Although comprised of only 18 communities, Tuscarawas County, Ohio
boasts a long and varied history.
Rich in Native American and early pioneer lore, Tuscarawas is the
birthplace of the first pioneer settlement in the Ohio County
(1772-1777), and home to the only Revolutionary War fort in the state,
erected in 1778 near Bolivar. Coal mines, a significant source of
employment for residents of the county, dotted the countryside, and the
Ohio Erie Canal, which ran the entire length of the county, provided
transportation for area goods and people. Unfortunately, major flooding
in 1913 caused intensive damage to low-lying settlements, but more
recently, archaeological expeditions have sketched an image of early
life in these communities, and have even uncovered a Revolutionary War
burial site.