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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. .
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Board of 11 JadcAm rhefn:, Scott Flynn, Vice Presid Carol Strnble, Vice President Matt Metcalf, Treasurer, drey Cie[inski Kessler, Secretary
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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
Old Kent Shots Postcards
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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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And, ofcourse I am grateful for havinggrown up in Kent, a community whose diversity is part ofmy heritage
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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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 77, Fall 2012
No full textTHE KENT HISTORIAN
The Newsletter of the Kent Historical Society Fall2012
Number77
Kent school
celebrates
90 years with
KHS program
'All About Kent' series to be held
at 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at Davey school
Excerpted from columns by Roger J. Di Paolo,
published in the Kent-Ravenna Record-Courier
and in "Rooted in Kent: IO I Tales from the Tree
City, "published by Kent Historical Society Press.
A new school building is a cause for pride for
any community, a concrece expression of its
regard for the importance of educacion and its
faith in young people, writes Roger J. Di Paolo
in Rooted in Kent: 10 I Tales from the Tree City.
Ninety years ago this fall, there was plenty of
pride in Kent as Theodore Roosevelt High
School opened its doors for the first rime. The
new high school truly was a showplace, the
likes of which Kent - then a community of
7,000 - had never seen.
The Kent Historical Society will mark the
90th anniversary of this school building that
currently houses Davey Elementary School and
originally housed Theodore Roosevelt High
School (1922-1959) and Davey Junior High
School (later Middle School) from 1959-1999.
The "All About Kent" series program, which
will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday Sept. 24,
at Davey Elementary School, 196 N. Prospect
Ninety years ago, Theodore Roosevelt High School opened in Kent on North Prospect
Street, top. Today, the school, above right, serves elementary and preschool students.
KHS has many Roosevelt artifacts, including this cheerleader's uniform, above left, recently
donated to the museum by Cheri Gressard.
St. , will feature presentacions by local historian,
Jon Ridinger and Roger Di Paolo. After the
program, docents will lead guided tours
through parts of the building.
Theodore Roosevelt High School, located on
a 10-acre site at the end of North Prospect
Street at the intersection ofWhinier and
Lowell drives, was a ;5{~fifZf§%Z~~JifS.~s>'~~:?~::s%~JB.'Zf§£j I Program marks 200th .------...,,...----, M
I~ anni.v ersary ofWar of 1812 ~j
ij Two hundred years ago, for the first time ~
i!lo in its earl yh i story, t h e United States d e- I~ ti dared war on another nation, the United i~
Ij Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. f Often referred to as ''America's second war Gen. Joshua ~
; of independence," The War of 1812 offi - Woodard I
f~ cially beg-an on June 18, 1812. (1779-1854), ~ right, an 1. 1
~ This v, ear, a commemoration will be held early settler ~
I at 2 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Portage County of Portage H
~ Historical Society in Ravenna. The event tough~~~~~~ ~
M will honor Portage County veterans who War of 1812. I ij ~ "'--="-----'--' I i served in the war. i.'
~ One well-known Franklin Township resi- and John D . Gardner at Standing Rock; and ~
; dent who served in the War of 1812 was Woodard, George Haymaker, James i
I Gen. Joshua Woodard. Although Woodard Holden, Hubbard Hulbert and Asa Stanley I
J and his wife, Rebecca (Wooden) first settled at Pioneer Cemetery. ~ I in Ravenna Township, they soon moved to The program will last about 45 minutes. I
~ Kent where Joshua established a woolen mill After the ceremony, The Garrettones, a 20- ~
' h ~ ~ wit John Haymaker. The Woodard family piece orchestra, will have a "lawn chair con- S
! home at the top of the hill on Fairchild Av- cert" at the Workman Pavilion. The PCHS ~
~ enue is believed to have been a station in the museum, 6549 N. Chestnut Sr. , Ravenna, f
I Underground Railroad. will be open from 4:30 to G p.m. I
I Several other Franklin Township men 1he program was organized by Jacqueline I I served in the War of 1812 and their graves Woodring of Brady Lake and Sharon Myers f
j are in Kem, including, Raymond Bassett of Summit County. f
! I
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Fall 2012
Exhibit to tell story of devastating commercial fire
Fire in 1972 destroyed landmark
Kent Block, built by Zenas Kent
Forry years ago chis August, a devastating
blaze destroyed the city's oldest block on West
Main Street.
1he fire on Aug. 27-28, 1972 - the worst
business fire in Kent history - destroyed a
building that had been a reflection of the economic
times in the city since it was built in
1836-37 by Zenas Kent.
