18,224 research outputs found
Justice Stephen G. Breyer at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law - Part 1
No full textPart 1 of 2
Justice Stephen Breyer spoke at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law in Chicago, IL on Monday, September 12, 2011. This video was prepared by The Oyez Project at Chicago-Kent to introduce the justice\u27s remarks.
Runtime: 10:5
Justice Stephen Breyer, Jack Miller
No full textJustice Stephen Breyer and Jack Miller at the inaugural program of IIT Chicago-Kent\u27s Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States (ISCOTUS), on September 12, 2011.https://scholarship.kentlaw.iit.edu/breyer_images/1053/thumbnail.jp
Justice Stephen Breyer, Joshua Seiter
No full textJustice Stephen Breyer shakes hands with student Joshua Seiter at the inaugural program of IIT Chicago-Kent\u27s Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States (ISCOTUS), on September 12, 2011.https://scholarship.kentlaw.iit.edu/breyer_images/1008/thumbnail.jp
Justice Stephen Breyer Discussion 1
No full textJustice Stephen Breyer discusses the themes in his book Making Our Democracy Work -- A Judge\u27s View at the inaugural program of IIT Chicago-Kent\u27s Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States (ISCOTUS), on September 12, 2011.https://scholarship.kentlaw.iit.edu/breyer_images/1005/thumbnail.jp
Bruce Kohen, Justice Stephen Breyer, Sheri Kohen, Student
No full textAlumnus Bruce Kohen (\u2779), Justice Stephen Breyer, Sheri Kohen and student at the inaugural program of IIT Chicago-Kent\u27s Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States (ISCOTUS), on September 12, 2011.https://scholarship.kentlaw.iit.edu/breyer_images/1054/thumbnail.jp
The Kent Historian, Kent Historical Society Newsletter, Number 89, Winter 2016
No full textTHE KENT HISTORIAN
The Newsletter of the Kent Historical Society Winter 2016
Number89
Historic Kent Town Tour successful fundraiser
Eight sites showcased to celebrate Marvin Kent's birthday
The Kent Historical Society's celebration
of Marvin Kent's 200th birthday began
with an open house for the sponsors on
Friday, Sept. 16, at the KHS Museum.
On Sept. 17 and 18, hundreds of participants
enjoyed touring the eight sites that
highlighted the contributions of the Kent
family in the town's transformation from
Franklin Mills to the city of Kent.
Tour participants received a 36-page
booklet that included descriptions of the
tour sites and Kent family history.
The celebration concluded with a
birthday party on Marvin's actual birthday,
Sept. 21, at Hometown Bank Plaza. The
See Tour, page 4
Kent Wells Sherman House volunteers Tracy
Wallach, Bruce Gill, Allan Orashan and Gayle
Bentley stand in the house, which was moved in
September 2013 to its current location.
Eleanor Zavodny, ow-ner of Kent's
Wolcott Lilac Gardens, passes a-way
Donations being accepted to continue garden preservation
photo courtesy of Lilac
Gardens Facebook page
Eleanor Zavodny purchased the
Lilac Gardens, which now feature
over 170 types of lilacs.
Eleanor
Zavodny,
owner of the
Wolcott Lilac
Gardens
and adjoining
house
on West
Main Street
in Kent,
passed away
on Oct.
16, 2016.
Her house
was built in
1863 by Simon
Perkins
Wolcott.
Wol-cott
and his wife, Mary Brewster, raised
their three children there and their son,
Duncan, eventually took ownership. He
married Evelyn Daisy Lodge in 1906 and
they began to build what would be one
of the finest home gardens in the area. In
1920, Daisy received 100 varieties of lilacs
from her uncle, Col. William R. Plum,
who owned the largest collection of French
lilacs in the world.
After the death of Duncan in 1934,
Daisy opened the gardens to the public
and hundreds of visitors would come every
year on Mother's Day to enjoy them. A
few years after Daisy's passing in 1955,
the property was sold and the home and
gardens fell into disarray.
In the fall of 1965, Stephen and Eleanor
Zavodny purchased the property and
set out to restore the estate. At that time,
only 70 of the original lilacs had survived.
The original garden areas were cleared and
azaleas, rhododendrons and a rose garden
with a central fountain were added.
After the passing of Stephen in 2007,
Eleanor and her son Robert continued the
restoration of the house and the gardens.
At present, there are over 170 types of lilacs
occupying the property. One of a new
variety of lilacs was chosen by them, and
See Eleanor, page 5
Descendant celebrates
Marvin Kent
A journal entry of my September trip
to Kent
by Mary Jo Johnston
Two hundred years after his birth,
Marvin Kent would be proud of his
namesake city.
