In 1866, Alliance physician, amateur horticulturalist, and politician Dr. Levi Lamborn propagated the scarlet carnation from French seedlings in greenhouses at this site. Opposing William McKinley for the 18th Congressional District in 1876, Lamborn presented the future president with a carnation boutonniere before each debate. McKinley, successful in those debates, continued to use the carnation as a good-luck charm, wearing the carnation in his lapel as president. On September 14, 1901, moments after removing the flower from his lapel and giving it to a young admirer at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, President McKinley was killed by an assassin’s bullet. The Ohio General Assembly passed a joint resolution naming the scarlet carnation the state flower on February 3, 1904, as it “represented a token of love and reverence for the Ohio president.” On April 1, 1959, the Ohio Legislature proclaimed Alliance “The Carnation City.”

The Canal Fulton Canalway Center is a visitor and information center, located in northwestern Stark County along the Ohio and Erie Canal's Towpath Trail. Visitors can take a ride on the St. Helena III replica canal boat, learn about local history, and request information on things to do in the area. The Towpath Trail, the Heritage House and Olde Canal Days Museum, a picnic pavilion and playground are located close by in the park.

The St. Helena III canal boat is historically pulled by two Percheron horses and departs from the Port of Canal Fulton in St. Helena Heritage Park for a one hour ride down the Ohio & Erie Canal. A historian on board provides information on the history of the canal, the boat and the area.

Canton Classic Car Museum is so much more than cars! The museum opened in 1978 and is housed in a 1914 Ford dealership. Displaying over 40 antique and collectible cars and so much more. Visitors can once again delight not only in the rare and unusual vehicles – like a V16 Cadillac and a Studebaker Police Car – but also truckloads of memorabilia, demonstrations, guided tours, and a gift shop with something for everyone.

The Canton Museum of Art (CMA) is one of Ohio’s premier museums for an exceptional visual arts experience. CMA is recognized for powerful exhibitions focused on American art, its influences and themes that allow everyone to connect with creativity and cultural heritage. The Museum’s diverse education programs serve thousands of students and adults of all ages. CMA’s acclaimed Collection focuses on American works on paper, primarily watercolors, and ceramics. Founded in 1935, CMA is a cultural destination for the city and region, with community events and programs making the inspiration of art accessible to all — serving nearly 45,000 participants annually.

Golfer and World War II veteran William J. Powell, excluded from playing on many American golf courses because of his race, overcame the indignity of discrimination by creating his own course. Hand built in two years and opened in 1948, Clearview Golf Club is the first golf course in the United States designed, built, and owned by an African-American. The acclaimed course harmonizes with the landscape and bears many design elements of traditional British courses. A triumph of perseverance over discrimination, Clearview represents the historic postwar era when athletes first broke the “color line” in American sports.

At this site on September 17, 1952, an assembly of Louisville citizens led by Olga T. Weber joined U.S. Congressman Frank T. Bow in commemorating the completion of U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787. With the goal of promoting a wider understanding of citizens’ rights and responsibilities, the Committee for the Preservation of the Constitution lobbied for both state and national observances. In 1953, Governor Frank Lausche proclaimed September 17 as Constitution Day in Ohio; subsequently President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed the week of September 17, 1955 as Constitution Week. The committee, incorporated in 1962, has marked the anniversary each year since–making this Louisville tradition the nation’s longest continuing observance of Constitution Day.

Deer Creek Quaker Cemetery was established on land donated by Isaac Coates, who brought his family from Chester County, Pennsylvania to settle in Lexington Township in 1820. The name Deer Creek comes from the nearby stream and it signifies the numerous deer that have abounded in the vicinity. The cemetery sits across from the former Deer Creek Quaker Meeting House. Isaac Coates is among the pioneers laid to rest here.

The Dennison Railroad Depot, a National Historic Landmark, is the most significant remaining example in the nation of a railroad canteen still reflecting its WWII heritage.

During WWII, 1.3 Million service members were served free food by 4,000 working volunteers at the Dennison Depot Salvation Army Servicemen’s Canteen. These service men and women traveled by troop train along the National Defense Strategic Railway and stopped at the Depot as they were going off to fight in the war.

Our Homefront hospitality became so well known, that the nickname Dreamsville, USA was given to us by the soldiers themselves. Today, the beautifully restored 1873 Pennsylvania Railroad Depot, which served as the Panhandle Division Headquarters, offers plenty of family entertainment.

