Green Goose Club

by 

Kathy Petras

Library Associate

VWMFH&LC

Sometimes the topics for our blog posts come to us in very serendipitous ways. That is especially true of today's topic: The Green Goose Club, one of the oldest family-oriented nudist clubs in the U.S.

National Sunscreen Day is an unofficial holiday that reminds us that while exposure to sunlight is essential for our body's production of vitamin D, it can also cause irreversible damage to our skin that can result in skin cancer. The higher the SPF (sun protection factor) in your sunscreen or sunblock, the better. As the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention says, "Don't fry!"

This leads us very indirectly to the subject of today's blog, Medina County's own nudist resort, Green Valley. Because, you know, nudists can never have enough sunscreen.

I was recently reminded about the club when I was reading the third book in the Carolina Slade Mystery series by C. Hope Clark, titled Palmetto Poison. The quirky protagonist followed some clues, and her missing sister, to a local nudist resort in the South Carolina Low Country. 

Does the Medina club still exist?

Yes. It does.

But before you get all twitterpated*, some history...

Nudity, just like clothing preferences and styles, is a societal issue. During the early part of human history, clothing was only used to protect the body against the natural environment. There are some cultures where nudity is still the norm.

Indeed, public nudity is still accepted in certain situations, such as Japanese baths, saunas, and specially designated beach areas. But the Puritans and the Victorian era curtailed nudity, seeing it, and the human body, as inherently sinful. 

A resurgence of interest in nudity grew out of the health movements of the late 19th century in Europe and the return of the Olympics, which were originally held in the nude. And for some, it was a reaction against rigid moral attitudes.

Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) gymnasium - founded 1888 in London
Encyclopædia Britannica - https://www.britannica.com/topic/YMCA#/media/1/654082/76363

The first known nudist club was Freilichtpark in 1903 in Germany. After World War I, Clubs sprang up in France, called The Sparta Club, and the Spielplatz in England. Returning soldiers brought the concept home to America with them. 

The American League of Physical Culture was founded in 1929 to promote nudism. The first official camp in the United States was Sky Form in New Jersey which opened in May of 1932. 

And in 1936, in Medina County, The Green Goose Club was formed "to promote interest in outdoor life, recreation & amusement and the clothing prohibited, family oriented lifestyle" Green Goose Club claims to be one of the oldest family-oriented nudist clubs in the U.S. Originally the Club owned 100 acres.

The first few years were very active for the new club:

• 1937 - March - they sponsored the president of the American Sun Bathing association to speak at a hotel in Cleveland. In the newspaper, Green Goose Club is described as "developing a recreation center and group of country homesites south of Cleveland."
• 1937 - May - held a recital to raise money for "convalescents, under-privileged youngsters... referred to them by such institutions as the Cleveland Clinic"
• 1937 - July - 4th of July celebrations with fireworks. Also, three cottages have been built
• 1937 - August - Chapel is dedicated on the shores of Green Goose Lake
• 1938 - May - The Club sponsors a meeting in Cleveland extolling the benefits of living a naked life.

Medina County Gazette  March 3, 1939 Page 1

But then 1939 rolled around. 

An Ohio Representative from Delaware County by the name of Keller introduced a bill to outlaw mixed gender nudist camps in Ohio. Four men from Medina testified in support of the bill.

This kind of backlash occurred in Michigan and New York States as well.

The bill passed through the Senate late in May of 1939 and the governor signed it into law in June. The law took effect 90 days later.

Somehow, the club continued in existence. 

Did they don clothes? 

Did they become a single gender club? 

Did they operate privately behind locked gates and high hedges?

In 1943, they renamed the club the Green Valley Outing Club.

In 1955, they had a different set of legal problems. The officers of the club claimed that their replacements had been voted into office in an "illegal election at an unauthorized meeting."  The court eventually found in favor of the new officers. In the article the club's purpose was stated as "to promote interest in the outdoor life." 

Also in 1959, their long time gate keeper, Mrs. Flora Belle Larsonier, was struck and killed by an automobile while walking along a road one late February evening. It is unclear why the 72 year old woman was out walking in February.

