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The Kent Historian, Kent Historical Society Newsletter, Number 111, Fall 2024
No full textTHE KENT HISTORIAN
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE KENT HISTORICAL SOCIETY
FALL 2024
VOLUME 111
Depot Celebration Will Honor Railroad History
Sandy Halem President Emeritus
On Sunday June 1st, 2025, Kent Historical Society will lead the community in celebrating the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Erie Depot. From
3:00 -5:00 the people of Kent are invited to a birthday party in the Depot, now home to the restaurant Over Easy. The program will include games, food, music, and an educationa l program recognizing the importance of the railroad and Marvin Kent in our town's development.
Local educator and railroad historian Bruce Dzeda is
working to complete an updated history of rail
transportation systems in Kent. Dzeda's previously
published book, Railroad Town, has been a bestseller
at KHS ror years. Keep an eye out for news about his
new book as we get closer to Depot 150.
Also on deck for pubI ication is our very speciaI
coloring book -a collaborative efforl between KHS
and Stanton Middle School art teacher Mr. Knepper.
The coloring pages are based on work by Knepper's
s tudenls and the book wi II also include rail roadthemed
games to help bring both fun and local history to kids in elementary school.
Depot 150
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The celebration will also kick off a fundraising
campaign to aid in our continued preservation of the Depot and the historic Clapp-Woodward house, home of KHS' Museum and archival space.
Finally, a new railroad-themed exhibit will open at our Museum in June. The exhibit will feature custom replicas of clothing from that era and highlight Kent's early historian Charlotte Weaver. We are working with a talented costume designer lo recreate what a woman like Weaver would have worn and carried when
traveling by train.
If you would like to be involved in some of these events please contact KHS and we will help you get started.
Haymaker Family Artifact Finds New Home at KHS
Echo Malleo Collections Manager
The repetition of the name throughout the area provides
[n June, KHS acquired a special piece related to d family whose name is likely familiar to Kent residents. some indication of the importance of the fami ly to our
Visitors to our Museum may recall our display on the city's history.
Haymaker family, but if not, it is still likely that at
Story continued on page 2
some point you have driven along Haymaker Parkway or attended the Haymaker Farmer's Market. Story continued from page 1
The desk complements a number of other Haymaker Family artifacts in our front exhibition rooms. Plan a visit soon to take a closer look!
The Haymakers were among the first settlers in the Kent area and built the first grist mill in 1807, leading to the town's early name of Franklin Mills. Other notable firsts belonging to the Haymaker family include the first nonIndigenous child born in the area in 1807 and the first recorded death in 1810. Members of the Haymaker family have been active in the town since, participating in many clubs and even acting as part of city council
over the years.
Earlier this summer, KHS was contacled by a
descendent of Sarah Haymaker Elgin (another notable family name) about donating a piece of furniture previously owned by Sarah. The item in question was a piano Lhat Sarah had had converted into a desk. KHS doesn'L often accept donations of furniture due to limited ability to care for and slore such special pieces. But this desk, related to two such important families to Kent history, was a welcome addition to our collections.
St. Patrick's School Building Now One Century Old
Tim DeFrange Contributing Writer
Thirty-eight years ago, in 1986, Saint Patrick's School on Portage Street turned 100 years old. To mark that anniversary, Record Courier staff writer Elaine Schwinn wrote a sixteen-page special supplemental article about the history of the school. 2024 now marks another anniversary for Saint Patrick's school: 100 years since the 1924 construction of the "old" eightclassroom building.
Plans began in 1920, after the Humility of Mary Sisters had spent 30-plus years educating the parish school children in an 1886 wooden four-classroom clapboard building. Not only was lhe building painfully overcrowded, but its wooden floor was full of holes and a coal furnace burned below. The sisters wou ld often send the boys down below the floor lo sloke the coal rurnace. Mary Armstrong Bissler remembered how some of Lhe boys would come up wilh their eyebrows singed.
Eleanor McCombs recalled the fundra ising effort of selling bricks to make the new school building a reality. Children in the parish were sent out to sell lhem for the wa lls of the school. For just a dime. a donor could own a portion of a brick and a whole brick cost 90,000.
1952 photograph showing the schoolhouse building to the right of the old Church on Portage Street. The building's construction cost of 1. 7 Million today.
By 1928 nearly two-thirds of the cost had been paid. Unlike the old school, bathrooms were inside the building. 350 students were housed in the eight brandnew classrooms in the fall of 1924. Three decades later by 1964, twelve more classrooms had been added to the origi naI eight. The origi na I eight-classroom portion sti 11 serves, providing the school office, classrooms, computer instruction, and the library for Saint Patrick's school children in 2024.
2
Picturing the Past: The Shively House
The Northwest corner of Main and Depeyster Streets has long been home to the Kent Stage, a building with its own fascinating history. But what came before it? Until 1927, on that very same plot of land stood the palatial residence of Dr. Joe Shively. Originally built for Zenas Kent himself, this house was the very first of the "mansions" of Kent. This 1874 artist's rendering shows the home in all its splendor.
Keeping Pioneer Cemetery Beautiful
As part of our stewardship of local historical sites. KHS hosts regular cleanup days of the Stow Street Pioneer Cemetery. We were very excited to have special volunteers at our most recent one on Saturday, November 2nd.
Aicien Ziots. local prospective Eagle Scout, has been working with us since .July to organize cleanup efforts, conduct a tree inventory or the site with Davey Tree, and arrange for a new commemorative plaque at the cemetery's entrance (you'll be able to see it this coming spring!). John Burnell, stone masonry expert, has done an amazing job at headstone restoralion and taking utmost care to preserve details of th~se artifacts.
Big thanks to both of them and everyone else who came to help out!
Top: Before and after headstone restoration work by Burnell Bottom left: Burnell loading stones to the Cemetery Bottom right: Led by Ziots, young volunteers carry raked leaves
The Mission of the Kent · · Histor«:al Soci~:t)' is to plthe primary Kent history resource
and reference center, leading the co.mmunity in .the.col/ectign,
· ' preservation, and~/nterpretation of Kents heritage. The Soriety offers educational programs to
schools, bw.sinesses, civio . .. organizations, ·and individ'iiais. .
• ~ ➔
" .,
Board of 11 JadcAm rhefn:, Scott Flynn, Vice Presid Carol Strnble, Vice President Matt Metcalf, Treasurer, drey Cie[inski Kessler, Secretary
Jean Booth . -, Howarcj.Boyfe
Rebecca Dunlap i--,,...--...,..._~ --t-:,"t-t-Hg-cftl-1:-f.er -~:£:::"2-::'::?--.c, Tom Hatch Maggie Mc&endry
., Jim Myers Esther Thatcher
Director
Julie Kenworthy
· · Staff Bengt George, Communication~
Echo Malleo,.. Collections·
Contact us:
Kent H1st6r1(ar Societt 237 East Main Street Kent, OH ·44240
(330)678~i112 KHS ~KentOhieHistory:q~g
KentOhioHistory.org ~, Eacebook.com/KentHistoriaaJ Society
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Museum Hours:
Fridays and Satur~ys lOAM~2PM or by appointment . Last Chance to See Liquid Crystals Exhibit
Save the Date: Winter Open House
On Saturday, December 7th. we will have our regular public hours wilh a feslive twist! From I0AM-IPM we wi ll have free refreshmenls and ramily-friendly crafts!
