So how did all this start? Quite innocently actually if you could believe it. Probably how all these types of things start, with good intentions and a focus on bringing people together through shared interests and experiences.
Till and Sonia Crawford always had an interest in the paranormal both before and throughout their married life which for the large part remained as a sort of shared pastime.
Till Crawford was born on August 17th 1961 in Ohio, near the Appalachian region, though where exactly I’m not sure. He was the son of John Crawford who was a farmer that was later killed serving in the military during the Vietnam War in 1970. Growing up as an only child, he left school early in order to help his mother with the farm which they would eventually have to sell because of the high upkeep. He moved to Columbus at the age of 19, just at the the turn of the 80’s in order to find work, eager to make something of himself.
He would eventually land a job as a janitor at Ohio State University where he would meet Sonia Green and the two immediately hit it off with their shared interest in the paranormal. Sonia was studying to be a nurse at the time and was quickly infatuated with the self educated newcomer and his country charm.
Till by all accounts was charming, captivating when he talked and highly self motivated. He spoke of setting up his own business selling electricals due to his own expertise in repairing items. It was a skill he’d picked up on the struggling farm when the prospect of buying new equipment and household goods wasn’t always possible. He did a stint as a door to door sales man for electric typewriters as well as working in Radio Shack before gaining enough funds to open his own small shop in Columbus. It was called “Crawford’s Electrical Goods” and was located in the Downtown District.
Sonia Green, a year older than Till, was born and raised in Columbus. Her father was an non-tenured professor at the university which according to Sonia, was due to his outspoken nature. Her mother was a nurse which is what drew Sonia to the profession. According to both Till and Sonia, her parents weren’t too happy with their relationship. The professor was distrustful of the self-educated country boy, uncertain Till could provide for his daughter.
Till was eager to marry however but Sonia wanted to wait until she had finished her nursing degree. So it was that in 1984, the two were married and expecting their first child in 1985. This was to end in tragedy when Sonia gave birth to a stillborn girl called Abatha. The two were grief stricken with the loss and Sonia decided that she needed to find employment, a way to try and move on, which she did at Grant hospital.
The two also visited many mediums and psychics afterwards in the hopes of making contact with Abatha, attempting to cope with the loss. They were mostly left disappointed with the sessions. It was around 1986 when Till learned of Ghost Boxes or Spirit Boxes, most notably the “Spiricom” which was developed by George Meek and Bill O’Neil.
Meek and O’Neil had released the plans for their device to the public so that others could build a Spiricom for themselves. The hope was to replicate their claims of communication with the deceased. Though there are no validated reports on these replicated Spiricoms, Till would alter their designs and with the help of another person, get results far more than he expected.
A Recounting of The Vault 