Archibald McNeal Willard

Archibald McNeal WILLARD (Samuel R. , Jonathan , Samuel , Jonathan , Jonathan , Jonathan , Simon , Richard , Symon , Richard , William ) was born on Aug 26 1836 in Bedford, OH. He died on Oct 11 1918 in Cleveland, OH. He was buried Greenwood Cemetery in Wellington, OH. 

Archibald married Nellie S. CHALLACOMB in 1864. Nellie died in 1913.

They had the following children:

 2183 M i Charles E. WILLARD was born on Feb 5 1865. He died on Jun 11 1900.  

+ 2184 F ii Maude M. WILLARD

 2185 M iii Harry A. WILLARD was born on Sep 5 1869. He died in 1917.  

       Harry married Margaret DAVIS.  

 2186 M iv Albert WILLARD was born on Jun 28 1877. He died in Aug 1877.  

 2187 M v Byron W. WILLARD was born on May 29 1879. He died in 1936.  

       Byron married Verna MALONE on Nov 21 1907.  

Archibald McNeal Willard was born in Bedford, Ohio on August 22, 1836, the fourth of seven children in the family of Reverend Samuel R. and Catherine Willard. Reverend Willard, a fundamentalist preacher, moved his family frequently from parish to parish throughout the Northern Ohio Western Reserve area. There was little money for more than the basic necessities of life. Of his heritage, Willard wrote: "My father was not only a deeply religious man, but a man of strong patriotic spirit. He inherited from his father, and I from him, an ardent love of country and pride in its glory." The Willards settled permanently in Wellington, Ohio in 1855 where Reverend Samuel Willard ministered to the local Disciples of Christ Church.

As a youth, Archibald was the graffiti artist of the village and left his art on every available space; barn doors, fences, trees and outhouses. He used whatever was available, chalk, charcoal, even his jackknife. Several years earlier, Willard had apprenticed himself to a local artist, wheelwright and wagon maker named E. S. Tripp, where he decorated wagons, sleighs, buggies, etc. He was so expert at this trade that soon his employer's wagons and buggies became noted for their fine quality. He grew to a lanky height of 6'3", a giant of a man in those times, and acquired the nickname of "Deke" or "Deacon" probably because of his father's occupation. His art began to appear everywhere in Wellington embellishing furniture, wagons and sleighs. A Mr. A. G. Couch won first prize at the 1857 Wellington Agricultural Fair for his furniture hand-painted and decorated by young Archibald Willard. Willard enlisted as a color sergeant in the 86th Ohio Volunteer Infantry soon after the outbreak of the Civil War. He served with this unit and saw action in Kentucky and Tennessee. In February 1864, Willard's unit was mustered out of the service and he returned to Wellington. At this time, Willard made his first contact with J. F. Ryder who photographed and printed several of Willard's Civil War sketches. This same year he married his Wellington sweetheart, Nellie S. Challacombe. Less than a year later he again enlisted in the 176th Ohio Volunteers as a private. He saw action in Nashville, and was subsequently discharged there in June of 1865. He returned to his home in Wellington and resumed his employment with the Tripp factory. He was a member of Wellington Lodge #127 in Wellington, Ohio, a Lodge still active. He was entered March 21, 1867, passed April 30, 1867, and raised May 21, 1867. On December 15, 1891 he was "Withdrawn" (Demitted)from Wellington Lodge. It is believed that he then joined a Lodge in Cleveland, Ohio inasmuch as he had lived in Cleveland since 1876 when he and his family moved there.

It was J. F. Ryder, Cleveland's most famous photographer and entrepreneur who first recognized the talent of the young wagon painter "Arch" Willard from Wellington. It was he who brought Willard to Cleveland where they developed a profitable partnership printing chromo-lithographs of Willard's humorous sketches. And, it was he who in 1875 suggested that Willard might do something special for the Centennial. In October of 1875, after much prior planning, sketching and experimenting, Willard began work on the large 8' x 10' canvas in an upstairs bedroom of the family home in Wellington. The years of 1875-76 were spent almost entirely working on the Yankee Doodle painting. Several considerations dictated a move to Cleveland; i.e. the large well-lighted studio of Willis Adams, the advanced camera and techniques of J. F. Ryder, and less distraction of dogs and family. The move created one problem that turned out to be fortuitous. Freeman Greene, who had been posing as the old drummer could not take the time to travel to Cleveland, and so, Willard conscripted his father, Samuel, as the model for this character. The painting was completed in Cleveland at the end of March 1876 in the studio of Willis Adams on Euclid Avenue near the Public Square. A plaque erected in 1932 marks this site. Christened Yankee Doodle, the masterpiece was first displayed in the front window of J. F. Ryder's art studio on March 27th, 1876. From the first day it drew large crowds despite the cold winds that were blowing off Lake Erie. Willard was pleased with the public reaction to Yankee Doodle. More importantly he was relieved that the large 8' x 10' canvas was finished. He was exhausted. What had started as a humorous cartoon, a promotion for the Centennial, had evolved into an emotional and totally consuming experience. But, he had captured the spirit of those early American Patriots of 1776 as never before or since. It should have been a time of great joy for the artist, but his heart was heavy because of the recent death of his father who had not only modeled for the grey-haired old drummer, but also had inspired the transformation of the painting and symbolized its message.

