By 1812Blockhouse, RichHistory Alliance
The second of Richland County’s two spring event weekends is upon us.
Last week. Mohican Wildlife Weekend wowed visitors with displays, exhibitions, and more. On May 7-8, it’s the turn of Richland County’s historical societies, preservation groups, and other past-related organizations to showcase their attractions and events during RichHistory Weekend.
RichHistory Weekend is organized by the RichHistory Alliance, which was formed as a partnership of museums and historical sites in Richland County with a mission to collaborate to discover, preserve, and share history in Richland County. Members collaborate and use their combined efforts to increase tourism and promote our history for all members of Richland County.
More…Featured, RichHistory Alliance, RichHistory Weekend, Richland County History
By 1812Blockhouse
It is very possible that in 2022, the majority of our readers will not immediately recognize the building built by the former Citizens Bank in Shelby, a pacesetting financial institution in its day.
On the other hand, if the name “The Vault” is mentioned instead, many will immediately realize that they not only know where today’s Landmark of Richland is, but that they have actually been inside to consume or beverage.
When the Board of Citizens Bank decided in 1910 to construct a permanent home for their almost 20-year-old institution, they chose a high profile location for that structure – the northwest corner of Main and Washington Streets in the heart of downtown Shelby.
More…Featured, Landmark of Richland, Richland County History, Shelby
By: 1812Blockhouse
A bit over 120 years ago, a man with strong local roots occupied the position of Mayor of New York City. He was a reformer and set out to improve a corrupt system, a task which did not result in success.
His name was William Lafayette Strong.
1812Blockhouse shares posts in our “Richland Roots” series to reveal stories of the less-commonly known people born here, or who lived here, and then went on to make significant contributions to state, regional, or national history. Other posts in the series are available here. More…
By 1812Blockhouse
What were Mansfield and Richland County like in 1950?
You’re about to get the opportunity to find out.
Thanks to what the National Archives refers to as the “72 Year Rule,” each year that ends with a “2” brings the release of another decennial census. In this case, the 1950 census will be released to the public this April 1.
Originally, US census records were not made public. In 1978, an agreement between the Director of the Bureau of the Census and the Archivist of the United States changed that practice and set that 72 year period.
More…Census, Featured, Mansfield History, Richland County History
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 read here.
Today, we share facts about Brevet Brigadier General Franklin Sawyer. More…
By 1812Blockhouse
Preservation Ohio has issued its annual Call for Nominations for its list of Ohio’s Most Endangered Historic Sites.
Each year, the statewide organization searches for houses, commercial buildings, governmental structures, bridges, historic roadways, landscapes, downtowns, neighborhoods and other important pieces of Ohio history that face a potentially risky future. The list serves to highlight those properties which are both historically significant and endangered — whether it be by threats of demolition, long-term disinvestment or neglect, insensitive governmental action, uncertainty or indifference. Nominations for this important list have come from individuals, preservation organizations, downtown and neighborhood revitalization organizations, historical societies, historic road associations, local governments and other entities. More…
By 1812Blockhouse
In Annelise Abbot’s newly-published work, “Malabar Farm: Louis Bromfield, Friends of the Land, and the Rise of Sustainable Agriculture,” the author looks at how the Farm pioneered soil conservation and grew the sustainable agriculture movement.
According to the publisher, Kent State University Press, Abbot “… tells the story of Malabar Farm within the context of the wider histories of soil conservation and other environmental movements, especially the Ohio-based organization Friends of the Land. As one of the few surviving landmarks of this movement, which became an Ohio state park in 1976, Malabar Farm provides an intriguing case study of how soil conservation began, how it was marginalized during the 1950s, and how it now continues to influence the modern idea of sustainable agriculture.
More…Agriculture, Featured, Malabar Farm, Richland County History
By 1812Blockhouse
Her name was Olive San Louie Anderson.
Not only was her name a bit unusual, her life was a pacesetting one in the area of higher education for women. Unfortunately, it was also one which ended in tragedy.
