A variety of stories from the long history of Tuscarawas County, Ohio.
Death Ends a Family Quarrel: The Ware Case of 1928
After years of abuse, a Newcomerstown woman took the law into her own hands. Content warning: The following story contains references to domestic violence. If you are experiencing domestic abuse or violence and need help, please visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Willa May Kennedy (1909-?), born in Nashville, Tennessee moved to Ohio with her parents.…
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Twenty-Two Years a Chief: Abraham L. Espich
I often write about the various criminal activity of Tuscarawas County and thought it was only right to share the history of one of the men who fought that crime. Elijah Abraham Lincoln Espich (1861-1945), often referred to as A. L. or by his popular nickname “Lige,” was born in Ragersville, Ohio, to Charles Frederic…
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Glasgow Tragedy: The Conley Killing of 1875
A deadly confrontation, a mob, and a Civil War veteran’s fight for survival ignite a two-year legal battle that divided the village of Glasgow. In the village of Glasgow during the spring of 1875, tensions simmered among the men working at the Glasgow-Port Washington Furnaces. Gilbert Linsey (1839-aft. 1890), an Ohio native born to parents…
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American Dream Ended: The Murder of Arnold Abbuhl
A Swiss immigrant’s American Dream ended with a blast of buckshot in 1885. Arnold Abbhul (1848-1885) and his family arrived in the village of Barnhill shortly after their immigration from Switzerland in April 1885. Arnold sought a new life for his family in Ohio, only to find a labor conflict brewing when he arrived. Two…
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From Argument to Amputation: The Mishler Case of 1945
An inheritance dispute led to a shotgun blast that shattered an Ohio family. Content warning: The following story contains references to domestic violence. If you are experiencing domestic abuse or violence and need help, please visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Howard (1909-1987) and Olive Viola Horn Mishler (1910-1964) lived a seemingly ordinary life near Gilmore,…
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Theodore Umstead’s Secret
Theodore Umstead’s death in 1910 revealed a twenty-five year old secret. Theodore Umstead (1846-1910) was a well-known resident of New Philadelphia’s West End, a cabinet maker who served as a private in the 12th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry during the Civil War. He lived a seemingly quiet life until his death on February 27, 1910, at…
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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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© Noel B. Poirier, 2025
Tuscarawas County Stories 