For some high school students, learning about the Declaration of Independence or the American Civil War is only important to pass their next test. For Hunter Thompson, preserving Ohio and American history is a deep passion upon which he intends to build a career.
Thompson was born in Grove City and attends Central Crossing High School as a sophomore. When Thompson isn’t at football practice, he can usually be found volunteering at one of the many historical societies found in Franklin County.
Being a part of the Slate Run Living Historical Farm, the Southwest Franklin County Historical Society as well as the Ohio History Center, Thompson has always had a connection to American and Ohio history.
“I was always interested in history when I was young, so I looked up the people that did the reenacting,” says Thompson. “I thought it was interesting because they put their feet in someone’s shoes 100, 200 years ago.”
Thompson’s mother says he started his historical volunteer work when he was 13 as an easy way to get involved in the community.
Thompson also volunteers at St. John’s Lutheran Church. Read about the church’s 175 years of history on page #.
At the church, he is an usher and a member of the altar guild committee, a group dedicated to taking care of and preparing the altar for services.
Although Thompson finds enjoyment in his volunteer work, he also wants those who visit these historical sites to come away with something meaningful.
“What it means to me to showcase when I’m reenacting, (I get to show) what it was like 200 years ago, so people are able to understand how life was, and how life is different today. And, how they should appreciate history and not just disregard it,” says Thompson.
At the Ohio Village, Thompson has the opportunity to make his own characters through which he interacts with visitors to help them better understand the time period the characters are from.
He also gets to depict stories through his characters, some with very meaningful tales to tell. One such character named Johan Bernard Franz shares an example of how young boys interacted with their parents.
“I was learning how to cook from my great aunt because my father didn't believe men should cook,” Thompson says in character as Franz. “So, I would help her out, and she would give me cooking lessons on the days she was in town, and then I would help my dad back in German Village Farm.”
In line with his love for history, Thompson has his sights set on becoming either a constitutional lawyer or a historical restoration architect. He would enjoy working in one of the original 13 colonies, specifically the Mount Vernon area of Virginia.
Wil Steigerwald is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
