MANSFIELD — Gary Feagin still lights up when talking about the first time he heard Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak. It was Sept. 23, 1962. The congregants of Mansfield’s Mount Hermon Baptist Church gathered in their brand new building at 292 Charles St. The pastor, Rev. Joel King, had invited his famous nephew from Alabama […]
Area History
Posted inCommunity Development
Bissman building, warehouse sell for combined $346k
MANSFIELD — Two historic buildings in downtown Mansfield will soon be under new ownership. The historic Bissman building and its adjoining warehouse sold for a combined $346,100 during an online auction Saturday. Auctioneer Shad Remaley confirmed the two lots were purchased by the same bidder, but declined to name the buyer. The iconic four-story building, located […]
Posted inArea History
Pretty Boy Floyd & Christmas in Mansfield 1930
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was originally published on Richland Source as a history column in 2016. Back in the 1980s an older woman in Mansfield was interviewed to learn more about the 1930s, when she operated an Auto Park of tourist cabins on State Route 430 east of town. She noted, almost casually, that she had […]
Posted inNews
Johnny Appleseed barn mural celebrates region’s history, America’s 250th birthday
PERRYSVILLE — A new barn mural of Johnny Appleseed commemorates his impact in Ohio and America as part of the America 250-Ohio Commission’s goal to spotlight the state’s contributions to American history. Former Gov. Ted Strickland, representatives from the America 250-Ohio Commission, a curator from the Cleo Redd Fisher Museum and others spoke at the […]
Posted inArea History
Civil War photography topic of Oct. 20 lecture at Cleo Redd Fisher Museum
LOUDONVILLE — The Cleo Redd Fisher Museum will host a free public lecture exploring how photography forever changed the way Americans viewed war. Titled “Photography During the Civil War,” the program will be presented by historian Mark Holbrook on Monday, Oct. 20 in the museum’s Lecture Hall. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the program […]
Posted inArea History
A Legacy Lives: 1800s Bible donated to Danville United Methodist Church
DANVILLE – In the early 1900s, there was a Methodist presence of three churches, one in Danville, Jelloway and Brinkhaven. Today, there is only one church from the original three open to the congregation, the church in Danville. However, a previous owner of the Brinkhaven church found a piece of that original legacy in the […]
Posted inArea History
Knox County historian to discuss Ohio’s airship disaster, Shenandoah, on Aug. 6
MOUNT VERNON — Knox County historian and noted author Aaron Keirns describes the historic airship event this way: “On a stormy September morning in 1925, the giant Navy airship, Shenandoah, tumbled out of the sky and crashed into aviation history.” Keirns will share his illustrated story of the Shenandoah crash near Caldwell, Ohio, for the Aug. 6 meeting […]
Posted inArea History
Mansfield brothers illuminate a forgotten African hero
MANSFIELD — The story of Ezike Ihemegwe is a family tale born in Nigeria with a Mansfield angle. Doctor Chinedu (Peter) Ezike, a healthcare practitioner at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, and his brother, Doctor Uchenna Ezike, founder of the MidOhio Infectious Disease Clinic, are authors of a book that tells of the life of their great-grandfather, […]
Posted inArea History
Shelby Cycle Co. collectors from around the country to gather Friday
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Shelby Cycle Company, established in 1925 — the year it began producing complete bicycles.
Posted inArea History
Archaeological survey at Copus Hill Monument to help map historical site
MIFFLIN TOWNSHIP — Local historians await results of an archaeological survey done on property with tragic roots dating to 1812. The Cleo Redd Fisher Museum recently commissioned the work at the Copus Hill Monument ahead of plans to install better signage and a potential walking trail and parking area. The site marks the spot of […]