SALEM — The March 11 program of the Salem Historical Society & Museum will be presented at the Shaffer Library, located at 239 South Lundy Ave., at 7 p.m. Nonmembers of the Society are welcome to attend. Following a short business meeting, the program, “The Fighting Quakers,” will be presented by Melisssa Carchedi.

In 1859, brothers Edwin and Barclay Coppock participated in John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry. The brothers, born in Winona and living in Damascus until moving to Springdale, Iowa, met Brown while he was recruiting for his anti-slavery raids. The Coppock’s were Quakers, a religious group that opposed slavery, so they decided to follow Brown. The raid on Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, occurred in October 1859. John Brown’s goal was to take control of an Army armory and then start a slave revolt by arming slaves. The raid was unsuccessful, and Brown’s men were defeated by a company of United States Marines led by Robert E. Lee. Brown and most of his men, including Edwin Coppock, were either captured or killed. Coppock was captured and later executed on Dec. 16, 1859. Barclay Coppock escaped Harper’s Ferry and made his way back to Iowa.

Melissa Carchedi currently teaches second grade in the Mars Area School District, located in Mars, Pennsylvania. A 2003 West Branch Local High School graduate, she grew up in Salem, Ohio where she developed an interest in history by learning about her community. After hearing the story of the Coppock men from her brother, Melissa decided to pursue her own research. This endeavor has allowed her to speak to various historians connected to the Coppock brothers and John Brown. She has also visited many colleges, museums, and historical sites in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Iowa. She has traveled to visit the Coppock homestead in Springdale, Iowa and the location where the men first encountered John Brown’s Raiders. She has been honored to present her research to historical societies and community groups across Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Iowa.

Contact the Salem Historical Society for information at 330-337-8514.