A rural mail carrier vanished one November night in 1909 and left the Tuscarawas County community searching for answers. 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 get help. Click here for resourcesContinue reading “The Disappearance of George E. Reed”
Tag Archives: tuscarawas county
Fallen Heroes: Private Clarence R. Benson
A young railroad fireman turned soldier, Clarence Benson, answered his nation’s call and made the ultimate sacrifice. Clarence Russell Benson (1895-1918) was born in Uhrichsville, Ohio, the youngest child of David Benson (1856–1939), an Ohio-born railroad car carpenter, and Rebecca Jane Hefling Benson (1863–1943), also a native of Ohio. He grew up in Uhrichsville, whereContinue reading “Fallen Heroes: Private Clarence R. Benson”
Fallen Heroes: PFC Carl E. Anderson
Carl Eugene Anderson’s short life traced a path from Depression-era Tuscarawas County to a distant Pacific battlefield. Carl Eugene Anderson (1922-1942) was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, the son of George William Anderson (1884-1967), a coal miner, and Mabel Marie Collar Anderson (1889–1974). He entered the world as the Anderson family was growing and firmlyContinue reading “Fallen Heroes: PFC Carl E. Anderson”
The 1913 Death of John Vlohasthanal and an Unmarked Grave
In 1913 New Philadelphia, a Greek immigrant’s American dream ended in violence and controversy. John Vlohasthanal’s name is, not surprisingly, presented a number of ways in the period documents. I have chosen to use the spelling as it appeared on his official death certificate. John Vlohasthanal (c. 1868–1913), reported in newspapers as John Vlohas, wasContinue reading “The 1913 Death of John Vlohasthanal and an Unmarked Grave”
Fallen Heroes: Specialist 6 James T. Conway
James Thaddeus Conway grew up in Tuscarawas County before service to country carried him to Vietnam and the ultimate sacrifice. James Thaddeus Conway (1946-1970) was born in Dennison, Ohio. He was the son of Thaddeus Conway (1909-1989), a World War II veteran, and Leithana Mary Hammond (1908-2000). In the early 1930s, Thaddeus Conway’s family movedContinue reading “Fallen Heroes: Specialist 6 James T. Conway”
Fallen Heroes: Flight Sergeant Paul F. Brawley
Born in Newcomerstown, Ohio, Paul Franklin Brawley rose from orphaned youth to wartime aviator. Paul Franklin Brawley (1914-1942) was born in Newcomerstown, Ohio, the only child of Edward Brawley (1860-1922) and Lydia Miller (1876-1928). His parents married, three years before Paul’s birth, in Stark County, Ohio. It was Edward’s second marriage after the death ofContinue reading “Fallen Heroes: Flight Sergeant Paul F. Brawley”
Murder in Newcomerstown: The 1917 Nickles–Mayer Case
An early-morning confrontation at an Ohio foundry in 1917 ended two lives in different ways. Content warning: This post contains a historical discussion of ethnicity and race in Tuscarawas County. Very little is known about William “Bud” Nickles (1871-1925) other than what newspapers reported about him at the time. He was born in Louisville, KentuckyContinue reading “Murder in Newcomerstown: The 1917 Nickles–Mayer Case”
Unanswered Questions: The Sarah Miller Shooting of 1908
A Newcomerstown man’s life became the center of a baffling shooting whose true circumstances were never fully uncovered. Content warning: This post contains references to suicide and domestic assault. 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 hereContinue reading “Unanswered Questions: The Sarah Miller Shooting of 1908”
Isa Musetta Heavilin: A Christmas Mystery from 1895
Isa Musetta Heavilin’s young life, shaped by deep county roots and new beginnings, ended in a Christmas mystery. Isa Musetta Heavlin (1874-1895) was born in Stock Township, Harrison County, Ohio in February 1874. She was the second child born to farmer William Heavilin (1848-1916) and his wife Mary Ann Layport (1849-1929) who were married inContinue reading “Isa Musetta Heavilin: A Christmas Mystery from 1895”
Intent to Kill: The 1946 Joseph McClain Shooting Spree
The path of Joseph McClain led from his rural Tennessee roots to a dramatic shooting spree in the heart of Dover, Ohio. Joseph L. McClain (1909-1969) was born in Tennessee in late 1909 or early 1910, the son of farmer Charles McClain and his wife, Laura (Skillern) McClain. Recorded as four months old in theContinue reading “Intent to Kill: The 1946 Joseph McClain Shooting Spree”
Tuscarawas County Stories 