60 years ago, 1960

Olive F.A. Arms, a champion of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society, died at 95 after a remarkable life. Her story was front and center in the Youngstown Vindicator’s Aug. 26, 1960, issue:

“One of Youngstown’s leading residents and honorary president of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society died at her home at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. She had been ill for several years suffering from complications brought on by the infirmities of age.

“Mrs. Arms, born Olive Freeman Arms, Jan. 15, 1865, was the last of six beautiful daughters of Charles Dayton and Hannah Wick Arms, all of whom attained distinction. She was born and reared on West Federal Street in a red brick house originally owned by Dr. Woodbridge, leading physician of the town in his day, and she was brought up with the children of leading families of Youngstown. She was one of the last of her generation in Youngstown.

“In recent years, Mrs. Arms was the source of a great deal of information on early Youngstown and its families, and she worked closely with James L. Wick Jr., president of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society, in developing the organization’s program. It is expected that her home, one of the elegant avenue residences of Youngstown, filled with beautiful things from the far corners of the world, will be the future home of the historical society.

“As a young girl, Mrs. Arms attended local schools, then studied drawing and painting, in which she had considerable talent, under Mrs. Casper, distinguished teacher in this field at the time. She continued her studies at the Bradford and Peebles School in New York and went to Europe for further study. At a time when few people in growing Youngstown knew much about art, Mrs. Arms was considered an authority, and often joined with young artists’ groups in Cleveland and New York in awakening an interest in art projects.

“Her sisters were Sarah, who married Martyn Bonnell of Cleveland; Annie, who married Harry Bonnell of Youngstown; Kathryn, who married Alfred H. Rice of Youngstown; Caroline, who never married, and Laurabell(e), who married Henry M. Robinson of Pasadena, Calif., friend and advisor of Herbert Hoover when he was President of the United States.

“On April 6, 1899, she was married to Wilford Paddock Arms, son of Lawson and Harriet Arms of Sodus, New York. He was a distant cousin. Mr. Arms was vice president of the Realty Guarantee and Trust Co. and headed its investment securities department from 1912 until the company dissolved in 1939, when he became president of the Realty Co., an office he held until his death, April 26, 1947.

“The residence at 648 Wick Ave. was built by Mr. and Mrs. Arms in 1904 (1904-1905). Mrs. Arms drew the original plans. They had plans for an estate on Logan Road Ext. but never completed them due to Mr. Arms’ illness and death. However, they had done considerable landscaping and some construction there, most of it under Mrs. Arms’ direction. The property is being developed as a residential community.

“Mrs. Arms was a member of a distinguished family. Her great-grandfather, Henry Wick, who married Hannah Baldwin, came to Youngstown in 1802 and bought land from John Young. He erected a dwelling and store on the north side of West Federal Street between Phelps and Hazel streets and brought his wife and four children here in 1804 when Youngstown consisted of five log cabins.

“They were the parents of 12 children. He died Nov. 4, 1845, at the family residence, on the site of the Paramount Theater. A picture of this home hangs on the wall in the Arms home. The Wicks and Baldwins came from the East. Caleb Wick was the oldest son of Henry and Hannah Baldwin Wick and was Mrs. Arms’ grandfather. Her mother was his daughter, Hannah Wick.

“In recent years, Mrs. Arms told the story of her mother, who had a firm faith in the real values in life. A relative had discussed at length her pieces of jewelry. ‘I have jewels, too,’ said Mrs. Hannah Wick Arms, and from her pocketbook she produced pictures of her six daughters, termed by many old time Youngstowners among the most beautiful women who ever lived here.

“Her father, Charles Dayton Arms, had gold and coal mining interests and at the time of his death was president of the Mahoning Valley Iron Co. The home built by her father at 626 Wick Ave. has been remodeled and is used as a church by the Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox congregation.

“Mrs. Arms was a member of the Friday Afternoon Club and Memorial Presbyterian Church. She leaves five grandnieces and grandnephews, Edward N. Saunders, Florence Saunders Lund and Henry B. Christian of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and Henry C. Harvey and Sarah Harvey Oakes of Cleveland.”

Words cannot express the impact and influence Mrs. Arms had on the Mahoning Valley Historical Society, stewards of her home, Greystone, and her memory.

• Compiled from the archives of the Youngstown Vindicator by Traci Manning, MVHS curator of education.