Courtesy of Southwest Franklin County Historical Society
That project invites people who have played a significant role in Grove City’s growth and development or who have witnessed significant events to share their stories. The project has been running for more than two decades and conducted nearly 45 interviews covering a range of experiences and events. The interviews, some of which trace history back to the 19th century, are typically between 45 and 60 minutes long.
More than just key historical figures, the recordings aim to capture voices that can speak to what life was like for ordinary people in Grove City at different times.
“They’re not all political people, they’re not all members of the historical society,” says Steve Jackson, president of the Southwest Franklin County Historical Society. “They’re really just people in the community.”
A key piece of the project are the recordings, which allow for deeper emotional connections to the retellings. Jackson says this helps interviewers to get the most out of each conversation as well. Even as many have transitioned toward remote work, the Historical Society prides itself on conducting the interviews in person.
“We’ve talked about doing (interviews) over the phone,” Jackson says, “but it isn’t quite the same. You can tell by facial expressions and gestures, if they’re sitting across the table from you, if they’re comfortable talking about something or not. On the phone that’s very hard to pick up.”
In one interview, Paul White talks about his time as mayor of Grove City during the Great Depression era. As the economy plummeted and the city budget waned, White recalls having to perform much of the labor that might have been contracted. He was also the area chairman for the Works Progress Administration and coordinated the construction of sidewalks, curbs and a sanitary sewer system.
Leroy Geyer, another interviewee, recalls when White Road was called Breckenridge Road and spanned all the way to U.S. Route 23. Geyer discusses how he attended barber school and opened a shop in Grove City. He also served as a trustee for Jackson Township and was instrumental in setting up fire stations across the community.
The interviewees describe their experiences outside of Ohio, too. Grove City is credited for helping Larry Thomas find a love of baseball that led to his career as a scout with the Boston Sox. Carl Patzer, son of two-term mayor Anton Patzer, describes his time in the military, where he witnessed more than 20 atomic blasts.
Jackson says the historical society plans to continue the project this year with new stories and histories to be unveiled.
“When people think of local history,” Jackson says, “they think of buildings or displays in a museum. But history is more than just places and objects: History is really people. We feel that this is a really important component of recording the town's past for current people and future generations to come.”
Every interview from the project is contained in a binder with a CD that holds the recorded conversation, a topic index, photos, relevant documents and a complete transcription of the audio recording. The archive of interviews can be found at Grove CityLibrary, 3959 Broadway.
For more information or to read about other oral historical accounts, visit www.grovecityohhistory.org.
Courtesy of Southwest Franklin County Historical Society
Megan Roth is the senior editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
