Invisible Ground

09/09/2026

This weekend in Athens, Ohio on September 10-13 is the Central Region Humanities Center Biennial Conference and I am speaking on a panel on Saturday, September 12 from 4:00pm to 5:40pm at Baker Center Theater at Ohio University. It’s called “The Declaration of Independence: Promises, Meaning, and Legacy” and I will be talking for my piece about local history as an important tool to understand the early nationhood and the complicated applications of the ideas of the Declaration of Independence and Northwest Ordinance. Including about all the places shown here in Marietta, Athens, Amesville, Stockport, Tablertown, Hockingport, and Gallia County. I am also leading tour with Dr. Tee on Sunday around Uptown Athens. The conference has so many incredible speakers and panelists, full schedule in my bio! All FREE and open to the public! Come hang out. Photos from public domain, Archives & Special Collections Ohio University, mariettamuseums, Southeast Ohio History Center, and me.

07/09/2026

🥊 🥊 Episode 21 is up! We recorded a visit to the country's oldest boxing gym, Sam's Gym, in Glouster, Ohio. I spent some time with Sam Jones, who has run the space since 1960, and Bob Garbo. We talked about all the important stuff: boxing, baseball, hot dog sauce, family, and the history of Glouster. Hope you enjoy! 🥊 🥊

Listen Now 🎧:

For this episode, we recorded a visit to the country's oldest boxing gym, Sam's Gym, in Glouster, Ohio. I spent some time walking around there with Sam Jones, who has run the place since 1960, and Bob Garbo, talking about boxing, baseball, family, and Glouster history.

05/09/2026

Thank you for your support of the first-ever Invisible Ground pledge drive! You can still donate via the Southeast Ohio History Center here: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/invisiblegrounddonationform

All of our new shirts and tote bags will be up online next week, and look for a whole bunch of new Immersive Historic Sites and podcasts coming this year.

Thanks!

04/09/2026

The Invisible Ground pledge drive ends today, which is a great opportunity to tell you exactly what your donations will be supporting in the coming months.

Invisible Ground is currently working on new Immersive Historic Sites that will be installed in Burr Oak State Park, Buchtel & Snow Fork, and at the Rufus Putnam House and the Ohio Company Land Office in Marietta. If you’d like to see Invisible Ground director Brian Koscho in-person, he’ll be speaking on a panel at the Central Region Humanities Center Biennial Conference in September, as well as leading walking tours and talks during the Ohio Community Development Corporation Association Conference and the Appalachian Literary and Storytelling Festival.

While all of these projects are important, donations also support the day-to-day operation of Invisible Ground — like paying bills, providing matching funds that unlock new grants, and compensating freelance and contract workers who assist with various projects.

If you’ve already made a contribution, we’re extremely grateful for your support. And if you haven’t donated yet, there’s still time to earn a “thank you” gift.

There are three ways to make a donation and support Invisible Ground’s work:

Make a tax-deductible contribution by credit card, via the Southeast Ohio History Center
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/invisiblegrounddonationform

Join the Invisible Ground Patreon to make an annual or monthly donation
https://www.patreon.com/invisibleground

Make a tax-deductible contribution by check (write "Invisible Ground" in the memo line) and send it to:
Southeast Ohio History Center
24 West State Street
Athens, OH 45701

Anyone who donates $25 or more during the Invisible Ground pledge drive is eligible to receive a thank you gift. Just fill out this form after making your donation so that we can show our appreciation by sending you some cool Invisible Ground swag: https://forms.gle/SUMtfqJwP9cAmiy6A

03/09/2026

Just one more day of the Invisible Ground pledge drive remains, then it’s back to your usual daily scroll. Today, we’re digging into how the project shares this history with the community and collaborates with other institutions on public programs.

Over the past year, Invisible Ground director Brian Koscho has been a guest lecturer at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana; led a walking tour during the Athens International Film and Video Festival; and spoke with Nelsonville Music Festival attendees about the history of both the event and the area it calls home.

Public programming offers another way for Invisible Ground to help people learn about the history surrounding them. Some attendees may come away from a lecture or a walking
tour with a deeper appreciation of stories from the past. Others may be inspired to visit Immersive Historic Sites or to listen to the Invisible Ground podcast.

Your support helps Invisible Ground grow its slate of programming, allowing us to spend more time sharing our love of history with others.

There are three ways to make a donation and support Invisible Ground’s work:

Make a tax-deductible contribution by credit card, via the Southeast Ohio History Center
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/invisiblegrounddonationform

Join the Invisible Ground Patreon to make an annual or monthly donation
https://www.patreon.com/invisibleground

Make a tax-deductible contribution by check (write "Invisible Ground" in the memo line) and send it to:
Southeast Ohio History Center
24 West State Street
Athens, OH 45701

Anyone who donates $25 or more during the Invisible Ground pledge drive is eligible to receive a thank you gift. Just fill out this form after making your donation so that we can show our appreciation by sending you some cool Invisible Ground swag: https://forms.gle/SUMtfqJwP9cAmiy6A

02/09/2026

We’re already halfway through the Invisible Ground pledge drive! Today we’d like to highlight an ongoing project that allows everyday people to contribute to oral histories — and it only happens with the support of partner organizations and donors like you.

