(The following was written by Hulda Rader, and is reprinted from “Reflections”, a collection of local stories available at the Grove City Welcome Center and Museum).

In 1914 our home on Park Street was remodelled and made into a modern home for its day.  Kitchen facilities were added with hot and cold running water, a coal burning furnace provided hot water heat. Hardwood oak floors as well as woodwork was added. A sleeping porch was built over the new cement driveway; and new cement sidewalks were put in front of the house, along with a stone hitching post. A stone porch was up by Conrad Feyh. The middle post on the porch had an oval shaped stone on which Conrad carved a face, the likeness of a man. Time has taken its toll; the stone is still there but it is now smooth.

The Witteman Family and Elsa Grossman (Gunderman) won the first prize with their entry in the 1914 July 4th Grove City Parade. Their entry was Henry Witteman’s Studebaker, which was covered with cheesecloth over white bunting and festooning.  The spokes of each wheel had a small American flag mounted on them.  Bouquets of live flowers were in the tire holders, and a large farm umbrella was covered and decorated.  The umbrella provided shade for the five passengers.  The parade, that year, made a left turn on Grant Avenue and proceeded to Beulah Park where the parade ended.  There usually was a celebration with fireworks at night. Those were the fun days for all involved.

The Witteman grocery wagon served as a way to haul ice from Columbus to Grove City for use in the ice box at the grocery on Broadway.  The horse’s name was Topsy. She lived to the ripe old age of 18 or 20 years.  We also used her for traveling out to our Grandparent’s home.  One thing I remember about Topsy is that she didn’t like the cement driveway, especially if she was hitched to the wagon and and had to go down the driveway.  You had better be ready to go when she made up her mind to go because she would almost jerk the harness loose from the wagon when she started.

Dad sold the store on Broadway to Otto A. Galle in 1915; then for a time he sold cars for the Studebaker Company.  The grocery business seemed to be his interest in life at that time.  He bought a store at the corner of Indianola Ave and Hudson Street in Columbus.

They traveled to and from Columbus for a time  But come winter we moved into Columbus. The house was then rented to several different families.  “The Matt Braun Family” was one that seems to stay in my memory.

It all seems many years ago trying to remember all the little friends we knew and played with; the Kegg girls, Dorothy and Ruth, Joseph Riddle, the Rice family — Merritt, especially, who attended the school for the deaf in Columbus.  He entertained us by showing us different dances and games they did there.  Also Kathleen and Fayh White (Moreland).  We all played together sometimes.

The home was sold to John F. Carlisle on April 17, 1920. Since that time, it has changed owners thirteen times up to 1975 when the present owner purchased it. Regardless, it is still “The House where I was born” along with one older and one younger sister, and we all lived happily with our good parents.

(The conclusion of this story in the next blog entry.)