As we near our seasonal close starting December 15th, we would like to encourage members to come see our most recent temporary exhibt. Modern Vision: Liquid Crystal Technology in Kent.
A collaboration belween KHS. Kenl Stale Universily, and local tech company Kent Displays, this exhibit has stood out for a couple or reasons. First, with artifacts and pholos dating from the 1960s through to present day. it is our most modern exhibit ever. Second, il is our most interactive exhibit lo date. Visitors are invited to take a mood ring (which technically makes use of Liquid Crystal technology) and try a variety or Kent Displays' innovative Boogie Board products.
Liquid Crystal Displays, mosl notably used today in phone and TV screens, have an importanl history in Kent. Kent State has been a major international player in
the development in this technology since 1965 when Professor Glenn H. Brown founded the Liquid Crystal Institute. His colleague. .I. William Doane, would go on to author many patents and secure government funding for important work in the field. He would also found Kent Displays in 1993. The company thrives today creating affordable resuable writi ng surfaces for schools, hospitals, and lhe general public. Plan a visil soon before we inslall a new exhibil for spring!
Holiday Book Sale!
Have you read our bestseller Bars, Bands, and Rock 'n Roll by Chas Madonia? Interested in Bruce Dzeda's Railroad Town: Kent and the Erie Railroad?
Stop by the Museum or visit KentOhioHistory.org/shop to pick up a gift for the local history lover in your lire
The Kent Historian, Kent Historical Society Newsletter, Number 101, Summer 2021
No full textSpecial issue: In Memoriam
Remembering Roger DiPaoloTHE KENT HISTORIAN
September 2021
In Memoriam
Remembering Roger Di Paolo
By Sandra Halem President Emeritus KHS
In June 2009, Roger and I met at the Haymaker Farmer's Market in Kent and spoke once again about putting together a book about Kent history based on his Sunday Record-Courier newspaper columns. He had taken over the local history column after Loris Troyer had retired. It was his rightful inheritance. While Loris had learned his history as a transplant from Amish country, Roger was born to it. He absorbed the stories of his hometown as well as becoming an expert on all the small towns that made up his beloved Portage County.
As the Kent Historical Society Presi ent, 1 ha ma de publications a priority. We began a six-month accelerated timeline to a Christmas publica
tion assisted by "Team Roger," which included journalists Mary Louise Ruehr, Bob Springer, Kasha Legaza-Burton and her husband Jona, along with Roger, my husband Henry and me. We winnowed down hundreds of columns into categories but couldn't decide on a title. Roger settled on Rooted in Kent.
No one was more "rooted" here than
Jit.ne_3, lq5b -JLLne t't, ~o)J
Roger. He had been an award-winning reporter who could have taken his talents to a bigger city but leaving was unimaginable. Kent was everything Roger loved. Being editor of the RecordCourier was everything he had dreamed about. Few people can be so totally fulfilled by a job that both defined them and contributed to the betterment of their community.
He loved sharing. It was his honor to be asked questions and his greatest pleasure to be able to answer them. But most of all, he left us all with a better sense of the arc of our town's life through the eyes of one of its favorite sons who never had to leave to be successful. Roger stayed out of choice and contributed out of love. His death leaves an enormous hole. We will miss all the books that will never be written, but we are grateful to have had you here with us, dear friend. Thank you for making a difference.
By Wayne R. Enders Historian-in-Residence Portage County Historical Society
For most of its 213 years of history, Portage County has been fortunate to have had several individuals who have had an interest in recording local history. Roger Di Paolo and I met when we were in the eighth grade because of our parents' activity in local politics and stayed in touch over a half century due to our love for local history. Through his inquisitive mind, attention to detail, and his search for truth, he was able to apply his journalistic skills to write some of the best nar-, · l, rative histories of our age. As editor of the
Record-Courier at 36, Di Paolo had the most powerful typewriter in the county. He never used his influence to label or divide, but to encourage and unite. Roger was a great listener. He was not one to interrupt. If asked a question concerning someone he knew or a topic that was dear to him, he could talk at great length with a wealth of information. His books on Kent and Ravenna were a reflection of his commitment to history and his desire to educate his readers. Those narratives were but the tip of the iceberg of the knowledge he had, and the unwritten ones forever lost by his untimely death. A friend of the underdog and those who were denied rights and freedoms, he chose his friends from all walks of life, His only unwritten requirement was that a person be fair, honest and opened-minded. It was my honor and privilege to have been his friend and colleague. 2017, he authored Portage Pathways, a went on to careers in national media.
By David Dix Former Publisher, Record-Courier weekly history column that had been Born June 3, 1955, Roger is survivedstarted by his predecessor, the late Loris by his husband, Timothy Krasselt; his
Roger J. Di Paolo, my editor ofthe
C. Troyer. Di Paolo's Portage Pathways
son, Brian Di Paolo; and his sisters, LinRecord-Courier from 1991 until March were compiled into two books. Rooted da Di Paolo Prezioso and Betsy Soule.
2017, died June 18, 2021, following a
. in Kent was published in collaboration
long battle with cancer.
with the Kent Historical Society and An elegant The Ravenna Record was published to stylist and raise money to refurbish the historic grammarian Ravenna flagpole on Main Street.
By Henry Halem
ofprecision, I will miss Roger. He was a wonderVolunteer, KHS
an avid reader
ful conversationalist and my near daily
and student of Beyond a personal friendship, I had
discussions with him about the day's
local history, Di the pleasure ofworking with Roger on
news after he became editor were never
Paolo chronihis book publishing projects for the
dull. I looked forward to them and
cled the news of Kent Historical Society.
learned a lot. Roger held strong views.
