Historical Society of Columbiana & Fairfield Township, Inc.

05/31/2026

Springfield Township Historicl Society Afternoon at the Museum, June 7th, Speaker is Paul Rohrbaugh (Driving it Home General Motors Lordstown Complex 1956-2019) President McKinley 25th President of USA, born in Niles, raised in Poland and made his home in Canton.
Springfield Township Museum opens at 1:30. Program at 2:00. the Public is invited! 14188 Youngstown-Poland Road, Petersburg.

05/29/2026

A great piece of local history at Springfield Township Historical Society. I spent the afternoon looking into who was "G.G. Marks". It turns out, not to be G.G. but J.J. Marks.. No luck in Ancestry, newspapers with G.G. I look at a business Directory from `1900, no funeral directors;; I look at the Quadrennial Census of 1901 in Columbiana and I find a Mary E Marks owning Lot 38 in Columbiana. A 1910 Census record for Mary has her residing in the household of J.J. Marks, Beaver Township, occupation listed as Funeral Director.. Switch to J.J Marks in searching, we find the obituary, We found prior to having a funeral home in Columbiana in 1905, he operated a funeral home in North Lima. We also learn he sells his funeral business to Wick Fry in 1920. Mr. Fry operated until he retired and sold his business to Mr. Detwiler 1944. Page 17 of the Red Book has a photo of a funeral carriage dated 1903 of John Marks Funeral Home, Elmer Sitler, Driver. I love a puzzle and thanks to Springfield Township Historical for providing me with one!!!!

05/29/2026

Thank you to the Society for allowing me to visit and see how your 3rd grade program is handled. We have some new ideas to share with our program hosts for next spring! So many artifacts on display! I learned a few new facts about Columbiana today!

05/26/2026

What a great morning at the Museum!!! Jay Groner, Joyce Allcorn, Mary Louise Dicken, Janet Willammee and I were the guides for 78 CHS 3rd graders! The attention and energy from the 3rd graders were great. Interaction, questions and answers made my heart happy!!!!
Thanks to Janet for organizing. Thanks to the CHS 3rd grade teachers, Meghan Stein, Christina Beggs, Katie Maloney and Tyler Best. A little secret, we enjoy it maybe more than the students!!!

05/26/2026

Marine Corp LCPL Lawrence Alan “Larry” Esterly was born August 6,1948 to Merle and Laura Robinson Esterly. He spent his youth in Columbiana until moving to Lisbon to graduate from Lisbon High School in 1967. There he met his future wife, Marla Marchbanks.

In May of 1967, Larry graduated from Lisbon High School and was drafted by the local board, he chose service in the United States Marine Corps. He completed basic training Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Larry came home on a 20 day furlough, October of 1968 to spend time with his wife Marla and infant son Michael Jay. He reported to Camp Pendleton, California deploying on November 25, 1968 for Viet Nam.

Lance Corporal Esterly was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 26th Marines. As a squad leader, he worked with his men in Quang Nam Province, a dangerous area where Marines faced ambushes, hidden ground explosives and intense combat.

July 18,1969, Larry was killed by flying debris from a hostile explosive device. He was 20 years old, just 43 days shy of his 21st birthday. Lance Cpl. Esterly was returned home and buried with full military honors in Lisbon Cemetery, Lisbon, Ohio.

Marla Marchbanks Esterly Lasko shares the following:
“Larry grew up in Columbiana and was passionate about sports. During his childhood, Larry and his friends spent many hours at the Firestone Park with tennis and pick-up basketball games, the preferred pastimes. He was proud to be on the Columbiana Clippers football and basketball teams. During Larry’s summers he could be found playing on the baseball team sponsored by American Legion Post 290, with his dad Merle coaching, mom Laura serving as scorekeeper and his sisters Connie and Debbie cheering for the team."

LCpl Esterly #2478678 MOS: 0311 Rifleman. Lawrence was drafted into the US Marines. He arrived in Vietnam 29 November 1968 and was assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. The 1st Battalion was participating in Operation Mighty Play when Charlie Company....

05/25/2026

He was returned to Columbiana for burial 28 Feb 1952. Columbiana Ledge obit, Find A Grave Memorial #88872062

Marine Corporal William A. Spratt, was born on December 11, 1931, in Rogers, Ohio, to Carl D. and Leota Blair Spratt. He grew up in Columbiana, where he graduated with the Class of 1949 from Columbiana High School.
Even in his youth, Bill’s life was touched by hardship. During his junior year, he survived a devastating car accident that claimed the lives of two of his classmates.
In July of 1949, shortly after graduation, Bill enlisted With his close friend William Culp in the Marine Corps. The two young men trained and served side by side, ultimately deploying to Korea in October of 1950 as part of the 1st Ordnance Battalion, 1st Marine Division.
Bill’s commitment to service was shared by his brother, Corporal Robert Spratt, who also served in Korea with the Marine Corps Engineer Division. The brothers met in Japan during leave—a
before returning home for a 30-day furlough.
On January 4, 1952, Bill reported to the Marine base at Chincoteague, Virginia, while his brother reported to Quantico.
On the evening of February 23, 1952, Spratt, Culp, and several fellow Marines received a pass to go into town. In the early hours of the morning, near Westover, Maryland, their outing ended in tragedy. Bill sustained severe head injuries and a broken arm after being dragged by a vehicle involved in a terrible accident. Despite every effort, he passed away from his injuries that very morning, 20 years old.
His remains were escorted back to Columbiana by his faithful friend and fellow Marine, William Culp. On February 28, 1952, he was laid to rest in Columbiana Cemetery.

