๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ค ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ #3 to EVERYONE who donated to this year’s ElmerJ Program for Griffith’s 3rd graders!
Here is another set of the THANK YOUs written by the 3rd graders to our volunteers who ran the successful event, and to YOU, who donated and completely funded this program, making it possible for EVERY 3rd grader to enjoy!
๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ค ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ again to EVERYONE who donated to help completely fund this program for Griffith’s 3rd graders!
Our presentations and field trip days were a complete success, and this week, we’ll be sharing some of the THANK YOUs written by the 3rd graders to our volunteers who ran the event, and to YOU, who donated and made this program possible for EVERY 3rd grader to enjoy!
๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ค ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ! ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ค ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ!
Our goal was accomplished thanks to YOU!
The Griffith Historical Society is proud to announce that participation by Griffith Public Schools third-grade classes in the Societyโs ElmerJ Program this coming September has been totally underwritten by donations from our members, Griffith Public School graduates, and others.
The two books and the cost of the bus for the field trip to our Griffith Historical Park will be free for all students!
The ElmerJ Program, named for town founders Elmer and Jay Dwiggins, was instituted in 2022 by the Griffith Historical Society to help students learn about the history of their town, which is part of their Social Studies curriculum. The program includes an introductory, in-school PowerPoint presentation, after which each class gets a guided tour of the Depot, railcars and Tower at the Griffith Historical Park.
Two books on railroad and Griffith history, created by the Society, are given to the students, as well as primary-source stories of growing up in Griffith, written by the grand-daughter of the townโs first settlers.
This is the first year we asked for donations to underwrite the ElmerJ Program, and we are so grateful to our members, GPS graduates, and others for their donations. From the beginning, Griffith townspeople cared about schools and the children who attended them, and it continues today. 
We are always up to something at the Historical Society. We are constantly looking for ways to keep up our efforts to preserve Griffith’s historical records and stories, and publicize and fundraise for our efforts!
These are our standing committees, for which we ALWAYS accept new volunteer help!
Please contact us at [email protected] or come to a monthy meeting, if you’d like to volunteer!
STANDING COMMITTEES : Functions and responsibilities (see current By-laws for additional information)
1. Audit: on-going and year-end audit of financial records. Real time auditing of on-going operations vs. strategic planning to offer recommendations to Board of Directors
2. Railroad Depot Curator: plans and develop programs, displays and plans for public access to the Historical Park and Depot to share the stories of Griffiths Heritage. Monitors and keeps records of museum assets.
3. Franklin Museum Curator: plans and develop programs, displays and plans for public access to the Franklin Museum to share the stories of Griffiths Heritage. Monitors and keeps records of museum assets.
4. Newsletter: collects and creates information about the GHS to plan for and publish a membership Newsletter. Goal to publish three times per year โ Mar, Jul and November
5. Programs: Plans for other special programs for both museums, Depot & Franklin in coordination with other Historical Societies
6. By-Laws: provides year-end and on-going review of all Bylaw Articles for required timely updates and republishing if and as required
7. Ways & Means: coordinates development of new fundraising programs to support GHS operations and its projects, programs & event priorities.
8. Special Event Chairpersons
a. Raffle Sales: 50/50 Super 7 yearly raffle
b. Rock & Rail Fest (Aug)
c. Annual Meeting / Dinner (Nov)
d. Santa in The Caboose (Dec)
e. Oral History Project / Golden Senior Interviews
9. Barrel Train Coordinator: (Mar โ Oct) Plans and coordinates operations and continued maintenance of the GHS Barrel train amusement ride.
10. Merchandise / Purchasing Agent: Plans for on-going purchases or expenses required. Tracks completion and reports to Treasury
11. Maintenance: Plans and Coordinates all Park, Museum, RR & other equipment maintenance, repairs & upgrades. Reports schedule and plans to BOD monthly.
12. Publicity / Communications: Plans for and coordinates all local, area and Social Media Communications, Plans, projects and programs to inform and promote the public about the Operation and activities of GHS to โPreserve and Share the Stories of Griffithโs Heritage..