Portage County Sometimes we did not agree, but he I have many fond memories ofsitfor 40 years. He got his start at the Rehad a way ofmaking me re-examine my ting around my dining room table withcord-Courier as a reporter in 1977 when
own opinions and Roger nearly always Roger and his editorial team, hashinghe reported on the protests surrounding
made me laugh. He had a great capacity out which articles and photos to includethe construction ofa building on land for empathizing with those getting a in his book Rooted in Kent: 101 Taleschat intruded on the site where four
ftom the Tree City. His eye forstudents were killed on May 4, 1970.
detail was always present. HereA Roosevelt High School student in
are a couple ofdetails Roger1970, the shootings had a formative
wanted included in the bookeffect on Di Paolo's view ofthe world.
that I found in notes from thoseHe had an affinity for the underdog,
meetings: Include about the Silkpassed on by his father, the late Judge
Mill: "... it took about one millionRoger F. Di Paolo.
bricks to build which were all supRoger's abilities were recognized plied by the Ferry Brickyard which early. In 1978 while a student at Kent was located in town. "About the State, Di Paolo was the recipient of Clapp/Woodward House, "... the James M. Sutherland Award, cited there is a fireplace in every one of as the Most Promising Young Profesthe four rooms facing out on main sional by the Sigma Delta Chi/Society street. No two fireplaces are alike. of Professional Journalist. He was One is oak, one is cherry, and two one of60 honored by the Kent State are paintedstone. "The book was University School ofJournalism and his labor oflove. Mass Communications at the School's
The years passed and Roger60th anniversary in 1997. He was
was itching to get involved inthe recipient offour Ohio Associated
another book. I suggested we putPress Awards including Best Editorial
together a book of Kent, BradyWriter. Honors were also bestowed by
Lake and Kent State Universitythe Portage County Historical Society,
vintage postcards. Roger thoughtthe Portage County Chapter ofthe
the book was a wonderful idea,NAACP, the Kent City Schools of
and we were soon hard at workHall ofFame, the Kent Area Chamber
sorting postcards. Once Rogerof Commerce, and the Ohio School raw deal in life and had no patience for made his decision, he would then writeBoard Association. He set a record as those who feel entitled. two or three lines describing each card.the featured speaker for Kent State UniAs
editor, Di Paolo oversaw a staff of But Roger soon found that for many
versity's town-gown Bowman Breakfast approximately 20 full-time and partofthe cards he had more to say. Howon three different occasions.
time employees and a budget exceedcould it be otherwise? Roger was a man Devoted to local history, Di Paolo ing $1 million annually. He enjoyed ofdetails. On many occasions I would compiled a popular weekly history feateaching newcomers and was proud that have to tell him to "shorten it" and ture called Yesteryears. From 2002 until some ofthe reporters he worked with began to think ofmyself as chat grumpy old editor often depicted in old blackand-white movies. He would grumble, but eventually he'd find a way to shorten it. This book, Welcome to Kent, A Postcard Portrait ofthe Tree City,
was in full color, and Roger was very happy with the result.
In 2020 my wife Sandy revived an idea she'd had when she was the president of the historical society. Roger's cancer was in remission and she hoped he could help develop a walking tour ofStanding Rock Cemetery. I would design a folded two-sided piece; on one side, a full-color map of the cemetery with specific grave sites marked, and on the other, a brief synopsis of the person buried at each site. He couldn't wait to start on the project. Roger and Sandy insisted that the tour include those individuals who represented -our historical diversity. Once the names were decided, Roger set to work writing a brief biography ofeach individual. "A Walking Tour of Standing Rock Cemetery" is a Kent "who's who." Seventy-seven people from all walks oflife who made a difference. Sad to say, there is now one more name to add to that distinguished list.
I loved working with Roger and his "Team Roger," as we were known. I loved Roger. Listening to him reflect on all things Kent was a treat. He was not a man of few words when it came to his hometown and all the families that lived and died here. Whenever a Kent question arose about a family, a person, a place or a date, "Call Roger" was the cry. Call Roger. We
cannot call Roger anymore, and I cannot tell you how many times since his death I have needed to make that call. Farewell, my friend.
By Doria Daniels Civic Leader
Roger and I shared the same passion about the accurate history and recognition of Kent's South End neighborhood. Our interaction with each other goes back over 30 years when as a journalist and later a city editor. He had a keen eye for digging deeper into stories that
emanated from our neighborhood. He didn't gloss over stories or dismiss content as we had experienced before. This is how our
friendship developed. It was years later that I learned his heritage began in the south end and he was obviously not embarrassed to associate or identify with his "South End" roots. He was fully supportive of our efforts to seek historic recognition for the neighborhood and was an asset in providing research, especially on the Italian contributions to this community. The legacy he left to this cpmmunity will be the drive to excel and to continue to overcome the prejudice and stereotypical depictions of the neighborhood. To that end we are PREVAILING.
Team Roger: I to r, Henry Halem, Bob Springer, Roger, Kasha Legeza-Burton, Sandy Halem By Charles Michel Childhood Friend
Conversations with my childhood friend Roger Di Paolo, always went something like this.
Me... "Roger, whatever happened to old Mrs. Kelly?"
Roger... "She died on Thanksgiving Day, 3 years ago. She had been living with her daughter, Lucy (whose married name
was Smith) down in Ft. Myers Fl. Lucy was the youngest of the Kelly kids. There were ten kids in all. From oldest to youngest... there was Tommy, Teddy, Theresa, Mary, Emily, Arthur, Danny, Helen, Ellen, and baby Lucy. They lived on Highland Avenue just behind St. Patrick's Church. They are all still living except for Arthur, who died in Vietnam on September 3, 1969."
No one person has ever known more about or cared more about the people in his own home community than Roger. Roger was much more than the editor of a newspaper... he was the heart that held close every memory of everyone and everything. For Roger, every Kent resident, past and present, living and dead... was family. And the entire community was itself more of a family because Roger lived his entire life there. Like George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life, Roger's life was made wonderful by making a very big difference in his very own backyard. Roger Di Paolo was indeed "the richest man in town." And
the town and the state and the nation
and the world will forever be a bit poorer now that Roger is no longer here
to keep it rich in memories and rich in
love.
By Jack Amrhein
President, KHS
On October 24, 2017 the Kent Historical Society and Museum's Board ofTustees appointed Roger Di Paolo as historian-in-residence. The board was fortunate that Roger was available to do the job and he and his knowledge of Kent's history were well known to the community. Mr. Di Paolo wrote or coauthored as well as edited books for the Society. In his role Roger helped muse
~------------------------
Roger's horse-drawn hearse on its way to Standing Rock Cemetery ~
um visitors research historic questions as well as helped them trace relatives or past businesses that were important to them. He also presented programs
on our behalf to the citizens of the community.
On many occasions I remember Roger sitting down with visitors, employees and members and
weaving Kent's history into fascinating and interesting stories. His knowledge of Kent's long and varied history was amazing. No one had the vast knowledge ofour community's history as did Roger. He was an excellent addition to our Museum's team. His talents as an author, editor and historian enabled the Kent Historical Society to enrich its programs of events, publications and public programs.
Roger will be deeply missed.
