The Malvern Historical Society is inviting all to participate in a treasure hunt for back issues of any Malvern newspaper printed prior to 1970.
“We are currently working on a program that will tell the story of Frank Craig, editor and publisher of Malvern’s Community News during the 1940s and 50s. Craig left a lasting legacy to our town and he is a great example of the difference one person can make in a community,” says Jason Lombardi, president of the Malvern Historical Society.
While reviewing the few existing issues of the Malvern Community News in our possession, it has become obvious how much information about our local history and culture is contained in the old editions of this newspaper. “We believe Mr. Craig published almost 1000 issues during his time in Malvern. We currently have only a handful of issues in our collection,” says Lombardi. “Malvern’s newspaper history dates back to 1890, so we are excited to see what may surface!”
“I have learned we can scan issues of the newspapers at the Cleveland Public Library. Once scanned, the copies will be recorded on a computer thumb drive and the information will be preserved for future generations. Also, the scanned data will be searchable. That means we will be able to enter a family name and quickly find any story where that name appears,” Lombardi says.
“Copies of these old papers will greatly enhance the historical society’s records. We need the public to search through old albums and cedar chests where keepsakes are often kept; to search their grandparents’ attics and to contact friends and relatives who might still have copies, ” Lombardi requests.
“We believe many issues are still out there and saved because they contain special stories about the owners’ lives — wedding announcements, births, academic and sports achievements, and other important life events. We will welcome all copies donated to our collection, or we will be glad to just borrow copies long enough to scan them. The papers will not leave our possession and in most cases we can return the originals in a week or two.
***Anyone who donates a pre-1970 Malvern newspaper or allows us to borrow and scan a copy will receive a $5 discount on a ticket for our August 19, 2017 luncheon and program, ” The Legacy of Frank Craig.” It will be held at the Malvern High School Cafetorium. The doors open at 11:30 a.m. and lunch will be served from noon to 1 p.m. The program will follow lunch.
Those who attend the event will be treated to a basket with a Red’s Coney Island hot dog, made with the secret sauce recipe used during the 1940s and 50s by Red Romano at Red’s Nite Club and Bowling Alley. The basket will also include a bag of hot potato chips, like those enjoyed by generations of school children at the “Bazaar Shop” run by Elsie Schmidt near the old school building on West Main Street. For dessert there will be a selection of cookies baked from recipes found in old Malvern family and church cookbooks from that time.
The price of the tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the Malvern Historical Society on Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. – 12 noon, or by calling Linda Faa at 330-863-1185, Linda Byrd at 330-863-1222, or Sonia Strock at 330-863-0149. See comments below for additional avenues to acquire your tickets!
