By 1812Blockhouse
At this time of the year, 1812Blockhouse creates and shares Richland Holiday Central, a place where local holiday events and more are shared for our readers.
On Saturday evening, the 2020 Edition went live and can be accessed here and via the link on our home page.
You will find a regularly updated list of Richland County Christmas happenings — including a note when, as happened twice this past week, a planned-for event is canceled.
There’s more — a collection of local holiday scenes from the last four years; a Christmas music player to set the mood; and a secret collection of fun holiday links hidden on our website, where you can track Santa via NORAD radar (NOTE — that goes live on December 1) or visit the jolly guy’s workshop with several online games!
We all know that 2020 has brought all of us a different kind of holiday season. Not here. There’s not the slightest mention of viruses, or politics, or anything of the kind. We wish our readers a beautiful and meaningful time as we remember together that there are things larger than ourselves worth remembering and celebrating.
1812Blockhouse, Featured, Holidays, Richland Holiday Central
By 1812Blockhouse
From its launch, 1812Blockhouse has been about two things — first, sharing our own original writing and coverage of local news; and second, connecting our readers with stories from other local media.
That’s why WMFD, Richland Source, the Mansfield News Journal, and the Shelby Daily Globe links appear almost every single day on 1812Blockhouse, as well as links to Richland County-related stories from other online publications.
We’ve also run Richland Tweets since the beginning, a regularly updated collection of tweets from almost 100 area non-profit organizations, local governments, schools, and more. More…
By Thomas Palmer, 1812Blockhouse Owner/Publisher
Not only is the entire world reeling from the impact of the pandemic, but it has impacted things close to home as well. Richland County schools, businesses, local governments, churches, and more are facing unique and difficult scenarios on a daily basis. People are struggling with illness and uncertainty everywhere you look.
Here at 1812Blockhouse, the specter of COVID-19 struck about a week and a half ago and became all too real. It’s a long story, but suffice it to say that it prompted not only concerns, but was part of what prompted a week-long hospital stay — something completely out of the blue. More…
This is Thomas Palmer, Owner/Publisher of 1812Blockhouse.
This past Saturday, a close friend with whom I have regular discussions several times each week day tested positive for COVID-19.
Within two or three days I was experiencing very strong COVID symptoms. It’s the stuff you read about, but also additional things you didn’t realize came with the mix.
Take hallucinations, for instance. I don’t believe I had ever had one until this week.
1812Blockhouse will be taking the day off on Saturday. We will return on Sunday morning, God willing. Continued thanks for being a reader!
By 1812Blockhouse
Here’s another post in our short series that we’re calling “Under the Hood.”
Last week, we started with a look at our Richland News section on 1812Blockhouse. Specifically, we shared the process of how we select media posts to link to each morning.
We continue today with a look at why Richland News is a part of this site, and why we believe that this part of what makes us unique also makes us an invaluable resource for Richland Countians.
As we do so, we’re going to name drop by referring to, of all people, Santa Claus. More…
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…
