FRAMED — Dennis Milko, president of the Jefferson County Historical Association, gestured to the donated bed frame that once belonged to Pearson Boyd Conn, former publisher of the daily and weekly Herald. -- Christopher Dacanay

STEUBENVILLE — Disposing of unwanted or unused furniture usually isn’t the toughest decision. For Dr. Norman Wetterau, however, finding a new home for his bed frame took considerably more thought given its historical significance, rooted in a prominent local figure.

Constructed of walnut wood, the bed frame has a 7-foot-tall headboard and elegant ornamentation. The frame is part of a bedroom set that features an equally stylish dresser with a marble top, as well as an attachable, full-length mirror. All pieces are of the Renaissance Revival Style, having been constructed around the mid-1800s.

The set once belonged to Pearson Boyd Conn, publisher of the daily and weekly Herald — which would later merge with the Steubenville Star in 1897 to form the present Herald-Star newspaper.

In November, Wetterau donated the set to the Jefferson County Historical Association Museum, where he hopes it will bolster interest in local history.

Dennis Milko, president of the historical association, said the set will assist the association in its mission: “To preserve, perpetuate, promote and disseminate knowledge of the history of the County of Jefferson and the City of Steubenville, Ohio.”

UNBOXING — Dennis Milko, president of the Jefferson County Historical Association, stood with yet-to-be-opened packages that contain bedroom set pieces that once belonged to Pearson Boyd Conn, former publisher of the daily and weekly Herald. -- Christopher Dacanay

“We like to get a history of what our donations are, and we have a really good history of this bed,” Milko said. “So, when folks come in for a tour, and they ooh and aah over that bed, we have a lot of stories and history to tell about the bed, which makes for an interesting time for visitors.”

Identifying the owner

Pearson Boyd Conn was born in Beaver County, Pa., on July 11, 1823. He was the ninth child of 10 born to William C. Conn of Delaware and Ann Pearson of Shippensburg, Pa.

According to a Jan. 24, 1907, article in the centennial edition of the Herald-Star, P.B. Conn “set out to learn the printer’s business” at 13 years old, having “grown up in a printing office.” Before the age of 19, Conn had worked in Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio, later working in Vicksburg, Miss., and New Orleans.

Owner of the Beaver Star for one year, Conn relocated at 22 years old to Steubenville, where he published the daily and weekly Messenger and the Steubenville Democrat. Conn also published the Steubenville Daily and Weekly News, which he’d consolidate with the Herald after his acquisition of the latter.

Although not much of a writer, Conn was known to occasionally pen “vest pocket gems” that “delighted the cockles of all, even those into whose ribs they (sank) very effectively,” the Herald-Star article reads. Conn, for whom the newspaper business was “the apple of his eye,” was a “Republican stalwart” and had “a warm side for high-bred and fast-stepping horses.”

More than a century later, Dr. Norman Wetterau was working as a family practice and addiction medicine doctor in Dansville, N.Y. He’s the grandson of Norman Wyatt and Grace Conn, the daughter of P.B. Conn, making Wetterau the great-grandson of P.B. Conn.

Downsizing

Wyatt and his wife lived in Steubenville, Wetterau recalled, though they later relocated to Akron, where Wyatt began operating a paint store. The two shared three children and lived modestly, with Wyatt being so generous as to finance his grandson, Wetterau, through medical school.

When Wyatt and Conn had died, family members were tasked with breaking up their belongings, among which was P.B. Conn’s bedroom set that was stored in the two’s attic.

Wetterau and his wife took possession of the set and intended to use it — a goal complicated by the bed’s being only about 4 feet and 8 inches long. So, Wetterau’s wife crafted new side railings out of walnut wood that extended the bed to a queen length while maintaining the same width.

Following Wetterau’s retirement, he and his wife moved to a senior community in Illinois, necessitating that the bedroom set be placed in storage. That solution couldn’t last forever, so they looked to find the set a new home.

“We didn’t really know what to do with it,” Wetterau said. “I got this idea that the (Jefferson County Historical Association Museum) would want it, and they did. I was really, really happy, and all my grandkids were extremely happy. They liked it, they didn’t want me to get rid of it, but they weren’t ready to take it. This way they can come and see it.”

Wetterau had the set wrapped and shipped to the museum, where the pieces are set to undergo some maintenance before settling into their new space.

All of the pieces are in “wonderful shape,” Milko said, but he will apply coatings to enhance their beauty and accentuate the walnut wood’s natural grain. Milko had the bed frame’s original rails modified so they could once again attach to the head and footboard. Additionally, the dresser’s marble top will get a buffing from a local headstone repair service.

It’s the museum’s tradition to close on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day and open when the weather breaks. Milko said that time will go toward spiffing up the museum and rearranging one of its upstairs rooms to fit the new pieces.

Preserving history

Wetterau’s grandparents are buried in Akron but were raised in Steubenville — a community they often told stories about. Having first visited Steubenville more than a decade ago, Wetterau said he’s excited to one day revisit the town to see the bedroom set and connect with his family’s history.

Wetterau already bears one striking connection with his great-grandfather, Conn. As of the 1907 Herald article, Conn was 84 years old, and his father was said to have lived to nearly 100. Now 82, Wetterau himself only retired two years ago, and he believes that he inherited the unflagging character of his ancestors.

Having practiced in the small town of Dansville for nearly 50 years, Wetterau had become ingrained in his community. He has a particular passion for small towns and their historical museums like the one in Dansville, which he says “doesn’t only display things (but) brings people together.”

“I really am a big supporter of small community historical museums. I think they really are an asset to the community, not just the older people but the younger people. It helps them to identify and feel good about the history of their little community.”