A bit about 1812Blockhouse

The Blockhouse, which stands in Mansfield’s South Park

You are looking at something new and innovative as you scroll the pages and stories on 1812Blockhouse.

Gone are many of the traditional methods of news gathering and sharing that have been the backbone of media for at least the last 200 years. Unlike almost all of the online sites that have been created to partner with traditional newspapers, and even some of the new independent, online-only news operations that have appeared in the last decade, we’re different.

Different by design. Different by operation.

A good overview of what makes us unique — what you might call the “secret sauce” — can be found here. In a nutshell, the main difference for Richland County news consumers is that they can now access a single site and instantly see more locally relevant news than anyplace else online.

This method puts the reader first, which is right where we think he or she should be.

If you have a suggestion for a news story; if you want to get the word out about an event or accomplishment; or if you have ideas on how we can improve the site, please send us an email at: [email protected]. You can find us on social media @1812blockhouse on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

We are also early adopters and users of artificial intelligence to allow us to bring you more information. In each case, all input so created is reviewed and adjusted by human editors; no post ever appears on this site without that careful operation taking place.

1812Blockhouse is a member site of LION Publishers, the country’s only association of local independent online news publishers, who are creating the future of local news with sites that directly serve their communities.

Thanks for reading!


A bit about Thomas

Thomas, age 5

1812Blockhouse’s founder, owner, and publisher Thomas Palmer has been involved with the creation and operation of online local news sites for over ten years.

Thomas’ work began in his hometown of Galion in north central Ohio with the creation of GalionLive, one of the very first “hyperlocal” news sites in the Midwest and one of the first two in Ohio. GalionLive developed a strong based of readers and became an important part of civic life in that community.

In that period, GalionLive joined with other independent online news sites across the country to share ideas and suggestions. The site was included in the first generation of surveys in the field undertaken by the University of Missouri and New York University Journalism Schools. It also became a part of “Authentically Local,” an initiative that helped bring together a group that went on to create the current LION (Local Independent Online News) Publishers, and was eventually sold at a profit to an independent, online-focused news operation.

GalionLive and MidOhioLive

In the early 2010s, Thomas joined with two civic leaders in Mansfield to create MidOhioLive, Richland County, Ohio’s first-ever independent online news operation.

In September, 2016, 1812Blockhouse joined the mix of local media as a new and unique voice in a county which also has a TV news operation, a Gannett daily news operation, a local independent online news site, radio newsrooms, and two weekly publications. From the outset, 1812Blockhouse has been the sole news operation to limit its coverage to Richland County and to link to the best writing from the area, thus becoming the ideal one-stop location for local news and information.

A more recent photo

Two years later, 1808Delaware took this same approach to Delaware County in central Ohio. Ohio’s fastest-growing county, Delaware County is the home of Ohio Wesleyan University, the Little Brown Jug (part of the “triple crown” of harness racing), and the second largest office complex in the country.

In 2019, the two sites were group together under the Total|Local Media moniker.

Thomas has spoken at several conferences and at schools of journalism and communication. In addition to media work, Thomas is a licensed attorney, a public official, the Executive Director of a statewide non-profit organization, and a church musician. Thomas is a graduate of the University of Utah and The Ohio State University, where he was a member of the renowned Ohio State University Marching Band. He has two children, Judson and Caroline.

You can follow Thomas through the following social media accounts. Please feel free to contact him at any time — he absolutely loves to talk local media!