The Depot is fully restored and now houses a museum, restaurant, Panhandle Theater and Whistle Stop Railway Gift Shop. Visitors can explore the museum’s Railroad History and Sports exhibits, then watch the trains run in the large Model Train Layout depicting Dennison in its heyday. The theater features a film on Dennison’s role as a WWII Canteen that earned Dennsion the nickname Dreamsville, USA. A train of railroad cars is attached to the Depot which features the Children’s Interactive Railroad Car Experience, a special yearly Feature Exhibit Car, a rare WWII Hospital Car housing our WWI and WWII collections, and a Local History Car. The museum is very interactive and hands-on. Children are invited to follow Bing’s Scavenger Hunt.

Born in 1885 to Swiss immigrant parents, Ernest “Mooney” Warther began his carving legacy at the age of 5. At age 28, his focus was to capture the evolution of the steam engine, sculpting engines spanning the time periods from late B.C. to the introduction of diesel engines in the mid-1900s.

Tour our gallery spaces with over 100 pieces in the collection and learn about the awe-inspiring life of Ernest Warther. Explore the Warther family residence, Swiss-styled gardens, historic “Calico Ditch,” 3 acre park, and Frieda Warther’s collection of over 73,000 buttons. Join us at the Ernest Warther Museum & Gardens to experience the world that captures the depth and sincerity of an artist while simultaneously bringing to life the works in the collection and the spirit of the artist himself just as he lived.

The First Ladies National Historic Site is the only site in the world dedicated to the First Ladies of the U.S. and their contributions to American history. It is home to the National First Ladies Library & Museum, which showcases exhibits featuring First Ladies, as well as the Saxton-McKinley House, a fully restored Victorian mansion that was home to First Lady Ida Saxton McKinley and her husband, William McKinley, who was the 25th President of the United States. The Historic Site also includes a research library (currently accessible by appointment only), children's and educational space, and the First Ladies Park. The site is managed by the National Park Service in partnership with the National First Ladies Library & Museum.

Side A: Paul E. Brown, born September 7, 1908 in Norwalk, Ohio, and raised in Massillon, is a member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame and was one of the greatest coaches in the history of football at all levels. From 1932 until 1940, he led Massillon High School to a record of 80-8-2. He coached Ohio State to the 1942 national collegiate championship, and joined the professional football ranks in 1946 as coach of the new franchise in Cleveland. He coached his namesake Cleveland Browns to seven league championships in 17 seasons.

Side B: In 1968, Paul Brown brought professional football to Cincinnati as founder of the Bengals, and as the team’s coach until 1975. Known as pro football’s greatest innovator, he invented the “draw play,” introduced the use of facemasks on helmets, and was the first coach to call plays from the sidelines. He helped break the color barrier in modern American professional sports, featuring African-American players Marion Motley and Bill Willis on his 1946 Browns team, a year before Jackie Robinson’s debut in major league baseball. Brown died in 1991 and is buried in Rose Hill Memorial Park Cemetery in Massillon.

Explore the site of Ohio’s only Revolutionary War fort at Fort Laurens Museum. Tour the grounds that helped shape America’s history over 200 years ago and learn about soldiers on the frontier. Pay homage to the unknown defenders of the fort at the Tomb of the Unknown Patriot of the American Revolution. Fort Laurens is a must-see destination for anyone interested in learning more about American history, featuring a unique museum filled with various military and Native artifacts. The fort also hosts a variety of events that engage guests of all ages and educates them about many pivotal periods in America’s and Ohio’s history. You can also take a scenic path through the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail that goes from Fort Laurens to its sister site, Historic Zoar Village.

Tour this 180-year old home and learn about its history, life in Alliance in the 1870s, and the role of abolitionists in Ohio - the mainline of the Underground Railroad.

During your tour of the Haines House Underground Railroad Museum, view the restored mid-Victorian parlor, the early 19th century kitchen, the hands-on child's room, the Grant bedroom, the attic where fugitive slaves were hidden, and the herb garden. Also on display are changing historical and preservation related exhibits, and a 'Timeline of Slavery and Abolitionism in the US.'

Take the time and come see a true piece of American, Ohio, and Stark County History!

