04/03/2026
Here is an interesting article from 2009 in the Fall/Winter issue of "Tree of Liberty," the Friends of Fort Laurens Newsletter.
The article discusses the Tuscarawas County Historical Society recreating a 1950's radio show about Fort Laurens. For those of you not born in the 1900's, before the days of streaming services and a television in every room, families regularly gathered around the radio for their news and evening entertainment. Many radio stations did their own weekly sitcoms and families gathered by the radio to listen to their favorite show. By the 1950's, more people had a television, and radio shows declined. But for a few decades, they were a very important part of people's lives.
Do you remember this particular recreation done in 2009? Or better yet, do you remember ever listening to a radio show back in the day?
Tuscarawas County Historical Society
Re-Creates 1950’s Radio
Program about Ft. Laurens
T. Pieper
On December 8, 2009, Foundation President Tom Pieper was invited to participate in the re-creation of a radio drama about Fort Laurens for The Tuscarawas County Historical Society’s Annual Winter Dinner.
In the 1950’s, The Ohio Bell Telephone Company sponsored a radio program called “The Ohio Story”. One of the installments of “The Ohio Story” dealt with Fort Laurens and the famous incident of Colonel John Gibson giving the Indians who were besieging the fort, in February 1779, a barrel of flour, to show the Indians that the fort was not low on supplies and could “hold out” for many more days. The Indians broke their siege of the fort shortly thereafter and went back to their towns and the fort was saved.
The Tuscarawas County Historical Society re-created this radio drama, which originally aired on April 14, 1954, for their Annual Winter Meeting.
To re-create the radio program, a member of The Tuscarawas County Historical Society, Fred Welsch, transcribed the drama from two, 78 rpm records which had been given to The Historical Society. Fred spent countless hours in this transcription.
Tom Pieper read the part of the “Announcer” and the “Narrator”. Fred Welsch handled several speaking parts and Tom Yeager took the part of Colonel Gibson. The incident, Colonel John Gibson giving the Indians a barrel of flour, is not supported by any documented historical materials. However, several community and area histories mentioned the incident and it has become part of the “lore” of Fort Laurens.
1930S Unidentified Family Listening To Radio
