The Crawford County Historical Society

In 1976, Professor Paul Zolbrod and his team at Allegheny College recognized a problem long before the rest of us. Technology, innovation, and our very way of life was increasing in velocity - and without a plan, at least in Crawford County, nearly a century of history would fade over the passing of one generation.

Zolbrod and his students at Allegheny College, WQLN Public Television, and the Crawford County Historical Society saw a need and had a solution. As the United States was celebrating its 200th birthday, that generation of Crawford County’s finest had been born before 1900, was raised with no electricity and walking to school…or at best, riding in a carriage or wagon (uphill, both ways, in the snow). By ‘76, however, they had fought two world wars, survived the Great Depression, watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon, and had seen or participated in conflicts in countries they had barely remembered from geography classes in school. Indoor plumbing, telephones, and electricity was all installed in their homes. They went from seeing the world through a stereoscope to watching documentaries on television. Their parents read Abraham Lincoln’s speeches in the newspaper, but they were listening to F.D.R. and Kennedy on the radio. This all happened in one lifetime, and they were aging fast!

With the help of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Zolbrod, WQLN, and a group of volunteers began interviewing everyone they could find, asking the big questions - what was life like, what can you remember, and what do you want future generations to know. 

Hours and hours of audio and video were recorded and several documentaries were created for public television. Shortly after the U.S. Bicentennial, the documentary, and the completion of the project - footage and recordings were placed at the Historical Society in boxes…history was shelved and forgotten almost as soon as it was recorded. 

That changed in December of 2024. A 92 year-old Paul Zolbrod called the Historical Society three times in two days asking to speak with me. After a series of phone tag messages, I heard about the recordings - hundreds of hours of history that was saved as part of Crawford County’s celebration of America’s 200th birthday. The value of these materials was massive - if it all still existed. 

We found it, made a plan, and applied for a Community Based Research Student through Allegheny College. Gina Keaton was to join the project under the direct supervision of Zolbrod - advising via Zoom from his home in New Mexico. The man who spearheaded the saving of a generation of history would help bring it to brand new audiences! Sadly, Zolbrod passed away in February of 2025 before the project could be revived, but Keaton was able to digitize over 70 recordings in her summer with us at the Historical Society and we can only hope that we can find the hours, energy, and equipment to access the hundreds more.  

As part of our programming and celebrations for America’s 250th, we are in the process of releasing these interviews, giving current and former Crawford Countians a chance to hear about their history from the people who lived it - a glimpse into over a century in the past. From Dudley Ballinger discussing his pharmacy on Chestnut Street to Bronson Luty talking about transportation in Conneaut Lake in the 1930s, we invite you to celebrate our nation’s Semiquincentennial by getting closer to your history - one interview at a time. We have six online thus far and are uploading more each week.