Tragedy struck Midvale when a violent boiler explosion claimed the lives of two young workers. On the morning of December 17, 1909, the Royal plant of the Robinson Clay Product Company in Midvale, Ohio, was operating a battery of eight horizontal tubular boilers under approximately 95 pounds of pressure. At 7:10 AM, a catastrophic explosionContinue reading “Two Lives Lost: The 1909 Midvale Boiler Explosion”
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Tragedy Beneath Midvale: The Mine Explosion of 1931
A sudden underground blast left five dead and a community demanding answers. On the morning of January 3, 1931, an explosion tore through the No. 4 mine of the Midvale Coal Company near Midvale, Ohio. The explosion and subsequent gas build-up killed five miners and injured several rescuers. The blast occurred around 9 a.m. asContinue reading “Tragedy Beneath Midvale: The Mine Explosion of 1931”
One House’s Story: The Herbert Family Tragedy
The Herbert family’s story, rooted in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, is one of immigration, hard labor, wartime service, and unexpected tragedy. 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 forContinue reading “One House’s Story: The Herbert Family Tragedy”
Bullet in the Night: The 1928 Murder of Charles Eggan
On a September night in 1928, a stable boss at Midvale Mine #4, was found dead with a bullet wound to the head—setting off a decades-long mystery. Charles Orland Eggan (1898-1928) was the son of James Early Eggan (1872-1939) and Olive Matbell Ryan (1870-1940), a farming couple rooted in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Raised on theContinue reading “Bullet in the Night: The 1928 Murder of Charles Eggan”
Fallen Heroes: Specialist 4 Donald Eugene Allan, Jr.
Typically when I look at the short life of a fallen hero, I trace his roots in the community along his paternal line. In the case of this Vietnam War fallen hero from Midvale, I chose to follow his mother’s family instead. The Chaney family arrived in Ohio in the early 1800s with the migrationContinue reading “Fallen Heroes: Specialist 4 Donald Eugene Allan, Jr.”
