EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was originally published on Richland Source in 2013. MANSFIELD — Folklore has it that Oak Hill Cottage was once a station of the Underground Railroad, and that the hill upon which the old house stands has a hidden tunnel underneath for hiding fugitive slaves. It’s a great story, but it’s not […]
Area History
Posted inArea History
Fame came—and went—and came again for George Ankeny
ANKENYTOWN — I had a great time Thursday night talking to folks at the Butler Historical Society. Their president, Lonnie Beveridge, invited me to come talk to them about Ankenytown, which I have written about here previously. This is part of the society’s effort to expand their scope and explore their neighborhood, a commendable idea. […]
Posted inArea History
Ferdinand the Bull had its illustrative roots tied to Louis Bromfield
In 1938 Walt Disney debuted “Ferdinand the Bull,” a short film based on the book “The Story of Ferdinand” by Munro Leaf. The short became an instant classic and was televised around the world. Ferdinand became 2017 American computer-animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Although Leaf […]
Posted inArea History
Butler postcard offers a peek into 1909
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was originally published on Richland Source in 2013. BUTLER — This photo of the Bank Block in Butler comes from a postcard that was mailed in 1909. Among the tidbits of news that Frank had to pass on to Mrs. Fadalia Daniels in Lodi, underneath the 1-cent stamp, was the fact […]
Posted inArea History
Disabled ‘wild men’ of Knox County got the last laugh
MOUNT VERNON — What is it about humans that makes us gawk at anyone different? And if the difference is different enough, it can become fodder for not just a proverbial, but a literal freak show. That’s what happened to a pair of mentally disabled brothers who grew up in Pleasant Township in Mount Vernon […]
Posted inArea History
Then & Now: Corsica 1920 is Blooming Grove today
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was originally published on Richland Source in 2013. When this little crossroads village was founded in the early 1800s, it was situated within the boundaries of Richland County, and was named Corsica because the Harding family patriarch who settled there was wholly inspired by the epic life of Napoleon. If you […]
Posted inArea History
Wolf Creek GristMill has 188-year history in Loudonville
LOUDONVILLE — In 1818, War of 1812 veteran Isaac Wolf came to Ashland County and settled on 160 acres in the northwest quarter of section 25 of Green Township. He chose a site over a mile from any other dwelling and constructed a log cabin from local timber. He married Nancy Small and had eight […]
Posted inArea History
Knox County guard killed in 1932 Ohio State Reformatory escape attempt
Mount Vernon resident Frank B. Hanger went gray young. Aged only 42 at the time of his death, a photograph that appeared in local media showed him sporting white hair over brightly attentive eyes. During World War I, when Frank was working as a ranch hand at Summer Lake, Oregon, his draft card described him […]