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Chillicothe & Ross County Library Livestreams Interview with WOUB about “Our Town”
< < Back to chillicothe-ross-county-library-livestreams-interview-with-woub-about-our-townOur Town: Chillicothe is scheduled to premiere in Fall of 2021
ATHENS, OH – The Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library hosted a virtual conversation with WOUB Producer/Director Evan Shaw and WOUB Community Engagement Manager Cheri Russo about production of the upcoming historical documentary film Our Town: Chillicothe. The conversation with Adult Services Manager Liz Gibbons-Camp was livestreamed on the library’s social media pages on Tuesday, February 9.
Shaw and Russo talked about the work that has gone into the production of the Chillicothe film so far and why it’s important to learn about local history.
“As a proud southeastern Ohio native, I’m still stunned that every time I start to work on an Our Town, that I learn something I did not know,” said Shaw. “It’s so exciting to be able to bring the stories of these communities to life and show the people who live there all the reasons they have to be proud of where they are from.”
Shaw shared a short trailer of the film to provide a sneak peek of the documentary for viewers. The trailer showcased the community’s rich and vibrant history. Chillicothe was the first capital of the state of Ohio and is known for its presence on the State of Ohio seal with a circular coat of arms that depicts a Chillicothe sunrise. But, the film will also examine many other unique aspects and people of Chillicothe including: how it is home to the oldest newspaper west of the Allegheny Mountains, the influence of the papermaking industry, how World War I contributed to the city’s growth and its notable residents like Cartoonist Billy Ireland, who lovingly lampooned the city of Columbus each week in the Columbus Dispatch, Inventor Alexander Bonner Latta, who produced the first practical steam fire engine that was successfully used as a routine part of a city’s fire department equipment, and Former U.S. First Lady Lucy Webb Hayes, who was the first First Lady to have a college degree.
Shaw is a 14-time Emmy-Award winner and a southeastern Ohio native. Previously highlighted communities in the Our Town series include Lancaster, Pomeroy, Nelsonville, Jackson, Athens, Morgan County and most recently, Gallipolis. Shaw started his research on Chillicothe early this summer and is very excited about the eighth episode of the series.
WOUB plans to premiere Our Town: Chillicothe at a free public screening the Fall of 2021. More information on the date and location will be announced later.
You can watch the entire interview with Shaw and Russo on the library’s Facebook page: https://fb.watch/3zBL2rK2H5/ Next week, Shaw and Russo will be part of a virtual event with the library where Chillicothe residents are being asked to share their old photos and videos with WOUB for possible inclusion in the documentary. The event will be held February 16 at 7 p.m. If you have something you’d like to share, you can register by clicking here.