Hambden Township in Chardon in Geauga County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Hanging Rock

Photographed by Mike Wintermantel, January 5, 2026

1. Hanging Rock Marker

Inscription. Near this location on May 15, 1823, the first murder trial in Geauga County concluded with the public execution of Benjamin Wright, Jr. On February 1, 1823, Wright stabbed Zophar Warner over a financial dispute, wounding him mortally. The following month, a jury found Wright guilty of murder and ordered that "he be hung by the neck until he be dead." At the time, executions in Ohio were carried out locally and public hangings were seen by some as social events. The "hanging bee" drew more than 4,000 people, some of whom traveled from upwards of 50 miles to witness the spectacle. One witness wrote. "I felt that he deserved to be hung... but it was an awful site I hope to never the like see again." Wright's body was taken to nearby LeRoy for burial and the gallows was dismantled.

Erected 2019 by William G. Pomeroy Foundation, City of Chardon and the Ohio History Connection. (Marker Number 18-28.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Law Enforcement. A significant historical date for this entry is February 1, 1823.

Location. 41° 34.436′ N, 81° 12.333′ W. Marker is in Chardon, Ohio, in Geauga County. It is in Hambden Township. It can be reached from Maple Highlands Trail 0.2 miles north of South Street (Ohio Route 44), on the right when traveling

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west. Marker is accessible via Maple Highlands Trail. Parking is not close by. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Chardon OH 44024, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cleveland

and in the Western Reserve.

It is also in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Chardon Trestle and Fire (a few steps from this marker); "Old" Chardon Post Office (approx. 0.4 miles away); Chardon Business District (approx. half a mile away); Geauga County Korean War Memorial (approx. 0.6 miles away); Honor Roll (approx. 0.6 miles away); Geauga County Vietnam War Memorial (approx. 0.6 miles away); Chardon Business District / Geauga County Courthouse (approx. 0.6 miles away); War Savings Stamps (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chardon.

Photographed by Mike Wintermantel, January 5, 2026

2. Hanging Rock Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on January 5, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 5, 2026, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 76 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 5, 2026, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.