Postcards from Grafton Grafton-Midview Public Library

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.

Part 2 of our discussion with Gerry Matusik, lifelong Grafton resident, focusing on his experiences working at NASA in the machine shop.

The first part of our interview with local resident Gerry Matusik about his experiences growing up in the village and raising his family here.

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!

Brothers Carl and Joe Filipiak share what it was like growing up in Grafton in the 1940s and 50s.

A reading of Phebe Farr’s autobiography from around 1890. Phebe was a child when her family moved to what soon became Carlisle Township in 1818.