Ohio Mysteries

Hello and welcome to another episode of Ohio Mysteries Backroads. Founded in 1898 on 240 acres of farmland donated to the state, Massillon State Hospital opened its doors under the name Eastern Ohio Mental Asylum. Its first patients came from 21 Ohio counties.  At its peak in the 1950s, the hospital housed more than 3,100 patients and employed roughly 365 staff — part of what many regarded as one of “the most beautiful institutions in the world.”  But as treatments and mental-health policies evolved, the massive institution began to shrink. By the mid-1970s many patients were transferred out, and over decades the facility gradually shifted identities — eventually becoming Heartland Behavioral Health Center.  The origins: how farmland donated by early settlers became a state asylum. Lives within the walls: personal stories, struggles, and survival in a sprawling mental-health institution. The rise and fall: how peak expansion gave way to decline, changing mental-health philosophies, and shifting societal attitudes. What remains today: the buildings, the memories, the legacy — and the efforts to preserve or repurpose pieces of its history. Join us on a journey through time, memory, and healing. If you’re curious about mental-health history, local heritage, or the echoes of institutions long gone — this podcast is for you. Correspondence, recipies, questions, complaints and overall feedback about what hot dogs are made of: [email protected] Check out our Facebook page!: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558042082494¬if_id=1717202186351620¬if_t=page_user_activity&ref=notif⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please check other podcast episodes like this at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ohiomysteries.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dan hosts a Youtube Channel called: Ohio History and Haunts where he explores historical and dark places around Ohio: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj5x1eJjHhfyV8fomkaVzsA⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jane Vangilder was a mother of five and wife of an abusive husband when she walked away from her West Virginia home in 1945 and wound up at a wartime factory in Plymouth, Ohio. A few months later, mail from her children bounced back undeliverable, starting a 75-year-old search for the missing woman. Thanks to a police officer from Shelby, Ohio, there is renewed interest in finding an answer. ⁠ www.ohiomysteries.com⁠f⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/ohiomysteries⁠⁠ www.twitter.com/mysteriesohio⁠⁠ www.facebook.com/ohiomysteries⁠ Music: You Create Your Own World, by Mitchel Madak. ⁠https://www.facebook.com/MitchelGMadak⁠ Additional music: Audionautix- The Great Unknown, and The Great Phospher- Daniel Birch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello and welcome to another episode of Ohio Mysteries Backroads. On November 23, 1963—while the nation was consumed by news of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination—a devastating fire quietly swept through the Golden Age Nursing Home in Fitchville, Ohio. In a matter of minutes, 63 residents, many unable to walk or call for help, lost their lives in one of the deadliest nursing home fires in U.S. history. In this episode, we uncover the overlooked tragedy that was overshadowed by national mourning. Through historical records, survivor accounts, and expert insights, we explore how outdated building codes, inadequate staffing, and a lack of fire protections created the perfect storm. We also examine how this disaster became a turning point that transformed safety standards for care facilities across the country. Join us as we shine a light on the forgotten victims, the systemic failures that doomed them, and the reforms their loss helped inspire. Correspondence, recipies, questions, complaints and overall feedback about what hot dogs are made of: [email protected] Check out our Facebook page!: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558042082494¬if_id=1717202186351620¬if_t=page_user_activity&ref=notif⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please check other podcast episodes like this at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ohiomysteries.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dan hosts a Youtube Channel called: Ohio History and Haunts where he explores historical and dark places around Ohio: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj5x1eJjHhfyV8fomkaVzsA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello and welcome to another episode of Ohio Mysteries Backroads. In todays special BONUS episode we explore Ohio's historic Thanksgiving traditions. From pioneers to today these traditions have become part of our lives and passed down from one generation to the next. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Check out our Facebook page!: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558042082494¬if_id=1717202186351620¬if_t=page_user_activity&ref=notif⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please check other podcast episodes like this at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ohiomysteries.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dan hosts a Youtube Channel called: Ohio History and Haunts where he explores historical and dark places around Ohio: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj5x1eJjHhfyV8fomkaVzsA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello and welcome to another episode of Ohio Mysteries Backroads. In this chilling true-crime episode, we unravel the disturbing story of Matthew Hoffman, the Ohio man whose obsession with trees and leaves hid a far darker secret. When three people vanished from the small town of Mount Vernon in 2010, investigators stumbled upon a nightmarish scene inside Hoffman’s home — walls lined with leaves, strange journals, and a lone survivor. Join us as we dive deep into Hoffman’s troubled past, the shocking details of his crimes, and the psychological unraveling that led to one of the most bizarre and horrifying cases in modern Ohio history. Featuring expert commentary, case files, and haunting first-hand accounts, this episode explores the twisted mind behind the “Leaf Killer.” Check out our Facebook page!: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558042082494¬if_id=1717202186351620¬if_t=page_user_activity&ref=notif⁠⁠⁠ Please check other podcast episodes like this at: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.ohiomysteries.com/⁠⁠⁠ Dan hosts a Youtube Channel called: Ohio History and Haunts where he explores historical and dark places around Ohio: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj5x1eJjHhfyV8fomkaVzsA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices