To know where one is going, one must first understand where one’s been.

Thanks to one Dawson-Bryant High School history teacher and his students, people in the Village of Coal Grove will be able to research their roots with a click of a mouse.

For the past three years, Dean Mader, his students and others have worked to build a website dedicated to anything and everything associated with Coal Grove’s past — “Connecting Yesterday with Tomorrow.”

Although the Coal Grove Memory Project is ongoing and could likely go on for years to come, the website is already full of old photos of schools and students, businesses, families, historical documents and so much more.

For the people who have grown up in Coal Grove, Andis or Deering, this website should bring back fond memories, while at the same time providing insight to the younger generation.

The project is well worth the time invested and there is room for so much more, but the project’s organizers need the community’s help.

If you have anything at all to contribute to the website, such as old photos, documents or even stories of Coal Grove, please contact Mader by calling 740-532-6345 ext. 72160 or by email at dean.mader@db.k12.oh.us.