I'm trying to solve a family mystery. My 2nd great grandfather was born into a large, wealthy family in Maryland. His father died in 1827 when he was about 4 and 4 years later he went to live in Zanesville for 2 years (from a short biography I found about him). I don't know how he got there or who took him. I want to go there and hit the libraries and historical societies for any clues. Would he have been likely to go to school? Could he have been apprenticed to someone (seems too young). He grew up to be a '49er. As an adult, he worked as a clerk and ran a livery in California.
I know that I'm out of my element here, but I'm so happy to see a question about my tiny hometown that I can't help but respond, to keep something in my history to come back to if nothing else..
OP, if someone here can suggest a book I can grab at the local library, or I think there's even a local "historical society" place downtown, I'm happy to go have a look and see what I can tell you. it's only a mile away:)
We actually had sort of a major city going on in the time frame you're asking about, I know that much, we were shortly the state capitol only 20 years earlier.. so the place certainly wasn't exactly farmland at that point, if that helps at all..
I'm no historian, but I grew up here being taught the local history, even living in a house built in 1846.. there must be SOMETHING I can contribute here, and I'm excited to do so.
There is plenty of history here, but it requires more effort than you appear to think, if you drive here looking for multiple "libraries" and "historical societies" you're going to be a bit disappointed.. it's still a relatively small town, maybe 25,000 pop. or so.. and there might be one building of each description if you're lucky.. but I'm happy to help out with what resources we do have here.