An early-morning confrontation at an Ohio foundry in 1917 ended two lives in different ways. Content warning: This post contains a historical discussion of ethnicity and race in Tuscarawas County. Very little is known about William “Bud” Nickles (1871-1925) other than what newspapers reported about him at the time. He was born in Louisville, KentuckyContinue reading “Murder in Newcomerstown: The 1917 Nickles–Mayer Case”
Monthly Archives: December 2025
Unanswered Questions: The Sarah Miller Shooting of 1908
A Newcomerstown man’s life became the center of a baffling shooting whose true circumstances were never fully uncovered. Content warning: This post contains references to suicide and domestic assault. If you or someone you know has a mental illness, is struggling emotionally, or has concerns about their mental health, there are ways to get help. Click hereContinue reading “Unanswered Questions: The Sarah Miller Shooting of 1908”
Isa Musetta Heavilin: A Christmas Mystery from 1895
Isa Musetta Heavilin’s young life, shaped by deep county roots and new beginnings, ended in a Christmas mystery. Isa Musetta Heavlin (1874-1895) was born in Stock Township, Harrison County, Ohio in February 1874. She was the second child born to farmer William Heavilin (1848-1916) and his wife Mary Ann Layport (1849-1929) who were married inContinue reading “Isa Musetta Heavilin: A Christmas Mystery from 1895”
Intent to Kill: The 1946 Joseph McClain Shooting Spree
The path of Joseph McClain led from his rural Tennessee roots to a dramatic shooting spree in the heart of Dover, Ohio. Joseph L. McClain (1909-1969) was born in Tennessee in late 1909 or early 1910, the son of farmer Charles McClain and his wife, Laura (Skillern) McClain. Recorded as four months old in theContinue reading “Intent to Kill: The 1946 Joseph McClain Shooting Spree”
Tuscarawas County Stories 