Anyone remember the long stem red roses and red carnations given away during the Grove City Community Parades (now the Arts in the Alley Parade) in the 1990s? In case you don’t remember, it was the idea of Greg Skinner, then owner of Roxainne’s Flowers and Gifts. Do you recall his “pony tail” baseball cap that turned heads?

Ellen Walker Craig was the first African-American woman elected mayor of a municipality in the United States. That village, Urbancrest, is the northern neighbor of Grove City. After taking office in 1972, she spent hours on community projects, one of her most significant was a sewer and water project for village residents.

Little Pennsylvania Cemetery at Darbydale is located north of London-Groveport Road not far from Trapper John’s. It’s probably one of the oldest cemeteries in Southwest Franklin County. The oldest tombstone remembers William G. Borland, born in 1811 and died in 1834, just 18 years before Grove City was established.

In 1995, Grove City Council President Cheryl Grossman was elected the first female mayor of the city after claiming 73 percent of the unofficial vote. She is pictured here with President George Bush in 2006 while she was in the Ohio House of Representatives.

If you believe the lake at Beulah Park is the first on the property, you’re wrong. The first lake, in the middle of the Beulah track, was created in 1953 to add to the ambiance of the park and enjoyment of race fans.