05/25/2026

I remember a conversation in the salon with Miriam Esterly Hutson about Memorial Day and Decoration Day when she was a child at Columbiana School on Pittsburgh Street. Dressed in white and carrying flowers they had picked at home or on the way to school. they would follow the veterans from Grace Reform Church, along Main Street and turn at the square to head down East Park Avenue and up what was called Cemetery Hill to place the flowers on graves of veterans in Columbiana Cemetery. Miriam graduated in 1943, as a child in school, would be the 1930's. What a memory!! photo is Cemetery Hill 1910 RPPC, GAR veterans walking back to town.

05/25/2026

Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, was established after the Civil War and formalized on May 30, 1868 by Commander-in-chief John A. Logan of the G.A.R. (Grand Army Republic). The holiday was reserved to honor Union soldiers who had perished during the Civil War. After World War I, it was expanded to honor those who had died in all conflicts.

Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1968 to create convenient three-day weekends for federal employees, officially shifting the holiday from its traditional fixed date of May 30 to the last Monday in May. The name "Memorial Day" was officially adopted in 1971.

This flag donated by the family of Brigadier General Ephraim Holloway of the 41st OVI.

05/25/2026

Army SGT Ira O Culp was born on June 7, 1920, in Mahoning County, Ohio, to Trancy and Clara Schaller Culp. He grew up in Beaver Township, attending high school at Columbiana and graduating with the class of 1938. As a young man, he worked as an apprentice bricklayer.
At age 21, he registered for the draft. His journey began at Fort McClellan, Alabama, with the 22nd Battalion, 7th Regiment. He was assigned to the B.I.R.T.C. (Branch Immaterial Replacement Training Center) Over the next two years, he traveled across the country, from Seattle, Washington, to Camp Adair, Oregon, and Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, preparing for war. In September of 1944, Ira shipped out with his unit, bound for the battlefields of Europe.
Sgt. Culp served with the 276th Infantry Regiment of the 70th Infantry Division, part of the Seventh Army. These were men who found themselves in the heart of some of the fiercest fighting of World War II. It was bitter winter, and the world was watching as the Allies pushed back against the darkness of tyranny.
On January 4, 1945, during combat operations in France, Sgt. Ira O. Culp was killed. He was 24 years old and awarded the Purple Heart. Ira rests now at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Lorraine, France.
A tombstone in Columbiana Cemetery stands next to his parents tombstone with the gold star flag marker.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/88283179/ira-o-culp

05/25/2026

Army Pvt Harold L Firestone was born 2 July 1923 to Walter and Thelma Mentzer Firestone. He graduated from Columbiana High School Class of 1941.
He enlisted in the army along with cousins and classmates. My great-grandmother Firestone would have one son, three grandsons and two son-in-laws serving their country.

He was a member of "B" Company, 23rd Army Infantry Battalion, 7th Armored Division. They left the States June 7, 1944 from NY and arrived in England June 14. They trained at Tidworth Barracks in Wiltshire, England. They landed on Omaha Beach 9th of August and entered combat 14 August,1944 at La Ferte Bernard, Sarthe, France.
The Lorraine Campaign began the 1st of September.
On Sep 6: General Thompson ordered the 23rd to push on to the Moselle River. About 0400 on the 7th of September, the 23rd reached a little cluster of houses know as Le Chene on the river just north of Dornot. As daybreak came, they were met with German mortar fire and bullets from both sides of the river. Late in the afternoon the 23rd attempted to put a patrol across the Moselle and it was driven back by direct machine gun fire. Two of the three boats were destroyed and a large number of men in the patrol were killed.
Rain fell on the morning of the 8th of September and made the narrow roads slippery and treacherous.
The 1st and 3rd Battalions were ordered to cross and use the 23rd to augment General Irwins infantry.
Around 0600 they reached the rivers edge. This would be a frontal attack against what appeared to be a well fortified position. General Irwin decided to postpone the attack unril his artillery could be displaced to new firing positions. Eventually the commanders organized the crossing attack. By this time the 23rd had incurred such losses they were reduced to less than half their normal strength.
Pvt. Harold Firestone was one of these losses. A few rounds of mortar fire landed close in on their position causing several casualties; he received a number of severe shrapnel wounds which caused his death in a few moments. His body was later recovered in a lull of the firing and he was taken to the rear to be buried in the US. Military Cemetery #1 at Andilly, France, Grave #132, Row 6, Plot K where he was laid away with full battle field honors. A Memorial Service was held for Pvt. Firestone and his fallen buddies during a rest period after the action along the Moselle River.

He was awarded the Purple Heart and returned after the war to be buried in the Columbiana Cemetery.
His name is on the war memorial with other KIA's.

The Banner Serviceman’s Letter dated April 1944, No 8, published by the National Rubber Machine Co., Columbiana Ohio lists under roll call " Pvt Harold Firestone Fort McClellan Alabama. " Harold L Firestone left his work with us February 16, 1944 to enter the army"

The Banner Servicemans Letter dated October 1944 No 12, published by National Rubber and Machinery Co. Columbiana Ohio "We are sorry that we have to include in our bulletin the information that Mr. Firestone received word that his son had been killed in action in France. Harold had not been overseas very long as he had just concluded a furlough 7/19 to return to camp. Harold was an infantry scout."

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34507105/harold-leroy-firestone