A dispute at a Canal Dover, Ohio saloon turned fatal when a one-armed stranger was forcibly ejected onto the pavement. William A. Ziegler (1855-1917), born to German immigrant parents Peter (1835-1919) and Genevieve Ziegler (1830-1914), grew up in Franklin Township, Tuscarawas County. Ziegler married Mary Gross (1857-1931) in November 1878, and, by 1880, the youngContinue reading “Two Glasses of Beer and a Tragic End: Canal Dover, 1886”
Tag Archives: dover ohio
Bloodshed at the Brickyard: The 1921 Murder of George Andrews
A 1921 brickyard argument turned deadly, leading to a trial partially decided by a baseball legend. During the Great Migration, a period of American history when millions of black southerners moved to find work in the industrialized cities of the north, many found themselves in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. A fatal confrontation occurred at the CrownContinue reading “Bloodshed at the Brickyard: The 1921 Murder of George Andrews”
The Mae Eberly Mystery of 1911
After vanishing from an Ohio country road, Mae Eberly protected her stalker’s identity until her death. In January 1911, the brief and mysterious disappearance of Edna Mae Eberly (1889-1912) dominated front-page headlines in the New Philadelphia press for days as the newspapers tracked every dramatic revelation. The disturbing backstory began around 1907, when Mae, theContinue reading “The Mae Eberly Mystery of 1911”
1925-1932: The Seven-Year Hunt for the Slayer of Frank Wilson
During the Great Migration, a period of American history when millions of black southerners moved to find work in the industrialized cities of the north, many found themselves in Tuscarawas County, Ohio including Tennessee native Frank Wilson. In the early hours of November 7, 1925, Frank Wilson (1902-1925) was killed by a six-inch ax fractureContinue reading “1925-1932: The Seven-Year Hunt for the Slayer of Frank Wilson”
Mystery on Factory Street: The 1930 Death of Gilbert Lloyd
Eight bullet holes, a fatal 1930 “accident,” and the constable who walked away entirely free. Gilbert Sunkle Lloyd (1899-1930) was a Cleveland native who established a life in Dover, Ohio, as a family man and business owner. Lloyd was a well-known local figure, operating a gas station on the 300 block of Factory Street whileContinue reading “Mystery on Factory Street: The 1930 Death of Gilbert Lloyd”
A Dream Crushed: The Story of Antonio Lemoni
The story of an Italian immigrant who spent years laboring in Ohio to reunite his family in America, only for a tragic accident to strike just weeks before his dream could come true. Antonio Lemoni (c. 1875-1910), an Italian laborer born in Milan, began his journey to Tuscarawas County years before the tragedy that wouldContinue reading “A Dream Crushed: The Story of Antonio Lemoni”
“I May As Well Give Up”: The Final Hours of James Ferguson
In October 1953, James Ferguson kidnapped his estranged wife, sparking a 50-mile police chase that ended tragically. Content warning: This post contains references to suicide. 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 here for resources to findContinue reading ““I May As Well Give Up”: The Final Hours of James Ferguson”
Midnight at the Dover Hotel: The Unsolved Slaying of Harry Snyder
An unsolved 1940 slaying left Tuscarawas County questioning if a “total stranger” or hidden secrets killed Harry “Hetz” Snyder. The town of Dover, Ohio, was shaken in early May of 1940 by a fatal confrontation that ended the life of well-known Harry “Hetz” Snyder (1901-1940), a 39-year-old divorced Wooster Avenue gas station owner. Snyder spentContinue reading “Midnight at the Dover Hotel: The Unsolved Slaying of Harry Snyder”
The Disappearance of George E. Reed
A rural mail carrier vanished one November night in 1909 and left the Tuscarawas County community searching for answers. Content warning: This post contains references to suicide. 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 here for resourcesContinue reading “The Disappearance of George E. Reed”
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”
