Virginia McCormick at Book Signing for "New Englanders on the Ohio Frontier"

Virginia (Jennie) McCormick (b. 1934, d. 2024) signs her book "New Englanders on the Ohio Frontier: Migration and Settlement of Worthington, Ohio" in the photograph taken at the Worthington Historical Society's Annual Meeting in 1998. Jennie and husband Robert (Bob) McCormick wrote the book, which examines the founding and development of Worthington to show how it reflects the New England culture transplanted and reshaped by the western frontier. This case study of one community provides a perspective from which historians can better understand the process of western migration and frontier settlement.

Jennie served as the Worthington Historical Society’s Historian for several decades. She authored numerous books, including many with her husband Bob, meticulously documenting Worthington history. The efforts of the McCormicks' comprehensive research was remarkable in its detail. Not only did they write about a plethora of topics, they also created a large archive of primary documentation to support their findings, the bulk of which now is part of the Society’s archive. The understanding of Worthington’s early days, its development over time and the people who shaped the community over time is in large part due to the diligent work and research skills of Jennie and Bob.