By 1812Blockhouse
We’re starting a short series today on 1812Blockhouse that we’re calling “Under the Hood.”
There’s not a great deal of mechanical ability here at 1812Blockhouse, truth be told. A series entitled “Under the Hood,” therefore, is certainly not going to be about automobile repair or anything of that nature.
Instead, we’re going to pass along, from time to time, some of the behind the scenes activities here and also a bit about why we do what we do.
Today, that means the first of a two-part look at Richland News, a feature on the home page of 1812Blockhouse on desktop and at the very top of the site on mobile, immediately following the featured stories. Richland News is actually one of the key ways that our site differs from most other news sites in the country. More…
By 1812Blockhouse Owner/Publisher Thomas Palmer
I remember well the day that the switch was flipped and 1812Blockhouse was suddenly live.
As I look back on it, I realize that I was not really ready for that to take place. On an early September evening, however, I received word that my great nephew had been born, a truly important moment for the Palmer family. What better time, I thought, to bring something else to life?
My great nephew, by the way, turns 4 on Tuesday and starts preschool this week. As this is the closest weekend to the 8th, this is when we are choosing to celebrate that milestone. Welcome to our 4,836th post.
1812Blockhouse bears a strong resemblance to the site that went live that day. Above and to the right is an early screenshot of the site dating from November 2017. We used to go with a single feature story each day, as this demonstrates, until we found out that that format does not render as well in mobile. More…
1812Blockhouse, Featured, Local Media, Richland County History
By: 1812Blockhouse
Since news of the COVID-19 pandemic broke in March, we have engaged in two types of coverage for our readers.
First, we created a single page compendium of links and stories that were updated each day. Then, after a month or so of that approach, we changed to a page of curated links which we also updated daily. A few weeks ago, the “new news” on the pandemic was reduced to the point that we simply inserted stories into our regular news flow. More…
By: 1812Blockhouse Staff
We’re excited to bring a new dimension to coverage of timely matters that impact Richland Countians and all Ohioans.
As we shared a few weeks ago, 1812Blockhouse is now a part of LION (Local Independent Online News) Publishers, which is creating the future of local news through locally owned and operated news organizations that directly serve their communities.
Since then, we have engaged with publishers across the country operating sites very much like ours. Some of have been doing so for many years and have built robust operations that are having success in connecting their readers with stories which can help them become more fully informed. More…
By: 1812Blockhouse
In the three-plus years that 1812Blockhouse has been on the air, we have launched several “series” of related posts.
Some we have continued throughout that time. Others we have launched, paused for a bit after a few stories have been posted, and then picked up later. You may well see at least one of those series come back and we are planning two new series in the coming weeks. More…
By: Thomas Palmer, 1812Blockhouse Owner/Publisher
It can be great stuff, being part of a team.
Joining others with similar interests can provide opportunities to share enthusiasm, best practices, and advice.
Here at 1812Blockhouse, we have now been given that opportunity. This past week, I received notice that our application for membership in LION Publishers has been approved by that body’s governing board. More…
1812Blockhouse, History & Tourism
By: 1812Blockhouse Staff
We’re celebrating a bit here at 1812Blockhouse by unveiling our new Richland History section.
As we have previously shared, Richland History is a compendium of links and resources to a wide array of information. Not only will it contain an index to our two landmarks series, which contain almost 50 entries, but it does the same for our “When Mansfield Welcomed,” “Richland Roots,” and other series.
There’s much more on offer. Would you like to read a Mansfield newspaper from, say, 1878? Now you can easily locate it. More…
1812Blockhouse, Featured, Mansfield History, Richland County History
1812Blockhouse, History & Tourism
By: 1812Blockhouse Staff
As we shared in our post on Sunday introducing the latest in our Landmarks of Richland, the beautiful Greenlawn Cemetery Chapel in Plymouth, this past weekend would have seen multiple Richland County historic sites and attractions open to the public for the annual RichHistory Weekend.
Today and tomorrow, we are continuing to recognize those sites by sharing stories that focus on the shared heritage enjoyed by residents of this county.
We’re particularly thrilled today to share with you news of a new resource on 1812Blockhouse that has been in the works for some time. Originally developed as an “add on” feature for a new membership program, the current COVID-19 pandemic and the difficult situation in which local museums and tourism destinations find themselves have prompted us to open this up freely to 1812Blockhouse visitors. More…
1812Blockhouse, Featured, Mansfield History, Richland County History
1812Blockhouse, All About Richland
Since its launch, the redesigned Richland Coronavirus Information Page has been viewed by a large number of readers who click on its links to access resource guides for the virus; updates from the State of Ohio, local governments and school districts, and of course Richland Public Health; cancellations and the latest information from local non-profits and businesses; and much, much more. More…
On Saturday, we launched the new Richland Coronavirus Information Page.
The last two weeks have altered the landscape in so many ways and for so many people, as Richland County’s families and businesses have coped with the unthinkable. With each new day, the ground is shaken under our collective feet and we are finding ourselves working hard to maintain our balance. More…
As the present public health situation appears that it will be of some duration and important information releases are frequent, we are modifying our coverage to match.
From now on, instead of updating our ongoing COVID-19/Coronavirus Update page each day to the point where it becomes quite long, cumbersome, and difficult to follow, we are making changes.
For one thing, we are moving to a Daily Update setting, which we plan on posting during the early evening hours each weekday and once on weekends. More…
Over three years ago, we here at 1812Blockhouse set out to create something brand new — a place for you, our readers, to find the most information possible about this place that you call home.
How did we go about doing that?
For starters, we made the decision to only include news and information about Richland County and Richland Countians. Clicking on headlines to discover if they have local relevance isn’t needed on 1812Blockhouse. Ever. More…
Since we began publishing in 2016, 1812Blockhouse has shared details about pieces of local history that dot Richland County. Through our Landmarks of Mansfield series and our Landmarks of Richland series, we have presented research on over 40 buildings, monuments, and downtowns.
As we begin 2020, we’re eager to add to that number, and we’re turning to you for help. Do you have a favorite local landmark that you’d like to see profiled on 1812Blockhouse? Is there a building you’ve been wondering about, or a neighborhood or downtown you would like to see highlighted? If so, please send us an email at: [email protected] and we’ll get right on it!
For ideas, here are links the the current Landmarks of Mansfield and Landmarks of Richland. Use the numbers at the bottom of the page to scroll through the posts.
You might not realize it, but at this very moment you are reading a post on a local news and information website that differs from almost every other such site in the country.
When the switch was flipped back on September 8, 2016, Richland County became the very first small to mid-sized media market in America (that we knew of or know of) with a site committed to keeping its readers informed not only through its own news coverage, but also by actually pointing readers to local news covered by other media as well. Each day since, we have not only done our own reporting, but we have featured links to stores on WMFD, the Mansfield News Journal, Richland Source, and to social media posts from dozens of other local governments, organizations, churches, and businesses to create a one-stop information center.
It has now been three years since 1812Blockhouse went live. Over 3,700 posts, 50,000 shared links, and millions of views later, that goal of creating informed readers remains at the very heart of what we do. More…
1812Blockhouse, All Things Business
We’re looking for someone to join us in riding what just might be the newest wave in local media.
In a post on the Total|Local Media website Friday morning the company, which publishes both 1812Blockhouse and 1808Delaware, announced that is accepting applications for a new, part-time Site Coordinator position. More…
