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”
Tag Archives: drowning
The Mystery of the Lost Captain of Port Washington
In June 1869, Port Washington canal boat captain James Hammersley died mysteriously in Cleveland—was it a tragic accident, or something more sinister? James Hammersley (1842-1869) was born in January 1842 in Port Washington, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, to farmer Andrew Hammersley (1813-1893) and his wife Catherine Stocker (1816-1884). James was recorded on the 1850 census asContinue reading “The Mystery of the Lost Captain of Port Washington”
The Mysterious Death of Florence Weber
In the fall of 1909, twenty-year old Florence Weber vanished after a phone call. Two days later, her body was found beneath a Dover bridge. John W. Weber (1854-1927) was the son of German immigrants who settled in Ohio in the early 1850s. The Webers found themselves in Tuscarawas County, Ohio by the time theContinue reading “The Mysterious Death of Florence Weber”
Clara Campbell: The Girl Who Never Came Home
In the spring of 1930, seventeen-year-old Clara L. Campbell vanished after a dispute with her father, only to be found dead in Sweetwater Creek days later—her mysterious death raised more questions than answers. Content warning: This post contains references to suicide. If you or someone you know has a mental illness, is struggling emotionally, or hasContinue reading “Clara Campbell: The Girl Who Never Came Home”
Tuscarawas County Stories 