With thanks to the kindness of Sandy
Halem and the Kent Historical Society,
my husband Kelly and I are invited
to travel to Kent from our home in
Missouri in order to celebrate Marvin's
200th birthday. My siblings and I have
long known Marvin was our great-greatgreat-
grandfather though occasionally
we must pause to count the number of
greats. Marvin's granddaughter Grace
Emily Kent was our great-grandmother.
We eagerly accept Sandy's invitation and
arrive for a celebration of both the man
and the city.
See Birthday, page 2
Kelly Johnston, KHS president emeritus
Sandy Halem and Mary Jo Johnston, greatgreat-
great-granddaughter of Marvin Kent,
were eager to greet guests at the Sponsors
Night of the Historic Kent Town Tour.
Birthday, from page 1
Upon arriving in Kent, we head directly
to Standing Rock Cemetery to visit my
mother, her mother and the others in the
Kent family plot back through time to
Grace Emily to Henry Lewis to Marvin
and Maria. My Kent family ancestors were
long-time Ohioans, including my mother,
who lived in Cleveland until her undergraduate
years at Carleton College. With
a geography degree in hand, she moved to
The headstones for Mary Jo Johnston's ancestors,
including Marvin Kent, can be found in
Standing Rock Cemetery in Kent.
Washington, D.C. to work for the U.S.
Army Map Service, met and married my
father, and started a family. My siblings (a
mechanical engineer, a teacher, an accountant)
and I (a librarian) are now scattered
around the western half of the country, but
we know well our Ohio roots.
My mother and her mother are also remembered
with a 1949 photo in the Kent
State University Library exhibit, "From
Johnston's grandmother, Josephine, and mother,
Judy, at the Marvin Kent train car dedication
in 1949.
Franklin Mills to Kent: Prominent Families
in Kent's History." This exhibit, presented
by Cara Gilgenbach and the KSU Special
Collections and Archives, showcases several
of KSU's fabulous holdings, including the
papers of Zenas and Marvin Kent. We applaud
the efforts of KSU in taking on the
long-term responsibility of caring for these
significant and historic collections.
2
Though today's Marvin Kent train car is
different than the one dedicated in 1949,
we applaud its community use by the Kent
Jaycees and appreciate our tour from John
Benedik.
Mary Jo Johnston stands with John Benedik,
who played Caleb the canal boy while he led
tours of the modern Marvin Kent train car.
Kentites remember well their past and
the Kent Historical Society is leading the
charge in preserving and sharing local
history. The society's meticulously restored
Clapp-Woodward House is a landmark for
outreach and education programs and for
hosting public receptions like the one we
Kelly Johnston admires the working train table
as KHS volunteer Henry Halem points out the
model buildings of Kent landmarks.
attend during our visit. We enjoy meeting
so many Kent residents who support the
historical society and have made it into
what it is today. The train room is the
ideal tool for presenting third graders (and
visitors like us) an overview of the city and
its history. Thanks to Henry Halem for the
tour. We also enjoy the comparison photos
of the "Then & Now" exhibit that were
taken from similar vantage points of familiar
locations. Kudos to KHS for keeping
Kent history alive!
Visiting the Marvin Kent homestead
allows us to take a step back in time to the
late 19th Century and imagine life in Marvin's
circle of family, friends, businessmen,
Kelly and Mary Jo Johnston take a break from
their tour of The Marvin Kent Homestead, which
was led by Barb and Fred Moore.
politicians. What must it have been like
to host a U.S. president? Or four? Upon
inheriting the home from their uncle William
Kent in 1923, my great-grandmother
Grace Emily Kent and her sister sold the
home to the Rockton Lodge and it has
been in their good care since. During our
visit, we explore this magnificent building
with Fred and Barb Moore and unexpectedly
meet my fifth cousin once removed, a
descendant of Mariah Kent.
Touring the Erie Car Shops and the
Kent Free Library, we find evidence of two
examples of Marvin's marvelous gifts to the
city more than 100 years ago.
Mary Jo Johnston and other participants look at
the Erie Car Shops during a tour led by Tom Myers,
president of Davey Drill.
We're pleased to be part of the Kent family
that is known for their generosity. And
we are delighted to return to Kent more
than 100 years since Marvin's death and
see first-hand the continued prosperity of
his namesake city due to the generosity and
hard work of many 20th-Century Kentites.
Marvin, too, would be proud.
Thanks for including us in the celebration.
Winter 2016
.
.KENT
, HISTORICAL
. SOCIETY
> >
Winter 2016
Saturday, Dec. 3
10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Kent Historical Society Museum
237 E. Main St.
Kent, Ohio 44240
(330) 678-2712
~ Victorian Style Decorations
~ Activities for Kids (Holiday Crafts &
Decorating/Eating Gingerbread Cookies)
~ Carolers from KSU Men's Chorus
It's FREE!
