Dover Public Library to host local history series in April

Dover Public Library will host a series of four programs highlighting local historical events. The series will be held every Tuesday in April. Each program will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the community room at the library, 525 N. Walnut St.

“People in Tuscarawas County are keenly interested in our local history,” said program specialist Sherrel Rieger, “so we have asked three well-known local historians to participate in the series — Chris Hart, Seth Angel and Kim Jurkovic.”

Storyteller Chris Hart will kick off the series on Tuesday, April 7, when he tells the story of the Postboy murder, when, in September 1825, a young mail carrier was ambushed and killed just south of Newcomerstown. Hart will portray the mail carrier’s traveling companion, who was falsely accused. He will recount his efforts to prove his innocence and the massive manhunt that led to justice being served.

On April 14, local historian Seth Angel will present a program titled “Gnadenhutten … and its Aftermath,” in which he will focus on the Moravian missions and their journey through the area while also exploring the events leading up to the Gnadenhutten Massacre and the impact it had in the years that followed.

Hart returns to the library April 21 when he will tell the story of the “Blood-Stained Bible of Earley’s Church.” Hart will portray one of the three vandals who, in 1863, stole a lamb and carried it to a nearby church, where they slaughtered it, drenching the pulpit Bible in blood.

On April 28, local history librarian Kim Jurkovic will close out the series by sharing tales about unusual stones in the county’s cemeteries, unique burial sites in the area and local folklore regarding the deceased in Tuscarawas County.

Programs in this series will begin at 6:30 p.m. each Tuesday evening in April. To register, visit doverlibrary.org/events or call the library at 330-343-6123.