The Society’s
Annual Meetings
The Society conducts its annual meeting in September or October. Members are informed of the exact date and topic in advance. The business portion of the meeting provides an update about the exciting activities the organization undertook during the preceding 12 months, its anticipated projects for the upcoming year as well as an administrative report of the state of the Society. A non-business portion of the meeting offers participants an historic oriented program. Topics have ranged from a session providing hints on how to effectively conduct a genealogy study using local resources, to a fascinating local connection to Abraham Lincoln’s family. One meeting even offered a pre-tour reception for one of the Society’s popular Tour of Homes. Below you will find a listing of past annual meetings.
2023 Annual Meeting
On September 12, 2023, the Society held its Annual Meeting at Stauf's Coffee Roasters on Grandview Avenue. The program included a brief Society business meeting where President Kent Studebaker provided an overview of the Soceity’s past year and offered a glimpse into future events, including the preparation for the Society’s 50th Anniversary in 2024. During the business session the following Trustees were elected to a three year term: Teri Alexander, Fritz Harding, Brian Kuyper, and Ruthanne James.
The highlight of the evening was a presentation entitled Stauf's Java Journey. Mark Swanson, president of Stauf's Coffee Roasters and Cup O'Joe, shared Stauf's history as Columbus' first micro roaster, and how their coffee, customers, and business have changed in 35 years at their original Grandview Avenue location. The Society provided insight into Stauf's Grandview Heights location on the historic Bank Block which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Thank you to Stauf's Coffee Roasters for their support of the Society and congratulations on 35 years in Grandview Heights.
2022 Annual Meeting
The Society’s Annual Meeting was held on September 13, 2022 at the Grandview Heights Public Library. President Kent Studebaker presented the business meeting where the past year’s activities were reviewed. He also highlighted the communications tools used by the Society, the History Walks program, the branding/marketing project and the 2022 Tour of Homes. Two previous Board appointments for Trustee were affirmed by the members present (Brian Kuyper - term ending 2023; Teri Williams - term ending 2022). Society Trustee elections were held for four Board seats (term ending 2025): Tracy Liberatore, Karen Riggs, Kent Studebaker and Teri Williams.
The Society’s upcoming October 2 Tour of Homes was deemed the program for the 2022 Annual Meeting.
2021 Annual Meeting: Howlers, Growlers and Ghosts
The Society’s Annual Meeting took on a Spooktacular theme as the meeting and accompanying social event was held at the Ohio Taproom, 1291 W. Third Avenue in Grandview Heights on Monday October 11, 2021, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The evening began with a happy hour featuring a specialty spooky cocktail and seasonal brew. A short Society business meeting preceded a social gathering that included a guest storyteller who shared tales and history of the building’s many business iterations.
The business meeting, conducted by Society Vice President Karen Riggs, highlighted activities of the Society during the past 12 months, including, but not limited to, new tours added to the History Walks project which highlights historical walking tours of Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff, the introduction of a quarterly Society e-news publication, the refresh of the Society’s website, and the expansion of the Society’s digital collection as part of the research collections of the Grandview Heights Public Library. Society Board elections were held for four Board seats: Marnie Hoag (affirming a an earlier Board appointment), Jill Kuyper, Kendy Troiano, and Joanie Veri.
The event was sponsored by epic Group and Haus Studio. Additional support was provided by Trove Warehouse, K.A. Menendian Rug Gallery, Anthony Thomas, Jeni’s Ice Cream, Watershed Distillery, artist Maggie Flanagan, Kris Ross, Liz Arndt and Bryan Bair.
Since COVID conditions continued in Columbus, the Society adhered to all protocols as required.
2020 Annual Meeting: Caroline Welling Van Deusen - Lincolnphile
The 2020 Annual Meeting of the Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society was held on September 20th at 2::30 p.m. as a virtual event due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Caroline Welling Van Deusen offered a fascinating insight into her great-great-grandmother's relationship with Mary Todd Lincoln and the Lincoln family. She was witness to a significant historical event -- the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Local resident Caroline is a Lincolnphile who collects books and artifacts about Abraham Lincoln. Van Deusen’s Lincoln roots run deep. Her great-great-grandmother Elizabeth L. C. Dixon was a close friend to Mary Todd Lincoln, who summoned her for support on the night the president was assassinated. Dixon comforted Mrs. Lincoln as the president lay on his deathbed that night in April 1865. Dixon’s husband, James, was a Connecticut senator whom Lincoln often consulted. Van Deusen shared her family’s historical connection with the Lincoln family in this fascinating presentation.
A video recording of the meeting and presentation can be accessed at the Society's YouTube Channel at
https://youtu.be/7OUXE4KOjCI.
