C.C. Elder Trucking
Last May I visited the Ohio Historical Society / Archives Library to try and find more about my paternal Grandfathers trucking business. I had his Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) license. I hoped the PUCO had published annual reports that gave when # 2239 was assigned to Grandpa. I explained to Librarian A that I wanted to find starting and ending dates for my grandfathers business. The online catalog was searched but Librarian A couldnt seem to find quite what I was asking about. Librarian A then asked Librarian B, and eventually Librarian C got involved. After several minutes of looking and discussing, Librarian C said she was going to check the stacks. When the librarian came back she had a small book truck and 3 very LARGE bound volumes. She said this was the closest thing she could find and wondered if this would help. She had found one of those fantastic things a treasure that I didnt know existed. As a child I would not have had any idea that my grandfather had to make and file an annual report to the PUCO. The 3 volumes first presented to me covered the 1950s. I was handed a volume that included the surnames that started with the letter E. In leafing through the Es there it was C. C. Elder, Bloomdale, Ohio. And I certainly recognized the handwriting. Bless their hearts, the staff pulled volumes going back in time until we found that the business started in April 1924. The earlier reports were only 4 pages. And of course I needed copies of these priceless pages. So I had one group of staff members bringing me the volumes. I would look through a volume, find grandpas report, stick in a small piece of paper as a bookmark, then put it on another truck to be copied by other staff members. Then we worked forward in time until we found that grandpa sold the business in May 1964. I have no idea how many staff members ended up helping me with these reports. By 1964 they were 8 pages in length. They didnt have enough time to finish the copying while I was there, but said they could be sent to me. Certainly a worthwhile endeavor and Ill be back.
Leanna Elder Shaberly
Arizona
