We head to Stuart's Opera House in Nelsonville, Ohio, a 145 year old historic theater and performing arts center that is the cornerstone of that town's Public Square. Dedicated to the arts and its community for its existence, learn about George Stuart and his Opera House, and the incredible stories of that building's history.

MUSIC:
Todd Jacops - "Rain Spring"
Bill MacKay - "Plaza Serenade"
Natural Sway - "Lying in the Grass"
Bill MacKay - "Setting the Stage"
Nate Scheible - "Piano Thing"
Dead Winds of Summer - "Snacks"
David Colagiovanni - "Improvisation 1" (live in New Mexico)
Lazy Susan - "Rock Andy"
Natural Sway - "New Moon"
Weedghost - "Live at Stuart's Opera House, 11/17/23"
David Colagiovanni - "Woods" (live in New Mexico)
Nate Scheible - "Phone Sesh Drone"
Natural Sway - "The Delaware Lightning Bug"
Pete Fosco - "Ghost Loops One"

PRODUCTION:
Produced, mixed, and recorded by Brian Koscho
Audio Editing - Chad Reich, Tommy Stumpp
Thanks to Aidan Neal for helping with Stuart's interpretative audio

For this episode of Invisible Ground we spotlight the other big piece of this project, our series of Immersive Historic Markers at eight locations around Athens County. Hear all eight of the audio pieces from the Invisible Ground app, one for each of the markers. Each audio interpretation welcomes you to the location and allows you to hear the story from one person, someone who is directly connected to the story, place, and history. These can all be found in the Invisible Ground app for Apple and Android. You are encouraged to go use the app in person at these locations, to see these historic images in augmented reality right there on your smartphone or tablet device. This episode's sponsors are O'Nail Hartman Insurance and the 51st annual Athens International Film and Video Festival.

MUSIC:
"I Wonder (for Michael)" by Yasmin Williams*
"Amazing Grace" by Daniel Bachman
Gospel Voices of Faith recordings
"Untitled" by Dead Winds of Summer
"Winter" by Matthew J. Rolin
"Blue Ridge Turnpike" by Daniel Bachman
"Lost and the Saved" by The Peel
"Aster Blooms" by Powers/Rolin Duo
"Plaza Serenade" by Bill MacKay
"Song for the Setting Sun II" by Daniel Bachman
"Oakes Quarry" by Weedghost

*from the album Urban Driftwood (Spinster Records) licensed for use from Marmoset LLC

For this episode, we head to a very special place: the grounds of the Athens Asylum. It has held its place on a hill overlooking Athens and Ohio University for over 150 years, and its grounds and buildings, as well as the people who called it home, have many stories to tell.  We will just scratch the surface this time,  join us to learn more about Levi Scofield, the early days of the Asylum, Radar Hill, its cemeteries, and more.

Music:
Todd Jacops - "Rain Spring"
Matthew J. Rolin - "Winter"
The Peel - "Autumn"
Bill MacKay - "Setting the Stage"
Weedghost - "Carillion Park"
Keith Hanlon - "Blackburn Arms"
Bill MacKay - "Lay of the Land"
Dead Winds of Summer - "Zarek at the Door"
Daniel Bachman - "Untitled"
The Peel - "Jaunt"
Matthew J Rolin w/ Pete Fosco - "Glacier"
Powers/Rolin Duo - "Aster Blooms"
Cold Snack - "Edge of the Sea"
Todd Jacops - "Baritone 2"
Dead Winds of Summer - "Snacks"
Disjointed Mike - "Eternal Wind Above Us"

Photo courtesy of the Southeast Ohio History Center Digital Collections


 

We head up to the village of Chauncey in Athens County for this episode. We talk about the coal mine and tipple once found where the Chauncey-Dover Community Park (and soon an Invisible Ground Immersive Historic Marker) is today and its impact on the landscape past and present. There's a huge mine strike, Ivy League University presidents, retired Civil War generals heading to the bar, explosions, machine guns, murders in a cemetery, and even a fen full of skunk cabbages in this episode. Chauncey has some fantastic stories to tell, you just have to make sure you say the name of the town right.