Travel back to the 19th century as you explore Historic Zoar Village, a village founded by German Separatists along the banks of the Tuscarawas River. The village thrived as a communal settlement for more than 80 years and is considered one of Ohio’s most successful communal settlements. Zoar is a designated National Historic Landmark, an official Ohio History Connection site and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Today, the historic district showcases beautifully restored private homes, shops, B&Bs, restaurants, a formal garden and 12 restored living history museums owned by the Ohio Historical Society and the Zoar Community Association. From homeschool days to the high-level and in-depth Speaker Series, bring the whole family to Historic Zoar Village for a fun, educational adventure that makes learning history engaging for everyone.

This house, built in 1853, was the boyhood home of vacuum cleaner entrepreneur William Henry “Boss” Hoover (1849-1932), whose grandparents came to Stark County from Pennsylvania in 1827 and established a leather tanning business. “Boss” Hoover began manufacturing a patented electric suction sweeper in 1908 in a corner of his leather goods factory in New Berlin (now North Canton), thus introducing to American households one of the most essential domestic appliances and making Hoover a universally-known name. In 1978, The Hoover Company dedicated the Hoover Historical Center to showcase the industry created here.

Discover the fascinating history of The Hoover Company through free, guided tours of the 1853 Hoover family Victorian farmhouse. Located in the boyhood home of Boss Hoover, the Hoover Historical Center proudly preserves and shares the story of The Hoover Company from 1870 - 2008 during which time the Company was headquartered in North Canton, Ohio. Learn more about the company that changed the face of floorcare in the world, built a town around it, helped change the outcome of World War II with their war production, and the legacy and impact that The Hoover Company continues to have on the world today.

Born near Bremen, Germany, carriage builder Henry Timken (1831-1909) designed significant improvements in roller bearings–fundamental machine components that minimize friction between moving and stationary parts. His patented (1898) tapered roller bearings improved on standard ball bearings by controlling heavy side loads generated by steered axles, and thus became key components of modern vehicle design. Established in St. Louis in 1899, the Timken Roller Bearing Axle Company moved to Canton in 1901 and quickly became one of Ohio’s industrial leaders, manufacturing roller bearings for automotive, railroad and many industrial uses. In 1998, Henry Timken was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

The earliest settlers to Lexington Township were members of the Society of Friends, or Quakers, many who came from Virginia and New Jersey between 1805 and 1807. They chose this site for its proximity to the Mahoning River, which in early days held great promise as a commercial waterway. Amos Holloway platted the Village of Lexington in 1807. Pioneer Jesse Felts, who died in 1818, is reported to be one of the first interred at this site. The cemetery is still used occasionally for burials.

Side A: Stars of the silent screen, Lillian and Dorothy Gish enjoyed long and distinguished careers both in film and on stage. They began their careers as child actresses, performing in touring theater companies. Although Lillian was born in Springfield, Ohio, and Dorothy in Dayton, the Gish sisters considered Massillon their home, often staying here with relatives between plays and films. In 1912, Lillian and Dorothy went to New York and made their first film, An Unseen Enemy, with famed director D.W. Griffith.

Side B: Relocating to Hollywood, the Gish sisters made many films for Griffith’s Biograph Company, including such silent masterpieces as The Birth of a Nation, Intolerance, Hearts of the World, Broken Blossoms, and Orphans of the Storm. Lillian was the quintessential silent screen heroine with an ethereal, emotionally powerful presence. Dorothy developed a more down-to-earth image, excelling in light, comedic roles. Their stage and screen careers spanned the 20th century. In 1984, Lillian received the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award. They are remembered today as legendary pioneers in the motion picture industry.

Born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1875, Mabel Hartzell moved to Alliance in 1883. She was adopted by Matthew and Mary Edwards Earley and then lived in this house until her death in 1954. A lifelong educator, she taught in the Alliance schools and served on the Board of Education. She also helped found the Alliance Historical Society, the Woman’s Club, Alliance Chapter of the American Red Cross, and the Alliance Area Retired Teachers Association. A dedicated public servant, she bestowed this house to the Alliance Historical Society.

Visiting the Mabel Hartzell Historical Home is like stepping into a Victorian Alliance, Ohio, home of the 1880s-1910s.The home features many unusual antiques including a gavel table used by the GAR made from a tree stump, an early slide projector known as a Mirrorscope, and many kitchen/home items such as a ruffler and a hat stretcher.