Check out our photo exhibit, "Then & Now,"
and purchase the photo book! Editor Henry Halem
will be on-site signing.
"Kent, Ohio:
Then & Now"
A photo book of KHS'
current exhibit
17
(cash, check, or credit card)
Featuring 86 photographs of historic
sites and buildings in Kent
which are re-photographed as they appear now
For sale during KHS'
Victorian Holiday Celebration
Get your copy signed by editor Henry Halem!
11
3
Kent Tribune: Read all about it!
The Kent Tribune newspapers' 611 issues
and 6,655 pages are now available through
the KHS website. KHS is the only known
resource for Volumes III through XIV,
which cover the period from November
1917 through September 1929.
The complete set of weekly newspapers,
collected by its editor John Paxton, was
passed on to his daughter and the bound
volumes were given to KHS by his granddaughter,
Pat Hall, in 2006. The newspapers
were very fragile and deteriorating
and, after several years of use, were no
longer available to the public for viewing.
Thank You
The Kent Historical Society would like
to thank those families and organizations
who have continued to preserve their
historic residences and buildings and
graciously offered to share them with all of
us for the 2016 Historic Kent Town Tour,
including Rockton Lodge 316 F & A.M.,
Coterie, Heather and Wade Caldwell, Kent
Wells Sherman House, Kent Jaycees and
Davey Drill.
4
Lead Sponsor (5,000)
Woodward Foundation
Gold Sponsors (1,000)
Bissler & Sons Funeral Home
Brimfield Insurance Group
The Burbick Foundation
Furukawa Rock Drill, USA
Hometown Bank
Renaissance 2000, Inc.
Silver Sponsors (500)
Kent Jaycees
PARTA
R.W Martin & Sons, Inc.
Wright Heating & Cooling
Thanks to the generosity of donors to
the project of preserving them, KHS had
the volumes professionally microfilmed,
digitized and uploaded to the Ohio
Memory database. The database, located at
www.ohiomemory.org, is the collaborative
statewide digital library project of the Ohio
History Connection (formerly the Ohio
Historical Society) and the State Library of
Ohio.
At the age of 19, John Paxton came to
Kent to become a reporter on the Courier.
William Kent, Marvin's son, was the
See Tribune, page 5
Bronze Sponsors (250)
Jack and Claudia Amrhein
Bill and Donna Anderson
Jim and Sallie Bear
Doris Brown
Colonial Machine
DS Architecture
Carol Lockhart
Linda Bradstock MacDougall
Portage Community Bank
Schlabig & Associates, LTD
Contributing Sponsors ( 100)
Don and Karen Barrett
Don and Jean Booth
Linda and Howard Boyle
Jona Burton and Kasha Legeza-Burton
City Bank Antiques
College Town Kent
Detect Alarm
Janet and David Dix
Jim and Becky Dunlap
Bruce and Christina Dzeda
Kitty and Fred Endres
John and Connie Flynn
Scott and Anna Flynn
Polly Germer
Sandra and Henry Halem
Tour, from page 1
Davey Elementary School fifth grade choir
led guests in singing "Happy Birthday." A
proclamation by Mayor Jerry Fiala declared
that day as Marvin Kent Day.
The program concluded with birthday
cupcakes for all in attendance. On display
was a birthday banner created by Davey
students.
Special guests for sponsors night and
the tour were Mary Jo Johnston, Marvin
Kent's great-great-great-granddaughter, and
her husband Kelly from Aurora, Mo. It was
an honor to have a descendant of Marvin
here to help us celebrate his birthday and
for us to learn more interesting facts and
stories about the Kent family. Enjoy reading
the article in this newsletter that Mary
Jo wrote about their recent visit.
The funds raised from the tour will be
used for the preservation of the historic
Erie Depot, the preservation and operations
of the KHS museum, and for ongoing
educational programs.
More party & tour pictures on page 6
Dona May Hall
Patricia H. Harper
Lynn A. Harvey
Betty L. Hejma-Sweet
Jean and John Jacobs
Dave and Sherry Joy
Kent Kiwanis Club
Kent Lions Club
Kent State University
Audrey Cielinski Kessler
The Kretovics-Saito Family
John and Kathy Lilley
Melissa M. Long
Jim and Sally Myers
George and Jane Preston Rose
Rotary Club of Kent
Mark and Linda Seeman
Siefer Electric, Inc.
Smithers-Oasis Company
Carol and Jim Stroble
Sue Nelson Designs, Ltd Inc.
WW Reed&Son
Harold and Janet Walker
Bill Wilen
Williams, Kratcoski & Can
Robert Zavodny
See Thank You, page 6
Winter 2016
Marvin Kent Curtis' books donated to KHS
KHS recently received a donation of five
fictional books written by Marvin Kent
Curtis and published in the late 1920s.
