He did so much for Highland County. More than most of us will ever know. Godspeed, my friend. You will be missed. Thank you for every word of encouragement.