After the Centennial, the painting was taken to Boston for several weeks where it was placed on exhibition in the Old South Church Meetinghouse. While there, Mr. Brainerd, who had charge of the exhibition, suggested changing the name from Yankee Doodle to The Spirit of '76 because of the association of the term Yankee Doodle with a local "half-wit" of the same name. Willard reluctantly accepted the new name. He wrote, "I gave it the title which I had first in mind, Yankee Doodle. That's the tune I hear when I look at it. But many of those who love it prefer The Spirit of '76, and I am content with either."

Both Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, and Abbot Hall in Marblehead, Massachusetts have claimed to possess the Original Centennial Canvas. Of the two contenders, The Spirit of '76 at Western Reserve appears to be much earlier than the painting now at Marblehead. Neither of these two paintings match the photographs, supposedly of the Centennial Canvas, which, over the years were issued by Willard, Ryder, and Marblehead. To add to the confusion, there was a second large Spirit of '76 in existence shortly after the Centennial. On Valentine's Day in 1877 Willard presented an 8' x 13' Spirit of '76 to the Cleveland Gray's Armory. It is believed that this picture was lost when the Armory burned in 1918.

The Marblehead Spirit of '76 is a magnificent canvas. It is the most often reproduced, and therefor the best known of all the paintings. The main contender for the Centennial Canvas has generally been considered to be the Marblehead painting. Willard and his associates all referred to the Centennial painting as having gone on tour after 1876, and having been purchased by General John H. Devereux (Father of the model for the Drummer Boy) and presented to his home town of Marblehead, Massachusetts in 1880. A dispute arises, however, because there is no resemblance between the Centennial painting photographs and the painting now in Marblehead. Additionally, this painting demonstrates an artistic expertise far too advanced for Willard's 1876 Centennial technique.

This discrepancy is easily explained. The painting was returned to Willard in Cleveland in 1892, and for the sum of $500 he created a vastly improved Spirit of '76, repainting either the returned canvas or possibly substituting a different canvas.

Mr. Willard F. Gordon, a great-great-nephew of Archibald M. Willard, in 1976 published an excellent book about his Uncle "Arch." In the process of researching material for this fine book, Mr. Gordon spent 12 years tracking down the history of his famous relative. Mr. Gordon has come to the conclusion that the Marblehead Spirit of '76, over-painted in 1892, is most likely the Centennial Canvas. Mr. Gordon is, however, somewhat disgusted with the animosity that has developed between Marblehead and Northern Ohio, and suggests that both paintings having been painted by Archibald Willard are equally important. Mr. Gordon's favorite solution to the missing 1876 canvas was offered by a Wellington resident who also was disgusted with the teapot tempest. With tongue in cheek, he assured Mr. Gordon that the missing Centennial Canvas was the 2' x 3' Spirit of '76 at the Herrick Memorial Library in Wellington, shrunk from its 8' x 10' size by improper laundering.

Archibald M. Willard died October 11, 1918 and is buried in the family plot in the Greenwood Cemetery in Wellington, Ohio. The artist's wife and four of his six children preceded him in death. Son, Harry died in 1917. Of the remaining two children Maud died in 1922 and Byron in 1936. Willard's daughter Maud provided him with his only grandchild, Willard Connally. Connally left no heirs Archibald M. Willard's line had come to an end.

Of the three principal figures in the painting, Reverend Samuel Willard died in 1876, Hugh Mosher, the fifer, in 1892 and the young drummer boy, Henry K. Devereux, died in 1932.

An autographed copy of the marvelous book, The Spirit of '76 ... an American Portrait, by Willard F. Gordon, Great-great-nephew of A. M. Willard, is now in The Collingwood Library, available to any who would care to learn more about this great American Artist. It is from this book that all of this historical information was gleaned.

