Postcards from Grafton
If you've ever visited the Grafton area, you've probably noticed a soybean field or two, farmhouses, the train tracks, or maybe even the library. Do you know the stories behind these places and the people who call this area home? This is Postcards from Grafton. We're two librarians and historians from the Grafton-Midview Public Library exploring the most fascinating people and places in our community and everything in between. Our history matters. Our community matters. Enjoy the stories. This podcast is made possible by the Grafton Village History Association. For more local history resources, including photographs, oral histories, newspaper articles, and more, visit gmplibrary.org/localhistory.
Episodes
We were lucky to speak with Paul Justy, author and Grafton railroad expert. Paul has been a part of the local railroad preservation group for many years, a group which has worked hard to save the historic railroad tower and share knowledge of Grafton's history with everyone. A lifelong resident of Grafton, Paul's interest in the railroad started when he was a child, exploring and learning early on about the industry. Also, Paul ...
This is Part 2 of our discussion with Gerry Matusik, lifelong Grafton resident, focusing on his experiences working at NASA in the machine shop. We get pretty deep into the industry, so you'll find lots to learn listening to this episode. We sort of jump right into the conversation in the beginning and you may want to start with Part 1 to get started.
The first part of our interview with Gerry Matusik, lifelong Grafton resident, discussing his experiences growing up in the village, working, pranks, events, the people and places, and why he was glad to stick around.
In this episode we interview Alan and Andrew Spitzer about the Spitzer family and businesses that have been a staple of Grafton for many years. Representing the third and fourth generations of the Spitzer business family, Alan and Andrew talk about the range of businesses the Spitzers have operated, from the beginnings of Spitzer Automobile to the modern day. They also talk about the more personal ties the family has with Grafton, ...
On this episode I am speaking with Carl and Joe Filipiak, brothers who grew up in Grafton in the late 1940s and 50s, about their experiences and stories about what the village and community was like at the time. Both are former educators and have lots to share and I think listeners should get a pretty good picture of life here in the Grafton during that time. Thank you again to Carl and Joe for speaking with me and sharing!
In this bonus episode we are lucky to have a guest reader, Joyce Newman from the Carlisle Township Bicentennial Committee, on the show to read from Phebe Farr's autobiography. Phebe was a child of 6 when her family settled in what became Carlisle Township in February of 1818. This reading is an account of her earlier years in the township which was published around 1894 for publication in the local newspaper. Phebe was the daugh...
The quarrying industry boomed in the late 19th century in the area and Carlisle Township has it's share of them. In this episode we are speaking with Chris Smith, one of the authors of the book "The Lost Quarry Industry of Indian Hollow and Willow Park - Grafton, Ohio." This industry created hundreds of jobs and also helped drive the expansion of the railroads in the county as well. Chris shares his expertise on the subject and ...
Carlisle Township was the home of the Lorain County Infirmary. In this episode we are speaking with Jared Smith, author the book "Just a Place to Stay Out of the Rain: A History of the Lorain County Infirmary 1868-1976." Jared is a lifelong Carlisle Township resident and historian. He has researched the old Lorain County Infirmary extensively in order to publish his book and found a myriad of fascinating bits of information abou...
Hello listeners! We're back with Season 2. It's a little late and a smidge truncated at the moment due to staffing shortages here at Grafton-Midview Public Library, but we haven't disappeared! This season we are taking a special look at Carlisle Township history to celebrate their bicentennial, but we also have some other episodes recorded and planned. Please make sure to subscribe on your podcast app choice. As usual we are e...
One of the many articles reporting the murders of Benjamin Bivins, his wife Sarah, and their daughter-in-law Laura Brownell Bivins on January 31, 1865 by their son David F. Bivins. This article appeared in the Painesville Telegraph on February 9, 1865. Only The New York Times mentions Almira Hart by name in the reporting of the crimes.
Cohosts Fred and Kari holding one of the Ancestry DNA Test Kits you can win by listening to the Genealogy Gems episode and emailing the code word to postcardsfromgrafton@gmail.com.
