Spring is here (except for the snow on April 20th), and summer is just around the corner!  Just like everyone else, I am anxious to be outdoors to enjoy the fresh air.  With this in mind, I have tried to invite speakers to get us out of our long hibernation.  Some guests speakers have told us about interesting places in or near Tuscarawas County.  Other speakers have guided us through activities that we can do with friends and family.  

In March, Dale Tschantz talked about the history of Camp Tuscazoar and the hiking/biking trails we can enjoy any time of the year.  Laura Watilo Blake presented a program called “The Return to America” in which she reminded us that beautiful and interesting things are literally in our backyard.  Don’t fret that you missed those programs.  We recorded them and you can access them on our handy archive page.

On April 29, Norm N. Nite will talk about his book The House that Rock Built. After hearing him speak, you might want to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.  It’s not that far away.  

On May 13, Kim Jurkovic will present “The Building of the Canal in Dover,” which could inspire you to visit the lock just south of New Phila or walk along the river trail near Zoar until you see Lock 9. 

On May 18, Tamara Benson and Anastasia Merritt will walk us through the process of how The Reeves Museum made history accessible to children through the writing and illustrating of The New Carriage, the book which introduces Jeeves the horse.  The Museum will resume some activities this summer.  

On June 23, Doug Lockart from the Lockhart Forge in Logan, Ohio will introduce us to the family-owned blacksmith shop where they make iron skillets and teach blacksmithing classes. 

Deb and Scott Morrision, members of TCAPA (Tuscarawas County Area Photography Association)  will inspire us to become better photographers as we enjoy the great outdoors this summer. 

We are organizing an outdoor drum circle for late July or early August.  I don’t know about you, but I haven’t done this before so this promises to be a unique experience. 

You can always take a stroll through the Dover Park. You can try out the adult exercise equipment at the playground down by the ball diamonds. Or you can walk around the pond, stopping along the “Story Walk” to read the book displayed there, or sit on one of the benches to read in the sunshine.  I didn’t mention the disc golf because I haven’t participated in that sport, but I have seen lots of people enjoying the course. 

Visit the flower beds at Warther’s Museum. 

Pack a picnic lunch and sit down by the river at Canal Park. 

Maybe you can just walk in a different neighborhood every day and notice the houses as you pass by.

So many things to do.  Some are a short drive away, others are right here in town.  Just get out there and enjoy them!

-Sherrel Rieger, Library Assistant 

The Local History room is slowly taking shape as more and more archival items are coming from the J. E. Reeves Home to the Library.  As we process these items, some research is done to confirm the connection to Dover and Tuscarawas County.  The “Local Families” box of items proved to be a treasure trove of photos and stories.  We will share an interesting one with you involving the Wagner family.

Dr. P. M Wagner was a local physician who lived with his wife, Henrietta, in the Reeves Heights area of Dover.  He was born on a farm between Zoar and Sandyville on August 20, 1868.  In his early years he taught school at Zoar and the surrounding area.  He then graduated from the Ohio Medical University at Columbus and became Dover’s “foremost eye, ear, throat, and nose specialist.”  He was on the school board and served one term in the Ohio Legislature.  He came from a large family including two brothers who were also doctors—Dr. Ezra Wagner, a dentist in Dover, and Dr. J. E. Wagner of Mineral City.  His other siblings were Fred, Christian, Adolph, Theophilus, and Regina.  

On Thursday, July 23, 1914, Dr. Wagner’s wife received a cablegram that her husband had died while in Berlin, Germany, taking a special medical course.  The newspaper article regarding the news states, “Every letter received by relatives in Dover stated that he was progressing nicely with his studies and enjoying his trip.  His serious illness which terminated in his death was a shock” (The Daily Times, July 24, 1914).  

Dr. Wagner had left for New York on May 30 and set sail on June 2.  He went to Germany to take a six week course with a noted specialist and while there decided to extend it to twelve weeks.  He died during an operation for gallstones when he did not recover from the anaesthetic.

