COLUMBIANA – The Quarterly Meeting of the Historical Society is April 20 at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 28 E. Park Ave.    

Local author Paul Rohrbaugh will present  “Driving it Home: General Motor’s Lordstown Complex, 1956-2019,” the first history of the industrial center that played a key role in the Mahoning Valley for nearly five decades. The public is encouraged to attend.  

Research for the book included interviews of over 50 individuals who worked at the complex’s numerous plants, archive research of the Mahoning Valley’s two main newspapers, as well as local historical centers. The book features illustrations including artwork by local artist, Guy Shively, photos from the UAW 1112 and local workers collections, as well as from the area archives. Driving It Home is a not a corporate history, but rather one that focuses on the local history and the effects its workers and managers had on the Mahoning Valley’s communities.

Rohrbaugh is a retired librarian from Youngstown State University’s Beeghly College of Education where he also taught full- as well as part-time at the college’s Department of Educational Foundations, Research, Technology and Leadership. He earned Master’s and Bachelor of Arts Degrees in History, as well as a Master’s Degree in Library Science, and a Master’s Degree in Education after earning a Baccalaureate Degree in History.

His first book, “Favorite Son: The Life and Times of President William McKinley,” is a historical reference book focusing on McKinley’s early life, local Ohio roots, and political career. His books will be available after the program and are published by Green Grotto Press and available through High Flying Dice Games.

Besides a great interest in the local and military history, the author enjoys storytelling, attending plays and concerts, and working on and driving his restored 1973 Chevrolet Vega Notchback, which was built at the nearby Lordstown Assembly Plant. He and his wife, Lisa, have lived in, and made their careers, in the Mahoning Valley.