The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
MEMORIES SHARED OVER HISTORIC BUSINESSES
Community gathers to celebrate city’s history
Citizens gathered to reminisce and share the city’s history of AfricanAmerican owned businesses that triggered much of what Oberlin is today on Feb. 11 in Mt. Zion Baptist Church House of Zion Fellowship Center in Oberlin.
Information gathered by members of Oberlin Heritage Center was presented at the fellowship center, 81 Locust St. in Oberlin by Museum Education and Tour Coordinator Amanda Manahan.
During the presentation, Manahan shared the accomplishments, struggles and legacies of early African-American business owners.
According to the heritage center, the presentation focuses on the long, remarkable history and diversity of businesses of the past.
Manahan began her presentation going back to the 1850s with John Watson, Grocer and Restaurateur and carries it to present day.
During that time, people from the south began migrating to Oberlin due
“African Americans have played a vital role in the development of the community with entrepreneurial spirit and adaptability.” — Museum Education and Tour Coordinator Amanda Manahan
to the Underground Railroad, to find business and to attend Oberlin College, she said.
Many of the newcomers were involved with trades and became entrepreneurs to create some of the vital businesses that are still standing today, she said.
“African Americans have played a vital role in the development of the community with entrepreneurial spirit and adaptability,” Manahan said. “I think those are all things that resonate with us and I think there’s a bit of nostalgia that’s involved in it, too.”
The purpose of the presentation was to share with the community and also learn from them.
Some of the notable businesses shared were long-time Pettiford Bakery, barber shops like Gigi’s, Cosmopolitan, Ray & George’s, Carter Nursing Home, Gayter’s Skating Rink and Parker’s Grocery.
These are businesses that have been gone for years by destruction or have closed, to more recent or long-time businesses still running today.
The history shared brought smiles and laughter among all who attended the program.
For example, Ray & George’s: Ray Murphy passed away in 2010, but his son Kim was one of the attendees at the program.
He said he has been to a few programs promoted by Oberlin Heritage Center, but came today to share the memory of his father.
“My father cut both black and white people’s hair,” he said. “I learned a lot there. It’s great that people can come together to share these memories of Oberlin and these businesses. There’s so much history here.”
Manahan said the research behind the presentation took over a couple years.
Information collected from long-time citizens and new and former business owners of Oberlin created the program.
“This research gave me the desire to learn more about the city’s businesses and it’s history,” she said.
There are still more businesses they discover every day and the research is growing, Manahan said.
“We want to preserve and share more history,” she said.
The Oberlin Heritage Center encourages anyone who wishes to share information on the city’s history and its AfricanAmerican-owned businesses to share with them.
Contact the Oberlin Heritage Center at 440774-1700.