He was named for his great-grandfather,
Marvin Kent, but was also known as Kent
Curtis. The books were donated by Missouri
residents Mary Jo and Kelly Johnston
while they were visiting in Kent to celebrate
Marvin's 200th birthday. Curtis was
Mary Jo's great-uncle and they are both
descendants of Henry Kent, Marvin's son.
Born in 1890, Curtis was an aviator in
World War I, a novelist, illustrator, sailor,
teacher and camp counselor. He published
boy's adventure stories that took place in
the locations he loved most: the North
Woods of Minnesota and islands off the
Eleanor, from page 1
was officially named the Daisy Wolcott.
They opened the gardens for public
viewing the past two Mother's Days
and hundreds of visitors were thrilled
to be able to step back in history and
enjoy Daisy's legacy.
The
city of
Kent
thanks
Eleanor
for her
loving
care of
these
magnificent
gardens
and for
help-photo
courtesy of Lilac Gar- ing to
dens Facebook page preserve
One of the features of Eleanor's them
Lilac Gardens is this birdbath. for the
enjoyment of future generations.
KHS is accepting donations in
Eleanor's name for their continued
preservation.
Tribune, from page 4
owner and Charles Scott was the publisher
and editor. Scott left abruptly and Paxton
became the editor at the age of 24. When
Kent sold the paper to A.N. Lawson,
Paxton started the Kent Tribune with Sam
Baker in 1915. A year and a half later,
Winter 2016
Florida coast.
This is only a brief men-
., tion of Curtis. In the next
newsletter, you will be able to
learn much more about his
amazing life, which included
a dangerous journey as
an aviator during the war,
his many sailing adventures
across the Atlantic Ocean
and the Caribbean Sea and
his love for the outdoors.
The five books written by Marvin Kent Curtis that were recently
donated to KHS are, in back, from left to right, "The Tired Captains,"
"Drumbeater's Island," "The Last Wanigan," "The Blushing
Camel" and, in front, "Cruises in the Sun."
Thank you, Mary Jo and
Kelly, for this generous gift.
You have opened our eyes to
another extraordinary member
of the Kent family!
Davey picture mystery solved
Ever since the KHS Museum received
the large, backlit picture of tree cavity
repair work done by the Davey Tree Expert
Company, everyone has tried to guess
where and when it was taken.
The mystery was solved when Matt
Fredmonsky, senior project manager at
Davey Tree Expert Company and managing
editor of The Davey Bulletin, recently
discovered the photograph in an old Davey
Tree publication.
The photo showcasing the then-common
practice of tree cavity repair appeared
prominently in magazine advertisements
for Davey in the early 1920s. It was taken
on the estate of Jon A. Turner in Hamilton,
Ontario, Canada.
Davey pioneered the practice of tree
cavity repair, a method which sought to
remove decayed and rotting wood and
Paxton
bought
out Baker
and ran
it alone
for seven
years.
Later, LB.
Holm
bought
a half
interest of
the newspaper.
In
A young John Paxton stands in
the doorway and William Kent sits
in a chair in front of the Tribune office
at 149 N. Water St.
replace it with a special cement to maintain
a tree's integrity. Davey commonly provided
the service to estate owners who wanted
to preserve and maintain their mature trees
rather than remove and plant new trees.
The practice was discontinued in the mid-
20th Century.
1929, the Tribune was sold to M.L. Davey,
transferred five months later to E.V. Dix
of Wooster and then merged with the
Courier.
The Tribune filled its weekly pages with
the life of its local community as well as
documenting the changing world. This
collection includes World War I and ends
just before the collapse of the stock market
and economy in 1929. Visit the KHS website
at www.kentohiohistory.org and enjoy
browsing through the Tribune pages to see
what life was like in Kent and around the
world almost 100 years ago.
5
6
Kent Historical Society
7he Kent Historian is a
publication of the Kent Historical
Society, a nonprofit organization
that strives to be the primary Kent
history resource and reference center,
leading the community in the
collection, preservation and
interpretation
of Kent's heritage through
exhibits, educational programs and
activities. The society offers educational
programs to schools, businesses
and civic organizations.
Board of Trustees
Jack Amrhein, President
Scott Flynn, Vice President
Carol Stroble, Vice President
Matt Metcalf, Treasurer
Audrey Cielinski Kessler, Secretary
Jean Booth
Howard Boyle
Rebecca Dunlap
Thomas Hatch
Kasha Legeza-Burton
.· Maggie McKendry
Jim Myers
Staff
,Julie Kenworthy, Director
. . Amy Craft, Collections Manager &
· · Membership Coordinator
. ·: Dari Stroble, Newsletter Editor
Museum Hours
\ 237 E " Main St.,
9 ·a:m. 'tcr2 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays
/:. and by appointment.