1812Blockhouse shares posts in our “Richland Roots” series to talk about the less-commonly known stories of people born here or who lived here and went on to make significant contributions to state, regional, or national history. Other posts in the series are available here. More…
Authors, Mansfield History, Richland County History, Richland Roots
By 1812Blockhouse
Here’s the first post in a new series here on 1812Blockhouse which we’re calling “It Happened in Richland County.” The point of each post is to share a story about the county’s past that might bring a tear to your eye or a smile to your face. Each happened right here.
We begin with a tale from the fall of 1812, when Richland County was brand new and a rather dangerous place. Skirmishes between British, Native American, and American troops were commonplace.
Ohio Governor Meigs issued a call for able bodied men to come to the aid of settlers in the frontier regions of the state. Enter a band of Ohio Volunteer Militia led by General Reasin Beall who gathered together at Wooster. Soon alarmed by news that two Richland County families had been killed by members of the Delaware tribe, Beall’s army soon headed west.
More…Featured, It Happened In Richland County, Richland County History
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.
Today’s subject may be one of the the wealthiest people that Richland County has ever produced. While that is a difficult concept to measure, in terms of accmuluated wealth for the time in which he or she lived, it would be difficult to beat the financial success of Verner Zevola Reed. More…
Here at 1812Blockhouse, we enjoy stepping back in time to try to get a feel for the Richland County of long ago.
So this holiday, join us for a trip through Thanksgivings past… More…
Featured, Mansfield History, Richland County History, Thanksgiving
By Thomas Palmer
This is a new series on 1812Blockhouse, “It Happened in Richland.” From time to time, we will be sharing interesting tidbits of Richland County history or, as in this post, a series relating to one topic.
As local historians know, the County’s boundaries changed more than once in its first decades. To the west, this meant that places like Crestline and Galion were established not in Crawford County, but in Richland. In turn, this means that much of the very early history of those communities was tied to Mansfield, not Bucyrus.
In this short series, which runs each Friday, we will look at an even earlier settlement that was lost to history until it was “rediscovered” in the Richland County Courthouse.
This is Part Two. Click to read Part One and Part Two.
More…
By 1812Blockhouse
The Malabar Farm Foundation, WOSU, and Mansfield/Richland County Public Library are joining The Ohio State University at Mansfield in hosting “Bromfield Anniversary Week,” a commemoration of what would have been the Pulitzer Prize-winning author’s 125 birthday.
Events are taking place at Malabar Farm and at other Bromfield-related location. The general list of events is as follows:
Saturday November 13 & Sunday November 14 at 4050 Bromfield Road, Lucas – At 11 AM and 2 PM – Big House Tours at Malabar Farm State Park (Small charge for tour) Visit the place that inspired Bromfield’s dream of sustainable agriculture.
More…
By Thomas Palmer
This is a new series on 1812Blockhouse, “It Happened in Richland.” From time to time, we will be sharing interesting tidbits of Richland County history or, as in this post, a series relating to one topic.
As local historians know, the County’s boundaries changed more than once in its first decades. To the west, this meant that places like Crestline and Galion were established not in Crawford County, but in Richland. In turn, this means that much of the very early history of those communities was tied to Mansfield, not Bucyrus.
In this short series, which runs each Friday, we will look at an even earlier settlement that was lost to history until it was “rediscovered” in the Richland County Courthouse.
This is Part Two. The first post in this series can be read here.
More…
By Thomas Palmer
With this post, we add a new series to 1812Blockhouse, “It Happened in Richland.” From time to time, we will be sharing interesting tidbits of Richland County history or, as in this post, a series relating to one topic.
As local historians know, the County’s boundaries changed more than once in its first decades. To the west, this meant that places like Crestline and Galion were established not in Crawford County, but in Richland. In turn, this means that much of the very early history of those communities was tied to Mansfield, not Bucyrus.
In this short series, which will run each Friday, we will look at an even earlier settlement that was lost to history until it was “rediscovered” in the Richland County Courthouse.
More…