Stories

Murder Mystery 1933

Mystery veils the third tragedy involving Mrs. Nan Patterson Moreland, 30, Ironton, Ohio, found dead in her beer flat, with John Porter, 37, Lawrence County, Ohio, prosecuting attorney, eyes shot out, lying in the same room.

About Uncle Purl Willis

An interesting story about a Lawrence Countian comes to us from his nephew, Brady Willis, of Forest Dale, the old schoolmaster…..It concerns Purl Willis, 87 of 130 Lathrop Lane, El Cajon, California, who left Lawrence County in 1910, lured by the Golden West…He was a Spanish-American War veteran and was captain of Company I in Ironton…A story in the San Diego newspaper adds another chapter to Capt. Willis’ story.

Judge Layne Accused of Bribery

A bombshell was exploded in old Ironton, Ohio, and it trebled from stern to stern Thursday when two women made the unequivocal statement that Judge A. J. Layne, who is well known here had accepted a $125 payment in a divorce suit. A vigorous denial was immediately entered into the charge of Judge Layne and the case will go to the supreme court of Ohio for an airing.

Tried Stone Baptist Church Ironton Ohio

The Missionary Society of Triedstone Baptist Church held its monthly meeting Monday evening. Miss Effie Bryant, the president, deserves much credit for the excellent program she arranged. The subjects discussed, and addressed were very good, and the spirit exhibited showed that they were working in the right direction.

Remarkable Story About Rachel Brown

In the hills of Lawrence County, Ohio, not far from Proctorville, there is a neglected grave around which revolves a romance the details of which are more unbelievable than many of the imaginary deeds recorded by the most ingenious writers of ultra-modern fiction.

Blackwell Gang of Counterfeiter’s

Beasher Miller was a native of Ohio and on 17 Feb 1887, he was arrested for petit larceny and became an inmate in the Lawrence County, Ohio jail.  Why I am including this story because In the column for discharge, the date was 14 May 1887 and he had run off from Blackwell Chain. After reading the following story, it sounds like Beasher (also spelled Beecher) Miller was also staying in our county jail, perhaps a witness against the Blackwell Gang.

Armstrong and Hannah Rankins on Oak Ridge

This name originated, doubtless, under a mistaken view of things, as the furnace didn’t stand on a ridge.  When your correspondent read on the stone in the arch of the old furnace stack, “Oak Ridge Furnace built by W. H. Allison, 1856.”  I could not help saying to myself that the year of ’56 must have been a year of mistakes.

Aid Township

In 1800, the first cabin in Aid Township was built on John’s Creek by Captain John, an Indian, and Andy Friend, a white man, and squatters who made their living hunting and trapping. The first settlement was Marion, [now known as Aid] in 1815. The name was changed due to the conflict with a larger and previously established Marion in northern Ohio. William (Uncle Billy) Stumbo laid out Marion (Aid) in 1840. The village of Arabia also lies partially in Aid Township. Aid Township was organized by Adam Haymaker in 1823.

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