.Contact ,·
Kent Historical Society
. 237E. Main St.
Kent, Ohio 44240
330-678-2712
· Email
[email protected]
. Website
-www.kentohiohistory.org
Find us on Facebook
www.facebook.com/
KentHistoricalSociety
KHS schedule
for end of 2016,
new year
The last day in 2016 that KHS Museum
will be open to the public is Saturday,
Dec. 17. It will reopen on Friday, March
3, 2017. While it is closed, the volunteers
and staff will be busy preparing for the new
year. Under the direction of new employee
Amy Craft, the archives and artifacts in
our collections will be inventoried and
organized. Plans will be made for our
educational programming and for future
events. Even though we will be closed, we
are always available to take phone calls and
to schedule group tours. Thank you for all
your support in 2016!
Birthday party & town tour
Andrew Madonio, Kent Jaycees vice president
of community, explains the organization's steps
in preserving the "Marvin Kent" railroad coach,
which was manufactured in 1922 .
Several
town tour
sponsors
enjoy reading
the KHS
Museum's
list of prominent
Kent
residents
who were
members
of various
social clubs
in the early
1900s.
David and Kay Hansford compare the past and
present of Kent at KHS' photo exhibit, "Then &
Now."
Thank You, from page 4
Special thanks to Hometown Bank, Sue
Nelson Designs and McKay Bricker
Framing/or selling the tour booklets.
Also, thanks to tour co-organizers Dawn
Carpenter and Carol Stroble, committee
members Jean Booth, Sandy Ha/em,
Henry Ha/em, KHS administrator Julie
Kenworthy, KHS board president Jack
Amrhein and booklet editor Dan Stroble.
Volunteers at Sites
Carlyn Bassham
Paul Bauer
Jaime Baughman
John Benedik
Brad Bolton
Julie Brett
Jona Burton
Amy Craft
Faye Darrow
Roger Di Paolo
Becky Dunlap
Bruce Dzeda
Sue Frank
Carol Fridy
Jean Giulitto
Becky Head
Lee Higgins
Barb Hipsman Springer
Adrienne Kaltenborn
Darlene Kousaie
Karin Lange-Underwood
Kasha Legeza-Burton
Tim Martin
Joanne Maynard
Amanda Metcalf
Matt Metcalf
Jim Myers
Sally Myers
Cathy Ricks
Eleanor Schindler
Beth Schoonover
Bob Springer
Polly Tucker
Allyson Westover
Mikelann Williams
Mark Yohe
The Davey Elementary School fifth grade choir
leads guests at the Marvin Kent birthday party in
singing "Happy Birthday."
Winter 201
The Kent Historian, Newsletter of the Kent Historical Society, Volume 64, Winter 2008
No full textTHE KENT HISTORIAN
Newsletter of the Kent Historical Society
HISTORY FEATURE
Winter 2008
Number 64
Kent Grows, Changes During the' Great War' of Early 1900s
In 1916, the village of Kent was already
growing. As noted in Karl H.
Grismer' s The History of Kent, he
writes: "The entrance of the United
States into the World War found Kent
well started on the most prosperous
period of its history. The growth was
due almost entirely to three thingsthe
Kent State Normal School, by
then, well established; the Erie shops,
which were employing more men
than ever before,
and the
Mason Tire
and Rubber
Compa-ny
... which
spnng into
existence almost
overnight
and flourished
Kent grew, and
grew rapidly."
On
April 6, 1917,
the United
States declared
war on Germany, and Kent, like the
rest of the country, was swept up in
the war. "Within two weeks after war
was declared, 23 Kent men enlisted in
the 10th Regiment of the Ohio National
Guard. There were: Frank W.
Elgin, Kennerdell E. George, KM.
Hass, John H. Jones, J.W. Lackey, Max
M. Miller, George H. Moon, George
W. Myers, B.J. Sawyer, W. A. Simpson,
I.W. Shanafelt, G.E. Shanley, W.F.
Myers, H.C. Strayer, F.W. Ferry, C.J.
Weideman, H.P. Boak,C. A. O'Connor,
C. C. Cannon, Claude Davis, Ralph
'.. Hawk, H.E. Swarthout, and H.D.
~ ilt. A camp was established at
Brady Lake where many of the men
trained until they left for Camp Sheri-dan,
at Montgomery, Ala., on Sunday
morning, September 16, 1917."
