Midvale to honor speedway at annual History Day
John Vallo of Miamisburg, Ohio in 1989 at Midvale Speedway.
Midvale History Day will take place Saturday, Sept. 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Midvale Park. The day will honor several of Midvale’s important contributions to the nation and will highlight the history of Midvale Speedway.
Organizer Brenda Stafford, a retired teacher, said she and another teacher began trying to preserve the history of Midvale about 18 years ago. “And now I’ve written three books and another is in progress. We try to preserve, promote and especially teach the history of Midvale,” she said.
A true Midvale Museum is the overarching goal for Stafford and others who work to preserve the town’s memories. “We hold fundraisers and keep working toward the goal of having a building and facility,” Stafford said.
For now Stafford said she is grateful for her family’s patience as photos and memorabilia find storage in her home and the homes of others. “People give us things all the time,” she said. “We’re hoping the museum will come to fruition.”
The story of Midvale is one of coal mining, according to Stafford. One of the main displays for History Day will offer a glimpse into that world underground with helmets, tools and plenty of photos.
“Another company which played a key role in our history was the Whitacre-Greer Brick Company,” Stafford said. “They were the largest such clay company in the world at one time. They actually produced pavers which were used in a renovation of the area around the Statue of Liberty.”
A longtime local historian, Leonard Tucker amassed a large collection of items from another Midvale clay company, Royal Clay Works, and that collection will figure prominently at History Day.
Stafford said Tucker, known locally as “Mr. History,” passed away suddenly not long ago, and his family will present the story of the Royal Clay Works in honor of him. “He was just so very supportive of what we were trying to do,” she said.
To help raise funds for the future museum, Dan Warther of Warther Woodworking at Dover has created two wooden plates depicting the Midvale Speedway story. The plates will be auctioned at 3:30 p.m. during History Day. Wooden ornaments by Warther also will be available while supplies last.
“Midvale has been described as ‘the little town with a big history,’ and that is very true,” Stafford said.
For the display dedicated to Midvale Speedway, there will be fire suits, other memorabilia and many photos. At the nearby Midvale Elementary building, race cars from the speedway clashes will be displayed as backdrops for visiting festival queen photos when the queens are presented at 1 p.m.
Midvale Fire Department will host a chicken barbecue at 11 a.m., and a car show will gather at 9 a.m. with awards given out at 3 p.m. A disc jockey will spin records for the car show.
The police department will serve breakfast from 8-10 a.m. and will sell ice cream while supplies last. The Midvale United Methodist Church also will offer a food stand and will auction homemade pies just after the commemorative plates are sold.
“We have amazing support from the community in trying to get our museum up and running,” Stafford said. “We’ve gathered many oral histories for the books, and that is becoming important. Many people have memories to share and preserve and they are passing on. After this many years it feels like it is a long journey, but I know the museum will come to be. We just have to be patient.”
Midvale Park is at the corner of Royal and Rutledge streets.