EDISON- Edison residents and visitors were treated to a parade and day recalling the history of Edison along with time to visit with friends, neighbors and alumni of Edison School.
The town enjoyed a parade that started at the ball field and wound its way down Union Street and Boundary Street. Food trucks fed hungry visitors and Dunkin Donuts supplied several boxes of donuts and jugs of coffee.
Children enjoyed games and the splash pad while adults heard speakers recall history with a slide show of buildings and businesses from the past along with the history of the railroad in Edison.
The afternoon program was well attended with about 40 who enjoyed visiting between talks by Donna Carver, Angie Hamilton and Phylis Miller.
Carver gave a slide show that included photos of the railroad depots around the county. There was a special interest in the Shortline railroad that ran from Mount Gilead to Edison beginning in 1880 until it closed in 1959.
Edison went through several name changes beginning with Gilead Station, with a depot built in 1850, Levering Station and finally Edison. The Edison Depot was torn down in 1969.
An important element for Edison was the spur that ran from HPM and was used to transport much equipment from the factory.
Following Carver’s talk on the railroad history, Janet McPeek Helman told about her fourth grade class with Mrs. Gladys Burnside walking to the depot to catch a train to Galion. There they got on a school bus which took them to Kingwood Center in Mansfield to complete their field trip.
Helman recalled that it was the first train ride for many in the class and they were very excited. She wasn’t so thrilled since she lived in Edison and was able to ride the train several times with her family. Looking back, she said she realized how fortunate they were to be able to have that train ride and field trip.
Angela Hamilton followed the railroad story with stories from times gone by and visitors enjoyed a time of sharing and looking at old photos and memorabilia that was in the room.
Phylis Miller concluded the program with stories and photos of the Edison Opera House that housed a bank and several businesses. There were also Lyceum programs, much like Chataqua programs given at the Opera House.
Miller told the story of her grandmother’s Edison Quilting Society. She displayed the last quilt completed by the society in 1965. She also recounted the history of the Edison Methodist Church that burned in 1940 and was rebuilt in 1941.
Visitors were interested in the history of Edison schools that went from one room schools to the brick building at the corner of SR 95 and Boundary Street, built in 1882.
The 1916 addition to the building housed a “Normal School” where teachers were educated. In 1932 the gym was added and was at the time the largest high school gym in the county. The building was demolished in 2017 and the property will be auctioned next week with the exception of the baseball field which will be given to the Village of Edison for a minimal amount.
