Former librarian to explore the mystery of New Guinea

ALLIANCE, Ohio — Former librarian and local historian Michelle Dillon will present “The Mystery of New Guinea” on June 16 at 6 p.m. Rodman Auditorium at Rodman Public Library, 215 East Broadway St., Alliance.

She will explore the little-known Black settlement of New Guinea in Lexington Township during a Juneteenth program at Rodman Public Library Readers of early Stark County histories will occasionally come across brief references to New Guinea along the Mahoning River. Usually, only a sentence or two, most mentions provide very little detail about the settlement, which flourished in the early 1800s long before the Civil War ended slavery.

The lecture, co-sponsored by Rodman Public Library and the 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 extensive research on New Guinea, tracing its origins around 1805, daily life within the settlement, and its decline in the 1850s. Her work also documents the names of free persons of color who lived there.

During her talk, Dillon will share what she has discovered in her effort to better understand this early Black community in Stark County.

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