2019 Annual Meeting: Home Tour VIP Reception
The 2019 Annual Meeting of the Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society was held on Sunday, October 6th at the High Bank Distillery as part of a special event preceding the 2019 Home Tour.
2018 Annual Meeting: Leslie Blankenship, Trustee for the Franklinton Historical Society
The 2018 Annual Meeting of the Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society was held on Sunday, October 21 at 1:30 p.m. at the Grandview Theater & Drafthouse.
Leslie Blankenship, a Trustee for the Franklinton Historical Society, presented Franklinton: Where Columbus Began. The Franklinton Historical Society was founded in 1993 by two women - one the president of the Franklinton Board of Trade and the other the president of Columbus’ downtown Neighborhood Association and the Chair of the Franklinton Area Commission. They believed a knowledge of local history could instill in residents a pride of place and could rekindle a community’s spirit.
At that time, Franklinton was known as the "Bottoms", a topographical term that had become a derogatory nickname angering residents. The women recharged the image of the “near west side” into “Franklinton - the first settlement”, given it was established 15 years before Columbus was founded.
2017 Annual Meeting: Diane Runyon, Author of Secrets Under the Parking Lot
The 2017 Annual Meeting of the Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society was held on Sunday, October 22 at 2 p.m. at the Grandview Theater & Drafthouse.
Runyon is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the Ulster Foundation in Northern Ireland. She was a teacher for 30 years and was awarded 2011 Ohio History Teacher of the Year. She has continued post graduate studies in early American life at Yale University. As a lifelong historian, Runyon studies the lives of those who have gone before us.
At the meeting, Runyon revealed what she has found in her research of the Pleasant Litchford family, all freed slaves, who settled in Perry Township (currently Upper Arlington) in 1832 and what happened to the family in 1915.
2016 Annual Meeting: Angela O’Neal - Who Do You Think You Are?
The 2016 Annual Meeting of the Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society was held on Sunday, October 23 at 2 p.m. in the meeting room of Grandview Heights Public Library.
Angela O’Neal shared interesting genealogical searches, explained how the Columbus Metropolitan Library can help you search your origins, and encouraged attendees to dig into their past and find out who they really are. Ms. O’Neal, a graduate of Kent State, is manager of the Local History and Genealogy Division at the Columbus Metropolitan Library. She served as Director of Collections for the Ohio Historical Society and established The Ohio Memory Project. Her article “Remembering the Maine: Spanish-American War Veterans in Elyria, Ohio” was published in Ohio History.
2015 Annual Meeting: Diana Bergemann, Producer/Editor at WOSU Public Media
The 2015 Annual Meeting of the Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society was held on Thursday, October 18th at 2 p.m. in the meeting room of Grandview Heights Public Library.
WOSU Public Media Producer Diana Bergemann talked about the making of the Columbus Neighborhoods: Tri-Village public television documentary focusing on Grandview Heights, Marble Cliff, and Upper Arlington. The presentation was co-presented by the Grandview Library.
2014 Annual Meeting: Ryan McDonnell, Grandview Heights Public Library
The 2014 Annual Meeting of the Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society was held on Sunday, October 19th at 2 p.m. in the meeting room of Grandview Heights Public Library.
Ryan McDonnell showcased the Society’s new online Timeline, an interactive display of local historical events, pictures, and stories. This new resource replaced the timeline created by Lorna “Skip” Karlovec and Margie Wilson in 1996 to mark the 90th Anniversary of Grandview Heights' incorporation. Users will be able to view the electronic timeline, then click on points of interest to read and listen to information and stories of community history.
There was also a special display of unusual artifacts from the society archives in the display case in Grandview Heights Public Library.
2013 Annual Meeting: Tim Sells, Author of When Dublin Wasn’t Doublin’
The 2013 Annual Meeting of the Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society was held on Thursday, October 24 at 7 p.m. in the meeting room of Grandview Heights Public Library.
Tim Sells, author of When Dublin Wasn't Doublin', and descendant of John Sells, founder of Dublin, Ohio in 1810, brought his wealth of story to the evening. "I wrote this book sociologically and economically speaking on the transition from a small village to metropolis," Sells said. "Many small villages lost their flavor and character by osmosis as they were consumed by cities. I wanted to capture what it was like growing up on the banks of the Scioto River."
Sells grew up on a family farm where Dublin Friendship Village now stands. Tim was one of eight brothers and his father was one of fifteen children, so siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, adventures and stories abounded. We will hear about Tecumseh, Chief Leatherlips, Revolutionary War heroes, the fabulous Sells Circus, and much more about life in an earlier Dublin.
