Our excellent education staff is ready to meet your needs. Programs are approximately 45 minutes in length. Most can be adapted for elementary, middle school, high school, college and adult audiences. We also happy to provide presentations to groups such as scouts, home schoolers, civic clubs, and associations. Programs may be presented at the Hickories, the Lorain County History Center, or at your facility. The fee is $35 for each presentation and $20 for each presentation for schools within Lorain County. Programs presented outside of Lorain County will require an additional fee.
Contact Janet Bird of our education staff by email at education@lchs.org or by calling 440-322-3341 for more information or to inquire about a program.
Suitcase Museums with Artifacts
Items from the LCHS collection are
the focus of these programs:
Antique Toys
Toys from the LCHS collection range
from simple handmade toys and dolls of the early 1800s to toy trucks and porcelain
dolls of the early 1900s.
Century of Classic Hats
About 40 different hats are
displayed to show the history of hat styles. Can be just men’s or women’s hats
or a combination of both.
Early Schools
Artifacts illustrate what area
schools were like from 1807 to the early 1900s. Also has a PowerPoint
component.
Frontier Living
Artifacts illustrate the way of
life for the early settlers of Lorain County.
History of Valentines
Vintage valentines are displayed to
help tell the history of this romantic tradition.
If the Shoe Fits
Interesting facts and anecdotes
about the history of women’s shoe styles are illustrated through the use of
about 25 pairs of shoes from the LCHS collection.
Native Americans
Artifacts and a PowerPoint
presentation illustrate the way of life of the Woodlands tribes of Lorain
County.
Then and Now
Artifacts and a PowerPoint
presentation show how inventions have changed the world. Emphasis is placed on
Lorain County inventions/products.
Victorian Clothing
From cloaks to corsets, garments
from the late 1800s illustrate the clothing of Victorian women.
Victorian Secrets
The “secrets” of Victorian women
are revealed through undergarments and other artifacts from the Victorian
period.
Vintage Purses
The history of this very important
woman’s accessory is depicted through 30-35 vintage purses of the LCHS
collection and a private collection.
Whatzit?
The audience is shown about 25
unusual artifacts from the LCHS collection and is asked to guess how the items
were used.
Character Portrayals
Abigail Monteith Recalls Her Life
Details are told of the life of Mrs. Monteith, an early Lorain
County teacher and wife of an educator, minister and avid abolitionist.
All Aboard the Titanic
Carrie Chaffee, formerly of Oberlin,
invites the audience to join her for tea (or a book discussion) in the Café
Parisienne aboard the Titanic in 1912.
Pamelia Beebe, a Half-Century in
Elyria
This
presentation tells the story of the wife of one of the first settlers of Elyria
and describes life in the beginning of the settlement.
Rose Moriarty, Elyria Suffragette
Elyria’s “Petticoat Mayor” tells
about her struggles in 1917 to help get women the right to vote.
Rosie the Riveter/Rally with Rosie
A worker at the Perry-Fay plant in
Elyria hosts a War Bond Rally and tells
what it was like to be one of the 6 million women in the work force during
World War II. May include a PowerPoint component.
Other Programs
Most of these entertaining and
informative programs are PowerPoint presentations and may include the display
of some artifacts. Those marked with an asterisk (*) have no PowerPoint component.
Amelia Earhart
The story of the life and
adventures of this record-setting aviatrix.
A Century Ago
This presentation identifies
significant events that occurred locally, nationally and internationally
exactly 100 years ago. (Can also focus on one specific day. One-month advance
notice needed.)
Civil War
This program highlights the events
of each year of the war.
Christmas Gift-Bringer
The various December gift-bringers
of different cultures are compared to the American version of Santa Claus.
Codes in Quilts and Songs on the
Underground Railroad
Were quilts and songs actually used as signals on the Underground Railroad?
This program will try to separate myth from fact.
Early Medicine of the Pioneers
A look
at early medical practices in Lorain County, from Native American remedies to
herbal medicine.*
Elyria Buildings and Bridges
The architecture and history of
some of Elyria’s significant buildings and bridges.
Elyria and the Elys
The story of the way Elyria
developed under the direction and care of several generations of Elys.
Elyria in Vintage Postcards
Pictures of vintage postcards help
to highlight Elyria’s unique sites and places of interest.
Elyrians at Gettysburg
Information will be given about the
lives of these soldiers before, during and after the Civil War.
Elyria’s Architectural Styles
This program gives an overview of
architectural styles that have appeared in Elyria from 1817 to the 1950s.
Ely Women
Information about the wives,
sisters and daughters of several generations of the Ely family.
From Cleveland to Cooperstown
A listing of the Baseball Hall of
Famers who had a connection to the Cleveland area.
From Garfords to Fords: An Automotive
History
The history
of local automaking from the Elyria-made Garford and the Lorain-made Carroll to
the major automakers of the 1960s and ‘70s.
Grace Court: The Best Location in Elyria
Find out about this one block in Elyria from East Avenue to Cedar Street that had beautiful houses and interesting occupants.
History of Games and Puzzles
Examples of many early games and
puzzles show how some of these have changed (or not!) over the years.