To contribute to the Roger Di Paolo Student Scholarship Fund at Roosevelt High School please call KHS at (330) 678-2712 or email [email protected]
Photo credits: Brad Bolton, Tim Krasselt, Sandra Halem, Henry Halem ~ . 1
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~-~---, ~ ~1'
And, ofcourse I am grateful for havinggrown up in Kent, a community whose diversity is part ofmy heritage
The Author: Kent Davis
No full textKent Davis is a Montana based author of “A Riddle in Ruby” and the soon to be released sequel, “The Changer’s Key”
Kent Historical Society, Winter Notes 2009
No full textKent Historical Society
WINTER NOTES 2009
PLEASE JOIN US
Roger Di Paolo will be available to autograph copies of his new book, published
by KHS, which includes 101 columns from his Portage Pathways articles
for the Record Courier. This amazing book also contains more than 125
photographs from libraries, archives & private collections - some not seen in
100 years. This is a MUST for your holiday shopping list.
Special KHS member price 17.00
Author!
Roger Di Paolo
ROOTED IN KENT: 101 Tales from the Tree City
Published by KHS Press
New Book Launching Party & Reception
Saturday, December 12th 11:30-3:30
KHS HOLIDAY SHOPPING
Don't forget to stop by the museum for some special gifts! A list of items
available - including special discounts for KHS members - is included in
this mailing. Holiday orders must be paid for and shipped ( or picked up) by
Saturday, December 19th.
Books, cards, mugs, puzzles, aprons, maps!
NOW ON DISPLAY
1924 Player Piano (DONATIONS of piano rolls gratefully accepted)
Patchwork quilt from the collection of Evangeline Davey
City of Kent Model Trains
1831 rare stampless cover from "Franklin Mills, Ohio"
signed by George B. DePeyster, postmaster
WINTER VACATION
The Kent Historical Society will be closed from December 20th, 2009 to
February 3, 2010. We will reopen on Thursday, February 4th; call for special
tour or research needs.
Call (330) 678-2712 for more information.
Mary Ann Green, administrator
234 South Water Street. Kent, Ohio
www.kentohiohistory.org
(330) 678-2712
email: [email protected]
Mailing Address:
Kent Historical Society
P.O. Box 663
Members Discount Order Form
Call or Mail your order Phone: 330.678.2712
Web: www.kentohiohistory.org
Kent, OH 44240 Free Kent Bicentennial T-shirt with order over 10.00 (s, m, I, xi)
Quan. Title @ Price Total
(New) Rooted in Kent, 101 tales from the tree city (By Roger Di Paolo)
30.00
Kent and the Great War, The Letters of Leo Bietz (KHS Press) 9.00
The Story of Kent (KHS Press) 8.00
Haunting Tales From the Tree City (KHS Press) 19.00
The History of Kent: Historical & Biographical, Karl Grismer 39.00
Portage Pathways, Loris Troyer 14.00
Vintage Aprons (limited quantity) 15.00
J *KHS Coffee Mugs 4.00
DVD - Kent, The Early Years, Historical Overview (KHS Video) 10.00
DVD - A Film by Roscoe Hahn, Kent & Brady Lake (KHS Video) 6.00
DVD - Made in Kent, The Fageol Bros. and Twin Coach (KHS Video) 3.00
Ship To: (Please Print) Total
Name: _________________________ _
Address: _________________________ _
Address 2: ________________________ _
City: ____________ State: __ Zip: _________ _
Phone: Email: ____________ _
Payable by Check or Credit Card:
Please charge my order to: __ Visa __ MasterCard
Credit Card # _________________ Expiration ___ _
Signature: _________________________ _
* Pick-up only
**Do not add shipping and handling if you're going to pick up your order at the historical society.
J (234 S. Water St.)
D Yes I will pick up my order at the historical society D Please ship my order
r ~' s Ti me t o Ce l e b r a t e !
You're invited to spend the season with
us. We have the accommodations for all
of your holiday parties. Make your
reservations today.
The Pufferbelly's 28th Anniversary week
is just around the corner. Be here for
our _9lassic anniversary specials
December 14·-18.
On Sunday, December 20th Santa Cl a u s is
corning to town early. Join us for a
Brunch wi th Santa and enjoy our Sunday
Brunch buffet from 11:00 - 2:30.
Corne celebrate Ne w Year s Eve with us.
We'll supply the noisemakers , hats and
balloons . At midnight we will have a
complimentary champagne toast. All
you'll need to bring is your
resolutions. Don't forget to
make your reserv a t i ons .
H~PPY HOLIDAYS FROM YOUR
FRIENDS AT THE PUFFERBELLY
·i-
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--- Kent Historical Society
P.O. Box 663
Kent, OH 44240
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Nonprofit Organization
U.S . Postage
Paid
Kent, OH
Permit #150
Open House
The historic Marvin Kent Homestead located at the corrw-------er of
Rt. 43 and W. Main St. will be open to the public on Sat rday,
March 21 from 2-5. Tours will be hosted by members f the
Rockton Masonic :Lodge #316 and are FREE to the public Cof-fee
and cookies vv-ill also be served.
)
The Kent Historical Society
Speaker Series Presents
'' All About Kent"
Noted educator and author of the newly published book
Politician Extraordinaire
The Tempestuous Life and Times of Martin L. Davey
Will Speak on
Former businessman, Mayor of Kent, US Congressman, and Governor of Ohio
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Doors open: 6:30 p.m. - Talk at: 7:00 p.m.
Where: The First Christian Church
Corner of West Main & Mantua St., Kent, 0 H
Light refreshments will be served
History of church and tour will follow.
Sponsored by the Kent Historical Society
2,34 S. Water St., Kent, OH
330.678.271
The Kent Historian, Kent Historical Society Newsletter, Number 90, Spring 2017
No full textTHE KENT HISTORIAN
The Newsletter of the Kent Historical Society Spring 2017
Number 90
Questions about Kent's black squirrels answered
Local authors share book and activities at KHSM event
By Bailey Mulholland
Publications Specialist
Do you know how the black squirrel
came to Kent? Those who attended a
Kent Historical Society & Museum event
on Feb. 18 learned the history and even
some biology of this spunky rodent from
local authors Kathy Frazier and Deborah
Walker.
Frazier and Walker read their book ''And
Now You Know Too! The Story of How
the Black Squirrel Came to Kent" to an
audience of more than 30 children and
adults, afterwards engaging in discussion
and overseeing a variety of activities.
Attendees of all ages enjoyed munching
on squirrel-shaped cookies while making
bracelets, assembling pipe cleaner squirrels
and coloring characters from the book.
''And Now You Know Too!" is available
online and at Off the Wagon in Kent.
Bonnie Garrett, passionate KHSM
benefactor, passes alVay at 85
Bonnie D.
(Shepherd)
Garrett, 8 5,
passed away
Feb. 11 in Cincinnati,
Ohio.
She was born
July 24, 1931,
in Kent, Ohio
to Norm and
Vivian (Poulton)
Shepherd.