2012 Annual Meeting: Nostradamus!
Nostradamus was a French apothecary and reputed seer who published collections of prophecies that have since become famous worldwide. He is best known for his book Les Propheties, the first edition of which appeared in 1555. Since the publication of this book, which has rarely been out of print since his death, Nostradamus has attracted a following that, along with much of the popular press, credits him with predicting many major world events.
Madame Josie Gonot is a French historian, language teacher, vocalist,and public speaker. She holds a B.A.in French and has completed graduate courses at Ohio State and Ashland Universities. She presented "Nostradamus" a selection from her extensive French Music & Lecture Series, which explores all aspects of French history and culture.
2011 Annual Meeting: Happy Birthday, Edison!
The annual meeting was held on Thursday, October 13th, and was a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the dedication of Grandview Junior High School, now called Edison Intermediate Middle School.
A presentation of the history of the school was given by Historical Society Trustees Tom DeMaria and Wayne Carlson, and a tour of the school followed.
2010 Annual Meeting: A Celebration of the Schools
Norma Goss was the Grandview High School valedictorian of her 1935 graduating class, and gave the commencement address for the June 6th ceremony that year. Norma chose to talk about the relationship between the schools and the community throughout the life of the two entities.After summarizing the history of the schools, her concluding comment was: "A splendid spirit of loyal cooperation toward our schools has always been a recorded characteristic in this community and if the same loyal attitude continues Grandview's educational institution is assured a successful future."
In fact, this loyal attitude has continued, and the level of cooperation has grown in scale and focus.This has never been more evident than this past year. The Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society devoted their annual meeting to the celebration of this spirit on October 3rd in the high school.The celebration brought together representatives from many of the community organizations to talk about their activities. The wall of class composites was dedicated, and a display was presented in the new display case, installed by the Society. A short business meeting of the Historical Society was held in the refurbished auditorium, and Wayne Carlson reprised Norma Goss' commencement address with a short presentation on the history of the schools in Grandview.
2009 Annual Meeting: Jeri Diehl Cusack Speaks on the Roosevelts
In celebration of the 125th anniversary of the birth of Eleanor Roosevelt on October 11, 1884, Society Trustee Jeri Diehl Cusack shared her insights into the lives of "ER" and her intriguing family: husband Franklin ("FDR"), our only four-time elected President of the United States, his mother Sara Delano, daughter of a wealthy trader who made not one but two fortunes dealing in Chinese opium, Eleanor's Uncle Teddy ("TR") who gave her away in marriage for his deceased brother and even chose the wedding date, based on his commitment to be in NYC for the annual St. Patrick's Day parade, and "TR"'s daughter Alice, Eleanor's first cousin who was eight months older, but whose life ran anything but parallel to ER's.
Jeri Diehl Cusack is a longtime collector of Roosevelt memorabilia, a frequent visitor to Roosevelt family historical sites, and a participant in Roosevelt commemorative events. In this presentation, she drew from her considerable knowledge and extensive book collection.
2008 Annual Meeting: Weird Ohio
The Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society Annual Meeting was held on Tuesday evening, October 21 at 7:00 p.m. in the Grandview Heights Public Library. In a departure from our traditional format, we partnered with the library to provide an evening presentation.
James Willis, paranormal researcher and an author of Weird Ohio, dipped into the popular book and recounted tales from spooky and disturbing to downright weird.The presentation included visuals and time for questions from the audience. The author’s appearance was funded by GH/MC Historical Society from donations given in memory of Patricia Paddock Todd.
2007 Annual Meeting: Historic Preservation
Sunday, October 21 was the annual meeting of the Society and featured a presentation titled “Communities of Distinction” by Jeffrey Darbee. This was a discussion of how historic preservation makes a core contribution to creating livable communities today.
Jeffrey Darbee is founder, with his wife Nancy Recchie, of Benjamin D. Rickey & Co., providing a full range of historic preservation consulting services since 1980. Jeffrey Darbee is the author (with Nancy Recchie) of Taking the Cars: A History of Columbus’ Union Station; German Columbus; and the AIA Guide to Columbus (Ohio University Press, October 2007).
Benjamin D. Rickey & Co. is currently under contract as a consultant to Grandview Heights City Council.The firm has worked primarily in Ohio (e.g. OSU’s Thompson Library, Ohio Statehouse, Ohio Judicial Center) and South Carolina, with additional projects in Pennsylvania, Florida, and New Jersey.
2006 Annual Meeting: The Society Celebrates Grandview’s 100th Birthday
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 Society members and the public took part in a hands-on exploration of our community's history. There were informal presentations and displays of artifacts, as well as an overview of the year's activities of the Society. Attendees learned how to be involved in future projects highlighting the fascinating past of what was once called the "Millionaire Suburb."
