Area History

BELLVILLE — History is full of dramatic, historic gold rushes that drew participants from all over the world, resulting in hard work, occasional sudden riches, claim jumping, and much more. And then there’s the less impressive story of Abe Steltz’s gold rush, just south of Bellville, near the Richland-Knox County line. Abram Steltz was a […]

Editor’s Note This story was originally published by the Ohio History Connection on Aug. 4, 2017. It is being republished here via a collaborative agreement. When Ohio first became a state in 1803, the primary methods of transportation to and through the state were by horse and wagon or by river. Within two decades, state […]

Editor’s Note This story was originally published on Richland Source in 2016. Some of the most classic and highly sought-after children’s art from the 1930s American Art Deco movement was created in Richland County. Fern Bisel Peat was a storyteller for generations of children in America. Her distinctive pastel paintings illustrated hundreds of books and […]

SHELBY — From teetotalers to a town-wide debate, the history of Shelby’s 125-year-old library is full of fascinating tidbits. Library staff gave an overview of the Marvin Memorial Library’s evolution Tuesday as part of the institution’s yearlong quasquicentennial celebration. The library got its start in 1897, when the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) of Shelby established a […]

Editor’s Note This story was originally published by the Ohio History Connection on April 22, 2022. It is being republished here as part of a collaborative agreement. COLUMBUS — Emily George was on a mission. She had heard about the Williams mastodon while growing up, and about how her grandfather Gus George had helped excavate […]

Editor’s Note This story was originally published on Richland Source in 2016. MANSFIELD — Many generations of Mansfielders knew this building as Schroer’s Furniture. Today the building has no business presence, but it is easily recognized as the landmark where you turn off Diamond Street onto Temple Court. The Schroer furniture business grew in a […]

More Information After this article published, a reader informed us that the Ohio Civil War Show is also taking place this weekend at the Richland County Fairgrounds. For more information, click here.  MANSFIELD — If you want to learn how to make your own butter or pan for gold, you’re in luck. RichHistory Weekend is […]

Editor’s Note This story was originally published by the Ohio History Connection on May 17, 2017. It is being republished here via a collaborative agreement. “Tin soldiers and Nixon’s coming. “We’re finally on our own. “This summer I hear the drumming. “Four dead in Ohio.” Inspired by the events that unfolded on the campus of Kent […]

Editor’s Note This story was originally published by Richland Source in 2016. This is a short appreciation of a truly significant writer in American literature whose life and career intersected with Richland County. It’s easier to understand why Richland County is meaningful in this story if we tell the tale backwards. So we’ll start with […]