Paul Bough Travis (1891-1975) was a distinguished Cleveland, Ohio, artist and art educator with interests in literature, poetry, and history. born in Columbiana County, Ohio, Travis grew up among a large family with deep roots in the area surrounding Beaver Creek. This heritage provided him with story ideas in later years. In 1913, Travis enrolled in the Cleveland School of Art and graduated in 1917. After service in France during World War I, he returned to become a graduate student and art instructor at the Cleveland School of Art, later the Cleveland Institute of Art.
A trip to Africa in 1927 and 1928, sponsored in part by a group of African Americans in Cleveland, had a profound influence on Travis' painting. Previously concentrating on still-life work and local scenery, the emphasis of Travis' work changed to violent conflict in nature as shown in lush jungle scenes, storms, and wild animals. Nationally recognized, Travis received many awards for displays of his work, particularly at the May Show of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Travis wrote a number of short stories and poems which, although some were intended for a book, were never published. Some relate to his family and family history, while others relate to African and his travels. He wrote reflectively in a rambling style.
After his retirement in 1957, Travis continued to offer frequent demonstrations of his painting technique. He also engaged in violin making as a hobby. At his death in Cleveland in 1975, he was survived by his wife of 50 years, Marjorie L. Penfield Travis, and three children.
The Paul Bough Travis Papers include material on the Wood family, the White family, and Paul Bough Travis. The White and Wood families are relatives of Marjorie Penfield Travis, wife of Paul Bough Travis.
The Wood family papers in this collection relate to William Lyon Wood, born in Jefferson County, Ohio, in 1846. His parents, Enoch Wood and Elizabeth Rawson Benjamin, had been married in Erie County, Ohio, in 1845. Enoch Wood went to New York and was reported to be dead in 1847. Elizabeth Wood remarried to Clark J. Davis, but in 1851 Enoch Wood returned to Ohio and attempted to take custody of his son, William Lyon Wood. Failing in this effort, Enoch Wood left and never again contacted his son.
William L. Wood enlisted in the 29th Ohio Volunteer Infantry and was a part of General William T. Sherman's march through Georgia. Woods' diary records the march after leaving Savannah in 1865.
Lucy Elizabeth White and William L. Wood were married in New York in 1868. they resided in Kellogsville, Ohio, where he died in 1909. Marjorie Penfield Travis (born 1900) was their granddaughter.
The White family papers in this collection were brought together by Lucy Elizabeth White Wood who was born in 1847 in Arkwright, New York, to Elliot Vinton White (born 1817) and Elizabeth Ely White (1822-1901). Lucy White Wood collected family history information from her parents and distant relatives through extensive correspondence.
The related families researched by Lucy White Wood were the White family of Roxbury and Chesterfield, Massachusetts and LeRoy, New York, the Ely family of Willbraham, Massachusetts, and the Hall family of Canaan, New York. The Halls were relatives of Aaron Burr and Johnathan Edwards.
Lucy E. White kept journals, wrote poetry and delivered patriotic essays in addition to her genealogical research. She died at Ashtabula Harbor, Ohio, in 1901.
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Paul Bough Travis