1812Blockhouse

Followers of political news may know that the newest presidential candidate is New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio. A bit over 120 years ago, another occupant of that office was a man with strong local roots. 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. Read More

Richland County has produced or been the home to a wide variety of individuals that have made important contributions to the world over the last 106 years. 1812Blockhouse has been sharing their stories in a series we started last year called “Richland Roots.” For other Richland Roots stories, click here. As the country moves toward the centennial of women achieving the right to vote in national elections, we profile a native Richland Countian who contribute in her own unique way to achieving that end. Unfortunately, she never saw the fruits of her work, dying at the young age of 40. Read More

We’re continuing our look at the life and work of native Richland Countian Stanley J. Morrow, who was born near Bellville in 1843 and who was trained by famed Civil War photographer Mathew Brady. Stanley Morrow’s studio in Yankton, Dakota Territory did well. So well, in fact, that Morrow soon opened a branch operation across the Missouri River in Nebraska. Still, he had a sense of adventure, perhaps cultivated in his Civil War experience. Over time, that sense led him to leave the family home and studio and travel westward; each time, he left his wife in charge of the local operation which continued to thrive. Read More

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. Among those is a man who learned his trade under extraordinary circumstances, and then used that training to create an important record that survives to this day. Born near Bellville in 1843, Stanley J. Morrow’s childhood years were contemporaneous with the rise of photography in the United States. Read More