Description: The caption reads: "Interior of Garver Bros Departments Store, Strassburg O. The "Worlds Largest Country Store.'" The store was started by Phillip A. Garver in 1866. It thrived under his sons, George Rudolph and Gustave Albert. From 1903 to 1970 it was known as the country's largest general store. They were able to compete with large retailers such as Sears and JCPenny. The store was closed in 1970. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B14F03_014_001
Subjects: Strasburg (Ohio); Tuscarawas County (Ohio); General stores
Places: Strasburg (Ohio); Tuscarawas (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1930-1943, this photograph shows two men shoveling coal into minecarts at the Blue Bell Mine near Strasburg, Ohio, in Tuscarawas County. A note on the reverse of the photograph reads "Close up surface coal mining. Blue Bell mine near Strasburg. S. H. Green. West High Ave., New Phila, N.K." The first European settlers recognized the value in Ohio's natural coal resources and in 1837 the first Geological Survey of Ohio studied the mineral resources of the state, especially coal. Ohio's canal system allowed for easy coal transportation for mining, and by the mid 1800s railroads and more advanced mining technologies advanced coal mining output in Ohio. Eventually, coal became the primary source of energy for electricity and fueled the many steel mills in the upper Ohio River Valley. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F02_030_001
Subjects: Coal mines and mining--Ohio; Coal miners; Charcoal industry--Ohio; Blue Bell Mining Company; Photography--Ohio
Places: Strasburg (Ohio); Tuscarawas County (Ohio)
 

Description: The caption reads: "Strossburg O. Graduating Class" Strasburg is a village in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B14F02_028_001
Subjects: Tuscarawas County (Ohio); Graduation ceremonies
Places: Strasburg (Ohio); Tuscarawas (Ohio)
 

Description: Close view of coal miners engaged in surface mining at the Blue Bell Coal Mine near Strasburg, Ohio, ca. 1930-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL01039
Subjects: Tuscarawas County (Ohio); Ohio Economy--Economy--Business
Places: Strasburg (Ohio)
 

Description: Close view of coal miners engaged in surface mining at the Blue Bell Coal Mine near Strasburg, Ohio, ca. 1930-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL01041
Subjects: Tuscarawas County (Ohio); Ohio Economy--Economy--Business
Places: Strasburg (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1895, this broadside advertises price cuts for medicine, toiletries, and soaps sold by Garver Bros. & Co. of Strasbourg, Ohio, in Tuscarawas County. The Garver Brothers, G. Rudolph (Rudy) and G. Albert, operated the store which their father Philip founded in 1866, which eventually sold a wide range of items including dry goods, furniture, groceries, shoes, and much more. It came to be known as the "World's Largest Country Store" and before long their clientele expanded beyond Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: OVS3476
Subjects: Advertisements; Ohio Economy--Economy--Business; Medicine; Retail trade--Ohio--Columbus; Health and hygiene
Places: Strasburg (Ohio); Tuscarawas County (Ohio)
 

Description: Close view of coal miners engaged in surface mining at the Blue Bell Coal Mine near Strasburg, Ohio, ca. 1930-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B14F02_001_001
Subjects: Surface mining; Coal mines and mining--Ohio--History
Places: Tuscarawas County (Ohio)
 

Description: Handwritten on reverse: "WPA Collection. Ohio Guide." This photographic montage, presumably made for possible use in The Ohio Guide, is made up of Tuscarawas County newspaper mastheads, headlines and miscellaneous articles and photographs, most of which are dated around December 7, 1938. Newspaper mastheads that appear in the photograph include: Dennison Daily Paragraph, The Daily Times, The Evening Chronicle (Uhrichsville), The Budget, Strasburg Record, The Daily Reporter, Newcomerstown News. Headlines that appear include: "Thomas Kemp", "Officers Installed On Tuesday Evening", "Christmas Play Sunday Dec. 18", "Wardell - Ricker Nuptials", "Cooking Show Opens Friday For Two Days", "Creek Project Comes to Life After Parley", and "Tax Protest Spreads as Town Meet Nears". From 1935 to 1942, the Works Progress Administration (WPA), through its Federal Writers' Project created The American Guide Series, which included forty-eight state guides, as well as supplemental guides for large cities, etc. The state guides are divided into three sections. In the first section are general essays about the state on things such as agriculture, culture, history, industry, religion, etc. The second section contains an overview of the various cities and towns around the state, as well as enumerating various points of interest. The last section is dedicated to various tours around the state. The tourist is taken from city to city, with turn by turn directions, and descriptions of what can be seen along the way. While much of the country has grown and changed since the guides were written, it is surprising how much remains, and sometimes more surprising what has been lost. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B09F16_069
Subjects: Montages; United States. Works Progress Administration of Ohio; Federal Writers' Project. Ohio Federal Writers' Project
Places: Tuscarawas County (Ohio)