Many war-bond drives were organized
from 1917 until the end of
the war in 1918. Every war loan was
quickly "oversubscribed and every
call made by the Red Cross was answered
generously. Kent meticulously
observed the 'heatless days,' the
'meatless days,' and the 'breadless
days,' and when sugar and coal were
rationed, no one grumbled. The only
concern was: 'Bring the boys back
safely-and quickly.'"
Many young men from Kent were
either drafted into the Army or volunteered
to serve. These young men
were given the nickname "our boys"
by the local newspapers, which included
The Kent Tribune, the Portage
County Democrat, and the Ravenna Republican.
The latter often published
some of the letters the soldiers wrote
to their families back home.
"On June 5, 1917, 726 Kent men
were registered for the draft. The first
contingent left for Camp Sherman, at
Chillicothe, [Ohio], on Thursday, Sept.
20. Thereafter, hardly a month passed
until the end of the war without more
men leaving to enter the service.
"The tragedy of the war was first
brought home to the Kent people
when it was reported that Clinton Allen,
a graduate of the Kent high
school, was injured in France on June
4, 1918. From then on, the casualty
lists were read with the greatest
dread-no family knew when it
would learn that it had lost a son, a
brother, or friend." Word of a local
soldier's death would often be frontpage
news, and letters from soldiers
became regular features.
The Kent Historical Society's new
exhibit on the "Great War" features
the personal effects of local Kent soldiers
Roscoe Hahn, James Apple and
Luther Parmelee. In 1917, Ravenna
would establish a training facility for
the American Red Cross. Many young
women would train to become
nurses. Some, like Kent librarian Nellie
Dingley, volunteered to serve as a
nurse in France.
Kent, like the rest of the world,
also suffered the effects of the worldwide
influenza epidemic, or Spanish
flu. In October 1918, a small influenza
outbreak caused the Kent schools to
be closed for a month.
As the war wound down, news of
its impending armistice continued at
home and to the troops overseas.
"Then came the false armistice, on
Nov. 8, 1918. Kent, like the rest of the
nation, celebrated with the wildest
abandon. Every whistle in town was
blown--bells were rung-work was
forgotten. Until late at night the downtown
section was thronged with celebrants.
Everyone was determined to
have a good time-and everyone did.
Verification of reports that the
Nov. 8th armistice was only a newspaperman's
blunder came like a sickening
blow. The town, which had ris-
See WAR, p. 4.
Inside ...
Christensen Foundation Grant .... .. . . 2
Loris Troyer Honored .. ... . . . . ..... 2
Gift Shop Featured Item .. ..... ...... 3
Kent Historian First Anniversary .. ..... 3
94 Club ....... .. .... .. ........ . .. 3
New KHS Building Sign .. . . . . . ...... 4
All About Kent Speaker Series ..... . .. 4
KHS Receives Christensen Foundation
Grantfor'School Days' Project
T he Henry V. and Frances W.
Christensen Foundation has
awarded the Kent Historical Society
a 2,280 grant to help fund a project
titled "School Days: Kent, Ohio," an
audiovideo/Web site and oral history
project about life in the Kent schools.
The project will include video
oral histories with Kent's senior citizens
on what their life was like when
they were in school, including their
experiences during important events
in the community. This valuable resource
is part of the Historical Society's
commitment to helping students
understand their heritage as well as
bridging the generations from children
to seniors.
The Historical Society has made
education a priority. Each spring the
third-grade students in Kent schools
study local Kent history, which includes
a tour of the Historical Society
museum and a chance to see the DVD
"Kent: The Early Years." The grant will
help purchase a new video and digital
camera as well as enhancing the Historical
Society's Web site featuring excerpts
from the museum's collection.
If you would like to help with this
project by contributing an oral history,
call the Historical Society office for an
appointment. Of particular interest are
Union/ Central, Longcoy, Holden,
Franklin, Walls, Davey, Roosevelt, St.
Patrick's, South, University and DePeyster
schools. If you have any personal
photographs, documents or newspaper
articles you would like to add to
the project, these items can be scanned
and the originals returned to you.
The Historical Society is very
grateful to the Christensen Foundation
for its past assistance in funding
the museum's second-floor Children's
Learning Center as well as helping to
upgrade the building's fire and security
systems.
Friends Gather to Honor Loris Troyer
0 n a cold winter day in early
December, nearly 40
friends braved the snow for the
official dedication of the Loris C.
Troyer Library & Archives at the
Kent Historical Society museum.
Troyer and his wife, Laura,
greeted guests in the Visitors
Room.
Board President Sandy Halem
earlier had presented Troyer
with the proclamation naming
the Archives & Library in his
honor at his home on his 94th
birthday, October 11, 2008.
