On April 27, 1865, a boat exploded on the Mississippi River near Memphis, Tennessee. In the worst maritime disaster in American history, some 1,192 passengers were killed. 357 of that number were Ohioans, and 101 of those 357 – one-tenth of those who perished — were from Richland County.
At the time, some 2,155 persons were on board the Sultana, a ship with a capacity of 376 passengers.
The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building on Park Avenue West in downtown Mansfield has a large plaque which commemorates the local soldiers who died that day (see photo).
Learn about this tragedy one week from Friday (July 27) during one of the Ohio Genealogical Society’s Summer Sessions. “The Sultana Disaster,” featuring speaker Mary Jamba, will be held at 1:00 PM at the Society’s Isaly Library.
Pre-registration is requested by calling 419-886-1903.
As a reminder, the OGS’s Isaly Library is open through the summer, from 9 AM to 5 PM Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is just $5, and free for OGS members. A Library informational brochure can be viewed here.
The facility near Bellville is on outstanding resource for those seeking family history information with a Buckeye connection. Included are over 60,000 books, 250,000 ancestor cards, 4,000 Bible records, 7,000 family histories, and complete Ohio census records from 1800 to 1940.
Sources: Wikipedia, Ohio Genealogical Society, Photo: Creative Commons License