Mabel Hartzell willed her home and its contents to the Alliance Historical Society to be used as a historical museum for the city of Alliance. An Alliance History Mini Museum is also available on the property. The Mabel Hartzell Historical Home is owned and operated by the Alliance Historical Society.

Burial Site of Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Private First Class Joe R. Hastings, U.S. Army, World War II Hastings, the squad leader of a light machinegun section in Company C, 386th Infantry, 97th Infantry Division, displayed conspicuous initiative in battle at Drabenderhohe, Germany, on April 12, 1945, allowing his battered unit to evacuate its wounded and reorganize. Pfc. Hastings, by his intrepidity, outstanding leadership, and unrelenting determination to wipe out the formidable German opposition, cleared the path for his company’s advance. He was killed in action four days later while again supporting his unit. President Truman posthumously awarded Hastings the Congressional Medal of Honor on November 8, 1945.

The Marlborough Society of Friends Meeting was established in 1813 by the Salem Quarterly Meeting at the request of the Springfield (Damascus) Meeting. The Marlborough Friends and Lexington Friends combined to become the Alliance Friends in 1865 and relocated to 322 East Perry Street in Alliance, which was the site of a Methodist Episcopal Church. The Marlborough Friends Meeting House and the burying ground were sold to W.W. Holibaugh in 1897 and remain in private ownership. When State Route 619 was widened in 1941, some burials were exhumed and re-interred.

“All life is interrelated in today’s world. I can’t be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be; and you can’t be what you ought to be ’till I am what I ought to be.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke these words before 3,500 people while addressing a Freedom Rally here on March 20, 1964. His speech addressed issues of racial equality and unity, and urged passage of the Civil Rights Act. On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the act into law, prohibiting discrimination based on a person’s race, color, religion, sex, or nationality.

Massillon Museum—where art and history come together—is a regional cultural hub. MassMu engages visitors in educational and entertaining experiences—with no admission fee. In ten galleries, exhibitions span an array of interests; many change regularly. The Paul Brown Museum within MassMu highlights hometown hero and football innovator Coach Brown. Two galleries offer artist and community collaboration opportunities. The Immel Circus, a 2,620-piece hand-carved miniature diorama surrounded by circus costumes, posters, and photographs, is a visitor favorite, along with a 1907 Massillon-manufactured car, internationally renowned photographs, and additional treasured permanent collection artifacts. A sensory room, where guests of all ages can relax and center themselves, provides privacy for breastfeeding mothers. Family restrooms and changing tables in men's and women's restrooms add to MassMu's family-friendly atmosphere. The Museum shop features regionally handcrafted pottery, jewelry, and cards; local history and football books; and children's gifts. Rental venues are available.

Paul Brown Museum: Located inside the Massillon Museum

Paul Brown invented football as we know it today, and the Massillon Museum has built a new permanent exhibit space dedicated to the greatest coach who ever lived. Original Memorabilia, photos, and printed material, interactive video, collections documenting Massillon Tigers history, and a reference library are among the Paul Brown Museum features. It is the premier destination for research, presentation of artifacts, and events related to the history of Brown and his coaching tree, and the tradition of Massillon high-school and professional football.

The Massillon Tigers are among the Top 5 most winningest high-school football programs of all time, and Paul Brown is regarded as one of the top ten football coaches in the game's history. A Hall-of-Famer, subject of numerous documentaries, innovator of strategies which revolutionized American football, champion of integration during a turbulent era in our country, and founder of two NFL football teams, Brown has left a legacy not only celebrated in Massillon, Ohio but in all of America.

Built with the support of the Mount Union Alumni Athletic Association, the stadium played host to its first football game on November 1, 1913 when Mount Union defeated Case 7-0. It was formally dedicated during the graduation ceremony of 1914. In 1915, grandstand seating was erected and, in 1928, bleachers were added to increase the seating capacity to 5,000. The first night collegiate football game in Ohio was played here on October 3, 1930 as Mount Union beat Kent State 18-6. Mount Union athletes have competed in football, track, soccer, and lacrosse in the stadium and it has been the home playing field for the Alliance Aviators football team. Originally known as Hartshorn Stadium to honor Mount Union’s founder, Orville Nelson Hartshorn, it was renamed Mount Union Stadium in 1984.

