It was a bitterly cold January morning when I climbed the stairs of the Toledo Free Press offices for a first ever meeting with then-Editor in Chief Michael Miller.
Though normally I tend to let the cards fall as they will in my life, this day I was stepping out with a “nothing ventured, nothing gained” attitude. I approached Michael with the idea of writing a weekly history column about the events that occurred in the Northwest Ohio region during the War of 1812, because 2012 was the bicentennial of the event.
I didn’t have to wait long for Michael’s reaction to my nervously pitched idea. He smiled away the winter chill, and I knew it was going to work out, but never did I imagine how well. In fact, within moments he said we should make the first column the feature story in one of the next issues. It took a few minutes for me to understand that meant the cover story! Over the next two years, I was blessed to have over 25 columns accepted.
Having only written a book about this historical period, I was a little unsure of the correct stylistic approach to take for a weekly column. Michael promptly advised that I put myself into it, and let the reader get to know me personally, as well as the history I was sharing. I took that suggestion to heart and it worked, even though some unflattering moments of my life are now public knowledge.
Since then, new doors of opportunity have opened and my circle of history-nut friends has greatly expanded, triggered because they read the column offered me by the gracious Michael Miller. My instincts told me Toledo Free Press was the fitting venue for history-oriented stories. Thank you, readers, and happy 10th anniversary to one of America’s most relevant newspapers.
Frank Kuron is author of the War of 1812 book, “Thus Fell Tecumseh.” Email him at kuronpubs@bex.net.