All of the forgoing about the Spirit of '76, however interesting, is actually of slight importance to the Heroes of '76 . What is important, and what may never be known is when did these three figures from Willard's great painting become the centerpiece for the logo of the Heroes of '76 , and who made the decision. Even though Caleb Atwater, E. B. Jones, and Archibald Willard were all living and working around the same area of the United States at approximately the same time, and even though each was in his own way contributing to the celebration of the Centennial, and although it is possible they might even have known one another, it is a virtual certainty that they did not collaborate on the Heroes of '76 degree. The painting might have been a source of inspiration for E. B. Jones inasmuch as he was working on the degree at about the same time the fame of the painting was sweeping the country.

A Heroes Song Book published in 1928 has on its cover a drawing of the three figures prominent in Willard's painting. This clearly indicates that there was an association with this painting prior to the time the medal/logo was approved.

The Spirit of '76 figures are displayed on the covers of every edition of the Heroes Manual through 1976 in what appears to be a pen and ink sketch of the painting. The sketch was revised in 1967 to again show the drummer boy with a bandage on his head, as in the 1928 sketch, rather than a tricorn hat. The 1976 Bicentennial Manual has on its cover a more accurate drawing of the three figures and the bandage has once more been replaced with a tricorn. It is interesting that the Heroes logo approved in 1929 does not appear on any of these early manuals. The emphasis seems to indicate that the depicted, determined patriots were intended to be representative of the Heroes of '76 .

------------------------------------------------

1870 United States Federal Census about Archibald Willard

Name: Archibald Willard

Birth Year: abt 1837

Age in 1870: 33

Birthplace: Ohio

Home in 1870: Wellington, Lorain, Ohio

Race: White

Gender: Male

Value of real estate: View image

Post Office: Wellington

Household Members:

Name Age

Archibald Willard 33

Nellie Willard 25

Charlie Willard 5

Mand Willard 2

Harry Willard 9/12

Sue Challacombe 23

--------------------------------------------------------

1880 United States Federal Census about Archibald M. Willard

Name: Archibald M. Willard

Home in 1880: Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio

Age: 43

Estimated birth year: abt 1837

Birthplace: Ohio

Relation to Head of Household: Self (Head)

Spouse's name: Nellie S. Willard

Father's birthplace: Vermont

Mother's Name: Catherine Willard

Mother's birthplace: New York

Neighbors: View others on page

Marital Status: Married

Race: White

Gender: Male

Cannot read/write:

Blind:

Deaf and dumb:

Otherwise disabled:

Idiotic or insane:

View image

Household Members:

Name Age

Archibald M. Willard 43

Nellie S. Willard 35

Charles E. Willard 15

Maud M. Willard 12

Harry A. Willard 10

Byron W. Willard 1

Catherine Willard 73

Jennie A. Willard 41

---------------------------------------------------------

1900 United States Federal Census about A M Willard

Name: A M Willard

Home in 1900: Cleveland Ward 17, Cuyahoga, Ohio

Age: 63

Birth Date: Aug 1836

Birthplace: Ohio

Race: White

Gender: Male

Relationship to Head of House: Head

Father's Birthplace: Vermont

Mother's Birthplace: Ireland

Spouse's name: Nellie S Willard

Marriage Year: 1864

Marital Status: Married

Years Married: 36

Occupation: View on Image

Neighbors: View others on page

Household Members:

Name Age

A M Willard 63

Nellie S Willard 55

Maude Connely 30

Byron W Willard 21

Willard R Connely 3

-------------------------------------------------------------

Ohio 1910 Census Miracode Index about Archibald Willard

Name: Archibald Willard

Birthplace: Ohio

State: OH

Age: 72

Color: W

Enumeration District: 0235

Visit: 0083

County: Cuyahoga, Cleveland

Relation: Head of Household

Other Residents:

Relation Name Color Age Birth Place

Wife Nellie S 65 PENN

Daughter Manda Conscolly 41 Ohio

Son-in-law Joseph D 49 Ohio

Grandson Willard Connolly 13 Ohio

---------------------------------------------------------

Archibald M. Willard

   * Memorial

   * Photos

   * Flowers

   * Edit

Birth: Aug. 22, 1836

Bedford Heights

Cuyahoga County

Ohio, USA

Death: Oct. 1, 1918

Cleveland

Cuyahoga County

Ohio, USA

Artist. He is best known as being the one who painted the famous "Spirit of 76".

Search Amazon for Archibald Willard

Burial:

Greenwood Cemetery

Wellington

Lorain County

Ohio, USA