Weird Coshocton: Library program features strange tales from local history
COSHOCTON − The next installment in the Weird Coshocton series will be from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Coshocton County District Library, 655 Main St.
Each session has facilitator Robert Kehl sharing tales of the strange and bizarre from Coshocton's more than 200 year history. Below are some stories from past presentations centered on local residents from years gone by who led unusual lives.
Aviation pioneer worked for the Wright Brothers
Russell Shaw was born in Coshocton in 1894. He taught himself to fly at around 16 years old and traveled the country flying airplanes at county fairs. He designed and built eight different flying machines including one of the first commercial flying boats. He worked for the Wright Brothers in 1916 and then built an airline for scenic views of the Grand Canyon. Afterward, he designed and improved many airports around the country. Shaw entered World War II at age 49 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He kept a photo album now located in the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Institution.
Legless daredevil dies performing
Billy Wilson was a daredevil from Coshocton in the early 1900s. He went to enlist in the Spanish-American War and got into an accident on his way back that resulted in the lose of both legs. Afterwards, he would travel around the state performing amazing leaps on his bicycle and was known as the Legless Wonder. He built a giant loop he called the Whirl of Death he unveiled at the Sixth Street Theater. The first performance went perfectly and the crowd loved it. On the second show, something went wrong and Billy crashed. He died in front of the crowd on Aug. 3, 1908.
Mayor was friends with a president
George Hay, a Coshocton resident who was stricken ill for many months, was surprised with a letter from his classmate at Princeton University on Nov. 21, 1913. Hay graduated from Princeton in 1879 and his classmate was none other than President Woodrow Wilson. Even with everything going on in the country, Wilson was thoughtful enough to send his regards. The president stated, “My dear Hay, I have heard with genuine distress that you have not been well since you attended the inauguration…I want to send you, in the meantime, this message of warm greeting and sympathy. Cordially and sincerely yours. Woodrow Wilson.” Hay attended Wilson’s inauguration on March 4 of the year. Hay was mayor of Coshocton for eight years and died March 14, 1914.
Farmer finds artifact
In May 1912, Frank Maxwell was plowing his farm just west of Roscoe when he noticed something strange sticking up from the ground. He went to investigate with a shovel and discovered a 33-inch-long well preserved Mastodon tusk. It was 13-inches in circumference. Maxwell took the tusk into town and it was displayed at the Buckeye Clothing Store, where it attracted all kinds of attention. At this point in history, only a few skeletons of mastodons were found so it was a very rare find indeed.
Coshocton sisters earn Miss Ohio
In 1925, Coshocton had their very own Miss Ohio. Her name was Irene Wolfe and she was selected as the healthiest girl in Ohio. She won the title at the Ohio State Fair and got to represent the state as Miss Ohio at the International Livestock Exposition in Chicago. She was just 15 at the time and from Canal Lewisville. The very next year, Irene’s sister Ethel would win Miss Ohio in the interstate style modeling contest. Ethel modeled garments that she made herself and went onto the international contest. This is different from Coshocton's current Miss Ohio, Madison Miller.
Provided by the Coshocton County District Library.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Weird Coshocton: Program features strange tales from local history