Bonnie was a
1949 graduate
of Kent State
University
High School. Bonnie D. Garrett, a generous
supporter of the historical society,
at an event with family. She is survived
by her sister, Barbara Meeker of Kent;
son, Robert (Judi) Garrett of North Richland
Hills, Texas; daughter, Linda (Harry)
Gurgol of Cincinnati; grandchildren, Chad
(Melissa) Garrett of Henderson, Nev., Ali
(Andy) Massingill of Little Elm, Texas,
and Charles (CJ) Garrett of Atlanta, Ga.,
Michelle (Brian) Gurgol Spegal of Hebron,
Ky. and Sara Gurgol of West Chester, Ohio;
great granddaughters, Peyton Massingill of
Little Elm, Texas, and twins Gabrielle and
Madison Spegal of Hebron, Ky. She is pre-ceded
in death by her husband, Charles
(Larry) Garrett, and sister, Bette Geiger,
of Raleigh, N. C.
Bonnie and her husband, Larry, were
employed in family businesses. As a newly
married couple, they had a 300-acre Hereford
farm north of Ravenna. Then Larry
and his father, Robert, built and ran the
first motel in Kent; the Eastwood Motel,
between Kent and Ravenna. Next, they
owned Garrett Asphalt, followed by the
Foster Bodman Co. in Akron. Larry was
also a pilot for the Davey Compressor
Co. and a volunteer sheriff for Portage
County.
Bonnie enjoyed her family, friends, traveling
and life at the lake. She grew up in
Twin Lakes and spent summers at Muzzy
Lake when her family was young. As
empty nesters, Bonnie and Larry enjoyed
boating with Kent friends at Catawba
Island, Lake Erie. They retired to Marco
Island, FL.
Bonnie was a passionate supporter of
the Kent Historical Society Museum. A
future gravesite service at Standing Rock
Cemetery for Bonnie and Larry will be
performed by the Rev. Julie Fisher of the
Kent Christ Episcopal Church.
Frazier and Walker share their book with local
families and answer questions.
TRENO
RISTORANTE
COMING SOON
In our next newsletter, learn
more about the new Italian
restaurant soon to occupy our
historic Erie Depot. Join the
historical society at the grand
opening later this year!
Author and adventurer Marvin Kent Curtis
One descendent of Marvin Kent honors the interesting life of another
By Kasha Legaza-Burton
KHS Trustee
How do you tell the story of a multilingual
World War I aviator-turned-prisoner-
of-war who went on to live a grand
life as an author, illustrator, a skilled
outdoorsman who mentored countless
young summer campers, a yachtsman and
a globetrotter who rubbed elbows with the
famous in 500 words or less? You can't!
It's the very reason Missouri resident
Mary Jo Johnston created both a Wikipedia
page and a blog website detailing the
adventurous existence of her great-uncle,
Marvin Kent Curtis - great-grandson of
Marvin Kent, for whom our city is named.
Johnston admits with a chuckle that researching
the life of "Uncle Kent" has been
her "passion" for the past two decades!
She believes the Chicago-area native's
gadabout lifestyle was a result of him being
held as a prisoner of war for several months
in Germany after the American 148th Aero
Squadron bomber he was piloting over
France was shot down on Aug. 24, 1918.
His killed-in-action death at the age of
27 - a report wired to father Charles E.
Curtis from the U.S. War Department
(mother, Grace Kent Curtis, died in 1907)
KHS Museum Hours
237 E. Main St.,
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays
and by appointment.
Contact
Kent Historical Society
23 7 E. Main St.
Kent, Ohio 44240
330-678-2712
Email
[email protected]
Website
www.kentohiohistory.org
Find us on Facebook
www.facebook.com/
KentHistoricalSociety
- made front-page news in Kent papers.
That provided Curtis with a Mark
Twain-esque "reports of my death are
greatly exaggerated" tale to tell for the next
40 years - and he did! (Record-Courier
Editor Roger Di Paolo detailed this period
of Curtis' life in a Feb. 1, 2015, "Portage
Pathways" column entitled, "Marvin
Kent's namesake lived 40 years after his
obituary.")
Curtis' career as a professional writer was
launched in 1920 when he received a 1,000
in a national writing competition. That's
the equivalent of nearly $14,500 in today's
dollars!
From there Curtis went on to write and
illustrate five novels while continuing to
author magazine essays. Four of Curtis'
books are boys' adventure stories set in
places he loved living: the North Woods of
Minnesota and the Florida coastal islands.
The fifth book, "The Tired Captains," is a
historical novel based on a group of World
War I pilots. Qohnston and her husband,
Kelly, acquired copies of all five novels and
graciously donated them to KHS last fall!)
During his lifetime, Curtis crossed the
Atlantic 2 5 times and the Pacific once. He
lived in Paris intermittently throughout
the 1920s and it was there, while pursuing
his writing career, that he became
acquainted with numerous famous people.
One of them, F. Scott Fitzgerald, wrote
chat Curtis' "The Blushing Camel" was
one of the best boys' books he'd ever read
and compared it to works by Hemingway
and Twain.
Curtis spent more than 30 summers
at Camp Mishawaka for boys in Grand
Rapids, Minn., serving as a counselor,
entertainment director and, eventually, a
co-owner. He led 31 "Big Canadian canoe
trips" for campers through the Minnesota-
Canada boundary waters and also
introduced a sailing program that he ran
from 1937 until his death in 1957.
Johnston said that at the end of most
camp seasons, Curtis would return to his
winter home on Captiva Island by sailing
Photo: Mary Jo Johnston
Marvin Kent Curtis on his sailboat in Miami,
FL circa 1934. Curtis was the great-grandson
of Marvin Kent and was an accomplished
outdoorsman, well-traveled author and favorite
counselor at Camp Mishawaka.
the Mississippi River from Minnesota to
New Orleans. During the 1930s he competed
annually in a St. Petersburg to Havana
sailboat race, captaining his 32-foot
yawl "Marelen II" to a first-place finish in
1932 and third place the next year.
Many letters inherited by the family, as
well as stories gathered by Johnston, reveal
that Curtis' vivacious personality made
him the center of attention - whether at
the yacht dub, aboard a cruise ship, at a
Paris soiree or at Camp Mishawaka.
A man who knew him from camp wrote,
"Kent Curtis was the most unique person
I've known. Multi-talented, Kent could do
anything but add up a laundry slip: writer
(5 books), artist, musician (he played the
piano but couldn't read a note), actor,
woodsman, cook, sailor, expert in canoeing,
raconteur par excellence, but through
all his talents, the humorist predominat-ed.
He was idolized by more boys than
anyone else. He was the life of camp and of
reunions."
To read more detailed stories on the
fascinating life and times of Marvin Kent
Curtis, visit Johnston's blog website at
undekentcurtis.wordpress.com or en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Kent_ Curti
The Kent Historian, Kent Historical Society Newsletter, Number 88, Summer 2016
No full textTHE KENT HISTORIAN
The Newsletter of the Kent Historical Society Summer 2016
Number BB
Tickets on sale for Historic Kent Town Tour
KHS fundraiser to be held Sept. 17 & 18
200th Birthday Party
for Marvin Kent
Wednesday, Sept. 21
Eight Kent homes and sites will soon be on
proud display in honor of Marvin Kent's 200th
birthday. The Historic Kent Town Tour, which
will be held Saturday, Sept. 17, and Sunday,
Sept. 18, is the Kent Historical Society's most
important fundraising event of the year.
