MS-330 Arthur Compton, Trails End Collection

Introduction

The Arthur B. Compton, Jr./Trails End Club Papers were donated to the WSU Archives by Arthur Compton’s granddaughter Sue Deister on July 18, 2002.  The collection spans the dates July 1958 through August 1964 and is housed in four (4) Hollinger boxes.  The records concern the founding and first years of the Trails End Club of Dayton.  Mr. Compton kept very good records of the early organization of the Club, meeting minutes, member bulletins, finances, and much more.  Of particular interest are the records concerning the purchase and transformation of former Ohio Governor James Cox’s mansion known as Trails End into an exclusive social club.

There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.

The collection is made up of the following record series:

Series I Administrative
Series II Financial
Series III Committees
Series IV Membership
Series V Scrapbook and Photographs
Series VI Maps and Blueprints

Biographical Sketch

Arthur B. Compton, president of Lincoln Storage Co., was largely responsible for the founding of The Trails End Club in 1958.  The process of creating an exclusive social club in Dayton for businessmen and their families began in July, 1958.  The Organizing Committee of the Club bought former Governor James Cox’s mansion (along with 5-acres of land), renovated it, and held its grand opening on November 29, 1958. 

The vision of the Club’s founders were to combine “the most desirable features of a private country club together with those of an Athletic Club (such as those in Detroit, Cincinnati, Cleveland and other major cities.”  In the first years of the Club’s existence numerous social events were held, a new outdoor pool was built, as well as a dining room, cocktail bar, and athletic facilities.  Membership was by invitation only.  Each prospective member had to pass a credit check and be approved by the existing membership.

The Trails End Club closed its doors and ceased operating in 1982 due to rising costs and declining membership.  The property was bought by Oakwood contractor Donald Phlipot in 1983. Tom Danis of Danis Industries, in partnership with Phlipot and seven other businesses, began the renovation of the mansion in 1987 and completing it in 1988.  The mansion is currently used by nine Dayton area firms as a combination business meeting club and executive guest house.

Scope and Content Notes

Series I Administrative

This series contains information related to the operations of the Trails End Club.  The areas covered in the series are the board of trustees, rules and bylaws, meeting minutes (trustee and membership meetings), employee matters, and correspondence.  The series is strongest in its complete collection of meeting minutes and the rules and bylaws covering the first five years of the Club.  The information concerning the board of trustees and employee matters consists of mostly correspondence regarding Club administration and procedures.  The correspondence file has only a few letters of a personal nature to and from Arthur Compton.

This series contains materials regarding the Club’s financial statements, insurance, and bonds.  The strongest aspect of this series is its nearly complete collections of financial statements mainly covering the years 1958 through 1960.  The Bonds file also has some interesting materials concerning the Club’s use of bonds to finance itself.

Series III        Committees

This series contains materials on the following Club committees: organization, athletic, house, entertainment, membership, publicity, and finance.  The most interesting aspect of this series concerns the organization and membership committee papers.  These two files contain a wealth of information regarding the Club’s origins and matters dealing with its membership.  The entertainment committee papers also give a lot of insight into the activities and events held at the Club.  The series contains reports and meeting minutes of some of the committees.  The weakest aspect of this series is with the athletic committee papers, which are few. 

Series IV Membership

This series contains information regarding membership bulletins, rosters, and reciprocity.  The series has a nearly complete collection of rosters and bulletins for the Club’s first several years of existence.  The reciprocity papers are also interesting.  They detail the Club’s efforts to develop mutually beneficial relationships with clubs in other cities so that traveling members from one city’s club may take advantage of member benefits in another city’s club and vice versa.

Series V Scrapbook and Photographs

This series contains mostly newspaper clippings about former Governor Cox’s mansion and Trails End Club people and events.  There are also a number of undated photographs of the mansion’s exterior and interior.

Series VI Maps and Blueprints

This series contains plat maps of the Trails End Club’s property as well as blueprints for converting the garage into a pool house.

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