Then, in 1973, Ohio's new criminal code permitted nudist camps as long as "participants take necessary and reasonable precautions to insure their privacy."

Medina County Gazette September 11, 1974 Page 1

Whatever it's status was between 1939 and 1973, the Camp was definitely back up and running as a nudist camp in 1974!

However, that same year, a pilot was fined $8,000 for "buzzing" the camp 8 separate times. He was low enough that the identification number on his small Piper airplane could be tracked down and he could be prosecuted.

In 1995, the Club's name changed to Green Valley Outing Club, by which name it is still known. On Facebook, the group is known as Green Valley Family Nudist Club and on camping.org, the name given is Green Valley Family Naturist Park.

And as recently as 2016, Rachel Hunt wrote an article for Cleveland Scene Magazine on the club. 

There's plenty to do while visiting the Camp where activities include:

• RV hookups
• Rental cabins
• Tent camping
• Heated clubhouse
• Hot tub
• Hiking trails
• Volleyball
• Basketball
• Pickle ball
• Horseshoes
• Shuffleboard 
• Miniten
• Mentaque
• Children's playground
• Pond with pedal boat & stocked with fish.

Shuffleboard court from their web site.

And they have a set of policies that caused one group to be expelled in 2000 for not abiding by the rules:

• Must provide a government issued photo ID that is checked against the National and Ohio Registered Sex Offenders Registry.
• People are known by first names only. Personal information is shared only if so chosen.
• Strive to maintain a family-friendly atmosphere.
• Respect each other's privacy
• Photography is outlawed.
• "Suggestive familiarity" is prohibited.
• Staring is NOT acceptable behavior. (emphasis mine)
• Keep a towel handy for sitting purposes.
• Liquor & firearms are prohibited.
• Illegal drugs are strictly prohibited.
• Children are welcome at Green Valley. Parents are responsible for their safety and behavior.
• Both parents/guardians must give their consent for a minor to visit Green Valley. 

The Club is a member of AANR - the American Association of Nude Recreation

And now you know...

*twitterpated - 1. In a state of nervous excitement 2. Infatuated or obsessed. Made popular from the Disney movie "Bambi" - From lexico.com

Help Make History Accessible!

By Lauren Kuntzman

On April 1st, the 1950 U.S. Census was released to the public.  It has the potential to be a treasure trove of information for family historians… but only if the records can be easily searched.  

 

To help improve the searchability of the census, MCDL Genealogy Team has been contributing on FamilySearch by reviewing and correcting the census’s index.  Now, the Genealogy Team would love to have you join us in making these historic documents accessible to people around the world. 

 

To make it easy to help and to crowdsource our efforts for maximum impact, the Genealogy Team has created an online Indexing Group.  We’ve set a goal to review 50,000 names on the 1950 Census before Flag Day.  While the team has made progress toward that goal, we’ll need your help to review another 20,000 names in the next four weeks. 

Here’s how you can help! From your computer’s web browser: 

1. Sign in to FamilySearch. (If you need help creating an account, directions are available at this link.) 
2. Click this link https://familysearch.org/groups/family?groupId=MMM9-HTD&inviteId=MMM9-KWK and a MCDL Genealogy Team member will approve you to join our Indexing Group. 
3. Visit https://familysearch.org/getinvolved/1950 and then…

Click the state you’d like to review.  (Ohio is only 13% complete, so our home state is a great choice!)

In the “Review Names” box (bottom right), click “Get Started.” 

Skip filling in an optional last name and just click “Search.” 

Compare the text highlighted in blue with the text in the pop-up bubble.  If it matches, click the “Match” button. 

If the text doesn’t match, and you can read the handwriting, click “Edit,” correct the name in the pop-up bubble, and click “Submit.” If you can’t determine how it should be corrected click “Unsure.” 

Sometimes text that isn’t a name (like the enumerator's note "County Home" in the example below) was highlighted by mistake. In those cases, click “Not A Person.” 

Most users can complete 20 names in just a few minutes!

We hope you’ll join us in this historic effort!  To learn more about the 1950 Census, read our earlier blog post here. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the MCDL Genealogy Team at me-team.genealogy@mcdl.info. 

