Cincinnati.com: The tale of Ohio's only known witch trial
Dressing like a witch at Halloween is now commonplace, but witchery was once dangerous business
Professor Janine Hartman, who teaches a course at the University of Cincinnati titled Women and Witchcraft, was interviewed for a feature story in the Cincinnati Enquirer on the topic of witches in Ohio’s history.
Just in time for Halloween, the article focuses on the 1803 Ohio Witch Trial in Bethel, Ohio. The trial was modeled after prior witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts…but had a much better outcome. As it turned out, the local accused of being a witch most likely had epilepsy.
Since then, movies like “Harry Potter” and “Hocus Pocus” have gentled the idea of witches and witchcraft.
"Something has changed in our culture," Hartman said, adding: Acting like, dressing like or even claiming to be a witch, is now “as American as apple pie."
However: "We have such narrow beliefs," Hartman says in the article, pointing to the fact that “many buildings still don't have 13th floors and animal shelters still report that black dogs and cats are harder to find homes for.”
Featured image of witch from iStock/Katerina Sisperova
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Putting preschool into perspective
July 20, 2026
Preschool and childcare can be difficult to navigate for parents, as Spectrum News 1 Ohio recently reported. Waitlists are long, and factors like cost, location and transportation can limit options. According to a recent study published by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, only 41% of 3- to 4-year-olds in Ohio were enrolled in preschool between 2020 and 2024 — a 4% decrease from pre-pandemic numbers. For University of Cincinnati early childhood education faculty member Chad Nunamaker, that statistic has caveats.
Ticks that survive pesticides can withstand colder winters
July 17, 2026
Ticks that survive less-than-lethal doses of pesticide are able to withstand dangerous cold, which could help them expand their range farther north, according to researchers at the University of Cincinnati and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Why does it feel like so many Cincinnati restaurants close?
July 17, 2026
WLWT and the Cincinnati Enquirer cited UC research in reports on recent restaurant closures in the city.