One of the primary goals of the Invisible Ground project is preserving the stories of everyday people. Collaborating with partners like the Athens County Public Libraries, the Ohio University Libraries, and the Southwest Ohio History Center, Invisible Ground has connected with community members and documented their oral histories face-to-face.

Each partner uses the oral histories that are collected in different ways. Invisible Ground is proud to play a part in empowering everyday people to tell their own stories, demonstrating
the value these stories hold for present-day communities as well as future generations.

Your support helps Invisible Ground preserve even more voices and the history they impart.

There are three ways to make a donation and support Invisible Ground’s work:

Make a tax-deductible contribution by credit card, via the Southeast Ohio History Center
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/invisiblegrounddonationform

Join the Invisible Ground Patreon to make an annual or monthly donation
https://www.patreon.com/invisibleground

Make a tax-deductible contribution by check (write "Invisible Ground" in the memo line) and send it to:
Southeast Ohio History Center
24 West State Street
Athens, OH 45701

Anyone who donates $25 or more during the Invisible Ground pledge drive is eligible to receive a thank you gift. Just fill out this form after making your donation so that we can show our appreciation by sending you some cool Invisible Ground swag: https://forms.gle/SUMtfqJwP9cAmiy6A

Photo courtesy of The Athens Messenger and Gabriel Scotto

01/09/2026

It’s day two of the Invisible Ground pledge drive! We’d like to tell you more about Immersive Historic Sites and the Invisible Ground podcast — two of the projects that your donations help support.

This year, Invisible Ground has installed two new Immersive Historic Sites in Nelsonville’s Public Square and the Nelsonville Brick Kilns. Visitors to these sites can use the Invisible Ground app to view archival photos that are layered over the existing landscape using augmented reality technology.

Since the project began in 2022, Invisible Ground has installed 18 Immersive Historic Sites in eight towns throughout southeastern Ohio.

Each Immersive Historic Site corresponds to an episode of the Invisible Ground podcast, featuring Brian Koscho taking a deeper dive into the history of each site. Every episode includes interviews with local residents and historians, sharing additional stories about each location. In the most recent podcast covering the Nelsonville Public Square and the Nelsonville Brick Kilns, Brian spoke with people like historian Lorinda LeClain and brick collector Ed Newman.

The creation of each Immersive Historic Site and the accompanying podcast requires archival research; conducting interviews with individuals who have stories about the sites; the writing and editing of the podcast; updating the app with photos showcased via augmented reality; and the fabrication and installation the physical marker at each Immersive Historic Site.

All of these tasks require time and money to be achieved. Your support helps Invisible Ground continue to showcase local history.

There are three ways to make a donation and support Invisible Ground’s work:

Make a tax-deductible contribution by credit card, via the Southeast Ohio History Center
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/invisiblegrounddonationform

Join the Invisible Ground Patreon to make an annual or monthly donation
https://www.patreon.com/invisibleground

Make a tax-deductible contribution by check (write "Invisible Ground" in the memo line) and send it to:
Southeast Ohio History Center
24 West State Street
Athens, OH 45701

Anyone who donates $25 or more during the Invisible Ground pledge drive is eligible to receive a thank you gift. Just fill out this form after making your donation so that we can show our appreciation by sending you some cool Invisible Ground swag: https://forms.gle/SUMtfqJwP9cAmiy6A

31/08/2026

Invisible Ground is holding its first pledge drive. Over the next five days, we’re hoping to raise $2,500 in new donations.

Your financial support helps Invisible Ground continue to exist and allows the project to expand in new directions. Your donations fund additional Immersive Historic Sites, podcasts, and public programming. With your support, Invisible Ground can help more people form a meaningful connection to local history.

There are three ways to make a donation and support Invisible Ground’s work:

Make a tax-deductible contribution by credit card, via the Southeast Ohio History Center - https://secure.qgiv.com/for/invisiblegrounddonationform

Join the Invisible Ground Patreon to make an annual or monthly donation - https://www.patreon.com/invisibleground

Make a tax-deductible contribution by check (write "Invisible Ground" in the memo line) and send it to:
Southeast Ohio History Center
24 West State Street
Athens, OH 45701

Anyone who donates $25 or more during the Invisible Ground pledge drive is eligible to receive a thank you gift. Just fill out this form after making your donation so that we can show our appreciation by sending you some cool Invisible Ground swag: https://forms.gle/SUMtfqJwP9cAmiy6A

28/08/2026

Sharing your story with Athens County Public Libraries and Invisible Ground is as easy as sending a text! Send us an audio file from your Apple or Android device at (740) 300-0155. You can do it via your text messages like in this video or from any audio app just hit share and put in our phone number. Tell us what you use the library for, what it means to you, what it would be like if it wasn’t in your community, and share your favorite stories about the library too. Feel free to tell us your favorite place in Athens County, hopes for your community 50 or 100 years from now, and tell us what you would put in our audio time capsule. Want to share you story but need help and options? Message us! And we will make it happen. Check the Athens County Public Libraries website for more questions and info, our check out an audio kit at all 7 branches!