*Note: if you prefer to work using your mobile phone or tablet, you can download the FamilySearch Get Involved app from your app store, then follow the prompts. Joining the Indexing Group may only be possible from a web browser.  

Celebrating National Postcard Week!

By Lauren Kuntzman

Since 1984, the first full week of May is celebrated as "National Postcard Week." In honor of the week, here are some fun facts about postcards, plus a few selected images from the collection held at the Virginia Wheeler Martin Family History & Learning Center.  

Fun Facts about Postcards

• The study of picture postcards is called deltiology. Collectors of picture postcards are known as deltiophiles. Individuals who study the history of postcards are deltiologists.  
• Deltiology has a an Ohio-connection: it was coined by Ashland University biology professor Dr. Rendell Rhoades. 
• The first postcards with photographs were created in the 1870s in France. 
• 1907-1915 is known as the Golden Age of Postcards, during which time their popularity exploded. 
• Postcards are often distinguished as either Real Photo Postcards (RPPC) or printed postcards. The difference is found in the method by which the postcard is reproduced. RPPC use photographic paper and are developed as photographs, while printed postcards using a variety of printing methods. When viewed with a magnifying glass, printed postcards often reveal tiny halftone dots from the printing process.  
• Many details on the backs of postcards can help determine when they were created. One resource for dating Real Photo Postcards is https://playle.com/realphoto.
• Postcards are a great way for local and family historians to get a glimpse of their community's past. 
• Postcard collecting is the third biggest collecting hobby in the world -- right after stamps and coins!

Medina Postcards

The Family History & Learning Center has numerous postcards in its collections.  Enjoy postcards featuring the Medina Square and A. I. Root Company in the two slideshows below.  

Want to Learn More?

Here are some resources to help you learn more about postcards. 

• History of Postcards https://worldpostcardday.com/history
• Smithsonian Postcard History https://siarchives.si.edu/history/featured-topics/postcard/postcard-history
• How to Start Collection Postcards https://jasper52.com/blog/how-to-start-a-postcard-collection
• Coining the word Deltiology - Akron Beacon Journal, 5 July 1980, p. D10. 
• Identifying Postcard Eras http://jewelspostcards.com/del.htm
• Dating Guide for Real Photo Postcards https://playle.com/realphoto
• History of National Postcard Week https://postcardhistory.net/2021/05/national-post-card-week

Get to Know Your Local Historical Societies: Friends of the Cemetery

 

By Lauren Kuntzman

Medina County is fortunate to have many societies dedicated to preserving our local history. On the MCDL Genealogy Team blog, we periodically feature these societies.

With National Arbor Day on April 29, it seemed like the perfect time to highlight the Friends of the Cemetery and their work in creating the Spring Grove Cemetery Arboretum. Arboretums are outdoor museums of trees and plants -- and Spring Grove Cemetery has a collection of more than 600 trees.  Teresa Merkle, Friends of the Cemetery president, shared with us details about the cemetery's unique status in Medina County, Ohio.  

Q: What process did the Friends of the Cemetery have to go through for Spring Grove Cemetery to be recognized as the only Arboretum in Medina County, Ohio? 

Merkle: Documentation of the Spring Grove Cemetery trees was the first step we took.  In 2020 the Friends hired Bartlett Tree Expert Company to complete a Tree Inventory and Management Plan of Spring Grove.  We learned from this plan that we have a collection of more than 600 trees, of which there are 80+ species.  With the Spring Grove Tree Inventory and Management Plan in hand, we made application to ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program.  Spring Grove was awarded Level II accreditation in 2021 and is recognized as an arboretum in the Morton Register of Arboreta, a database of the world’s arboreta and gardens. View the cemetery's entry on the registry at https://arbnet.org/morton-register/spring-grove-cemetery.

Q: How can people enjoy the Spring Grove Arboretum?  What can they expect to find there? 

Merkle: Spring Grove Cemetery grounds are open to the public every day and the public is encouraged to use the grounds for exercise, bird and wildlife watching, relaxation, reflection and, of course, to enjoy the beauty of the arboretum.  There are currently 48 species of trees at Spring Grove marked with permanent arboretum tree signs (we plan to add more signage each year).  These signs identify the tree’s common and Latin name, its family name, location of origin, and a fun fact about that species.  A QR code is also located on each sign which enables smart phone users to be directed to more in-depth information regarding that particular species of tree.  A colorful walking map of the 48 featured tree species is also available here. 