Our goal is 14,000 in pledges.
The tour will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Each tour attendee receives a 36-page booklet,
which doubles as the ticket. Tickets are now
for sale for 20 (cash or check only) at Kent
Historical Society Museum, McKay Bricker
Framing & Black Squirrel Gifts, Hometown
Bank and Sue Nelson Designs, Ltd Inc.
Call KHS at 330.678.2712 or visit www.
kentohiohistory.org for more information.
See tour poster, on back
KHS Museum Hours
. 237 E. Main St.,
9 a.m. to 2 p.rn.
Fridays and Saturdays
. and. by appoint~ent.
. . Contact -
· Kent J-Ilstorical Society
. 237 E. Main' St. -
Kent,Ohio 44240 :
330-678-271'2
·~ Email
· [email protected]
' . ~ .,_. . . ~
Website · .. ·
www.kent9hiohistornorg
Find.us on-Fate(fook ·
~.fac~bookci:>m/
KentHistortcalSociety
Tour booklet includes:
• Information on the eight tour sites:
Clapp-Woodward House/Kent Historical
Society Museum, Erie Depot
- Second Floor, Marvin Kent Train Car,
Erie Car Shops (Interior accessible only
during guided tours at 1 p.m. & 2 p.m.
each day), Wells-Sherman House, Patton
House, Charles H. Kent Home, Marvin
Kent House/Kent Masonic Center
• Kent family history
• Kent family chronology
• Kent family connections to Franklin
Mills/Kent history
\%nt to help at the tour?
Please call totir co-cha.fr Carol Stroble at
330-221-7703 or ema-il her at
[email protected]
7 p.rn. at Hometown Plaza
(Corner of North Water & West Main streets)
Featuring a short program thanking
Marvin for his contributions to our
town's history
7hen enjoy some birthday cake!
Did
You
Know?
Kent Normal School, now Kent State University, was named after William,
Marvin's son, because he donated the land for the original campus in 1911.
From Franklin Mills to Kent: Prominent Families in Kent's History
Special exhibit opening Sept. 1 at Kent State University
by Cara Gilgenbach, Head, Special Collections and Archives
In celebration of the bicentennial of the City
of Kent's namesake, Marvin Kent, Special Collections
and Archives at Kent State University
is showcasing several collections originating
with prominent and influential families in the
history of Kent.
These collections document the lives of early
European-American settlers and what was originally
established as Franklin Mills and later
renamed Kent. Members of the Kent, Merrill,
Haymaker, and Davey families, among others
featured here, shaped the history of commerce,
transportation, politics, and education in Kent.
This exhibit features only a few of the many
local history collections held in University
Libraries and is displayed in tandem with the
Kent Historical Society's bicentennial celebration
of the birthday of Marvin Kent.
We hope you will explore these and other
archival collections that reflect the history of
our city from the nineteenth century to today.
Special Collections and Archives
Kent State University Library
Room 1212
1125 Risman Dr.
Kent, OH 44243
September 1, 2016 - summer 2017
Walk-in hours: Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday 1 :00 - 5:00 p.m.
Open other times by appointment.
Out-of-town visitors are urged to contact
them in advance of their visit.
[email protected]
330-672-2270
---
Kent Historical Society
Historic Kent Town Tour
Honoring the 200th Birthday
of Marvin Kent
September 17 & 18, 2016
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
East Side Tour Sites
• Clapp-Woodward House/Kent
Historical Society Museum
• Erie Depot - Second Floor
• Marvin Kent Train Car
• Erie Car Shops*
• Wells-Sherman House
* Interior accessible only during guided
tours at 1 p.m. & 2 p.m. each day
11
West Side Tour Sites
• Patton House
• Charles H. Kent Home
• Marvin Kent House/Kent Masonic
Center
Tickets sold for 20 (cash or check only) at Kent
Historical Society Museum, McKay Bricker Framing
& Black Squirrel Gifts, Hometown Bank, and Sue
Nelson Designs, Ltd Inc. Call KHS at 330. 678.2712
or visit www.kentohiohistory.orgfor more info
The Kent Historian, Kent Historical Society Newsletter, Number 87, Spring 2016
No full textTHE KENT HISTORIAN
The Newsletter of the Kent Historical Society Spring2016
Number87
Then & Now: New exhibit spotlights Kent changes
The Kent Historical Society Museum's newest
exhibit - "Then & Now," opening June 18 -
gives visitors a fresh look at Kent through
rephotography, a process in which the same site
is photographed at two different points in time.
The exhibit opening event will be held from 10
a.m. to 2 p.m.
"Then & Now" documents the changes in
our town's landscape through the evolution of
buildings that once existed and those that occupy
those same spaces now. Some of our most
historic buildings, streets, houses, industries
and people have been depicted in these rare
photos, then re-photographed so rhe viewer
can see what once was our town and what is
now our modern Kent community.
The Kent Historical Society has gone into its
own photography archives as well as those from
The Arthur J. Trory Photograph Collection in
the Kent State Library Special Collections.
You will see what Kent looked like in photographs
that span from the covered bridge over
the Cuyahoga River and the Kent block chat
burned in the 1970s, up to the newest buildings
and sites of 2016. View the earliest photos of
Thompson Drug Store and the Central Hotel,
which once occupied what is now Ray's Place
on Franklin Avenue. See the beautiful maple
trees lining S.R. 43 North in the 1950s and the
amazing rephotographed "panorama" shots
taken from the top of the old (and now restored)
Franklin Hotel, which were shot when
photo by Jon Ridinger
The Charles H. Kent home on Pearl Street was
built in 1843 by Charles H., the son of Zenas and
the brother of Marvin. It was moved In 1909 from
its original location on West Main Street.
Thompson Drug Store and the Central Hotel, at left, c. 1903, and Ray's Place today at 135 Franklin
Ave.
The Kent Opera House, at left, c. 1925, and Hometown Bank today at the corner of North Water
and Columbus streets.
the Kent Stage was being built in 1927.
"Then & Now" is about us, as a city that
continues to grow and change and the people
who were often pare of the photographic history
of these amazing changes.
The historical society is grateful to Jason
Prufer and Brad Bolton for sharing their won-derful
photographic views of Kent, and to Kem
Stare University Special Collections.
Ocher newer artifacts acquired, including a
rare hutch built by Zenas Kent, are on display
along with rwo interactive exhibits, Emory
Vance's Barber Shop on South Water Street and
Fil's Tailor Shop on North Water Street.
