Readers of early Stark County history will come across references to New Guinea in Lexington Township.
Usually in the form of a sentence or two, most mentions provide very little detail about the Black settlement along the Mahoning River that flourished in the early 1800s, long before the Civil War freed the slaves.
On Tuesday, June 16 at 6 p.m., local historian Michelle Dillon will discuss “The Mystery of New Guinea” inside Rodman Auditorium as part of the library’s Juneteenth observance.
Registration is required to attend.
The lecture, co-sponsored by Rodman Public Library and Alliance Historical Society, is free to attend, but registration is required at rodmanlibrary.com.
Dillon, a retired librarian and vice president of the Alliance Historical Society, has compiled comprehensive research about New Guinea, from its origins around 1805, to life within the settlement, to its demise in the 1850s. That also includes the names of those free persons of color who were among the settlers of New Guinea.
During her talk, Dillon will share what she has found during her quest to learn more about New Guinea.