Historical Society receives grant for collaborative work

The Lorain Historical Society received an $8,415 grant from the Ohio History Connection’s Ohio History Fund to support a Latino Lorain History Project.

The Historical Society is one of 13 other organizations in the state to receive funding from the organization, totaling almost $131,000 of grants awarded this year, according to a news release.

“The Ohio History Fund allows us to preserve and share Ohio stories by supporting local history projects all over the state,” said Burt Logan, executive director and CEO of the Ohio History Connection. “Local history helps us understand where we came from and gives us a sense of identity

and place, inspiring pride in our communities.”

Lorain Historical Society Executive Director Barb Piscopo said the project began in September 2019 and is a collaborative effort between the Historical Society, Oberlin College’s Hispanic Studies department and El Centro De Servicios Sociales, Inc.

“Our ultimate goal is to at least create a virtual museum, as well as collect historical artifacts from the

Hispanic community in Lorain,” Piscopo said.

The grant will allow the Historical Society to extend the contract of its current special projects coordinator Bethany Tober, who was hired last year and took an oral history class with the Historical Society.

“It just makes sense to have her stay on and fulfill those responsibilities,” Piscopo said.

Tober is responsible for collecting and managing oral histories over the last 100 years for the Latino community.

Piscopo said the intention is to make the oral histories, archival materials and artifacts available to the larger public through an exhibit during Hispanic Heritage Month, which

runs through parts of September and October.

A link also will be added to the Historical Society’s website for the virtual museum as well, she said.

Oberlin College’s Hispanic Studies department will work to publish a link to the project on its website as well, Piscopo said.

“It’s the stories and the people that they came here from Puerto Rico, Mexico and other Central American countries,” she said.

“Our ultimate goal is to at least create a virtual museum, as well as collect historical artifacts from the Hispanic community in Lorain.” — Barb Piscopo, executive director of Lorain Historical Society