The Grinnell Historical Museum will host visitors at Hazelwood for a “Cemetery Walk” on October 9, 2021 from 1-4pm. The event is free (donations are always gladly accepted) and family friendly. The rain date is October 10th, 1-4pm.
Volunteers at each of a half-dozen gravesites will portray friends and relatives of historical figures whose stories the volunteers will tell. Visitors will spend about ten minutes at each grave, before moving on to hear about another Grinnellian. Come on out and join us in remembering J. B. and Julia Grinnell, James (Jim) Tibbs, Hallie Flanagan Davis, Charlie Hink, and Billy Robinson.
J.B. Grinnell helped found the town of Grinnell and along with his wife Julia was a prominent citizen of the town. Jim Tibbs and his family were among few Black families living in early Grinnell; he was also a World War I veteran. Hallie Flanagan Davis graduated from Grinnell College in 1911 and went on the run the Experimental Theatre at Vassar College and oversaw the Federal Theatre Project under the New Deal program, the Works Progress Administration. Charlie Hink was a local expert mechanic who worked with early aviator Billy Robinson to create the 60 horse power radial engine and pioneered the way for the modern radial engines of today. Billy Robinson was a local early aviator who built a monoplane (and the radial engine with Charlie Hink) and in 1914 set a record for non-stop flight, carrying mail from Des Moines to Kentland, Indiana.
Questions can be directed to grinnellhistoricalmuseum@gmail.com.
