Postcards from Grafton

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 and Chris Smith are authors of the book, "The Lost Quarry Industry of Indian Hollow and Willow Park - Grafton, Ohio" which you can borrow from the Library if you'd like to learn more about the quarry industry in the area, made possible by the railroads themselves.  Thank you again to Paul Justy for taking the time and sharing his passion for the history of our community.

For more information, images, and documents related to the railroad history of our community, visit the Grafton-Midview Public Library's collection online via Biblioboard at https://www.gmplibrary.org/localhistory.

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, including Harriet Spitzer’s deep involvement in the creation, and operation, of the Grafton-Midview Public Library in its early years. We hope you enjoy listening!

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 daughter of Henry and Eliza Halford of Ovid, New York and married Lowell Farr in 1832.  They had 10 children, 9 of which survived childhood and most had children of their own.  Phebe died on January 29, 1901 and is buried at South Murray Ridge Cemetery in Elyria, OH. (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/66907558/phebe-loretta-farr).

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 gives us all details about how the quarries rose and fell, how they operated, and what remains that you can still see today.

Quarry Workers c1890 - Image courtesy of the Grafton Village Historical Association.

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 about the facility.  It was one of the few places in the county that provided assistance to the homeless and poor for decades, long before modern institutions and systems of support.  Listen in to learn about a part of the history of Carlisle and the county that you may never have encountered before.

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 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. 

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.

Courtesy of Family Search and Find a Grave

It's our season one finale and we're going out with a bang. In this episode, Kari is revealing the story behind a triple homicide to Fred. While the murders happened in Michigan, the motive was located right here in Grafton, Ohio. The Civil War, railroads, women's education, and the illustrious Hart family of Grafton are all discussed to paint a full picture of the murders committed by David F. Bivins in 1865. The catalyst for this episode came in the form of Bivins' autobiography which was donated to the Library in the summer of 2020. You can explore Bivins' autobiography and more historical documents by visiting the Grafton-Midview Public Library, or by checking out our digital collections at www.gmplibrary.org/localhistory. We want to hear your ideas for our second season. If you have a question or topic that you'd like us to explore, be sure to email us at [email protected]. 

After editing this episode and hearing Fred comment on how young David F. Bivins was when he died in prison, I did a little more digging. The Bivins murders appear to be pretty notorious folklore in Michigan with various mentions of them in scrapbooks and newspaper articles ever since they occurred. In 1970, the Detroit Advertiser and Tribune reported that Bivins died of "stricture" and "mortification." In the episode, you'll hear us discussing how Bivins deserted the army during the Civil War because of chronic diarrhea. What exactly did they mean by stricture in the 1860s? The old medical term referred to the narrowing and inflammation of the intestines or rectum; mortification was another term for gangrene.