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”
Tag Archives: somerdale
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”
One House’s Story: The Wilkinson Family
The man who built this home in New Philadelphia was the son of an immigrant and started out as a small town Tuscarawas County coal miner. Eventually he moved to New Philadelphia where he became a successful local businessman and built a home that stands today. A note about addresses: House numbers and street namesContinue reading “One House’s Story: The Wilkinson Family”
Tuscarawas County Stories 