Historical Society publications were available for purchase, featuring our newest title, Between the Rivers. The celebration included a 100-candle birthday cake!
2005 Annual Meeting: Between the Rivers
Sunday, September 11 saw a celebration of the release of the society's newest publication, Between the Rivers: The Story of Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff. Authored by society trustee Wayne Carlson and published by Infinity.com, the book provides a pictorial representation of the 100 year development of the two communities between the rivers and tells the stories of the people who believed in the possibilities for the future of what was once called the "Millionaire Suburb." The program for the annual meeting included a visual presentation on Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff architecture and how the new book addresses that topic, among others. The program was prepared by Wayne Carlson and was presented by Tom DeMaria.
The new book recounts the history of Grandview Heights (1906) and Marble Cliff (1901) through short vignettes and images that describe the contributions of many pioneers who settled and expanded the area. The story is as rich and varied as that of the diverse backgrounds of the families who became early residents. Originally conceived as a summer getaway from the heat, noise, and dirt of the downtown Columbus industrial area, the woods and farms were soon converted to homesites for the wealthy. At first railroads and, later, trolleys provided access to and from Columbus.
2004 Annual Meeting: The Society Focuses on Vintage Clothing
The Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society held its annual meeting at 2 p.m. Sept. 12 in the meeting room of the Grandview Heights Public Library.
The featured program was "Corsets to Pantaloons: What Early Ohioans Wore 1800-1810." The presentation by authors Mary K. Inman and Louise E. Pence of Threads Thru Time, Ltd., and included narration by Pence while Inman models recreated clothing of the period during the early years of Ohio's statehood.
The authors' two books, The Fowler Family Gets Dressed and The Fowler Family Celebrates Statehood and a Wedding, were available for purchase, after their presentation. The women also signed books purchased.
2003 Annual Meeting: Adena - Home of Thomas Worthington
The GH/MCHS President introduced Carmelita Brown, a representative of the State Bicentennial Committee who described some of their activities over the past year and announced that the final event will be held October 24-25 at COSI.
The President then introduced Grandview resident Grant Douglass, who is Chairman of the Ohio Historical Society. Mr. Douglass introduced our feature speaker, Mary Ann Brown, site manager and curator of Adena, former home of Thomas Worthington, and one of the premier sites of the Ohio Historical Society which recently completed a major refurbishment of this facility in recognition of the State Bicentennial.
2002 Annual Meeting: Dick Barrett - Vintage Postcards
Dick Barrett presented his wonderful historical postcard collection. Mr.Barrett has recently published a book entitled: Columbus,Ohio 1898-1950 in Vintage Postcards. At the meeting, it was announced that our technology expert and Board member, Dr. Wayne Carlson, has received an award of excellence for his creation and maintenance of our website.
2001 Annual Meeting: Carol Stewart - Franklinton History
The 2001 annual meeting was held on September 15, 2:00-4:00 in the GH Library. The speaker was Carol Stewart with the Franklinton Historical Society. She gave a wonderful presentation of the history of Franklinton.
2000 Annual Meeting: Caroline Welling Van Deusen - Mrs. Lincoln
The 2000 annual meeting was held on September 10, 2:00-4:00 in the GH Library. Grandview resident Caroline Welling Van Deusen reflected on the life and times of her great grandmother Elizabeth Dixon, a close friend of Mary Todd Lincoln (shown here in this painting at the foot of the bed of the dying President Lincoln.)
For more information, see the article in the 8/9/2000 issue of Grandview This Week.)
1999 Annual Meeting: Anniversary of the Society Founding
Board members presented a special program related to the anniversary of the Society. Win Keller introduced founding members, Pat Mooney presented a slide show of the early meeting, Tom DeMaria presented a slide show of historical slides from the Fridenstein collection, and Wayne Carlson presented the updated Web site. Volunteers from the GHMS 8th grade FCS class of Mrs. Benson assisted in hosting this meeting.
Previous Annual Meeting Topics:
1998 - Don Gehlbach presented a fascinating summary of Indian mounds located in the central Ohio area, including the Adena Mound, which was located near the corner of Grandvie Avenue and Rt. 33.
1997 - "A Glimpse of the Past: Grandview Heights / Marble Cliff History”, A multimedia presentation produced by Rebecca Laycock, Midge Muhlbach, and T. Michael Weddle (Edison Elementary)
"The History of Barbershop Singing"
"Ohio in the Civil War" - Douglas Ball (Ohio Historical Society)
"Ameriflora"
"Treasures of a Lost Voyage (the S.S. Central America)"
"Geologic History of Grandview heights/Marble Cliff"