Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, an African American Civil War abolitionist, poet and public speaker, among other accomplishments once owned land in the area of Beatty Road and Harrisburg Pike in the 1800s. In 1845, she was one of the first black women to be published in the United States. Her farm is shown on an 1872 Jackson Township map.

Cread Lawless is pictured with a neighbor at Green’s Heritage Days at Commercial Point. Lawless was an early member of the fire department and also responsible for organizing neighbors along Arbutus Avenue to construct curbs on the street. A park at Kingston and Arbutus is named in his honor.

Tiney McComb, left, president of the Heartland Bank rides in one of the first Grove City Community Parades (now the Arts in the Alley Parade.) Tiney’s bank was the first horse drawn unit to participate in the parade.

Two ladies from Grove City’s past. At left is A. Jeanette Myers, the first woman elected to Grove City Council. She wasn’t the first woman to serve. Eilene Simmons was the first to serve but she was appointed, not elected. At right is Marilyn Gibboney, long-time president of the Southwest Franklin County Historical Society. Marilyn is responsible for much of the written history of Grove City.

If today happens to be Monday, it’s “wash day” in Southwest Franklin County. For many years, that’s the day a week’s worth of clothing was sorted for the washing machine. Check this out at the Grove City Welcome Center and Museum Tuesday-Friday 10-4 and Saturday from 9-Noon. The washer is made out of wood. Note the clean clothes in a basket ready for the clothes line. At right is a cold-water tub to rinse clothes taken from the washer.