Invisible Ground

We journey to the Little Cities of Black Diamonds, a collection of company towns, villages, mines, and settlements in a region around the borders of Athens, Perry, Morgan, and Hocking County. A region that powered America's industrial revolution and created the environment and foundation for the United Mine Workers, and the modern labor union movement. We learn all about the area from the people who have preserved the histories of this place, the staff and volunteers of the Little Cities of Black Diamonds. We head to San Toy, New Straitsville, Payne's Crossing, Hamburg, Hobo, and everything in between. The episode finishes with an interview with interdisciplinary sound artist Brian Harnetty about his work and its inspirations from Perry County and Shawnee.

This episode features music from:
Todd Jacops - "Rain Spring"
The Peel - "Untitled"
Brian Harnetty - "Wayne National Forest"
Dead Winds of Summer - "Willow Creek 1"
Pete Fosco - "Untitled 1"
Powers/Rolin Duo - "Birdhouse"
The Peel - "A Cautionary Tale"
Weedghost - "Morning 04"
Matthew J. Rolin w/ Pete Fosco - "Glacier"
Brian Harnetty - "Tecumseh Theater"
Todd Jacops - "Lake Orange"
Weedghost - "Morning 02"
David Colagiovanni - "Adventure Club"
Brian Harnetty - "Robinson's Cave"
Brian Harnetty - "Boy"
Brian Harnetty - "Sigmund"
Brian Harnetty - "Jim"
Brian Harnetty - "Forest Listening Rooms"
Brian Harnetty - "John"
Brian Harnetty - "Rock Run"

Photo from the Little Cities of Black Diamonds archive, www.lcbdohio.org
 

This is a bonus piece for Invisible Ground! It is the same audio orientation from Ada-Woodson Adams you will find in our Invisible Ground app (you can download it for Apple and Android!) for the first of our Immersive Historic Markers at the former site of The Berry Hotel at 15 North Court Street in Athens, Ohio. Be sure to go try it out! And to listen to the full episode about The Berry Hotel in our feed. 

Voice: 
Ada-Woodson Adams

Music: 
"I Wonder (for Michael)" by Yasmin Williams from the album Urban Driftwood (Spinster Records) licensed for use from Marmoset LLC

Music in this episode includes:

Todd Jacops - "Rain Spring"
Ummonumental - "Elephant"
The Peel - "Lucy's Song"
Weedghost - "Self-Indulgent"
disjointed mike - "reflections of a dawn meadow"
Yasmin Williams - "I Wonder (Song For Michael)"
Weedghost - "Ghost of a Weed"
Matthew J. Rolin - "Cabin"
Unmonumental - "Trail of Angels"
The Peel - "Autumn"
Powers/Rolin Duo - "Amaranth"
Matthew J. Rolin - "Depression"
Dead Winds of Summer - "(false memories)"

Special thanks: Adam Rich, Evan Shaw, Sherri Oilver, Ohio University Scripps College of Communication, and everyone who supported this project and contributed to this episode. Thank you.
 

In this episode of Invisible Ground, we head over to eastern Athens County to learn about Tablertown and the unique family history of David Butcher. In the middle, we have a short piece about a historical mystery in the backyard of some friends. And we wrap up this installment with a quick story about Rural Action and their Ride Through Time series, which takes public history and interpretation of regional culture and puts it into a two-wheeled tour.

Please subscribe, rate, and review. You can support our work through Patreon at patreon.com/invisibleground

Music in this episode includes:
Todd Jacops - "Rain Spring"
Matthew J. Rolin - "For Henry"
Daniel Bachman - "Song for the Setting Sun II"
Dead Winds of Summer - "(false memories)"
Matthew J. Rolin - "Stillness of Air"
Keith Hanlon - "Again and Again and Again"
Adam Remnant - "Ohio"
Weedghost - "Dirtbag"
no stars - "Evergreen"
Brian Harnetty - "Two"

Special thanks to Sherri Oliver who helped with audio on Tablertown and Bobby, and to Chad Reich for helping with the video on location at Tablertown.

Marietta, Ohio was the first permanent white settlement in 1788 was thought of as the Western frontier of the "Old Northwest".  Founded by early settlers from the Ohio Company, who had received land from the United States after their service in the American Revolution, they were not the first people to call the confluence of the Muskingum and the Ohio home. The large and mysterious mounds that dot the landscape tell the early white settlers that others were here before. Including the 35 foot mound named Conus by those settlers buried their own dead around, where heroes of the American Revolution lie in the shadow of the huge earthwork. Invisible Ground dives into the rich history of this important sacred space by talking with Scott Britton and Wes Clarke from The Castle, a historic home and museum a few blocks away,  and Andrew Weiland from the Hopewell Culture National Historic Park in Chillicothe. Athens, Ohio's poet laureate Wendy McVicker reads from a well-known piece from Daniel Everett, buried here, a poet, writer, and newspaper owner and editor. 

This episode is sponsored by Just A Jar Design Press in Marietta, Ohio.

Invisible Ground Theme: "Rain Spring" by Todd Jacops

Music (in order of sound appearance)
Todd Jacops - "Rain Spring"
OYO - "My Kind"
Keith Hanlon - "Dressed in Red and Yellow"
Daniel Bachman - "Long Nights I"
Weedghost - "Luxury Umbrella"
Weedghost - "Live at The Shire in Yellow Springs 8/15/10"
Brian Harnetty - "Tecumseh Lake"
Keith Hanlon - "Rushed to Reach the End"
Brian Harnetty - "Moonshine Festival"
Todd Jacops - "Bath Tub Gin and the Sailors Myth"

 

The history of Athens, Ohio and its neighborhoods and people told through the historic West State Street Cemetery. A public and immersive piece of history for Southeast Ohio that is the final resting place for veterans all the way back to the Revolutionary War, escaped slaves who came to Athens for freedom, town founders, and many other people who walked these streets before us. Brian talks to a whole bunch of local historians, experts, and storytellers to learn more about this unique location. You will learn about W.E. Peters and his research into the cemetery you can see just by walking around, and the legacy he left behind. The early importance of the Black settlers of Athens including the story of Andrew Jackson Davison (18:32) is told by a few special guests formerly of the Andrew Jackson Davison Club at Athens Middle School. The episode closes with another story from the town's history, involving the Currier Sisters and a railway detour told by Emily Beveridge. Along with commentary and interviews with Andrew Chiki (City of Athens), Jessica Cyders (Southeast Ohio History Center), Evan Shaw (WOUB Public Media), and Tom O'Grady (Southeast Ohio History Center), this episode also features the voice over talents of Emily Prince (Julia Cutler) and Dennis Delaney (W.E. Peters).

Invisible Ground Theme: "Rain Spring" by Todd Jacops

Music (in order of sound appearance)
Todd Jacops - "Rain Spring"
Daniel Bachman - "Farnham"
Todd Jacops - "Baritone 2"
Matthew J. Rolin - "Siren"
Weedghost - "In Accordance"
Dead Winds of Summer - " Nostalgic for the Wrong Things"
Daniel Bachman - "Levee"
Daniel Bachman - "Blue Mass"
Matthew J. Rolin - "Neverendingness"
Matthew J. Rolin - "One Day I Will Be Free"
Matthew J. Rolin - "Valley of the Morning"
Todd Jacops - "Moon Beam Riot"
Daniel Bachman - "Side A"
Dead Winds of Summer - "(lonely surfaces)"