What would prompt six librarians to discuss salvia bubbles, murder, Native American princesses, and faraway travels? Genealogy of course! Four more GMPL staffers agreed to chat with us about what may be lurking in their fam...
Beginning in the late 1970s as a way to highlight the businesses along Main Street, Old Fashioned Christmas has developed into a yearly Grafton tradition. We’re chatting with Tami Mullins of the Library and Tami Smith of Smith & Schmidt Agency: Allstate Insurance about this much loved community event. Both have been involved in the planning process of Old Fashioned Christmas for several years and as we say at the top of the epis...
We've been thinking a lot about food and farmers. When you drive through the Grafton area, it’s hard not to notice the large fields of farmland or a tractor traveling down the road. With the COVID-19 Pandemic we’re cooking more at home, and questioning our shopping and dining habits and the origins of the food on our plates. Less than 2% of the U.S. population has a role in food production. We’re chatting with three farmers in our...
Miss Katie and Miss Kari showing off the new 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten train in the summer of 2020; and Miss Maggie, Miss Katie, and Miss Kari celebrating the arrival of caterpillars in spring of 2021.
We had a little trouble getting Fred's microphone to sync this episode. His voice carries, but there are a few moments where Katie and Kari's laughter drown him ou...
One of our guests this episode, Tami Mullins, at GMPL back in the day.
We had a small technical issue this episode. Around the 2 minute mark when Tami is discussing summer reading, Kari's microphone cuts out. It lasts until around 04:22 when we replaced the batteries. We apologize for the inconvenience!
A lot of things happen in a library, like having storytimes in an old bank vault. Or discoveri...
On April 11, 1965 a tornado tore through the Village of Grafton at 11:23 pm. The tornado that hit Grafton was part of a larger, infamous outbreak known as the Palm Sunday Tornadoes. Over the span of 12 hours, 37 tornadoes were unleashed on Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. The outbreak claimed 260 lives, 140 in Indiana alone, and caused millions of dollars in damage. In Ohio, 55 people died. The town of Pitt...
Author and artist Renee Durkee Atkinson holding her book Rum Run.
The Durkee Farm during the 1870s.
The Orchard Cheese Factory at the corner of Butternut Ridge and Durkee Road. Atkinson's great-great grandfather and Civil War veteran Oel Durkee stands in front.
Read more
What would prompt four librarians to discuss salvia bubbles, comfort food, faraway travels, and black and white photographs? Genealogy of course! GMPL staffers Maggie Noble, Tami Mullins, Crystal Samol, and Pam Myers agreed to chat with us about what might be lurking in their family trees and take Ancestry DNA tests. Do their results confirm their family stories, or bust their family folklore? What do they plan to do after learning...
Artist studios. Concerts. Community theater. Historical exhibits. Monarch butterfly garden. Community garden. The vision that Carlee Mahajan has for the Old Grafton School on Elm Street is ambitious and creative to say the least. We chat with Mahajan about the history of the school building, how she acquired the property, the work that has been completed, and the work that remains to make the space a true community hub for artists...
We know the power of stories. And we know that history is more than just dates and names on a page. We're two history-loving librarians from the Grafton-Midview Public Library exploring the most fascinating people and places in our community and everything in between. This podcast is made possible by the Grafton Village History Association.
Popular Podcasts
If you eat, sleep, and breathe true crime, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT is serving up your nightly fix. Five nights a week, KT STUDIOS & iHEART RADIO invite listeners to pull up a seat for an unfiltered look at the biggest cases making headlines, celebrity scandals, and the trials everyone is watching. With a mix of expert analysis, hot takes, and listener call-ins, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT goes beyond the headlines to uncover the twists, turns, and unanswered questions that keep us all obsessed—because, at TRUE CRIME TONIGHT, there’s a seat for everyone. Whether breaking down crime scene forensics, scrutinizing serial killers, or debating the most binge-worthy true crime docs, True Crime Tonight is the fresh, fast-paced, and slightly addictive home for true crime lovers.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.