Q: If individuals want to volunteer with Spring Grove Cemetery, how can they get involved? 

Merkle: Become a member of the Friends of the Cemetery.  See our membership schedule on our website at https://friendsofmedinacemetery.org.  

Q: Does Friends of the Cemetery have any upcoming events? 

Merkle: Yes!  We have several events planned for the public throughout 2022.   

• Memorial Day services will be held at Spring Grove after the Memorial Day parade on Monday, May 30, 2022 and the Friends will have the historic chapel and mausoleum open to the public for viewing.   
• Saturday, August 6, 2022 at 1:00 pm, is our annual Historical Walk at Spring Grove Cemetery.  At this event we walk along the shade tree lined avenues of Spring Grove, stopping along the way at gravesites to hear stories about people from Medina’s past.   This event is free and open to the public and is wheelchair, stroller, wagon and pet-friendly. 
• Saturday, October 8, 2022 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm, we will be hosting our annual self-guided Spring Grove Arboretum Walk. We provide maps that direct walkers to our showcased arboretum trees.  Kids of all ages enjoy the tree-themed scavenger hunt and tree seedling giveaways. This is a popular event and free to the public.  This event is also wheelchair, stroller, wagon and pet-friendly. 

Q: What else would you like everyone to know about the Friends of the Cemetery? 

Merkle: Friends of the Cemetery is a non-profit organization founded in 1997 that is dedicated to the beautification, historic preservation, maintenance and appreciation of Spring Grove Cemetery (1883) and Old Town Graveyard (1818) located here in Medina, Ohio. 

Learn more about the Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum at https://friendsofmedinacemetery.org/visit/spring-grove-arboretum.  Learn more about the Friends of the Cemetery's accomplishments here. 

New Local/Family History Resources Online!

 By Lauren Kuntzman

The MCDL Genealogy Team has several new resources for Medina County, Ohio available online! Use these resources to explore the history of our community and learn more about your relatives’ lives!



High School Yearbooks

Previously Medina High School yearbooks from 1913 to 1974 were digitized and made available online. Now, yearbooks from other county schools are accessible through the links below. View the entire collection at https://archive.org/details/medinahighschoolyearbooks. 

Buckeye High School Yearbooks
1950s – 1958
1960s – 1966
1970s – 1976







Chatham High School Yearbooks
1950s – 1950, 1951

Cloverleaf High School Yearbooks
1960s – 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969
1970s – 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977








Highland High School Yearbooks
1960s – 1967, 1968, 1969
1970s – 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1979

Lodi High School Yearbooks
1930s – 1934, 1936, 1939
1940s – 1941, 1942-1943, 1944, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949
1950s – 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959
1960s – 1960

Brunswick High School Yearbooks have been digitized by Brunswick Area Historical Society. View these yearbooks on the society’s homepage at https://brunswickhistory.com.

Historic Newspapers

Last year, we began the Digital Archives of MCDL, an online resource in which historic Medina County, Ohio newspapers can be searched by keywords. This year, we added more years of the Medina County Gazette (now up to 1965), plus we’ve added several newspapers from Brunswick including:

• Brunswick Signal (1936-1936)
• Brunswick Citizen (1958-1958)
• The Brunswick Reporter (1960-1960)
• Tri-County News (1970-1970)
• The County Line (1973-1975)
• Brunswick Times And The County Line (1975-1975)
• Brunswick Times (1975-1978)

Search these newspapers and more at https://mcdl.info/newspapers.





Photographs & Postcards

The MCDL Genealogy Team is working on digitizing photographs and postcards from our collections. These images will be shared on Instagram on Thursdays. 

To see all of the images, follow our tag on Instagram: https://instagram.com/explore/tags/vwmfhlc. 

You can also follow Medina Library (https://instagram.com/medinalibrary) to see all the library’s postings!

16 MM FILM DIGITIZATION!

Digitizing 16 MM film is now possible at the VWM Family History & Learning Center! 

