Knox County Historical Society

10/19/2026

Well over two hundred people took advantage of the beautiful day to join us at the Hike-and-Learn event at the Devil's Backbone on Sunday. Special thanks to our partners at the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County and the Knox County Park District who promoted the event and took care of most of the logistics. Thanks to the Chase family who opened their property to the public for the event. Thanks to David Greer for putting it all together and for sharing his knowledge with those who hiked the trails. Thanks to the volunteers who kept guests well-informed, hydrated, and full of trail mix. And thanks to everyone who came and joined us.

10/14/2026

History, Grave-Robbing, Old-Timey Medical Stuff... Who could ask for anything more? Come check it out at the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County.

Body Snatching & Grave Robbing in the 19th Century
with Doug Hulett of Northcoast Narrative

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 6:30 in the Multipurpose Room

Body Snatchers ...
Grave Robbers ...
Buried Secrets

They thought the dead would rest in peace.

Think grave robbing ended with the pharaohs? Think again. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries—including right here in Ohio—body snatchers prowled cemeteries under cover of darkness, stealing the dead to supply medical schools and researchers.

Who were the victims? Who profited from these midnight crimes? Were the graves of famous Ohioans ever disturbed?

Discover the chilling true story of grave robbing and body snatching—and the shocking secrets buried beneath Ohio's soil.

10/10/2026

While you are enjoying football games this weekend (or avoiding them), take a look at a recent donation to the Museum--a photo of the 1928 Mount Vernon High School Football Team.

We know the names of the team members thanks to our Yearbook Collection, but not where they appear in the photo. So, if anyone recognizes a parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent, or any of the other players, please let us know.

10/08/2026

The Museum was crowded last night for Mark Jordan's talk. People clearly enjoyed it.

Copies of his book, The Maplehurst Murder: Mount Vernon's Most Infamous Unsolved Crime, remain available for purchase.

10/05/2026

Mark Sebastian Jordan will discuss the unsolved 1905 killing of Miranda Bricker on Oct. 7 at the Knox County Historical Museum.

10/03/2026

The long-departed Maplehurst Mansion doesn't look particularly infamous (at least not in its "Cat's Meow" incarnation). But Mark Jordan is coming to the Museum on Wednesday to tell us about its connection to one of Mount Vernon's most salacious unsolved crimes. Join us at the Museum at 7:30 pm on Ocober 7, 2026 to learn more.

09/29/2026

We are still getting requests from people who were not able to come to the movie at the The Woodward Opera House last week...or from people who want to watch it again.

So...you can now watch both centuries of Knox County's history on our YouTube Channel. Enjoy. Leave comments. Keep an eye on the site as we expect to add more material in the near future.

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09/24/2026

We had a good turnout at the event last night. Our partners from The City of Mount Vernon, Ohio , the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County and the The Woodward Opera House joined us and I think everyone was pleased. We also wanted to thank Mr. John Nixon for lending his technical expertise to the proceedings and for all of you who came out to watch with us.

09/24/2026

We had a great turnout last night....and everyone seemed to enjoy the show. Several even shared stories and memories of their own.