On a frigid December night in 1876, Ashtabula, Ohio, became the site of one of the deadliest railroad disasters in American history. When a passenger train plunged from a failed bridge into Ashtabula Creek, fire, freezing temperatures, and structural collapse turned a routine journey into a national tragedy.

Hosted at the Henderson Memorial Public Library, this talk by Gannon University’s Dr. Ted Yeshion connects a defining moment in Ashtabula’s past with the broader history of forensic science, medicine, and community action. It explores not only what happened that tragic night, but what followed in the days afterward, when local doctors, officials, and citizens faced unprecedented challenges in how to identify dozens of victims at a time before fingerprinting, DNA testing, and modern forensic practices.

This presentation uses clear language and historical images to illustrate how 19th-century professionals relied on careful observations, personal effects, and handwritten records to address grieving families’ questions. The identification work carried out in Ashtabula helped establish a foundation for the disaster victim identification practices that are used today.

Questions from attendees are highly encouraged throughout the talk