Historic Kent Town Tour set for September
Help celebrate Marvin's Kent 200th birthday
when the Kent Historical Society presents
the Historic Kent Town Tour from Sept. 17-18.
Marvin was born Sept. 21, 1 81 G, and all of the
homes and ocher sites on rhis year's tour connect
to the Kent family's history. The daces for
the tour are Saturday, September 17, and Sunday,
September 18.
'The ticker booklet wi ll include many interesti
ng faces about each of the sires, as well as
che fami ly's history in America, which can be
traced back to before rhe Revolutionary War.
Members can participate by volunteering to
help with the tour, by becoming a sponsor or
by placing an ad in the booklet. A full-page ad
is 5 x 8" and a half-page ad is 5 x 4" . Further
information about becoming a sponsor and all
of the sites are in the enclosed sponsor leaflet.
The booklet, which is also the ticker, will go
on sale Aug. 20 for $20, cash or check only.
You may buy your booklets at these Kent locations:
McKay Bricker, Hometown Bank, Sue
Nelson Designs and the Kent Historical Society
Museum.
See Town Tour, page 2
2
Kent Historical Society
The 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 ofTrustecs
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
Dan Stroble, Newsletter Editor
Museum Hours
237 E. Main St.,
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays
and by appointment.
Contact
Kent Historical Society
237 E. Main Sc.
Kent, Ohio 44240
330-678-2712
Email
[email protected]
Website
www.kentohiohistory.org
Find us on Facebook
www.facebook.com/
KentHistoricalSociety
KHS receives antique hutch with
direct link to 'original' Kent family
The Kent Historical Society acquired a very
special artifact in February that came from the
original Kent family.
Marvin Kem and his siblings had a father
named Zenas and also a grandfather named
Zenas. The elder Zenas was a carpenter and a
joiner by trade and served in the American
Revolution. His son Zenas was born in Connecticut
in 1786 and married Pamelia Lewis in
1811.
The next year the younger Zenas, Pamelia,
and the elder Zenas moved to the Mantua area,
bringing the hutch with them in a covered
wagon.
In the 1830s the younger Zenas bought
about 600 acres ofland in Franklin Mills along
the Cuyahoga Ri ver, which included the rights
to the waterpower.
Zenas and Pamelia had 13 children. Their
so n, Charles H. Kent, married Mary E. Burrett.
Charles H. worked with his brother Marvin
and helped to start the glass factory.
Charles H. was also elected mayor of Kent in
1874 and during his administration the Stone
Arch Bridge was built. Charles H. and Mary
had one child, Charles B. Kent.
Charles B. married Carolyn (Carrie) M.
Pratt. Charles B. worked with his father until
his father's death and then started a wallpaper
business. Charles B. and Carolyn had two chil-
Town Tour, from page 1
This hutch was built by Marvin Kent's grandfather,
the elder Zenas Kent, and was brought to
this area in 1812.
dren, Paul and Bessie, who both died before
their parents.
Carolyn Pratt's relatives, Stella and Phillip
Pratt, inherited the hutch. The hutch was then
inherited by their nephew, Rick Pratt, who donated
it to KHS.
Homes and buildings on Historic Kent Town Tour
Marvin Kent Family Home
(now Kent Masonic Center)
409 W. Main Sc.
Patton House
529 W. Main St.
Clapp-Woodward House
(now Kent Historical Society Museum)
237 E. Main Sr.
Wells Sherman House
247 N. Water Sc.
Charles H. Kent Home
125 N. Pearl Sc.
Erie Depot - Upstairs
(now Pufferbelly Restaurant)
152 Franklin Ave.
Marvin Kent Train Car
152 Franklin Ave.
Erie Car Shops
(now Davey Drill)
200 W. Williams Sc.
Spring 201
Old Kent Shots Postcards
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The Kent Historian, Kent Historical Society Newsletter, Number 109, Fall2023
No full textNewsletter highlighting recent events and collections of Kent Historical SocietyTHE KENT HISTORIAN
The Newsletter ofthe Kent Historical Society Fall, 2023
Number 109
Modern Vision exhibit adds recent Kent history
Researchers, local business, KHS, together celebrate mutual effortfor displays
By Bengt George
KHS Staff Writer
When walking through the front doors of our museum, visitors are often taken with the warm, rustic materials that greet them. The ornate wood and brass trim of the house, the vintage glass and ceramic of our pharmacy exhibit, distressed leather above a stone fireplace in our Early Kent room. It all creates the sort of sensory experience one would expect from a history
museum.
Within these walls, visitors may be surprised to come across space age polymer-dispensing displays in durable plastic. This is exactly the case with our latest (in both senses of the word) exhibit.
Modern Vision: Liquid Crystal Technology
in Kent is the culmination of months
ofwork with both Kent State University's
Liquid Crystal Institute (LCI) and local
company Kent Displays. We are delighted
to continue our preservation of local industrial
history through to the 21st century, tracing our relationship to technological innovation and our continued relevance on the world stage. As President Emeritus Sandra Halem says about the new exhibit, "The reason that Kent is thriving where many small towns are
not, is because we keep
reinventing ourselves."
Liquid crystal displays, most commonly seen in the screens of cell phones and televisions, have a long history with the city of Kent.
In 1965, Kent State
professor Glenn H.
Brown established
LCI as a cutting-edge
research center into
various applications of
liquid crystals.
His colleague and Dr J. William Doane shares his story of of making industrial history in Kent with Liquid Crystal Technology, as Sandy Halem listens.
Director of the LCI,
J. William Doane, products to this day. Their line of reusable would in 1993 co-found Kent Displays, writing tablets, the Boogie Board, are used which continues to create new commercial See Modern, page 4
Tap Talks emerge from natural elements, local history
Unique location brings community through story
By Tom Hatch
KHS Board Member
Before we get to the story ofTap Talks and how this speakers' series has enriched our community, the story of North Water Brewing, the venue at which Tap Talks occurs every third Tuesday at 7 pm, is worthy of some ink. Many things came together to make NWB an important Kent landmark.
First, there's the North: Located at the northern end ofWater Street, past the Mill, the Art Gallery, Scribble's, Lucci's,
Bent Tree Coffee, and the Fairchild Bridge; Don Schjeldahl, chief visionary, calls it the perfect spot. He should know.
Don returned to full-time life in Kent after a career as a site selection specialist and industrial economist. Along the way, Don worked for two years finding perfect spots for Sierra Nevada Brewing.
According to Don, "This location checked all the boxes: an old under-utilized
industrial structure begging for rebirth,
on the hike and bike trail, a stone's throw
from the Cuyahoga River, in a neighbor-
See Talks, page 2 :
KENT HISTORICAL SOCIETY
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Talks, from page 1
hood showing signs of revitalization, and
part of a resurging Mill District commercial
street." Get some exercise, grab a beer.
