The Puskarich Public Library System in Harrison County, Ohio recently digitized it's local historical newspapers, creating the Community History Archive which is free, online, and searchable. I was so excited to delve into this new resource and see if any of my relatives are mentioned in the news.
Most of my Holloways lived in Belmont and Guernsey Counties, but Harrison County borders both, and my relatives lived near the borders, so I was hopeful. So far I've found a number of articles related to collateral relatives (siblings of my direct-line ancestors, for instance).
The only mention I found of my 4th great grandfather, Robert Holloway, was also my most amusing find: an advertisement from 1844:
These advertisements appeared regularly in this newspaper for years. These magical pills supposedly "purify the blood and consequently cure diseases." Evidently, three marked labels on the box and purchasing through one of the listed "agents" will guarantee the quality and authenticity of the "medicine." Just for reference, I'll mention that the federal Food and Drug Administration did not exist until 1906. In the 1840s, most physicians were still treating illnesses with bloodletting and other harmful practices, and belief in sham medicines was strong (University of Toledo quakery medicine website).
Thanks for returning to my blog - I'd love to read your comments! I'll share more from the collateral relatives' newspaper mentions in the future.
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