A variety of stories from the long history of Tuscarawas County, Ohio.
Two Shots in the Morning: The 1913 Death of Antonio Repici
The death of a popular Dennison man in June 1913 left the Tuscarawas County community searching for the truth. 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…
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“I May As Well Give Up”: The Final Hours of James Ferguson
In October 1953, James Ferguson kidnapped his estranged wife, sparking a 50-mile police chase that ended tragically. 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 resources to find…
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Midnight at the Dover Hotel: The Unsolved Slaying of Harry Snyder
An unsolved 1940 slaying left Tuscarawas County questioning if a “total stranger” or hidden secrets killed Harry “Hetz” Snyder. The town of Dover, Ohio, was shaken in early May of 1940 by a fatal confrontation that ended the life of well-known Harry “Hetz” Snyder (1901-1940), a 39-year-old divorced Wooster Avenue gas station owner. Snyder spent…
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Child Movie Star or Clever Runaway? Who was Maquesa D’Glarey?
A mysterious thirteen-year-old captivated Tuscarawas County in the summer of 1925 by claiming to be a famous movie star’s stranded cousin. A thirteen-year-old girl identifying herself as Maquesa D’Glarey arrived in the Twin Cities of Dennison and Uhrichsville in June 1925 and sparked a month-long sensation. She claimed to be a child movie star and…
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Tragedy Beneath Midvale: The Mine Explosion of 1931
A sudden underground blast left five dead and a community demanding answers. On the morning of January 3, 1931, an explosion tore through the No. 4 mine of the Midvale Coal Company near Midvale, Ohio. The explosion and subsequent gas build-up killed five miners and injured several rescuers. The blast occurred around 9 a.m. as…
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The Heiress of Strasburg: The Lauer “Kidnapping” of 1909
A Tuscarawas County “heiress” once declared incompetent defied scandal, married for love, and built a lasting family legacy. Josephine Matilda Lauer (1878-1961), known as Tillie, was born in Somerdale, Tuscarawas County, the daughter of farmer Martin Lauer (1856-1929) and his wife Amelia Behnke Lauer (1859-1890). As a child she lived with her family in Ohio,…
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The Black Ghost of Minnich Avenue
The story of a shadowy “black ghost” captivated the imagination of New Philadelphians. For about two weeks in March 1914, a neighborhood in the city of New Philadelphia found itself captivated by an unlikely visitor. A mysterious “black ghost” was said to be wandering the neighborhood around Minnich Avenue. Residents discussed the appearance of a…
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The Disappearance of George E. Reed
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 resources…
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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, was…
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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, Kentucky…
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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 here…
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© Noel B. Poirier, 2025
Tuscarawas County Stories 