March Speaker Will Share History of Maple Sugar Making in Hudson

While maple syrup production in Ohio is often associated with towns like Burton and Chardon, its link to Hudson’s past is less well known. Hudson Heritage Association will explore this chapter in the community’s past when it hosts Gwendolyn Mayer as its featured speaker on March 13.

As Mayer notes, “The process of sugaring involves gathering sap from maple trees, boiling it to syrup and packing it for home consumption or to sell. It is not always easy or romantic, and often there is a good deal of hard work. In the several hundred years this process has been occurring, many people have improved the process including locally known men Gustave Grimm and Clarence Crane.”  At the March meeting, Mayer promises to share their stories, as well as others involved in local maple syrup production. “It is a story of history, industry, environmental awareness and conservation as well as adulteration and sweetness,” she adds.

Mayer is a familiar face to many in Hudson and has been a member of the staff at the Hudson Library & Historical Society for 28 years.  She currently serves as the Library’s archivist, overseeing a collection of newspapers, maps, manuscripts, papers, genealogy materials and artifacts dating back to Hudson’s founding in 1799. It is the only such collection focused on Hudson and is dedicated to educating the community about the town’s rich history through outreach, research and events. The Historical Society also maintains one of the nation’s largest research collections on abolitionist John Brown and the Brown family.  Mayer grew up in Hiram and currently resided in Garrettsville. She attended Hiram College, Kent State University and the University of Pittsburgh. HHA’s March 13 program, to be held at Barlow Community Center, begins at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served following the presentation.