Nimisilla Park was established in 1894. Prior to its founding, the site was the location of the county fair from 1859 to 1893. Throughout its history, Nimisilla Park hosted horse races, live music, soldier reunions, and a zoo, among other events. Prominent political figures, such as Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, and Eugene V. Debs, made speeches at the park. In 1918, Debs delivered a famous anti-war speech for which he was arrested and jailed. As of 2016, the park continues to serve as a gathering place for the community.

On this location 11,000 years ago, at the end of the Ice Age, there existed a large encampment of early Paleoindian hunters. They were the first inhabitants of Ohio. The 25-acre Nobles Pond archaeological site is one of the largest Clovis Paleoindian sites in North America. It documents how these early people obtained raw materials, made and used tools, and lived their daily lives. The Nobles Pond site was excavated largely by local volunteers to preserve this important part of our common heritage.

Located at county park between Massillon and Canal Fulton.

Sounds of boat horns and brawling packet crews resounded for many years at this lock and 142 others on the Ohio and Erie Canal. The canal was a 308-mile water toll road built between 1825 and 1832 from Lake Erie at Cleveland to the Ohio River at Portsmouth. The early growth of Akron and Massillon was due to the canal. Railroads caused its decline and the flood of 1913 destroyed its usefulness.

As a member of the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Cavalry that fought at the Battle of Sailor’s Creek in Virginia on April 6, 1865, the last major battle of the Civil War, Private William Richardson was personally recommended by General Phillip Sheridan to receive the Medal of Honor for bravery. Private Richardson was the only survivor of an eight man recon group sent to investigate the strength and position of the Confederate troops. His information was invaluable toward the defeat of the enemy forces that day. Private Richardson is buried with his comrades by the Civil War Soldiers Monument.

During the Civil War in 1863, twenty-year-old Massillon farmer Robert Pinn enlisted in the 5th Regiment, Company I, United States Colored Troops (USCT) at his first opportunity, saying, “I was very eager to become a soldier, in order to prove by my feeble efforts the black man’s rights to untrammeled manhood.” At the battle for New Market Heights in the 1864 Richmond campaign, he assumed command of his company after his unit’s officers were all killed or wounded – and was himself wounded three times. For his meritorious conduct Pinn received the Congressional Medal of Honor, one of four African Americans so honored from the 5th USCT. Following the war he attended Oberlin College and became a successful Massillon attorney. He died in 1911 and is interred here.

Housed in an historic Federal Post Office building in the city of Massillon, Ohio, the museum provides an excellent setting for permanent exhibits of stock market artifacts and memorabilia, art and thousands of books. As a chronicler of American financial achievements and development, the Rodney G. Klein Museum and Library seeks to play a special role as guardian of America's collective financial memory, as well as an interpreter of current financial issues, thereby connecting the past with the present while serving as a guide for the future. As well as books, the Museum houses a collection of ticker tape machines, games with a financial focus, movies and movie memorabilia about the stock market and music with lyrics about Wall Street. There's something for everyone's interest.

A soldier in Company A, 148th Infantry, 37th “Buckeye” Infantry Division, Cicchetti was part of the assault on the first important line of Japanese defenses at South Manila, Luzon, Philippines on February 9, 1945. He died of wounds received while leading a volunteer litter bearer team that rescued fourteen wounded men, deliberately drawing machine gun fire to himself in the process. “By his skilled leadership, indomitable will, and dauntless courage, Pfc. Cicchetti saved the lives of many of his fellow soldiers at the cost of his own.” President Truman posthumously awarded Cicchetti the Congressional Medal of Honor on December 8, 1945.

Greek Christian refugees from Asia Minor migrated to Canton in the early 1900s settling in the industrial area known as “Carnahan.” Erected in 1917, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church was chartered by Elies Korosedes, Nick Kessenides, Alex Heropoulos, Harry Achilles, and Paul Paulidis. It cost $50,000 to build and was repaid within 3 years by parishioners, mostly laborers earning 30 cents an hour. In 1927, a separate building Koraes Hall was added as a social and cultural center. It was later connected to the church in 1934. The property was sold in 1976 and subsequently changed ownership many times. On September 2, 2020, a devastating fire destroyed the former Koraes Hall, rendering the remaining structure unsafe. City officials condemned the buildings for demolition and buried the remnants beneath the ground.

