Small Town News

Over the past couple of days I have been doing a lot of newspaper research.  I love reading old newspaper articles.  The minute detail of every aspect of small town life can be entertaining.  Can you imagine supper at your parents’ house making the local news?   How would you like the neighbors talking about the reason for your recent hospitalization over a game of cards?  Few details of small town life were off limits in the local newspapers.

I will focus this post on the tidbits I found on my maternal grandmother Mary Jane Dudley Donaldson’s family.  Her uncle L.J. Dudley was an attorney and his travels throughout Highland and Clinton Counties were well documented in the local papers.  The News Herald of Hillsboro had a tantalizing tidbit about one of L.J.’s trips in its May 6, 1897 edition:  “There must be something attractive in Wilmington for L.J. Dudley, as he has been there twice in one week.”

I’m intrigued, as I am sure were the citizens of his hometown of Lynchburg, Ohio.  Wilmington is the county seat of Clinton County, so I suppose his law practice could have brought him to Wilmington twice in one week, but the mention of “something attractive” leads one to believe that romance was in the air.  Way to go, L.J.!

L.J. didn’t spend all of his time practicing law and traveling to Wilmington, though.  The Wilmington Journal of May 19, 1897 reported “Funny things to see is the Mayor and L.J. Dudley going fishing, and you want to have a screen between you and them when you ask how many fish they caught.”  The local newspapers also made references to the military pensions he helped obtain, lawsuits he filed, and other legal business.

The activities of L.J.’s brother Jesse and his family also made the papers.  News of his nephews’ pets was published in the Lynchburg section of the December 11, 1901 The Wilmington Journal:  “Last Wednesday the small school children congregated on the corner of Main and Pearl streets to witness the pranks of two pet coons belonging to Jesse Dudley’s boys.”  I would love to know what the “pranks” were.  Did they do tricks or just raid garbage receptacles and terrorize the “small school children?”

Jesse must have had a way with the animal kingdom.  The August 25, 1887 News Herald reported “Jesse Dudley, while cutting weeds out of the road in the swamps west of town one day last week, caught five rattlesnakes.  He has preserved them alive and has them in a box.  He will probably have them on exhibition at the Martinsville fair.” 

Jesse Dudley with some unfortunate animals he didn't make pets or preserve alive for the fair.

Jesse’s father-in-law John Shaper’s experience with a rattlesnake wasn’t quite as entertaining, as was reported in the Glady section of the June 27, 1888 Wilmington Journal: 

As we have more than once referred to the rattlesnake, we now have a story to relate of a more serious nature.  Last Monday while John Shaper was working in the corn field with his hoe he was struck on the point of his right thumb by one of these snakes.  He of course killed it at once, and then proceeded to find a remedy.  A physician was called, and meanwhile a pint and a half of whisky was taken, and when Dr. Shrope arrived he found his patient so intoxicated as to be unconscious.  He, however, cauterized the wound and administered some stimulants.  Mr. Shaper is better, but we cannot tell how it will terminate.

Thankfully, John sobered up and recovered, as was described in the July 11, 1888 edition of the Wilmington Journal:  “John Shaper, who was bitten by a rattlesnake a short time since, has recovered.  He went out squirrel-hunting and succeeded in killing the following:  Three squirrels, one chicken-hawk, one fox, one crow, one owl, one raccoon.  So you see he must be a lucky sportsman.”

Of course, not all small town news is entertaining and some is downright sad.  However, newspaper research is a great way to go beyond demographics and learn about our ancestors’ day-to-day lives, sometimes even who they visited over the holidays or what kind of pie they baked for the church social.  Read newspapers and meet your ancestors!