A Madison homeowner recently asked MHS if we had any history on the shipwreck of the Red Bird, just offshore in Lake Erie. Intrigued, we did some digging in our files, digging online, picked the brains of some really great people, and found that indeed there was a shipwreck of a schooner-scow just north of Madison.
Having lived in Madison for thirty years, I’ve seen the names Jay Wilson and Dick Hamblin, but only had a vague sense of who these men were. As we head towards November and observe Veteran’s Day, let us remember two true American Heroes among the many who gave their lives for our Country.
Dear Members,
Five years ago, prior to purchasing the building, we had a local contractor assess the condition of the roof. The report indicated the roof would need replaced within the next 3-5 years. Roof replacement has been a part of our renovation plans, and has very recently been escalated to priority #1.
In the early 1990’s, a large rectangular-shaped headstone was found, unearthed while workers were constructing a new parking lot. The lot, in what was then Penguin Mechanical Services (now Positive Energy Electrical) is at the northeast corner of Eagle Street and West Main Street, in Madison village.
It’s not uncommon for families to downsize their homes, and to part with once-treasured items. In the summer of 1995, Lake County resident Mr. Richard (Dick) Louis found himself at an antique auction in Madison village. It was the second day of a two-day sale, and many of the noteworthy items were gone.
Architect’s Design for the Lift project at the northeast entrance to MHS. This design, and appropriate documents with specs have been submitted to and are pending approval from agencies per the requirements of the CDBG awarded to MHS.
Your Madison history is important to us. Many of you have a gold mine of old family photos and treasured memories, and we’d love to see yours! Do you have interesting or intriguing photos of Madison people, places, or things?
Renovations funded by our second federal grant will begin in the Spring of 2022 in our lower level. Our goal is to transform individual offices, formerly housing the Village Police Department and Administration, into a larger museum and community resource center.
In July of 2020, the Executive Board of the Madison Historical Society took a “leap of faith” and acquired the building at 126 West Main Street. This location was originally constructed as a Carnegie Library in 1919, then later served as the Madison Village Administrative Offices and Village Police Department.
Speaker Series events are jointly sponsored by Madison Historical Society and Friends of Madison Public Library.
ALL EVENTS ARE FREE!
Madison Historical Society Executive Board & Advisors
Cheryl Swackhamer – President
Dianne Cross – Vice President
Donald Bartlett – Secretary
Michael Gehring – Treasurer / Business Manager
Marjorie Shook – Office Manager / Membership Chair
Sherry Carsey – Curator
John Vohlidka – Newsletter Editor
Trevor Behm – Advisor
Richard Collins Jr. – Advisor
Ned Foley – Advisor
David Van Dusen – Advisor
Shane Oravetz – Advisor
Carrie Svigel – Advisor
The Madison Historical Society is a 501(c)3 corporation, and most donations have tax advantages. You can support MHS through making a donation, shopping with Amazon Smile, a tax-free IRA Contribution, or a gift of Stock.
To make a General donation, Memorial donation, or Capital Fund Drive donation to the Madison Historical Society, please complete the form below and make a payment via PayPal using your credit card or PayPal account. If you prefer to send a check, please make it payable to Madison Historical Society and send to PO Box 515, Madison, OH 44057.
Volunteers created the Madison Historical Society in 1978, and have been essential to the success of our organization! We are always looking for people to help with a variety of activities that keep the society running smoothly. Why not share your enthusiasm, creativity, and talent with us?
