new philadelphia – Page 5 – Tuscarawas County Stories

One House’s Story: The Glatfelter Family

The Glatfelter House on 2nd Street SW in New Philadelphia, Ohio, 2014. (Source: google.com)

This house’s history is associated with the family of a Pennsylvania-born Civil War veteran and his family of bricklayers who contributed to the construction of New Philadelphia, Ohio in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Why Solomon Glatfelter (1838-1912) left his home in York County, Pennsylvania in the late 1850s and moved to NewContinue reading “One House’s Story: The Glatfelter Family”

Runaway to Hero: The Life of Henry T. Danforth

Advertisement placed by William Shear for his runaway apprentice, Henry T. Danforth, March 1842. (Source: newspaperarchive.com)

I stumbled across a runaway apprentice advertisement from 1842 and my curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to find out what happened to the apprentice whose master only offered one cent for his return. I was surprised by what I found. If we are to believe the 1842 advertisement for runaway saddler apprenticeContinue reading “Runaway to Hero: The Life of Henry T. Danforth”

One House’s Story: The Maurer Family

The Maurer House on West Ray Street, New Philadelphia, Ohio, 2023. (Source: google.com)

This house’s story is connected to the son of a prominent Tuscarawas County German immigrant who’s work impacted the New Philadelphia school system and countless late 19th and early 20th century New Philadelphia students. The parents of Jacob Maurer (1824-1901) immigrated, along with their six other children, to Tuscarawas County around 1840. The family ofContinue reading “One House’s Story: The Maurer Family”

The “One Dollar Ghost”

Ms. Sills encountering the ghost of Abraham Koons, circa 1819. (Source: Dall-E)

I stumbled across a letter written in 1819 from a Tuscarawas County resident in a Canton, Ohio newspaper that told a fantastical ghost story that I simply had to investigate further. A letter from New Philadelphia, Ohio appeared on the front page of a July 1819 edition of the Canton Ohio Repository newspaper describing aContinue reading “The “One Dollar Ghost””

One House’s Story: The Weber Family

The Weber House on Fair Avenue NE in New Philadelphia, Ohio, 2023. (Source: google.com)

This house on the east end of Fair Avenue NE in New Philadelphia has definitely seen better days. That being said, its history is tied to a 19th century Swiss immigrant to America and Civil War veteran who lived in the city for nearly half a century. The sources are somewhat contradictory when it comesContinue reading “One House’s Story: The Weber Family”

One House’s Story: The Koons Family

The Koons Storefront and Residence, New Philadelphia, Ohio, 2023. (Source: earth.google.com)

I came across an early 20th century advertisement the other day for a New Philadelphia tinsmith and slater and thought I would explore his, and his family’s, lives. I discovered that one of the buildings that served as his store and residence now houses a prominent New Philadelphia cafe. When precisely the Koons family arrivedContinue reading “One House’s Story: The Koons Family”

One House’s Story: The Teichman Family

The Teichman House on East Avenue in New Philadelphia, 2019. (Source: google.com)

You may have seen this simple home as you travel into New Philadelphia on East High Avenue. It was occupied in the late 19th and early 20th century by the son of an immigrant who earned a reputation as a capable shoemaker and respected resident of New Philadelphia. There is very little information on when,Continue reading “One House’s Story: The Teichman Family”

One House’s Story: The Ditto Family

The Ditto House on North Third Street in New Philadelphia, Ohio, 2023. (Source: google.com)

This modest home located near New Philadelphia High School was the home of a painter and his family. A working-class tradesman who became a pillar of the New Philadelphia community. Joseph Ditto (1814-1889) arrived in Ohio around 1840 from his birth state of Pennsylvania. A painter by trade, he originally settled in Summit County whereContinue reading “One House’s Story: The Ditto Family”

The Hensel Skeletons and A Wife’s Revenge

Schoenbrunn Mission Church and School, from a postcard, 1941. (Source: archive.org)

A discovery in 1875 on land just south of New Philadelphia helped prove the veracity of a one-hundred year legend from the era of the American Revolution and the mission at Schoenbrunn. In the spring of 1875 Josiah Hensel (1825-1919) was busy trying to determine if there was any iron ore to be mined onContinue reading “The Hensel Skeletons and A Wife’s Revenge”

One House’s Story: The Metzger Family

The Metzger House on North Avenue NE in New Philadelphia, Ohio, 2023.

This New Philadelphia home is difficult to see from the street, almost like its hiding from you behind the trees on its quiet back street. Nonetheless, the home’s history is connected with a family who, at the time, were respected members of the city’s community. A note about addresses: House numbers and street names oftenContinue reading “One House’s Story: The Metzger Family”