Music:
Todd Jacops - "Rain Spring"
Brian Harnetty - "Glouster"
The Peel - "The Lost and the Saved"
Bill MacKay - "Plaza Serenade"
Powers/Rolin Duo - "Aster Blooms"
Weedghost - "Oakes Quarry"
Brian Harnetty - "Millfield"
Disjointed Mike - "The Unending Cycle"
The Peel - "Air Above"
 

Invisible Ground heads over to Ohio University's College Green in Athens, Ohio to learn all about one of the most prominent backdrops to all who have lived in this town: the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. We learn about why it's there, what it means, and the times that have changed around it, on it, and well... literally from its hands. And we hear about the life of Athens County's most important Civil War hero, Milton M. Holland.

Music from:
Todd Jacops - "Rain Spring"
Brian Harnetty - "Major Fountain"
The Peel - "Autumn"
Daniel Bachman - "Blue Ridge Turnpike"
Pete Fosco - "Improvisation 2"
Weedghost - "Standard Conclusion"
The Peel - "Air Above"
Dead Winds of Summer - "2"
Brian Harnetty - "Millfield"
Brian Harnetty - "Rendville"
Brandon Reisig - "The Ballad of the Incomplete"
Unmonumental - "The Brakeman"
The Peel - "Harmonics"

Support for this episode of Invisible Ground comes from the Ohio University Center for Community Engagement and Republic of Athens Records. Thank you for sponsoring this episode.

Thanks to audio production, and editing help from Todd Jacops, Tommy Stumpp, Taylor Burnette, and Sherri Oliver.

Invisible Ground travels to the small town of Albany, Ohio to learn about its important connection to the Underground Railroad, and early Black education in the United States. We learn about the Albany Enterprise Academy, and its predecessor, the Albany Manual Labor Academy: the legacies they leave behind, the forgotten places on the landscape, and the incredible people who walked through their doors.

Todd Jacops - "Rain Spring"
Michael Hurley - "Are You Here for the Festival?"**
Powers/Rolin Duo - "Aster Blooms"
Disjointed Mike - "Equinox"
Pete Fosco - "Untitled"
Dead Winds of Summer - "Zarek at the Door"
Weedghost - "Ghost of a Weed"
Cold Snack - "In the Dry"
The Peel - "Autumn"
Dead Winds of Summer - "For the Book"
Cold Snack - "Rocky Point"

**courtesy of No Quarter Records on behalf of Nelsonville Music Festival advertisement

Produced and recorded by Brian Koscho
Audio Editing by Brian Koscho, Tommy Stumpp, and Todd Jacops

Thanks to Brett Elliott for his work on this photo. Photo originally from Ohio University Libraries - Digital Archives, we love those folks too.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Paul Logue.

Invisible Ground heads to the literal center of Uptown Athens to dive into the history of the Athens County Courthouse in this episode. The current Courthouse dates to 1880 and contains so many stories, we learn more about this building, the ones that came before it, and the connections inside and outside of Athens County. Plus, hear a bit more about the oldest buildings on Court Street in a special walking tour at the end of the episode. Support for this episode was provided by The Athena Cinema in Athens, Ohio.

