If you read enough historical documents you inevitably come across some small item that gets your attention. This is one of those lose threads that I could not resist pulling. Recently, while reading late 19th century accounts of people who assisted with the Underground Railroad in Ohio, I came across a brief mention in theContinue reading “Valentine: A Tuscarawas County Conductor on the Underground Railroad”
Tag Archives: tuscarawas county ohio
The New Philadelphia Agricultural Works of English & Dixon
While the buildings that once housed the New Philadelphia Agricultural Works of English & Dixon no longer stand, the ongoing development of the site that once hosted it gives the opportunity to examine one of the city’s earliest industrial efforts. The location on South Broadway that once housed the Howden-Buffalo manufacturing plant has, for overContinue reading “The New Philadelphia Agricultural Works of English & Dixon”
One House’s Story: The Eberhardt Family
There was a family of builders who, during the last half of the 19th century, may have accounted for many of the houses and buildings constructed throughout the city of New Philadelphia. It is only fitting that we look at a house that they not only lived in but may have even constructed. A noteContinue reading “One House’s Story: The Eberhardt Family”
Fallen Heroes: Private Francis Blickensderfer
This fallen hero was the descendant of an American Revolutionary War patriot and early settler of Tuscarawas County. He would make his sacrifice in a war to preserve the nation his ancestor helped create. The Blickensderfer family arrived in Tuscarawas County, Ohio with the arrival of Christian Blickenderfer, Jr. (1753-1820) and his family who purchasedContinue reading “Fallen Heroes: Private Francis Blickensderfer”
One House’s Story: How I Do It
One of the questions I often see after I post a house story asks how I go about researching these individual houses and their occupants. I thought I would write this post to provide that information. Firstly, these posts are not intended as full house-histories. If I were conducting house history research for a payingContinue reading “One House’s Story: How I Do It”
Fallen Heroes: Private Walter A. Smith
The Smith family had travelled thousands of miles to raise a family far from the wars and poverty of eastern Europe, only to have one of their sons give the ultimate sacrifice on a far-off battlefield in France. After John Smith (1869-1953) and his fiancé Mary (1869-1925) married in 1886 in Poland, they wasted noContinue reading “Fallen Heroes: Private Walter A. Smith”
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.”
Fallen Heroes: Private First Class John W. Rector
It was the nature of the conflict in Korea that the front lines shifted dramatically, often making it difficult to recover the the bodies of fallen heroes. This Newcomerstown fallen hero, and paratrooper, did not return home for almost five years following his death. The Rector family appeared in Ohio with the arrival of WashingtonContinue reading “Fallen Heroes: Private First Class John W. Rector”
Fallen Heroes: Private Thomas J. Forbes
This family had two older sons, both of whom volunteered to serve in the United States military during World War Two. Each would be sent to the Philippines to combat the Japanese, and each would die while a prisoner-of-war. This is one of those sons’ stories. Determining when this branch of the Forbes family treeContinue reading “Fallen Heroes: Private Thomas J. Forbes”
Fallen Heroes: Corporal William Hickman
I discovered when researching the Hickman House in Bolivar that one of the family members had served, and sacrificed, during the Civil War. Needless to say, I wanted to learn more about this fallen hero’s story. The Hickman family arrived in Ohio in 1844 when Daniel Hickman (1804-1886) and his family settled on land inContinue reading “Fallen Heroes: Corporal William Hickman”
Tuscarawas County Stories 