In 1913 Dennison, Ohio, jealousy, violence, and a desperate struggle turned a marriage deal into murder. Antonio “Tony” Sinibaldi (1873-1913) was born in L’Aquila, San Benedetto dei Marsi, Italy, to Antonio Sinibaldi and Maria Ficcadehli. He grew up in Italy but as a young man decided to seek opportunities in America. Antonio immigrated to theContinue reading “The Crucifix Oath: The Sinibaldi Murder of 1913”
Tag Archives: 1910s
The Unsolved Murder of Salvatore Favazzo
Over a century later, the brutal murder of Salvatore Favazzo remains one of Tuscarawas County’s most haunting unsolved crimes. In the summer of 1917, Salvatore “Sam” Favazzo (c. 1887-1917) was a familiar face in the Italian neighborhoods of Dennison, Ohio. A man in his early forties, he lived in a local boarding house and ownedContinue reading “The Unsolved Murder of Salvatore Favazzo”
Dark Days in Blicktown: The 1914 Grimm Family Murder
Jessie Grimm met a shocking and brutal end at the hands of her own mother in a crime that, despite its violence, has been all but lost to history. The Grimm family’s roots in Tuscarawas County began with the arrival from Pennsylvania, before 1820, of John Grimm (1779-1864) and his wife Maria Elizabeth Ruppert (1778-1855).Continue reading “Dark Days in Blicktown: The 1914 Grimm Family Murder”
Shine On: Philip Barnhard and the Birth of New Philadelphia’s Iconic Sign
Cover photo by Brenda Gottsabend In the winter of 1910, amidst the warmth of Eagle Hall, a newcomer to New Philadelphia ignited the imagination of the community with a visionary proposal for an electrified welcome sign and set in motion a tale of civic pride that would span decades. There were nearly 150 members ofContinue reading “Shine On: Philip Barnhard and the Birth of New Philadelphia’s Iconic Sign”
Dreams of Disaster: Laura Martin and the Sinking of RMS Lusitania
A couple travelled to New Philadelphia, Ohio from England in 1914 to visit family members and possibly create a new home in America. The husband’s death resulted in the wife returning home on an ill-fated, soon to be infamous, ocean liner. Elizabeth (1854-1921) and Laura (1860-1941) Truman (sometimes spelled Trueman) were the daughters of aContinue reading “Dreams of Disaster: Laura Martin and the Sinking of RMS Lusitania”
The Mystery of a 1913 Wedding Photo
I am always searching various auctions for Tuscarawas County related material and recently I discovered this photo-postcard for sale on eBay. It piqued my interest and I thought I would share what I learned about the story behind this photograph. Frederick Alexander (1850-1911) immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1865 and made hisContinue reading “The Mystery of a 1913 Wedding Photo”
A Tuscarawas County Find: The Journal of George H. Zimmerman
The other day my wife came home from visiting local thrift stores with an interesting item. She purchased what appeared to be the journal of a person named George H. Zimmerman (1889-1946) and I, being me, needed to learn more. How George H. Zimmerman’s journal for the year 1912 ended up in a Tuscarawas CountyContinue reading “A Tuscarawas County Find: The Journal of George H. Zimmerman”
A Local Tragedy on the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad
Five local railroad workers boarded their train in New Philadelphia early on a Saturday morning in October 1910 for a routine trip to Cleveland and back. Only two of the men would return home alive. The Cleveland & Pittsburgh train crew gathered in the early morning hours of Saturday, October 8, 1910 for a freightContinue reading “A Local Tragedy on the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad”
One House’s Story: The Hartman Family
There is a row of homes along Ray Avenue that, without a doubt, have seen better days. Built in the latest fashion of their day, hosts to many parties and gatherings on their well manicured grounds, they expressed their owners’ pride and success. Today they pale in comparison to their glory days, but they haveContinue reading “One House’s Story: The Hartman Family”
Tuscarawas County Stories 