Todd Jacops - "Rain Spring"
David Colagiovanni - "Adventure Club"
Matthew J. Rolin - "Dovetail"
Dead Winds of Summer - "Waves of Silt"
Weedghost - "Carillon Park"
The Peel - "The Lost and the Saved"
Cold Snack - "Edge of the Sea"
Matthew J. Rolin - "What Comes Next"
Brandon Reisig - "Pop Quiz Hotshot"
Disjointed Mike - "Empty Bucket of Flies"
 

No history or documentary storytelling in this episode, this time it is all focused on The Music of Invisible Ground! To celebrate the pre-order of our compilation of the same name on vinyl, cd, and digital download (which you should make sure to go pre-order and support at igg.me/at/invisiblegroundmusic) we are diving into the sounds you hear throughout the podcast. Music from Todd Jacops, Powers/Rolin Duo, Daniel Bachman, The Peel, Brian Harnetty, Bill MacKay, Brandon Reisig, Unmonumental, Weedghost, Disjointed Mike, Pete Fosco, and Dead Winds of Summer on the show! Some are on the compilation, some are on the podcast, some will be on the podcast, but all of these people have amazing music on the record. This special episode of Invisible Ground also serves as the 43rd episode of Brian's long-time Ohio music podcast, The Western Reserve. Thanks to The Union and Dinkey Coffee for being our sponsors this episode. Enjoy!

Todd Jacops - "Rain Spring"
Powers/Rolin Duo - "Aster Blooms"
Daniel Bachman - "Blue Ridge Turnpike"
The Peel - "Lucy's Song"
Brian Harnetty - "Major Fountain"
Bill MacKay - "Keep Your Spirits High"
Brandon Reisig - "The Ballad of the Incomplete"
Unmonumental - "Elephant"
Weedghost - "Carillon Park"
Disjointed Mike - "Untitled"
Pete Fosco - excerpt from "Invisible Ground Sessions"
Dead Winds of Summer - "Invisible 1"

Learn a bit more about the Berrys, the Davisons, Mount Zion, and the Westside of Athens in these short stories. Students from the Andrew Jackson Davison Club at Athens Middle School researched, interviewed, wrote their script, and recorded their narration in only a few weeks! This episode is part of a project for Tantrum Theater and their debut play Hotel Berry, and is a collaboration with Invisible Ground, the Andrew Jackson Davison Club, Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society, the Southeast Ohio History Center, and Athens Photographic Project. This project is supported by a grant from Ohio Humanities, and a matching grant from the Ohio University College of Fine Arts Community Fund. Special thanks to Joshua Coy, Angela Hall,  Evan Shaw, Nicki Mazzocca, Yaphet Jackman, Chad Reich, Tommy Stumpp, and all of our historians and collaborators for making this project happen.

Stories by the Andrew Jackson Davison Club at Athens Middle School.

Executive Producer: Brian Koscho

Assistant Producers: Yaphet Jackman, Nicki Mazzocca, and Evan Shaw

Editors: Chad Reich, Tommy Stumpp, and Brian Koscho

Music from: Todd Jacops, Pete Fosco, Matthew J. Rolin, Brian Koscho, Dead Winds of Summer, and Disjointed Mike

This episode is dedicated to the memory of my grandmother, Rita Terschak, who passed away on November 26, 2022 at the age of 95. Love you grandma.

Enjoy this special story courtesy of the Andrew Jackson Davison Club at Athens Middle School about the Westside neighborhood in Athens and its West State Street Cemetery. The students researched, interviewed, wrote their script, and recorded their narration in only a few weeks! This episode is part of a project for Tantrum Theater and their debut play Hotel Berry, and is a collaboration with Invisible Ground, the Andrew Jackson Davison Club, Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society, the Southeast Ohio History Center, and Athens Photographic Project. This project is supported by a grant from Ohio Humanities, and a matching grant from the Ohio University College of Fine Arts Community Fund. Special thanks to Joshua Coy, Angela Hall,  Evan Shaw, Nicki Mazzocca, Yaphet Jackman, Chad Reich, Tommy Stumpp, and all of our historians and collaborators for making this project happen.

Story by:  Carter Boeninger, Cohen Stadler, Simon Foehl, Theo Smucker, and Coltrane Parsons

Executive Producer: Brian Koscho
Producer: Nicki Mazzocca
Editor: Chad Reich

Music from: Todd Jacops, Dead Winds of Summer, Disjointed Mike, and Brian Koscho