It’s been more than three decades since Elma Borden first published her book about the history of Groveville, but in a historic town filled with lifelong residents, the demand for her book remains at an all-time high.
The book, entitled “From Locust Grove 1695 to Groveville 1980,” was published by Borden in 1984 and explores the evolution of the town. Borden used her own money to publish the book and was therefore unable to print many copies. While no one knows the exact amount of books she printed, many suspect there were only a little over 100 original copies made.
With such a detailed record of the town, but with so few copies published, it quickly became known to residents as the “Groveville Book.”
“I always heard people talk about ‘Oh, the Groveville book, I wish I could have gotten a copy of the Groveville book,’” said Christine Cook, president of the Groveville Christian Women.
Cook wanted to get a copy of the book for her husband, but it proved to be a difficult — and expensive — task. An original, hardcover book is currently being sold on Amazon for $150. Likewise, in the past Cook has heard stories of people bidding up to $200 online to get a copy.
The high prices paired with an even higher demand gave Cook the idea to reprint the book as a way to raise money for charity.
Members of Cook’s church put her in contact with Georgie Bonsanto, Borden’s granddaughter, who loved the idea and wanted to help out with the process.
The book was reprinted by Alpha Graphics, which is located right in Hamilton, and costs $25. It focuses on the history of the town, starting from the 1600s when it was called Locust Grove. It then takes readers through not just the town’s history, but the genealogy of the residents who helped build it. Stories about the families — including records of births, deaths and marriages — are all told through Borden’s detailed writing.
Cook and Bonsanto did not change much about the book during the reprinting process. Aside from fixing a few spelling errors and adding new dedications from Borden’s family members, the book remains the same as it was in 1984 — much like the town of Groveville itself.
“To be honest with you, [Groveville] hasn’t changed a whole lot, and that’s what’s nice about it,” said Gary Lippincott, a lifelong Groveville resident. “It has changed to the point where not everybody in town is related, not everybody from town knows everybody, but it’s still a pretty close-knit community where everybody is friends with their neighbor.”
Lippincott, 70, runs the blog “Groveville Memories,” where he writes about Groveville’s history, and owns three copies of Borden’s book. To him, it’s more than just another history book; the book demonstrates the strong connection people have to Groveville.
“I think it’s the quaintness of the town,” he said. “Even though we’re part of Hamilton Township, there’s a creek and the woods between us and the rest of the world.”
Lippincott’s family has lived in Groveville since the 1700s, and he said it’s not uncommon for a family to move into town and stay for generations. When families remained in the town for decades, they became close friends with their neighbors, and soon enough everyone in Groveville was looking out for each other.
Lippincott and Bonsanto both agree that bond between neighbors is still there today, and it’s what makes Groveville so unique.
“They really have a passion for each other,” Bonsanto said. “It’s not just about them, it’s about their community.”
Since Borden originally published the book, word spread through Groveville about a book that detailed the town’s genealogy. Residents were intrigued by the opportunity to not only learn about their own family’s history, but the history of their neighbors’ family and the town they share.
It was this connection between the townspeople that originally drove Borden to write the book detailing their past.
“I think she wanted to share her love of [Groveville] with others that might not know the history as well as she did,” Bonsanto said.
Bonsanto described her grandmother as a “people person” who was always inspired by those around her. Borden was a teacher and a principal within the Hamilton Township school district, and she enjoyed sharing her knowledge and stories with her students.
“She loved to tell stories to my sister and I when we were growing up, and a lot of them did involve the story of the Groveville,” Bonsanto said.
Bonsanto said the best thing about the book, and arguably why so many people still want to read it, is her grandmother’s storytelling.
“I think just a plain book on genealogy would just be boring, but she interwove it with personal stories and tidbits of history,” she said.
Bonsanto said if her grandmother knew her book was being reprinted today, she’d be very proud the interest in Groveville is still alive and well.
“She dedicated all of this to the children of Groveville, and that makes it come full circle,” she said. “The children that were too young to buy the book in the first place are now older and appreciating their heritage and buying the book.”
The proceeds from the books sold will go toward multiple charities supported by the Groveville Christian Women.
“We’re not really making a lot of profit off this book,” Cook said. “This was just because we wanted to give the people of Groveville, or anybody who wanted to have this book, the opportunity to get this book again.”
To purchase a copy of “From Locust Grove 1695 to Groveville 1980” email the sellers at pcook6055@yahoo.com.