First settled in 1811 by Thomas and Charity Rotch, distinguished Quakers from New England, and later by three generations of the Wales family until 1973, Spring Hill was at the center of Massillon's history for 162 years. At Spring Hill, visitors can explore the historic farmhouse, built in 1821, with many unique features, like beehives kept inside the house and a hidden staircase used on the Underground Railroad. Guests can also explore sixteen acres of historic property, including the outbuildings, which consist of a Wool House, Smokehouse, Spring House, Dog Kennel, Milk House, Granary Barn, and even Massillon's first city jail, dating from 1854.

Spring Hill is honored to be part of the National Parks Service's Underground Railroad Network to Freedom as a documented site on Ohio's Underground Railroad. There is something for everyone at Spring Hill.

On September 17, 1920, representatives from ten professional football teams met in Canton and formed the American Professional Football Association, which in 1922 became the National Football League (NFL). Pro football evolved from club football in the 1890s, and by the early 1900s had begun to spread across the country, concentrating in the Midwest. Jim Thorpe, the first nationally prominent pro, started with the Canton Bulldogs-an early pro football power-in 1915. In 1959, Canton citizens launched a well-organized and ultimately successful effort to have their city, “the cradle of professional football,” designated as the site of a monument to the sport’s historic stars. The Professional Football Hall of Fame opened on September 7, 1963, inducting seventeen charter members. The Hall of Fame interprets and promotes the study of the role of professional football in American culture.

In Season, Off Season, It’s Always Football Season. Come and experience the Pro Football Hall of Fame – an exhilarating museum and attraction, where professional football is honored, preserved, promoted and celebrated daily. Chronicled within the walls of the Hall of Fame are the stories and circumstances of play that pays tribute to football’s greatest. The Pro Football Hall of Fame has proudly welcomed millions of fans from all over the world.

The coming of the railroads to Alliance is an important event in Stark County’s history. In 1851, the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad (running SE to NW) and the Ohio & Pennsylvania Railroad (E to W) intersected at this location. It was known as “the crossing” and became the Village of Alliance. William Robinson, Jr., the president of the Ohio & Pennsylvania Railroad, is credited with applying the name “Alliance” to the crossing, dating to when the railroads bought rights-of-way in 1849 and anticipated the intersection of the lines. A plat named “Alliance” was recorded September 26, 1850. The Village of Alliance was established in 1854, when 100 citizens of the communities of Williamsport, Freedom, and Alliance (also known as Liberty), signed a petition to incorporate on March 15. The petition was accepted and recorded in June.

The Cat Fanciers' Association Foundation was established in 1990 by the Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc. Board of Directors as a forum to educate the general public about the existence and history of the cat. Our collection began then with 100 books, stud books, copies of the CFA Yearbook and various magazines about cats.

Since those humble beginnings, the Foundation's collection has flourished through the acquisition of an unprecedented number of books and magazines. Today, our library includes over 8,500 books about cats and we have a separate room dedicated to historical cat magazines and breed histories. In addition, the collection holds a significant amount of cat show memorabilia, important pieces from our past, such as the 1895 Cosey collar, and an engraved 1883 pewter nut bowl for 1st prize at the Boston Cat Show. Educational displays throughout the museum trace the history of cats in "From Fancy Cats to Cat Fancy." Occasionally, the museum will have a special breed presentation, and every once in a while we even have real cats running around!

Side A: During the New Deal of the 1930s, the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) formed the Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC) under the leadership of CIO president John L. Lewis. Following successful CIO strikes in the rubber and automobile industries, SWOC signed hard-won contracts with U.S. Steel and Jones & Laughlin Steel, the nation’s largest steelmakers, in early 1937. On May 26 SWOC struck three “Little Steel” companies for similar recognition: Inland, Republic, and Youngstown Sheet and Tube, many of whose operations were concentrated in eastern Ohio. By early June the strike idled more than 28,000 Canton, Massillon, Warren, and Youngstown steelworkers in the first major steel strike since 1919. (continued on other side)

Side B: [continued from other side] Despite the intervention of Governor William Davey and the federal Steel Mediation Board, no negotiated settlement emerged and violence escalated at many Little Steel towns. In Massillon, police, special deputies, and Republic Steel security forces confronted strikers in front of SWOC headquarters with tear gas and gunfire on the evening of July 11. Three strikers were killed and five wounded. Unfavorable publicity and the National Guard ended the strike by mid-July. Despite this setback, SWOC charged Little Steel with unfair labor practices before the new National Labor Relations Board and eventually won signed contracts in the Ohio mills by 1942. As one of the most violent strikes of the 1930s, the Little Steel Strike led to a break between organized labor and the New Deal-era Democratic Party.

