ElmerJ – Griffith History Museums

August 28, 2026 victoriavm Activities & Events, Griffith Depot and Historical Park, Griffith Historical Society, Support the History Museums, Parks, & Rail-Cam

𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲!

Each year, Griffith Third Graders participate in a week-long activity called “The ElmerJ Program,” sponsored by the Historical Society. Students learn about our town’s history and visit our Historical Park as part of their social studies curriculum.

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝟮 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱-𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲.

Our volunteers & the Canadian National Police Service do presentations & tours at no cost, but there is a fee for the bus & books that the students use for the program. We don’t want any student to miss out, so we are asking for donations to cover the fees. We hope to raise $1500 this year, and we have about $1000 more to go.

(𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴.)

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗝 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿’𝘀 𝟯𝗿𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀.

Donate online at ghsinc.org/donate or send a check, payable to Griffith Historical Society, to 201 N. Griffith Blvd, #3, Griffith, IN 46319.

Thank you,
Martha Gatlin, Director

October 10, 2024 victoriavm Activities & Events, Griffith Depot and Historical Park

𝐀 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐍

𝐀 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐍 for being a part of our ElmerJ Program!

These incredible officers talked to all the kids about railroad safety, their jobs, and different aspects of maintaining a railroad. They made sure that every class knew about the ENS (the Blue and White sign), which is the Emergency Notification Sign found at every crossing. This sign can help in an emergency around the railroad tracks. (*More info below!)

The Historical Society wants to send a very special thank you to Alex Ascolani CN Police, David Barajas CN Police, Heather LiFonti Risk Mitigation Officer, DShawn Dangerous Goods, Matthew Frazier and Schuyler Williamson Signal Maintainers for joining our groups and giving such valuable information and insight to all the students!

*𝙄𝙣 𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙀𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮, 𝙐𝙨𝙚 𝙀𝙉𝙎 𝙎𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙨 𝙏𝙤 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙥
Report emergencies and safety concerns at a highway-rail grade crossing by using the information on the ENS sign at the grade crossing.

➜Locate the blue-and-white ENS sign at the grade crossing.
➜ Call for help! Call the railroad’s emergency contact number listed on the ENS sign.
➜ Communicate your location by providing the identification number and state the nature of the emergency to the dispatcher.

The signs contain the railroad’s emergency contact number and the U.S. Department of Transportation National Crossing Inventory Number, which identifies the exact location of the crossing to the railroads.

September 29, 2024September 24, 2024 victoriavm Activities & Events, Griffith Depot and Historical Park, Support the History Museums, Parks, & Rail-Cam, Volunteer

A final set of Thank Yous

𝐀 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐬 to EVERYONE who donated to this year’s ElmerJ Program for Griffith’s 3rd graders!

This isn’t nearly all the thank you notes and pictures we received. There were oh-so-many more, and all equally as grateful and excited that they were able to visit our museum and learn about Griffith’s history AND that it was all completely funded by the kind donations of our Members!!

So THANK YOU once again! You can donate to us anytime via the “donate” button on our website. And if you would like to volunteer for events like these, or anything down at the Historical Society, please send us a message or email ([email protected])! We are always looking for volunteers and enthusiastic Griffith-ites to help our programs run!

September 26, 2024September 24, 2024 victoriavm Activities & Events, Fundraiser, Support the History Museums, Parks, & Rail-Cam, Volunteer

Thank you #3!

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 #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!