This is where the story gets interesting.  Dr. Wagner died on July 23.  World War I was declared in Germany on July 31.  Dr. Wagner’s body was given to the American consulate to be shipped home.  It was sent to Bremen, Germany, where it was to be shipped on the Hamburg-American liner Koenigin Luise.  When Germany declared war, this ship was ordered out as a mine layer and a British cruiser sunk her.  No other ships were leaving Germany.  Dr. Wagner’s brother made an appeal to the U. S. government for help to retrieve his brother’s body.

Through the diligent work of his brother, Dr. Wagner’s body was eventually located in Bremen by a United States Express Company employee.  It was finally shipped home through Holland and arrived in Dover on the C&P train from Pittsburgh on October 3—over 2 months after his death in July.  The family reported, “the body is in a wonderful state of preservation” and a funeral would be held at Grace Lutheran Church.

The final part of the story does not take place until 1920.  Dr. E. S. Wagner had written to a cousin, Gustave Wagner, who lived in Stuttgart, Germany in 1914, for assistance when he was attempting to locate his brother’s body.  Gustave was killed in France in 1917, but his father had held on to a letter he had written to his American cousin and only sent it along in 1920.  

-Kim Jurkovic, Local History Librarian

Sources: The Daily Times July 24, 1914; August 6, 1914; October 5, 1914; February 9, 1920

Photo from the Dover Historical Society Archives collection.  Dr. P. M. Wagner is #6.

Are you a writer, photographer, artist, or poet living in Tuscarawas County?

Submit your work for publication in the Dover Public Library’s literary magazine, Tapestries of Tuscarawas County to share your work with the community and help us preserve the culture of the county as part of the Library’s historical initiative.

The magazine is open to submissions from anyone in the county of stories, art and photography, capturing what it is like to live in this community. Citizens are asked to send in their memories of life in Tuscarawas County with the chance of winning a cash prize. The library is offering one first-place $100 prize and one second-place $50 prize to the two most appealing stories or art. The deadline to make submissions is April 19.

As a part of the Dover Public Library’s oral and living-history project, Tapestries intends to weave together the stories of Tuscarawas County into one tapestry that conveys the beauty of the county.

A release ceremony will be held at the library to celebrate the magazine, and contributors will be given a free copy of the book as well as an opportunity to read excerpts from their work. Copies will be available to the public at the Dover Public Library and other local libraries and historical societies.

Download the submission form to get started! Email library director Jim Gill at director@doverlibrary.org or  call the library at 330-343-6123 with any questions.

It’s not often that what you dream keeps its shape when the dream takes physical form. The real world plays havoc with your visions, and what you get at the end, while it may be satisfying, usually looks quite a bit different.

I am pleased to say that our first edition of Tapestries of Tuscarawas County, a book of living memories, has taken shape and finally come to fruition. The best part? I couldn’t have dreamed it any better.

The stories in the book are from Tuscarawas County locals, sharing memories of childhood, adulthood, and old age. Those of us who live here will recognize descriptions of Tuscora Park, the county fair, and the homey, small-town feel of most of the stories. There are descriptions of growing up in town versus growing up in the country, people who made a difference in someone’s life, and sometimes even crazy surprises that can shock and amaze. “Only in T County,” I was tempted to say a few times.

What impresses me most about this book written by my neighbors is that so many of the stories dig down deep to the heart of what it means to me to live in Tuscarawas County, and I am a person whose love for my hometown came late. I was raised here, and as soon as I could, I fled. I lived all around Ohio, Arizona, and California, but eventually something brought me back home. And a bit of what drew me back like a magnet can be read in between the lines of this book. We all have our struggles and our bad days we long to escape, but home is something that grows up around you when you’re not looking. It steadies you, calms you, and gives you courage. It can be hard to search for and hard to define, but you know it when you’re there. That’s what reading this book does for me. It tells me I’m home.

Look for copies to be available this fall at Dover Public Library – for only $8 you can share the experience of the place that you call home through the eyes of others who feel the same way. Join us at the book reception, Saturday November 5 at 6:00 p.m. to get your copy before they are gone!

– Claire Kandle

Local History Librarian