Homes and Gardens of 19th
Century Elyria
Pictures and descriptions from the LCHS archives illustrate the pride 19th
century Elyrians took in their homes and gardens.
Homes on Washington Avenue
A virtual tour of the stately and
elegant homes that have graced Washington Avenue from the 1850s through the
early 1900s.
Judge Findley
The story of this local
philanthropist and conservationist explains the origin of Findley State Park in
southern Lorain County and the Finwood Estate in Elyria.
Just a Place to Stay out of the Rain
Author Jared Smith talks about the
history of the Lorain County Infirmary which he researched for his book with
the same title.
Language of Fans
The secret, coded language of
Victorian women is revealed in this program about the use of fans to
communicate with friends and suitors.*
Legends of Christmas Ornaments
The audience watches a small
Christmas tree being decorated while they hear the stories behind about 30
ornaments commonly used at Christmas time.*
Lorain County Fair, the First 100
Years
The history
of the Lorain County Fair is told from its beginnings as the Lorain County
Agricultural Society in 1833 through its time in Elyria in 1941.
Lorain County Historical Markers
The history of Lorain County is
told through the more than 30 historical markers around the county.
Lorain County History Spotlights
This program gives an overview of
the history of the county and will spotlight the community, township or school
district of your choice.
Lorain County in the Gold Rush
This is a program about Lorain
county residents who made the journey to California hoping to get rich in the
Gold Rush of 1849-1852.
Notable Women of Lorain County
This program tells the stories of
the strong-minded, intelligent and hard-working women who made an impact on
Lorain County.
Ohio First Ladies
Stories of the wives of the U.S. Presidents
from Ohio.
Ohio’s Presidents
The story of the lives of the 7 U.
S. Presidents from Ohio. (With advance notice a program on any U. S. President can be prepared).
Old Glory
Samples of the many different U.S.
flags help to explain the history of our Stars and Stripes.*
Patriotic Holidays
This presentation gives a pictorial
listing of the many holidays related to significant historical events in the
U.S. and an explanation of how they came about.
Stevan Dohanos: Lorain Artist
The prolific artwork of Dohanos is
featured, focusing especially on the covers he did for the Saturday Evening Post.
Symbolic Ohio
An explanation of the state symbols
such as the flag, flower, etc.
Those Eerie Victorians
Describes the occult beliefs and
practices of the Victorian era.
Tussie-Mussies and the Language of
Flowers
This tells
the history of these little nosegays and an explanation of the symbolism of
various flowers that were used in them.*
Underground Railroad in Lorain County
This gives an overview of the work
of the Underground Railroad in the country and then focuses on Lorain County’s
involvement.
U.S. Vice Presidents
These sometimes forgotten leaders
are given their due in this program.
Victorian Tea Etiquette
Learn the proper way to prepare for
and serve a full three-course, formal, high tea in true Victorian fashion.*
Where Is That?
A close up look at architectural
features on some of Elyria’s downtown buildings asks audiences to guess which
building it is on.
World War II
The presentation with artifacts
shows what was happening on the home front during the war.
Tours
Group tours with a minimum of 5
people can be scheduled for $5 per person, $4 for groups of 10 or more. Most tours
are approximately an hour in length (unless otherwise noted) but can be
adjusted to fit your needs. For individual tours of The Hickories and the
Lorain County History Center, check the home page of this website for a listing
of times and fees. School group tours of the Hickories are $1 per person.
Elyria’s Downtown Secrets
Learn the secrets or little-known
facts about some of the buildings in downtown Elyria. May include a tour of
Monteith Hall if desired (additional fee required).
Elyria’s Downtown Walking Tour
This guided tour includes pictures
of the Broad Street and Middle Avenue areas that show the changes from the
beginning of the settlement to the present day (approximately 1 ½ hours).
Ely Square
This tour focuses on just the area surrounding
the land that founder Heman Ely set aside for the common use of the citizens of
Elyria. Pictures will illustrate the
changes that have taken place over the years and point out the many buildings on
Middle and Broad that are on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Hickories
Tour the 1895 home of Elyria
industrialist Arthur Garford to see the way a wealthy family lived at the turn
of the 20th century (not handicapped accessible).
Lorain County History Center
This beautiful Italianate building
built in 1857 is the oldest still standing on Washington Avenue and currently
houses the offices of the Lorain County Historical Society as well as many
displays and exhibits that give an overview of Lorain County history (The
building is handicapped accessible.).
Ridgelawn Cemetery
As you walk through the cemetery
you will hear the stories of the lives of about 30 Lorain Countians who are
buried here (approximately 1 ½ hours).
Homes of Washington Avenue
Walk this street as you hear the
stories of the prominent families who have had a prestigious Washington Avenue
address since it was opened for development in the 1850s. A booklet of pictures
will show examples of the homes that are no longer there.
Contact Janet Bird of our education staff by email at education@lchs.org or by calling 440-322-3341 for more information or to inquire about a program.
THANK YOU COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF LORAIN COUNTY FOR
YOUR SUPPORT AS WE SHARE OUR LOVE OF HISTORY THROUGHOUT LORAIN
COUNTY AND BEYOND!
