railroad – Tuscarawas County Stories

Somerdale Mourned: The Train Tragedy of 1912

Ai generated image depicting seven individuals walking down train tracks in 1912, 2025. (Source: ImageFx)

An outing to the Tuscarawas County Fair turned tragic when Somerdale friends unknowingly stepped in front of an oncoming train. Several residents of the small Tuscarawas County mining village of Somerdale set out for a day at the county fair in Canal Dover in the autumn of 1912. Among them were John Abel (1886–1912) andContinue reading “Somerdale Mourned: The Train Tragedy of 1912”

Murder on the Wheeling & Lake Erie

AI generated image depicting the scene of Tony Gerriod lying on the ground outside the boxcar where he was killed in September 1911, 2025. (Source: ImageFX)

The 1911 murder of Tony Gerriod remains a mystery in Tuscarawas County history. Tony Gerriod’s surname was spelled a number of ways in the newspaper including Geraid and Gerald. I have chosen the spelling that appeared on the only legal document associated with him, his death certificate. His nationality is also vague, sometimes reported asContinue reading “Murder on the Wheeling & Lake Erie”

A Family Lost: The Swartzwelder Tragedy of 1923

AI generated image depicting aftermath of the striking of the Swartzwelder truck by an NOT&L interurban car, 2025. (Source: ImageFX)

A young family’s hopeful life in Tuscarawas County ended tragically at a rural railroad crossing near Strasburg, Ohio. Charles and Florence Corbett Swartzwelder, a young couple from Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, arrived in Tuscarawas County, Ohio in 1921. Charles was born on September 2, 1897, in Pine Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, the son of William JamesContinue reading “A Family Lost: The Swartzwelder Tragedy of 1923”

Jealousy on the Farm: The 1940 Murder of Nellie Kail

AI generated image duplicating a newspaper image relayed to the story of the killing of Nellie Kail in 1940, 2025. (Source: ChatGPT)

A devoted farm wife, a jealous husband, and a fatal morning confrontation – unraveling the tragic, forgotten story of Nellie Vansickle Kail. Content warning: 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 “Jealousy on the Farm: The 1940 Murder of Nellie Kail”

A Georgian in Uhrichsville: The Murder of Mayfield Mallory

AI generated image depicting the conflict between Mayfield Mallory and William Stone in October 1923. (Source: Microsoft Designer)

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 the Twin Cities of Dennison and Uhrichsville, Ohio. This is the sad story of one of those men. According to United States Census records, in 1920Continue reading “A Georgian in Uhrichsville: The Murder of Mayfield Mallory”

The 1906 Somerdale Riot: A Tragic Tale of Immigrant Strife

A gathering of railroad workers in Somerdale ended in violence, culminating in the death of one man, the wounding of another, and a murder conviction that marked the end of one immigrant’s American dream. Throughout Tuscarawas County’s history it has attracted people from elsewhere, at first to farm its fertile land, and later to workContinue reading “The 1906 Somerdale Riot: A Tragic Tale of Immigrant Strife”

The 1903 Battle for Dover’s Wooster Avenue Crossing

AI image depicting a confrontation of competing railroad employees at a railroad crossing in Dover, Ohio in 1903. (Source: Microsoft CoPilot)

The Canton-New Philadelphia Street Railway Company prepared to lay tracks down Wooster Avenue in Dover, Ohio, amidst a heated dispute with the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad. The conflict escalated into a dramatic standoff between railroad workers from both sides. It was January 1903 by the time the interurban Canton-New Philadelphia Street Railway Company was readyContinue reading “The 1903 Battle for Dover’s Wooster Avenue Crossing”

Rails to Riches: The Journey of James Carlile from Tuscarawas County to Colorado

1880s view of Pueblo, Colorado. (Source: Denver Public Library via https://dp.la).

New Philadelphia carpenter William Carlile laid the foundation for his family’s future. Little did he know, his son James N. Carlile would carve a path far beyond the realm of sawdust and nails. William Carlile (1806-1887) was a Pennsylvania born carpenter who migrated to Tuscarawas County, Ohio in the 1830s with his family. He originallyContinue reading “Rails to Riches: The Journey of James Carlile from Tuscarawas County to Colorado”

Mine Rescue Car Visits Roswell

Detail from a larger image of the men who attended the Mine Rescue Car during its visit to Roswell, Tuscarawas County, January 1923.

My neighbor gave me a panoramic image taken in December 1923 titled “Department of Interior, Bureau of Mines, Car #5, at Roswell, Ohio, December 1923” that shows the miners of that community and even lists some of their names. Recognize anyone? During the first few decades of the 20th century nearly a million people workedContinue reading “Mine Rescue Car Visits Roswell”

A Local Tragedy on the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad

An early 20th century steam locomotive following a boiler explosion.

Five local railroad workers boarded their train in New Philadelphia early on a Saturday morning in October 1910 for a routine trip to Cleveland and back. Only two of the men would return home alive. The Cleveland & Pittsburgh train crew gathered in the early morning hours of Saturday, October 8, 1910 for a freightContinue reading “A Local Tragedy on the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad”