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]

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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!

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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

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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.”

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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

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In 1977, Musa Al Barr was hired by the city of Akron to recruit minority candidates to safety fore positions. But his promising career in the civic arena came to an end when someone crawled through his basement window, lured him into the dark cellar, and shot him to death. Was his murder connected to his job? Or troubles in his personal life?

A collaboration between Ohio Mysteries and Akron Beacon Journal.

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Hello and welcome to another episode of Ohio Mysteries Backroads. In tonight's episode we explore 3 ghostly Ohio tales. The first is the story of the murder of Billy Fee along the Ohio River whose ghost reportedly still haunts the area where he was murdered still seeking revenge

The next story is that of Gretchen's lock. A young girl who reportedly passed away in her fathers care and whose body was interred inside the lock her father was working on. As it turns out, well, you will have to listen and find out!

The last story is that of Elizabeth's grave. Her final resting place supposedly moves from the front of the cemetery to the back, in a final desperate attempt to rejoin her husband.

Whether youre a history buff, a paranormal investigator, or just love a good Ohio podcast, this episode invites you to join us and explore this spooky Ohio stories.

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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

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Hello and welcome to another episode of Ohio Mysteries Backroads. In tonight's episode we are joined by our special guest, Maria, as we discuss the iconic tuberculosis hospital Molly Stark of Louisville, Ohio.

In this episode we uncover the fascinating, eerie and often forgotten history of the Molly Stark hospital of Louisville, Ohio. Once a season of hope for patients suffering from tuberculosis and later an elderly care facility it was then abandoned and became a magnet for urban explorers and paranormal enthusiasts.

Its crumbling walls echoed with the stories of the past until it met its fate when a wrecking ball crumbled it to the ground in October in 2025.

Join us as we venture back in time to discuss the hospital's origins in the early 20th century, th many lives it's touched, the myths it's inspired and the local lore that keeps it's memories alive today.

Whether youre a history buff, a paranormal investigator, or just love a good Ohio podcast, this episode invites you to join us and explore this grand Ohio landmark.

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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

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A pair of Columbus mysteriesIn this episode, we recall two of Columbus' most stubborn mysteries. The 2019 case of Tyler Davis, who vanished after walking away from his hotel in Columbus after celebrating his wife's birthday. And the 1989 murder of Yvonne Norris, who was murdered by an intruder who set fire to her home in an attempt to destroy the crime scene.www.ohiomysteries.com[email protected]www.patreon.com/ohiomysterieswww.twitter.com/mysteriesohiowww.facebook.com/ohiomysteriesAdditional music:New Horizon - Aderin; Audionautix- The Great Unknown; The Great Phospher- Daniel Birch

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Hello and welcome to another episode of Ohio Mysteries Backroads. In tonight's episode author Wendy Koile joins Doug and Dan as they discuss the Cholera Cemetery of Sandusky, Ohio. In 1849, a brutal and vicious cholera epidemic swept through the nation and the growing town of Sandusky was greatly impacted. Over half the town fled in terror and the brave souls that remained were left to deal with the horrors that came with the epidemic.

Why didnt the man burying the bodies ever seem to contract the disease? Why were people slaughtering pigs in the cemetery? What happened to all the headstones?

Learn all about these stories and more when you join us for this gripping episode!

Author Wendy Koile's fantastic book Legends and Lost Treasure of Northern Ohio can be found here:https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Lost-Treasure-Northern-American/dp/1626192405/ref=sr_1_4?crid=ELA4HAZLHJW5&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.DwL0PVXwTG4pxGuBRur0ghocN6SbKN43yJJ7XLMCL5YotxRwFfWq4G1qKL9Ihu502gBfm33IGtwpaLzEfVMBoREheWvv2jQni0QarZzRJy_dHXU2bSlOJLLsG1fdBVQkA1dO9TTF7kHsaOhjl1ACQA.DvRs-d4W6LQVSUlUCwXvPkAU66Z0EHeJa-sUWxPGRWA&dib_tag=se&keywords=wendy+koile&qid=1736482331&sprefix=wendy+koile%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-4

Check out Wendy Koile's website for more: https://wendykoile.com

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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

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In this episode, we share two mysteries in Lorain County. The 1991 murder of 17-yer-old Angela Ayala in her own Sheffield Lake Bedroom. And the 2010 disappearance of Darla Kustra, who vanished with the exception of her severed foot.

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