If you call Tedd Long a historian, he will gently correct you. “I’m not a historian. I know real historians… that actually went to school and got their PhD. I’m a storyteller.”
For more than twenty years, Long has shared Toledo and Northwest Ohio history through his website, group tours, books and GPS- triggered audio tours. “I love the backstory. It’s the backstories that have personalities that I really enjoy.”
Long is now completing his latest book which features Toledo restaurants, including nostalgic photos and menus from past establishments. His professional consulting office is decorated with historical photographs, and the acclaimed storyteller smiles as he reflects on how it all began. “When I was at Bowling Green (BGSU), in my undergraduate studies, I took every history class I could.” As part of a Leadership Toledo class, he took part in a regional tour led by Ted Ligibel. “Ted announced it was his last year (leading the tour) and I took up the challenge.” He calls his historical storytelling a “hobby,” but those who know him understand it’s much more.
These excerpts are from an interview with Long for MLiving:
MLiving: Why is it important that people in and around Toledo know about this area’s history?
Ted Long: “I came here 35 years ago from the Chicago area. I grew up in Mansfield, but my wife and I lived in Chicago for about five years. When we arrived here, we thought, ‘this is just ideal’, we just fell in love with the area right away. And yet, every time we talked to someone who was local, they seemed to hold a negative opinion of the area and complain that there’s nothing to do. And we would laugh and say, ‘we were just at the symphony last night, had a nice dinner’, and yet people would say there’s nothing to do. I think the more you know about the history, the more you appreciate the city you live in.”
Toledo during prohibition, seems to be a specialty area that you like to focus on.
“Yeah, and people love their gangster stories. When you tell locals about Toledo’s wide-open days, they’re kind of proud. They’re reaction is often, ‘wow, we were a wide-open town. That’s pretty cool!’”
What’s ahead for you? What projects are you working on? What’s in the works?
“This one I’m pretty stoked about. I started working with a guy that I’ve always known, Mark Schneider, who is a Toledo collector. He collects everything. Toledo related. And I knew that he had a big collection of restaurant menus and napkins and swizzle sticks, anything to do with restaurants from Toledo. So, I am finishing up a new book, and… Lost Restaurants of Toledo, Lost Eateries. I’ve got the old pictures, I’ve got old advertisements, but what’s really cool is I also have the menus. I tell the story of the Boody House restaurant, and then, boom, here’s an 1800s menu from the Boody House.
For more information about Tedd Long’s programs and projects, visit holytoledohistory.com.