Troyer was one of the Kent Historical Society President Sandy Halem pre-founding
board members of the sents the library-and-archives dedication proclamation
Historical Society and has ac- to Loris Troyer.
tively promoted the preservation of local history throughout his life. As editor
emeritus of the Record-Courier, Troyer began writing his weekly "Portage Pathways"
columns, which later became the basis of the book Portage Pathways, published
by the Kent State University Press in 1998. This wonderful compilation of
more than 140 of his most memorable essays and illustrated with historical
photographs is available at the Historical Society's Museum Gift Shop. To help
support the library and archives with a donation, see the related article on page 3.
2
Kent Historical Society
THE KENT HISTORIAN is a quarterly
publication of the Kent Historical Society,
a nonprofit organization that strives to be
the primary Kent history resource and
reference center, leading the community
in the collection, preservation and interpretation
of Kent's heritage through exhibitions,
educational programs and activities.
The society brings educational
programs to schools, businesses and
civic organizations and collaborates with
the Main Street Kent and other historic
preservation projects in the community.
Board of Trustees
Sandra Halem, President
Jack Amrhein, Treasurer
John Benedik
Howard Boyle
Scott Flynn
Audrey Cielinski Kessler
Matt Metcalf
Pat Morton
Jim Myers
Carol Stroble
John Wunderle
Staff
Mary Ann Green, Administrator
Newsletter Staff
Audrey Cielinski Kessler, Edita,
Museum Hours
Thursday: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Friday: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Groups and special tours
by appointment
Direct inquiries to
Kent H lstorical Society
P.O. Box 663
Kent, OH 44240
330/678-2712
[email protected]
www.kentohiohistory.org
Winter 2009
Museum Gift Shop Featured Item:
Kent and the Great War, The Letters
ofLeoBietz
A few years ago, Dr. James Best, emeritus
professor of political science at Kent State
University, donated a collection of letters from
Leo Bietz. Bietz drove an ambulance in France in
what was known as the "great war." Bietz wrote
to his family in Kent, who had taken over his
role in running the Imperial Dry Oeaning Co.
without him. Bietz returned to Kent and became
Kent's postmaster (in the old post office located
next to the Kent Historical Society' s office on
South Water Street) as well as an active community
leader.
The letters in this book were transcribed
by Derrick Ranostaj, one of the Historical Soci-
, ety' s Kent State University's interns. Ranostaj' s
interest in World War I prompted the HistoriL,;,.,..-===
= === ==::;__;.._.., cal Society to help him create the society's
exhibit, Kent and the Great War, as well as this book. Volunteer Henry Halem
created the book design and helped guide this wonderful little piece of history to
publication. As you will note, it is the first book published under the Kent Historical
Society Press.
Stephen H. Paschen, university archivist at Kent State, described the book:
"The World War I letters of Leo Bietz provide not only a rare glimpse of an Amer-
--.__.Acan soldier's experiences in wartime but also a snapshot of life in and around
Kent, Ohio, during 1918 and 1919. A fascinating collection of letters Leo wrote to
family and friends back home is accompanied by letters he received providing
the precious news of goings-on in Kent. His letters convey some of the profound
awe he experienced as the dramatic global conflict drew to a climax. But the true
significance of this collection is personal history. The First World War is viewed
through the eyes of one individual and those who knew him. These letters, a
collection preserved by the Kent Historical Society, reveal much of what Kent and
its people experienced during a war that changed the face of the world."
Kent and the Great War, The Letters of Leo Bietz, (Kent Historical Society Press, 143
pages, 15, ISBN 9781607251743); transcribed by Derrick Ranostaj.
The Kent Historian Celebrates Its First Year
F our seasons have passed since the
Kent Historical Society launched
its new quarterly newsletter, The Kent
Historian. Thanks for all of your positive
responses. We especially appreciate
our board member, Audrey Cielinski
Kessler, who volunteers as our
editor and layout specialist.
This Winter 2009 issue features a
special insert by Dr. John Jacobs. Ja:
obs is not only well known in the
---.._../community for his long history of service
as a caring physician, but he also
is a consummate professional who
Winter 2009
has helped the Historical Society archive
thousands of photographs. He
and his wife Jean have helped with
identifying the many "anonymous"
photographs in the Historical Society's
archives.
If you have some local history
you would like to research or a personal
or family story to share, please let
us know. For any photos you want to
donate, please identify the people in
the picture and the location and date
the picture was taken. The photos will
be scanned and the orginals returned.
'94 Club' to Fund
Loris C. Troyer
Library & Archives
H ave you joined the "94 Oub"
yet? You can help create a lasting
legacy for the Kent Historical Society
archives. The Historical Society started
the "94 Oub" to honor Loris C. Troyer
on his 94th birthday and to maintain
the organization's growing library and
archives.
The names of those contributing
$94 for a listing will be added to a
plaque in the library, and a DVD of
the dedication will be sent to all donors.