Next, there's the Water: Did you know that, because glaciers covering our area left behind deep river valleys and underground tunnels of sand and gravel (nature's premier system for filtering water), we have
access to some of the best water in North
America? Who knew we were walking on
interbedded and interlensing sand, gravel,
silt and day in buried valleys?* Don did.
Finally, there's the Brewing: According to Dylan Hamilton, North Water's master brewer, "Kent's water is as dose to perfection as it gets. Starting with a dean canvas allows me to create exciting beers without the worry ofwater chemistry skewing the results." Ahhh, perfection!
Right spot, great beer, so what's missing? It's complicated. Don Schjeldahl's vision for NWB is to build a sustainable business that fosters social, economic, and environmental responsibility.
His work experience taught him that, in today's world, successful towns grow and prosper when "there's a focus on people, streetscape improvement, and building a lively ascendant downtown." These days, with dime stores gone and pharmacies on every corner except downtown, forward-looking central areas feature used bookstores, art galleries, coffee shops, yoga studios, and, yes, microbreweries. Places that foster reflection and conversation.
Tap Talks, the speaker's series that focuses on telling stories of Kent's past, present
A K
and future, is a natural part of the vision to align culture and community. If you've been to North Water Brewing on a third Tuesday at 7pm in the past year or so, you may have heard the "likely true" story of Captain Brady; the story of Brady Lake as an amusement park; Spiritualist encampment, and mob hangout; how the May 4th site on Kent's campus became a National
Landmark; the key role Kent's Historic South End has played in the growth of our city; how we got the Kent Environmental
Council, the Wick Poetry Center, Davey Tree Expert Company, Portage Parks, and
the Franklin Hotel.
Doug Fuller, retired Kent architect and member of the Kent Historical Society Board, is planning a new slate of fascinating stories for this coming year. In September, we'll hear about the Davey SEED (Science Employee Education and Development) campus currently under construction at the former Oak Knolls Golf Course.
In October, we'll hear about the "Story Mapping" project underway to make information about historic structures in Kent available to building and homeowners and the general public interested in historic preservation.
Could there be a talk about the history of Fageol Twin Coach? We're working on it.
See Talks, page 3
*Visuals provide brief geology explanation
Soil composition, layering, filters water for fine brewing
Photo Oose-up
Sand
Silt
Clay
~ ·.
Left, comparing size differences between sand, silt, clay--types of soil fo~nd in·K~nt area (good for brewing); right, example of interbedding. Don Schjeldahl explains that, because of glacial activity, deep underground tunnels of sand and gravel were formed. This natural mixture provides excellent water filtering.
Fall 2023 2
Talks, from page 2
We're also working on stories about Kent's Black History, the Williams Brothers Mill, the famous Blue Gill dinner at Twin Lakes, Native Americans in Franklin Mills, the Silk/Alpaca Mill, and many more.
There are lots of stories to tell. According to Don Schjeldahl, "Kent is loaded with smart people." Doug adds, "Ifyou come to a Tap Talk, you'll likely learn something you didn't know before and you'll have a chance to sample some great beer."
Ifyou have an idea for a Tap Talk, or would like to research any aspect of Kent history, please contact Julie Kenworthy, KHS Director, or Doug Fuller at Kent Historical Society and Museum. We have lots of resources, can point you in the right direction, pair you with a capable speaker if you are shy, and help you create a Tap Talk that will not only spark conversation among your fellow Kentites, but will help point you in the right direction, pair you with a capable speaker if you are shy, and help you create a Tap Talk that will not only spark con-
At a Tap Talk in November, 2022, Chas Madonio (above, left, with microphone). local author of"Bars, Bands, and Rock 'n Roll," played to a full crowd. Find upcoming topics at https:1/northwaterbrewing.com/eventsltaptalksl or on KHS Facebook during the second week of each month.
Artifact Spotlight
By Bengt George
KHS StaffWriter Most Kent residents are familiar with the Masonic Center, the palatial brick building on West Main that serves as a destination for the city's Ghost Walk and regular flea markets. Well before its 1923 acquisition by the Rockton Masonic Lodge, the mansion had been constructed
in the early 1880s as Marvin Kent's home. While it belonged to the Kent family, the home was visited by multiple US Presidents, who stayed in the guest quarters still dubbed the "President's Room" today.
Photos ofthe Masonic Center can be seen in our Early Kent Room at the museum, but the attic holds other artifacts ofthe Masons.
This season we've chosen to feature two ofour ornate ceremonial swords, personalized for two notable figures from Kent history. These swords belonged to Hugo Birkner and Lincoln Garrett, evidenced by their engraved names on the blades and scabbards and initials emblazoned on the grips.
This type of sword was commonly presented to high-ranking members of Masonic organizations, used not as weapons, but symbolic representations versation among your fellow Kentites, but will help introduce many people to perfect beer.
Join us for Tap Talks, every third Thursday, at North Water Brewing, at 7 p.m.
of their importance to the order. Accompanying these swords is a portrait ofan unknown Mason wielding a similar sword, produced by popular 1870s and 1880s Kent photographer James Wark. The photo shows the kind of ceremonial dress and ornaments that complimented the decorative swords in Mason ceremonies.
More ofWark's work can be seen throughout our collections, including those hosted on our website.
Though these swords are not currently on display, they serve as beautiful
reminders ofKent's enduring history and the importance ofpreserving physical artifacts. As always, we invite all community members to visit our museum during public hours to experience our collections from all eras and corners ofKent society. Remember, our new public hours are Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Fall 2023 3
KHS HOLIDAY -"OPEf4 HOUSE\
.SAVE
Saturday, the t>ATE December 2nd 10 AM to 1 PM
Carolers,
.s .
>
;:. • ~••••
> •• • •
Modern, from page 1
in schools, offices, hospitals, and homes all over the world.
On June 29, we had the opportunity to bring together the KHS family, Kent State researchers and Kent Displays staff in celebration of the exhibit's opening.
in the community who serve as sources of
"living history," contributing to our mission-
ofpreservation on a constant basis. The exhibit can be seen alongside all our other displays during public hours on Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors can expect to see a variety of
LCI photographs
and documents,
including Doane's
official patents on
its technological
developments.
Below this, a large glass case shows the history of Kent Displays' products, from government projects to commercial prototypes to the affordable and accessible products they sell
today.
:..;..:___ _J
Exhibit contributors, families enjoy displays, mood rings and Boogie Boards. We've also aimed
Dr. Doane himself addressed attendees and shared his first-hand experiences through the events documented in Modern Vision. It's our great fortune to have people to make this our most interactive exhibit to date. There are Boogie Board products to test, mood rings (which contain liquid crystals) to take, and multiple videos
Modern Vision interactive exhibit includes videos, LCI photographs, Doane's official patents, video, Kent Displays' products and more to try.
explaining the science of liquid crystals to watch.
We'd like to thank all of our volunteers, our contacts at LCI and especially Kent Displays for their invaluable help in making this exhibit a reality.
Fall 2023
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
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