William McKinley served the nation as president, the people of Ohio as governor, and the citizens of his congressional district as a representative. McKinley was shot by an assassin in Buffalo, New York, in September 1901 and died several days later. The McKinley National Memorial, funded by children’s donations, was dedicated in 1907. It is the burial site of the 25th President, First Lady Ida Saxton McKinley, and two daughters. Designed by architect Harold Van Buren Magonigle, the pink Milford granite structure was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975.

The McKinley Presidential Library & Museum is a family friendly history and science museum. The Museum includes the McKinley Gallery, the Street of Shops, the Keller Gallery, Discover World, the Hoover-Price Planetarium, Ramsayer Research Library and their new permanent exhibit, The Stark County Story. The McKinley National Memorial, burial site of President William McKinley and his family, is also on the Museum grounds.

Side A: Soldiers from Company F of the 115th Ohio Volunteer Infantry died in the explosion of the steamboat Sultana seven miles north of Memphis on the Mississippi River on April 27, 1865. The Sultana reportedly carried more than 2,400 passengers–six times its capacity of 376. The vast majority were Union soldiers recently freed from Southern prisons at the end of the Civil War. Approximately 1,800 passengers and crew died in what is considered the worst maritime disaster in American history. Company F was organized in Stark, Columbiana, and Portage Counties and was mustered into service at Camp Massillon in the fall of 1862. This marker is a memorial to the soldiers of Company F who died as a result of the Sultana tragedy and other war-related causes.

Side B: This marker preserves the names carved in stone on the Civil War memorial adjacent. South elevation: “Erected in Memory of the Deceased of Co. F. 115th O.V.I. by the Company and Friends. 1865.” North elevation: “Death caused by Explosion of Steamship Sultana on April 27, 1865: Sgt. Thomas Rue, Sgt. W.H.H. Smith, Corp. Benjamin Crew, Corp. Charles W. Deitrick, Pvt. Adam H. Hendrick, Pvt. Alex Laughtener, Pvt. Robert W. Roath, Pvt. Thomas Spencer.” West elevation: “Died of Disease: Privates Adam Bower, Preston Jackson, Wilson Hamlin, William Carter, Francis L. Phelps, Samuel Rossell, George Johnson. Teamster Benj. F. Spees.” East elevation: Died Prisoners of War: Pvt. George Carver, Pvt. Luther T. Swartz. Died Paroled Prisoners of War: Pvt. Alva J. Hamlin, Pvt. Lewis K. White. Died of Wounds: Corp. John D. Gray. Killed in Action: Pvt. George W. Ross.

The Brothers of Christian Instruction founded Walsh University in 1958. It is named for Bishop Emmett M. Walsh, then leader of the Diocese of Youngstown. The order created the institution to provide a college-level education that developed students’ moral virtues and sense of social responsibility as embodied in traditional Judeo-Christian values. As of 2015, Walsh University is the only Catholic university in the diocese and the only university sponsored by the Brothers of Christian Instruction, a religious order founded by the Fathers Jean Marie de la Mennais and Gabriel Deshayes in France in 1819. The University’s mission reflects the Brothers’ commitment to provide quality Catholic education with an international perspective to all who seek it, and to develop leaders in service to others. Since Walsh’s founding, it has become a successful regional and international Catholic university.

William McKinley’s house, once located at this site, was the scene of his 1896 front porch campaign for President of the United States. During the campaign McKinley addressed about 750,000 people who came to his home in Canton. McKinley’s public service began when he volunteered at the start of the Civil War in 1861 as a private with the Union Army. He was discharged as a major after four years of service. Later McKinley became President of the Canton Y.M.C.A. and the Stark County Prosecutor. McKinley served in the United States House of Representatives between 1877 and 1891 and was then elected Governor of Ohio. He helped to found the Canton Public Library. McKinley won presidential elections in 1896 and 1900. His administration was characterized by high tariffs, money backed by gold, national prosperity, and the Spanish-American War. In 1901 an anarchist shot and killed President McKinley.