By 1812Blockhouse
Glessner Avenue was named in honor of a Mansfield newspaper man who was a towering local figure in local business and civic affairs.
His name was John Y. Glessner.
Glessner was originally from Somerset County, Pennsylvania, which is where he started in the media business when he and his brother purchased a local paper. Moving first to St. Clairsville in southeast Ohio and then to Columbus, Glessner came to Mansfield in 1841.
From that time until his death in 1882, he owned and published the Richland County Shield and Banner. More…
Everything You Always Wanted To Know About, Mansfield History
By 1812Blockhouse, City of Akron Press Office
This summer, 1812Blockhouse is back to share with our readers suggestions for summer visits to unique attractions and events that are within a reasonably short drive of Richland County. We call this series, “Summer Road Trips.” Last year, we changed these regular posts to bring you details of outdoor and virtual experiences that could be enjoyed in times of pandemic. This year, we’re seeing many venues and events re-open, albeit with health and safety guidelines in place.
We have to emphasize that Richland County has a wealth of interesting places to visit, and we encourage our readers to do so. We bring you posts on those happenings and venues often.
Today, we’re looking just an hour or so to the east. More…
All About Richland, History & Tourism, Literary Mansfield
By 1812Blockhouse
Publisher’s Note: This month, we are re-sharing posts from our “Literary Mansfield” series, the very first series we did here at 1812Blockhouse. This initial post was made back in 2016. Through this series, 1812Blockhouse looks at Mansfielders, past and present, who have contributed to the world of writing in all of its forms. This post, about James Lapine, has been recently updated (see below).
Many Mansfielders know the story of Louis Bromfield, the creator of Malabar Farm who combined a storied career in writing with a foray into the world of sustainable agriculture. Bromfield, a Mansfield native, was the winner of the 1927 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for his book, Early Autumn. We will have occasion to share some stories about him later in this series.
Fewer might know, however, that a second native son also won a coveted Pulitzer. More…
By 1812Blockhouse
In our Richland Roots series, we briefly present the lives of men and women from Richland County — either by birth, or residence — that have made important contributions to American history but who may not be household names. Other posts in our series can be viewed and read here.
Some of these individuals made names for themselves here at home. One such man was Samuel Stambaugh Bloom, who was a state legislator that helped to establish an important institution of higher education.
Bloom was born in Pennsylvania in 1834, and lost her mother shortly after his birth. After his grandfather died when Samuel was 19, he moved west to the then-village of Shelby, a place where his father had emigrated a decade earlier, permanently settling there in 1856. More…
From our friends at Destination Mansfield – Richland County:
Weaving through Mansfield and the surrounding area, the Wine & Ale Trail guides you to a mix of breweries, wineries, and wine bars each dedicated to honoring local history. Raise a toast to grand architecture in a historic bank vault, taste tradition in an old-world brewery, and pay homage to The Shawshank Redemption (filmed in Mansfield) with themed wines and ales.
Inside Laxton Hollow Brewing Works — one of the nine stops on the trail — the polished woodwork and framed photographs resemble an English pub. Here you’ll find rare cask ales, beer fermented naturally in steel casks without any artificial carbonation, just like in a traditional English pub. Laxton Hollow is one of only 14 breweries in the U.S. specializing in cask ale and the only one in the state. Prior to Prohibition, all brewers conditioned ale this way, and owner Ken Dudley is passionate about preserving the historic process. More…
By 1812Blockhouse
It might be a new experience for you, but it’s one you’ll undoubtedly enjoy and not soon forget.
Pleasant Hill Lake Park has announced a series of “Pontoon Tours” to be provided this summer, each with its own theme. A naturalist to lead the excursion and life jackets to wear will be provided for the day.
Upcoming tours include:
May 27 – Birding Tour
July 8 – Sunset Tour
September 7 – History Tour
October 2 & 9- Hayride Tour by Boat More…
By 1812Blockhouse, Malabar Farm Foundation
You likely know of Malabar Farm State Park, a unit of the State of Ohio which owns and operates Malabar Farm, the home of noted author Louis Bromfield.
You might not be as familiar, however, with the Malabar Farm Foundation — and if you like the place and the Bromfield legacy, you should be.
The process of getting to know the Foundation has become easier with the launch on May 5 of a brand new informative and entertaining website.
In an announcement on social media, the Foundation shared: More…
By: 1812Blockhouse
Throughout its history, Richland County has produced or been the home to a wide variety of individuals that have made important contributions to the world. 1812Blockhouse has been sharing their stories in a series we started last year called “Richland Roots.” For other Richland Roots stories, click here.