After many trials and errors, we now feel confident we can help our members digitize their old 16 mm films.

There are a few things to know before you reach for the phone to make your appointment!

First, MAKE AN APPOINTMENT! 

Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate walk-ins.  We have to reserve a special room and equipment needs to be set up. 

To set up an appointment call at 330-725-0588 x 5017 or email us at makerspace@mcdl.info.

When you do make your appointment we will need to know the following information:

16 MM                       8 MM

Do you really have 16 MM movie film?  The photograph to the left shows the difference between 16 MM and 8 MM film. 

How many canisters of film did you want to digitize? How big are the reels? And are they full?


The process is done in real time (no pun intended). If the reel is 5-7 inches in diameter and is a full reel it could take about 30 minutes to digitize.

Do you have a smartphone, i.e. iPhone, Samsung, etc.?  The phone will be used to capture the film and save it digitally.  

You will need to bring your reels and smartphone for your appointment. Please make sure you have enough memory space on your phone to capture the film. A 30 minute reel takes about 2.7 GBs of memory. 

If you are not sure there is enough memory on your smart phone or you don’t own a smart phone, just let us know so we can provide a video camera to do the filming instead of your phone. 

When you come for your appointment we will have the projector set up and in the reserved room. Someone will walk you through the process and depending on how comfortable you are, we may be with you through the whole appointment or just the first 10-15 minutes to get you started. We will always be available for any questions or problems that arise.

We have found the results may differ due to a few variables. The type and age of you smart phone and quality and age of the film will determine how the digitized video comes out.  Also, the digitized recording may need to be edited, due to jumpy film or awkward framing. Watch the clip below to see an example of what it may look like.*

 

*You need to click on the center arrow and then the arrow in the left hand corner of the viewer to play the video.

Herman Fulmer family,16 mm film, ca. 1946

Fishing trip in Canada

After all of the film has been digitized, we will show you either how to download it and save it to a 32 GB (or larger) flash drive or how to upload it to your "cloud". 

An additional appointment may be made if you want to edit the digitized film. (Different equipment and software is used for editing.)

If you have any questions about the process, please call us at 330-725-0588 x5017 or email us at makerspace@mcdl.info. We will be glad to answer any questions you may have.

IT'S HERE!! The 1950 Census is Now Available!

 

by Kathy Petras

Access to the information in the 1950 census was restricted for 72 years because of a rule that the U.S. Congress passed in 1978. The National Archives released that information last Friday at 12:01 a.m. on April 1st. What a wonderful April Fool's Day surprise!

Form P1 is the form used for enumerating every U.S. citizen in 1950.

The release at the National Archives went smoothly despite many people's  predictions (mine included) about crashing the site. By using Artificial Intelligence Optical Character Recognition, AI-OCR, the archives created an indexing and searching system that works surprisingly very well! Within minutes of sitting down to my computer early Friday morning I had found both of my parents and three out of four of my grandparents. Others were reporting similar results.

Excerpt from the 1950 Census showing my grandfather, Lunas, his second wife, Della, then my father, Lawson,  Uncle Ed (aka Bud) and Aunt Dorothy. 20 questions were asked about every household member. Four people
on each page were asked an additional 20 questions. Uncle Ed was one of the people selected for the additional questions. Since he was just a 13 year old school boy, many of the questions didn't apply to him.

Because of quirks in the indexing system, it is not, at this time, an every name index. So I haven't been able to find my other grandmother and several sets of aunts and uncles - YET!

Start searching on the National Archives site HERE.  If you know the address or the enumerations district for your relatives, you can browse the district.

Later that day, the images started appearing on the FamilySearch website. 1950 census images can be browsed on FamilySearch via this MAP. 

1950 Census logo from FamilySearch

And the images are also being uploaded to the Ancestry.com and the My Heritage as well as other web sites.

Ancestry and FamilySearch are working together to refine the indexing provided by the National Archives.

To learn more about the 1950 census, how to use it and what you can find in it, register for the Family History Center's Genealogy Slam! program on May 7th at the Brunswick Library HERE. The three hour event (1-4 p.m.) will also cover U.K. Census Records and tips for locating that hard-to-find ancestor.

Hope to see you there!