Skating on Groveville Mill Pond

This is a photo of Dolores Simpson Straley and Bertha Stout, skating on Groveville Mill Pond, February, 1938. From the stories my parents and the older men at the firehouse told, a lot of fun was had at the pond, from Skating, Sledding on the “Indian Trail” that took you right out on to the pond, to the good fishing in the summer time. Too bad the pond dam was never rebuilt, even though Ray Dwier tried to get it through, under the Green Acres Program, it never made it. What a great recreation area that would have been.

The Bell, Groveville United Methodist Church

This article is about the bell in the steeple or belfry of the Groveville United Methodist Church and appeared in The Hamilton Observer in 1987. This celebrates the 100th anniversary of the bell. That would make the bell 121 years old this year and it is still rang every Sunday.

The bell, manufactured by the Cincinnati Bell Foundry Company, is one of several companies manufacturing bells in Cincinnati, Ohio.

I remember as a child you were never allowed to touch the bell rope, let alone ring the bell, if you were it was with supervision and a great honor. Growing up, my father was very active in the church, I remember him coming home from church and saying that someone had pulled the rope to hard and the bell was stuck upside down, he would change from his suit to his old clothes and head back to the church to climb into the belfry to “right” the bell. I remember that one of my Dad’s chief complaints of having to climb into the Belfry was the large accumulation of pigeon “Exhaust” that had accumulated around the bell. This still happens to the bell today and not that long ago someone had to climb into the belfry and “right” the bell.

I remember my father, Ken Lippincott, along with Pete Taylor, Cy Atkins, and Ed Shelton making a weekend project of cleaning and repairing the inside of the belfry. I was just a kid and only allowed to watch, not help, this really didn’t bother me and I really did not want to help. I do remember the odor of what they shoveled out was very acrid, kind of what I remember from my grandfather’s chicken coup. They fastened “Chicken Wire” around the inside to keep the pigeons out, since then new heavier duty wire fencing has been installed, that’s progress.

As a child growing up in Groveville, it seem that every one of the men were hunters, this meant that most of the men had Hound Dogs. These dogs were kept in the back yards, in either pens or tethered to dog houses. On Sunday Mornings when the bell was rang to announce the start of church all of the dogs of Groveville would howl in unison. They would not stop howling until the ringing stopped, it was a beautiful choir.

Still today the children of the church get great joy from being allowed to pull the rope and ring the bell. I think they enjoy that if the child is small enough the bell on its return will lift them off the floor, what ever it is it always puts a smile on their face.

Groveville Fire Company's New Dodge - 1935

Groveville Volunteer Fire Company, New Truck Dedication Parade 1935

Hamilton Square American Legion Post Marching Unit

The top photo is Groveville Fire Company’s brand new Dodge Pumper. This is the dedication parade. The person taking the photo was standing across from the Groveville Elementary School, in front of the Rollings house, which has since been torn down. They were facing down the hill towards Yardville; the house in the background is the one on the hill above Church Street and Zachary Lane.

The writing on the back of the photo says “Dedication Day – New engine climbing Groveville Hill. Ray Dwier, Chief Driver, Driving, October 19, 1935.”

Also written on the back is “Dickey Swope behind mudguard”. (what's a "Mudguard?)

The bottom photo says on the back “Dedication Parade, American Legion, Hamilton Square Post. Marching up Groveville Hill”

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These photos were developed February 4 1936

Groveville Elementary School - 1932

This is a photo of one of the classes of the Groveville Elementary School, June 1932. The only person I recognize in this photo is my mother Dorothy Naomi Johnson Lippincott. She is the second row, center, with the dark hair. Two of the boys in the top row are familiar, but I until I am sure I don't want to put names on them. I am sure some one will see this and fill me in, that is what usually happens.

I knew someone would come through, Linda showed the photo to her Mom, Mabel Becker LeJambre and she recognized a few, even though this group is older than she is.

The girl, second from the right in the all white dress is Gert Stout

The girl to the left of my Mom, second row short, with short blond hair is Peggie Shelton, the tall girl to the right of my Mom in the second row is Virginia Herbert. The boy in the second row all the way to the right, next to the fence pole is William "Bill" Straley.

The boy,third row, second from the right, next to a girl, is Roy "Smut' Champion.

I believe the boy, top row, second from the left, is Edward Shelton.

Naomi Rollings

Naomi Rollings

Born in 1871, in England, She passed away in 1962 at age 91. She was my Great Grandmother and one of the organizers of the Groveville Volunteer Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary and its first president. She also operated the Company Store for Morris and Company, owners of the Mill and most of Groveville.

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Married to George B. Rollings, engineer and owner of the Groveville Water Company and an organizer of the Groveville Volunteer Fire Company. They had five children, Benjamin Rollings, Katharine Rollings Johnson, Joseph Rollings,Edith Rollings Jones and a daughter Alice Rollings Vanderpool, that passed away during the 1918 Flu Epidemic, soon after the birth of her child, a son George Vanderpool, who also died soon after, both are buried in the Greenwood Cemetery, Hamilton Township.

Here she is standing in front of her house across from the Groveville Elementary School, the house is no longer there.