Evil in the Twin Cities: The 1944 Murder of Naomi Freed

A Dennison, Ohio family was shattered, and a community shocked, when the family’s nearly ten-year-old daughter was murdered on her way home from a movie in the spring of 1944. The Freed family, originally from Pennsylvania, settled in Tuscarawas County after the Civil War with the arrival of Henry Freed (1833-1909) and his wife CatherineContinue reading “Evil in the Twin Cities: The 1944 Murder of Naomi Freed”

Gut-shot and Crawling: The 1932 Murder of a Tuscarawas County Farmer

A group of young men embarked on a crime spree that tragically culminated in the murder of local farmer, shot during a robbery at his rural Tuscarawas County home for a mere $15. During the summer and fall of 1932 a gang of young men, who had met one another in Canton, Ohio, went onContinue reading “Gut-shot and Crawling: The 1932 Murder of a Tuscarawas County Farmer”

A Quiet Life Broken: The 1909 Murder of Alice Parsons

The seemingly idyllic life of Alice and Lewis Parsons in New Philadelphia, Ohio was shattered by gunshots on a fall morning in 1909. Content warning: This post contains references to suicide. If you or someone you know has a mental illness, is struggling emotionally, or has concerns about their mental health, there are ways to getContinue reading “A Quiet Life Broken: The 1909 Murder of Alice Parsons”

Shot in a Dover Coffeehouse: The 1921 Murder of Mike Lambros

A confrontation between Greek immigrants in Dover, Ohio, over an alleged insult toward one the men’s wife resulted in a murder. Michael (1894-1921) and Alec (1896-1985) Lambros immigrated from Greece in 1914 and, by 1920, owned and operated their own barber shop on the 300 block of West 3rd Street in Dover, Ohio. The brothers’Continue reading “Shot in a Dover Coffeehouse: The 1921 Murder of Mike Lambros”

“A Bad Man”: The Killing of Henry Bushman

German immigrant Henry Bushman led a troubled and short life, marred by frequent run-ins with the law and fueled by alcohol, which eventually led to a fatal encounter with his nephew in Uhrichsville, Ohio. When someone lived as short a life as German immigrant Henry Bushman (1852-1883) did in the 19th century, it is oftenContinue reading ““A Bad Man”: The Killing of Henry Bushman”

A Life for Two Dollars: The 1907 Murder of Joseph Yerian

A deadly altercation over a $2 bet between two transient railroad workers in Bolivar, Ohio led to the town’s first murder. The Yerian family arrived in Ohio from western Pennsylvania in the early nineteenth-century and, by the time Joseph A. Yerian (1883-1907) was born, a branch of that family lived in Washington County, Ohio. JosephContinue reading “A Life for Two Dollars: The 1907 Murder of Joseph Yerian”

Mystery in the Woods: The “UFO” Incident of 1966

In the spring of 1966, as UFO sightings gripped Ohio with intrigue and fear, a strange light near a Tuscarawas County farm sparked an investigation. For several weeks in early 1966 there had been numerous reports in the local newspapers of unidentified flying objects (UFO), including one case in April 1966 where two sheriff deputiesContinue reading “Mystery in the Woods: The “UFO” Incident of 1966″

The 1903 Battle for Dover’s Wooster Avenue Crossing

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”

George J. Edwards and New Philadelphia’s First Automobile

George J. Edwards made New Philadelphia history in 1902 by becoming the town’s first automobile owner, a milestone that drew significant public interest and marked the beginning of a new era in local transportation. George J. Edwards (1866-1937) was the son of Joshua Edwards (1815-c. 1890) and his wife Maria Johnson (1829-1915). It is notContinue reading “George J. Edwards and New Philadelphia’s First Automobile”

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

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”