Historical newspaper stories are a treasure trove of information about a community and its inhabitants. Often dull, sometimes inflammatory, and in the case of John Pryor Cary (1841-1901) of Uhrichsville, tragic. After reading a newspaper story about his death, I wanted to learn more about what may have led this man to his unfortunate end.Continue reading “John Pryor Cary’s Unfortunate End”
Author Archives: Noel Poirier
Isaac K. Lakin: From the Tuscarawas to the Yellowstone
The Yellowstone River with Miles City, Montana in the distance, c. 1881. I always enjoy when I stumble across someone in history who, through a simple mention in a newspaper or other source, captures my interest so much that I want to learn more about them. My search for their life in the historical recordContinue reading “Isaac K. Lakin: From the Tuscarawas to the Yellowstone”
Kidnapping of “Plucky” Clara Thiebaud
Newspaper headlines often offer a snapshot of an exciting, and perhaps scary, event in an otherwise normal person’s life. One such headline jumped out at me from a 1920s issue of a local newspaper and I could not resist learning more. I have chosen not to use Clara’s later married name(s). Charles Thiebaud and hisContinue reading “Kidnapping of “Plucky” Clara Thiebaud”
A Document Unlocks a Life: Francis McManus
When conducting family history research sometimes a single document holds the key that unlocks an ancestor’s story that otherwise has been forgotten. Just such a document revealed itself while I was conducting research into the history of my great-grandmother Elnor Josephine McManus’s (1890-1975) family. This document, concerning her brother Francis (Frank) McManus’s (1886-1935) admittance toContinue reading “A Document Unlocks a Life: Francis McManus”
10,000 Miles: Jesse William Learish & the USS Asheville
One of the most enjoyable exercises in family history is when one is given a photograph of someone whose name or life has been lost to history. They stare out at you from the image, longing to be identified and to have their story told. My wife’s family had in their collection an image ofContinue reading “10,000 Miles: Jesse William Learish & the USS Asheville”
The Last Chapter: Frank Foote Part Three
Frank Foote, Jr. was convicted of manslaughter in the shooting death of George Clawson in December 1861 and experienced violence and death as a soldier during the Civil War from 1862 until 1865. He returned home to Cincinnati after the war to begin the last chapter of his short life, accompanied by the ghosts ofContinue reading “The Last Chapter: Frank Foote Part Three”
“On the Front Line All the Time.”: Frank Foote Part Two
Frank Foote, Jr., convicted of manslaughter in the shooting death of George Clawson in December 1861, found himself enlisted in Company I, 70th Ohio Volunteer Infantry in early 1862. He served in the regiment from 1862 until 1865, experienced a number of bloody engagements, until his discharge and return to Cincinnati. It is unclear exactlyContinue reading ““On the Front Line All the Time.”: Frank Foote Part Two”
“A Surly and Offensive Reply”: Frank Foote Part One
When studying an ancestor’s personal story, I often wonder how the events and actions they experienced impacted the course of their lives. In the case of my 3rd-great-uncle, Frank Foote, Junior, there is little doubt his death was hastened by the violence of his youth. (The Foote surname is spelled Foote and Foot in theContinue reading ““A Surly and Offensive Reply”: Frank Foote Part One”
Cleverest Young Boxer
Conducting family history and genealogy can be very rewarding for all the wonderful stories and people that you discover along the way. Family histories are also where one discovers the tragedies that one’s family has had to endure over the years. The story of Ernest “Kid” Eppenstiner, an up-and-coming boxer of the 1910s, is oneContinue reading “Cleverest Young Boxer”
An American Dream Denied
One of the things I love the most about conducting genealogical work for clients is the ability to tell them stories about their ancestors that they have never heard before. Sometimes an ancestor is referred by living relatives in hushed terms or not discussed at all for reasons long lost. The tale of Stephano DiContinue reading “An American Dream Denied”
Tuscarawas County Stories 