Whether Rose’s living relatives play a part in this series lies in the hands of Kathy and Frank Hollingsworth ⁠— the couple who found the letter underneath their bathtub. In order to do that, they’d need to give up something they’ve held onto for ten years: the letter itself. 

And with that, learning who Will could have been may not happen. 

Learn more and see newspaper clippings, and other historical documents: https://www.fifthandludlowpodcast.com/part-5 

Series Editor: Katie Davis 

Music: Mustafa Shaheen 

Branding: Peter Diaczenko 

Special thanks to the Hollingsworth Family, Rose’s family members Vicky, Eileen, and Clarissa, and Jessi Sievers for their help with this episode, as well as Dayton Access Television for giving us a place to record Rose’s family. 

This series was made possible by a generous grant from the Montgomery County Arts & Cultural District with assistance from Culture Works. Additional funding from 91.3 WYSO.

We’ve accepted the help of amateur genealogist Jessi Sievers to learn more about Rose and her family as well as try to track down any living relatives she may have.

During her search, Jessi came across one person on Ancestry.com whose family tree had all of the people we’ve been looking into.

Getting in touch with them was easy, but getting them on board may prove to be a challenge.

Learn more and see some historical documents Jessi found as well as the envelopes and letter:

https://www.fifthandludlowpodcast.com/part-4

Series Editor: Katie Davis

Music: Mustafa Shaheen

Branding: Peter Diaczenko

Special thanks to the Hollingsworth Family, and Jessi Sievers for their help with this episode.

This series is made possible by a generous grant from the Montgomery County Arts & Cultural District with assistance from Culture Works. Additional funding from 91.3 WYSO.

My wife Ruth found that in 1930 Rose had two borders living in her home ⁠— one named Andrew and another named William. Could it be the “Will” from the letter?

It seems like an easy thing to figure out but we needed to look beyond the census records, so we took on the help of a Dayton historian to learn more.

It turns out something happened a month after Rose received Will’s letter.

Learn more and see pictures of some ads from Jenkin’s Drug Store, and what the corner of Fifth & Ludlow looked like in the 1920s:

https://www.fifthandludlowpodcast.com/part-3

Series Editor: Katie Davis

Music: Mustafa Shaheen

Branding: Peter Diaczenko

Special thanks to the Hollingsworth Family, Curt Dalton, Dayton History, the Ohio Genealogy Society, and Jessi Sievers for their help with this episode.

This series is made possible by a generous grant from the Montgomery County Arts & Cultural District with assistance from Culture Works. Additional funding from 91.3 WYSO.

Will’s letter to Rose O’Connor underneath the bathtub was found alongside two envelopes ⁠— one that went along with his 1920 letter, and another to a Jim O’Connor (possibly Rose’s husband) postmarked 1921.

The working theory has been that someone forwarded the letter and its envelope to Jim a year later, maybe behind Rose’s back as a way to inform Jim of her meeting with Will.

Part 2 looks into whether that was possible.

Learn more and see pictures of things from around Dayton History’s Carillon Park, the unframing of the letter, and Rose’s grave:

https://www.fifthandludlowpodcast.com/part-2

Series Editor: Katie Davis

Music: Mustafa Shaheen

Branding: Peter Diaczenko

Special thanks to the Hollingsworth Family, Dayton History, Dave Requarth, The United States Postal Service, and Dayton Art Solutions for their help with this episode.

This series is made possible by a generous grant from the Montgomery County Arts & Cultural District with assistance from Culture Works. Additional funding from 91.3 WYSO.

A letter hidden beneath a bathtub was discovered almost a century later. Alongside it were two envelopes, one that went with the letter, and another one dated over a year later.

The letter is from a man simply named "Will" who didn't include his last name.

Over the years, the family who found the letter has speculated what it could have been about and whether the second envelope is somehow connected.

Learn more and see the letter and envelopes for yourself: https://www.fifthandludlowpodcast.com/part-1

Series Editor: Katie Davis

Music: Mustafa Shaheen

Branding: Peter Diaczenko

This series is made possible by a generous grant from the Montgomery County Arts & Cultural District with assistance from Culture Works. Additional funding from 91.3 WYSO.

In 2008, a family in Dayton, Ohio was remodeling an original bathroom of their 1927 house. During the process, they unearthed a letter and two envelopes in near perfect condition dating back over 90 years.

The letter, from a man simply named "Will" is vague, secretive, and mysterious. The envelopes paint an even more confusing picture.

Fifth and Ludlow tells the story of 1920s Dayton through the lens of the letter, and aims to expose the answers to the countless questions it raises.