Occasionally, those tales take a tragic turn. During a film shoot in 1923, an aspiring actress suffered a gruesome fate that cut short what may well have been a brilliant career. This actress not only shared her name with the city of Mansfield, but it was the city that was the source of her professional name – Martha Mansfield. More…
Special to 1812Blockhouse
Downtown Mansfield, Inc. (DMI) will hold the 2021 Secret City Tour on Saturday, May 1 from 10:00 AM to 4 PM. Take a peek into some of Mansfield’s most exquisite historic buildings and architectural gems on this self-guided tour. With continued interest in downtown development, this tour offers a unique look to the past while challenging us to reimagine the future of these great spaces.
Buildings on the 2021 Secret City Tour will include: 33 North Main Street, 135 North Main Street, 117 North Diamond Street, 137 North Main Street, 116 North Main Street (second floor), 118 North Main Street (second floor), 135 North Franklin Street, 25 East Fourth Street (second floor), and 67 North Main Street (second floor). More…
Downtown Mansfield, Downtown Mansfield Inc., Featured, RichHistory Weekend
By 1812Blockhouse
It’s time this Saturday and Sunday for RichHistory Weekend, the area’s annual celebration of the past and how it connects to Richland County’s present and future. It is brought to you by the RichHistoryAlliance.
Many of your favorite events and attractions are back, such as Downtown Mansfield Inc.’s Secret City Tour and events in South Park and at Oak Hill Cottage. New ones are being added as well, such as walks at Dayspring’s 1889 boiler building.
Founded in 2016, the RichHistory Alliance was created through the partnering of museums and history-related attractions in Richland County to collaborate on the preservation, discovery, and sharing of local history. More…
Featured, RichHistory Alliance, RichHistory Weekend, Richland County History
By 1812Blockhouse
As historians know, Mansfield has a connection to the early days of aviation, primarily in the person of Frank Lahm, the “nation’s first military aviator.”
Lahm worked alongside the Wright Brothers not long after their December 1903 initial flight to create and perfect the country’s first military-related airplanes. Lahm’s career is storied, and can be read in detail on this Wikipedia page.
Flying was still somewhat of novelty in the first 20 years of the 20th century, becoming increasingly safer and able to undertake longer flights and with more people aboard. Once such improvement came in the form of transporting cargo on airplanes, beginning with airmail. More…
By 1812Blockhouse
Traditionally held the first weekend of May, which happily coincides with RichHistory Weekend, the Ohio Civil War Show is returning to the Richland County Fairgrounds this year.
The 2021 edition will be held on Saturday, May 1 from 9 AM to 5 PM, and again on Sunday, May 2 from 9 AM to 3 PM.
The Show features collectibles, demonstrations, living history, and more. It is ideal for serious collectors of military materials, historical reenactors, hobbyists, or anyone else interested in learning more about this important period of US history.
One highlight is cannon firing demonstrations each day that really make some noise — as well as ongoing Civil War, World War I, and World War II encampments. More…
By 1812Blockhouse
Throughout its history, Richland County has produced or been the home to a wide variety of individuals that have made important contributions to the world. We profile these individuals in our Richland Roots series.
Not exactly a household name in 21st century Richland County, Friedrich Schnitzer was much better known 125 years ago.
Schnitzer, son of and father of two other men with the same name, was born in Bavaria and emigrated to America with his parents in 1859, depending on the source. His European home sat on 200 acres, and it was said that the family descended from minor nobility.
Before leaving Bavaria, he was trained in architecture at the University of Berlin. More…
By 1812Blockhouse; Ohioana Library Association
Several Ohio counties have stops along the new Ohio Literary Trail.
Only a handful have more than one, Richland County among them.
The Ohioana Library Association has announced this new program that will connect readers and Ohio writers and shine the spotlight on Ohio’s unique role in shaping culture and literature worldwide.
Ohioana compiled the trail map with more than 70 sites across the Buckeye state, paying tribute to the authors, poets, illustrators, libraries, and creative influencers of the written word who have called Ohio home. Tourists planning a literary-themed outing, as well as Ohioans who want to discover literary treasures they never knew existed in their own backyard, will find it here. More…
By 1812Blockhouse
This church building is testament to faith and resilience.
The present First Presbyterian Church of Shelby, located on North Gamble Street, has occupied this spot for the last 115 years. It stands on the lot to the south of the Post Office Building, the subject of another recent post in this series.
The fact that it exists, however, is rather miraculous.
Presbyterians first met in the Shelby area in the early 1820s. After a couple of initial locations, the congregation built a church on South Broadway in 1851. More…
Featured, Landmarks, Landmarks of Richland, Richland County History