If you would like to contribute,
send your tax-deductible contribution
to the Historical Society or call Mary
Ann Green for credit-card orders.
Contributors will be listed in the
spring newsletter.
KHS Volunteers
in the Spotlight
V olunteers in the spotlight for the
winter are Christy Schjeldahl
(top) and Betty Sweet (bottom).
"I look forward
to my
time each
month at the
KHS. As a
transplant to
Ohio from
Minnesota
and Michigan
, I find it
a great way to become acquainted and appreciative
of Kent's history. I enjoy working with
Mary Ann [KHS administrator], who is so positive
and encouraging. I thank Betty Sweet,
who encouraged me to volunteer."
"After my
husband
Richard's
death in
2005, I discovered
the
Kent Historical
Society.
The people I
met were
very upbeat and caring. Mary Ann had a
friendly way of keeping me busy. I have been
living in Kent since 1957, so I do feel at
home here. Every time I volunteer, I learn
more about Kent's great heritage.
3
WAR
Continued from p. 1
en to the pinnacles of ecstasy, sank into the depths of
gloom. But not for long. The real armistice came on November
11, and this time the people waited until the afternoon
to celebrate. Mayor (Martin) Davey, Dr. J. H. Hull
and Dr. M.J. Slutz addressed a crowd which gathered at
the public square. A parade formed, which was headed by
E.O. Carlin's hearse, in which there was an effigy of the
Kaiser. The band played, the fire trucks fell into line, and
so did scores of automobiles and hundreds of celebrants
who walked. Later, part of the procession went on to Ravenna
to show that town how Kent greeted the fall of
Prussian militarism."
The Historical Society hop·es its exhibit will give the
viewer a sense of how that World War I affected Kent and
the men and women who served the country and the Kent
community.
Source: This article is a verbatim excerpt from The History of Kent by
Karl H. Grismer, Chapter XI (pages 109-110), copyright 1932.
Welcome 2009! The Kent Historical Society
has a new sign in front of the Society
office at 234 S. Water Street to welcome
visitors and give the hours the office
is open to the public . Remember
that tours for grou. s can always he
scheduled by appointment.
Kent Historical Society
P.O. Box 663
Kent, OH 44240
KHS Announces 2009 'All
About Kent' Speaker Series
'--"' T he first speaker in the Kent Historical Society's 2009
All About Kent Speaker Series is Portage County historian
Wayne Enders. His presentation will begin at 7 p.m.
on February 9 at the historic Marvin Kent residence, now
home of the Masonic Center ( corner of Mantua and West
Main streets). Enders will present highlights of people
and events in Kent and Portage County between 1850 and
1900. When he spoke as part of the series last year, Enders
talked about people and events prior to 1850.
Enders, a lifelong resident of Ravenna Township, is
the author of Connecticut Western Reserve, State of Ohio,
County of Portage Timeline 1669-2007. Copies of the book
will be available and will be signed by the author.
Guests will be met at the front door by Marvin and
Maria Kent (portrayed by Bruce and Nancy Hansford). On
behalf of the Rockton Lodge 316, they will provide a tour
of their former home along with members of the Portage
County Historical Society, also in period costumes. Jeffrey
Jones will play period music on a dulcimer. Pictures of a
sleigh once owned by the Kent family and reconstructed
by the Portage County Historical Society will be on display
along with archival photos from the period assembled
from the KHS archives by John and Jean Jacobs.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be
served. For more informatio:1, caB the KI-IS office.
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Kent, OH
Permit #150
Kent Historical Society-Where History Comes Alive!
4 Winter 200
Justice Stephen Breyer Book Signing 1
No full textJustice Stephen Breyer signs copies of his book Making Our Democracy Work -- A Judge\u27s View at the inaugural program of IIT Chicago-Kent\u27s Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States (ISCOTUS), on September 12, 2011.https://scholarship.kentlaw.iit.edu/breyer_images/1003/thumbnail.jp
Justice Stephen Breyer, Professor Carolyn Shapiro
No full textJustice Stephen Breyer (right) visited the law school to speak at the inaugural program of IIT Chicago-Kent\u27s Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States (ISCOTUS), which is headed by Professor Carolyn Shapiro, one of his former law clerks.https://scholarship.kentlaw.iit.edu/breyer_images/1010/thumbnail.jp
Justice Stephen Breyer Audience Q&A
No full textJustice Stephen Breyer answers questions from the audience after discussing his book Making Our Democracy Work -- A Judge\u27s View at the inaugural program of IIT Chicago-Kent\u27s Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States (ISCOTUS), on September 12, 2011.https://scholarship.kentlaw.iit.edu/breyer_images/1004/thumbnail.jp
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