I have always found myself attracted to telling the stories of people whose lives were not as widely known and who, nonetheless, are deserving of remembrance. The short lives of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country are of particular interest to me. This series of blogs, Fallen Heroes, will examine those lives.Continue reading “Fallen Heroes: Private Thomas J. Ayers”
Tag Archives: ohio history
Fallen Heroes: Private James McMerter
One of the reasons I became a historian in the first place was because I enjoyed discovering, and telling, the stories of people who’s history has been lost. Whenever I come across a person whose life has been all but forgotten, especially when that person volunteered to serve their country, I feel a special motivationContinue reading “Fallen Heroes: Private James McMerter”
Russell Lowell Shively: Clean Living and a Cheerful Disposition
One of my mantras is that every person, historical or living, has a story to tell us. Occasionally, just to remind myself of that, I look for a random person in a historical record and dive into their life to discover their story. The other day I found myself virtually leafing through the 1913 NewContinue reading “Russell Lowell Shively: Clean Living and a Cheerful Disposition”
John Pryor Cary’s Unfortunate End
Historical newspaper stories are a treasure trove of information about a community and its inhabitants. Often dull, sometimes inflammatory, and in the case of John Pryor Cary (1841-1901) of Uhrichsville, tragic. After reading a newspaper story about his death, I wanted to learn more about what may have led this man to his unfortunate end.Continue reading “John Pryor Cary’s Unfortunate End”
Isaac K. Lakin: From the Tuscarawas to the Yellowstone
The Yellowstone River with Miles City, Montana in the distance, c. 1881. I always enjoy when I stumble across someone in history who, through a simple mention in a newspaper or other source, captures my interest so much that I want to learn more about them. My search for their life in the historical recordContinue reading “Isaac K. Lakin: From the Tuscarawas to the Yellowstone”
Kidnapping of “Plucky” Clara Thiebaud
Newspaper headlines often offer a snapshot of an exciting, and perhaps scary, event in an otherwise normal person’s life. One such headline jumped out at me from a 1920s issue of a local newspaper and I could not resist learning more. I have chosen not to use Clara’s later married name(s). Charles Thiebaud and hisContinue reading “Kidnapping of “Plucky” Clara Thiebaud”
A Document Unlocks a Life: Francis McManus
When conducting family history research sometimes a single document holds the key that unlocks an ancestor’s story that otherwise has been forgotten. Just such a document revealed itself while I was conducting research into the history of my great-grandmother Elnor Josephine McManus’s (1890-1975) family. This document, concerning her brother Francis (Frank) McManus’s (1886-1935) admittance toContinue reading “A Document Unlocks a Life: Francis McManus”
The Last Chapter: Frank Foote Part Three
Frank Foote, Jr. was convicted of manslaughter in the shooting death of George Clawson in December 1861 and experienced violence and death as a soldier during the Civil War from 1862 until 1865. He returned home to Cincinnati after the war to begin the last chapter of his short life, accompanied by the ghosts ofContinue reading “The Last Chapter: Frank Foote Part Three”
“On the Front Line All the Time.”: Frank Foote Part Two
Frank Foote, Jr., convicted of manslaughter in the shooting death of George Clawson in December 1861, found himself enlisted in Company I, 70th Ohio Volunteer Infantry in early 1862. He served in the regiment from 1862 until 1865, experienced a number of bloody engagements, until his discharge and return to Cincinnati. It is unclear exactlyContinue reading ““On the Front Line All the Time.”: Frank Foote Part Two”
“A Surly and Offensive Reply”: Frank Foote Part One
When studying an ancestor’s personal story, I often wonder how the events and actions they experienced impacted the course of their lives. In the case of my 3rd-great-uncle, Frank Foote, Junior, there is little doubt his death was hastened by the violence of his youth. (The Foote surname is spelled Foote and Foot in theContinue reading ““A Surly and Offensive Reply”: Frank Foote Part One”
Tuscarawas County Stories 