13. Nominating Committee: Committee and Chairman appointed by Sept.1 by President. Solicit and recommend candidates for all Officers and open Director positions of the Society by November 1, 2024
14. Strategic Planning: Provides assistance in the development coordination, facilitation and integration of strategic planning into active and on-going operations of the GHS and its Officers, directors and member
A little catch up on our summer activities:
On Wednesday, June 5th, Griffith Historical Society Board Members Martha Gatlin, Karen Kulinski, Belinda Stark, and Ken Karlstedt, Sr. attended Cedar Lake Historical Associationโs Afternoon at the Lake. They were there with other volunteers and professionals from Calumet area historical organizations to participate in a โPreserving History Networking Seminarโ .
Thank you to everyone for sharing your knowledge and insight with us!
Thanks again, to photographer Max Crosby, for filling our Depot Museum and Historical Park with his incredible photos of magic moments on theย rails.ย We loved your dynamic images and the amazing turnout you brought with you.
Thank you to Griffith Daisy Troop 15620, Cub Scout Pack 622, and Boy Scout Troop 623 for providing refreshments!
It was a wonderful weekend!
Check out more of Max’s work:
https://youtube.com/@peremarquette1223?si=3VYUDQFa2D7fRJnt
Introducing our new Monarch Waystation:
๐Griffith Junction Butterfly Stop! ๐ฆ
We are so grateful to the Lake County Master Gardeners for the financial support and to the Griffith Tri Kappa members for creating and maintaining this absolutely lovely and meaningful addition to our Historical Park, which not only beautifies our park for us and our human visitors, but for an amazing array of pollinators and other winged visitors!
Whether you’re biking or driving by, stop by the Griffith Historical Park to have a seat in the shade, play a game of checkers, and watch the trains and butterflies!
An Appeal to Griffith Historical Society, Inc. Members,
Every now and then an opportunity arises where we can contribute to the education of young students in Griffith. We have that moment this coming September.
All Griffith third-grade students since 2022 participate in a week-long Historical Society activity entitled, The ElmerJ Program, which provides historical information about our town as part of the schoolโs Social Studies curriculum.
The students see/hear an in-class PowerPoint presentation about the founding of Griffith, complete with photos and maps. This is followed by a school bus trip to our Historical Park, where each class receives a guided tour of our Depot, railcars and Tower.
While the presentation and tours are done at no cost by Historical Society members, there is a fee for the bus and for the two paperback books pertaining to Griffith history that are part of the program.
Last year, 8 classes โ 161 third graders โ participated, and the school anticipates a similar number this year. The cost last year for the book and the bus came to $7, but these costs may rise some this year.
To make sure that no student misses out on learning about their town, we are trying to fund the cost for all students through extra donations from our Members.
If you’d like to help, please, can you send a donation to:
Griffith Historical Society, Inc.
201 N. Griffith Blvd. #3
Griffith, IN. 46319
Or through our online donation link (click here).
Thank you,
Martha Gatlin, Director
Read about last year’s field trip here.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐ก๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฌ!
๐๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ธ๐ฆ’๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฃ๐ช๐ต๐ด ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐๐ณ๐ช๐ง๐ง๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ญ’๐ด ๐๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐บ!
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐จ ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ โ๐๐’๐ฌ
Students built and operated what was called a โHamโ radio, which originally was developed as an emergency broadcast system. Students could talk across town, around the world, into space for fun, or in times of need: all without the Internet or cell phones.
๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฐ๐ด ๐ธ๐ฆ’๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ “๐๐ณ๐ช๐ง๐ง๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ด 100” ๐๐น๐ฉ๐ช๐ฃ๐ช๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ฐ๐ค๐ช๐ฆ๐ต๐บ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ต ๐ต๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ด๐ฑ๐ญ๐ข๐บ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ข๐ด๐ต ๐ด๐ฑ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ.
On Memorial Day we honor those service men and women who ‘gave all,’ fighting to keep America free.
Memorial Day began on May 30th, 1868, as โDecoration Day,โ ย a way to honor American soldiers who died in the Civil War by decorating their graves with flowers each spring. It continued as a an informal patriotic holiday until was expanded after World War I to honor fallen service men and women from all American wars. It became a federal holiday in June, 1968.ย
Chauncey Depew Walters, 22, was the first soldier from Griffith to die in World War I. Chauncey was one of 10 brothers, all but one of them born in Griffith. All the brothers worked on the railroads.
The Griffith American Legion named their post in honor of him after the war. After Word War II and a move to a larger building, the Legion changed their name to Griffith Post 66 to honor veterans from both wars.
Griffith History Museums 