Tonia Krueger, a KHS intern and a student
from Germany, has spent the last four weeks researching
the history of the Kent Block and
conducting oral histories with people linked to
the building throughout the years.
Krueger obtained additional information in
newspaper clippings, business advertisements,
photos and letters, as well as video of the fire
and the building demolition.
KHS Director Thomas Hatch said Krueger
has many talents and has provided KHS with a
valuable and comprehensive resource.
"Her ability as a researcher, her ability to
connect with people in an oral history environment,
and her command of the English language
has allowed her ro create a project chat
The Kent Block, built in 1837, seen at top
and above, after the fire that destroyed the
building in 1972. An exhibit detailing the
history of the building is being organized.
will stand as a lasting contribution to our communiry
and to our understanding of the roots
of our town.''
Lamppost shines light on history
Gougler artifact donated to Kent Historical Society
One of the lampposts that stood as a sentinel for years outside the C.L.
Gaugler Machine Co. recently was donated to the Kent Historical Society. President
Jeff Crane of Furukawa Rock Drill (FRO USA), the firm that succeeded
Gaugler, donated the lamppost. In the above left photo, taken by Brad Bolton,
the lampposts are seen outside of the Gaugler building before it was torn
down. Gaugler Industries was the largest employer in Kent during World War II.
The Gaugler headquarters building, which was on Lake Street and was constructed
in the 1940s, was demolished in February 2012.
Fall 2012
Intern tackles fire project
By Tonia Krueger
KilS intern
This summer, I
came to Kent to visit
some old friends and
made lots of new
ones.
I came co Kem because
I thought it
would improve my
English but it did a
Krueger lot more for me.
As a student of History and English at
the Universiry of Goettingen, Germany, I
was thrilled to learn about the Kent Historical
Sociery because what you love
doing as a history major is researching.
At the Kent Historical Society I met
great people - helpful, open-minded and
motivated. I found that a very inspiring atmosphere.
I started seeing and understanding
the character of the town while I
See KRUEGER, page 4
The lamppost, which
weighs about 450
pounds, was first
moved on a forklift,
middle, loaded on a
truck, then placed on
a concrete slab at
KHS, left. The site
was wired and a lightsensitive
switch was
installed so the light
turns on at twilight.
Gaugler restored and
painted the lamppost.
3
Kent Historical Society
P.O. Box 663
Kent, 0 H 44240
SCHOOL, from page 1
The new facility received a glowing write-up
in the New England Journal of Education,
which described it as having "every modern
suggestion of the school and art of high school
design and equipment so that it has every
convenience, comfort and opportunity for up
to date education." Today, we call that a stateof-
the-art facility.
"If there is a better high school plant in any
particular, we have yet to see it," the article
noted.
Heady praise, indeed, but the Kem Courier
was no less effusive in its tributes to
Superintendent WA. Walls and the Kent Board
of Education as the new facility was dedicated.
Walls and the board "spared no pains to give
the city the best possible up to date building
and equipment they could have gotten for the
money," the Courier reported. "It is no idle
flattery to say that rhey have reared for
themselves, as well as for the city, a monument
that will stand to their credit long after they
have passed away."
The new school received congratulatory
messages from Edith Kermit Roosevelt, the
widow of its namesake, and her son, Theodore
Roosevelt Jr.
4
CHURCH, from page 1
hard wood timbers char none of the original
structure was discarded when the church was
enlarged in 1900,'' Carl Grismer writes in Histor_
y of Kent.
The original building, which remains a part of
the church today, was a simple wood frame
structure with a bell tower, a basic Gothic style.
Although alterations and renovations were
made in 1867, 1886 and 1900, it wasn't until
1927 that the church was entirely remodeled.
The reconstruction was made possible through
a ~equest of 5,000 by WS. Kent, a member for
many years.
In 2002, the church tore down its education
wing and built a new ministry wing, meeting
rooms and administrative offices. And in 2010-
2012, the congregation undertook the first major
renovation of its worship space since the 1920s.
Christ Church was the fourth denomination
organized in Franklin Mills. Preceding them
were: the Congregationalists (United Church of
Christ) in 1819; the Methodists in 1822; and
Disciples of Christ in 1827. The Baptists organized
the same year as the Episcopalians.
Following were the Universalises in 1866; the
Roman Catholics in 1867; and the Evangelical
Lutherans in 1884.
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Kent, OH
Permit #150
Or Current Resident
KRUEGER, from page 3
learned about its history.
The long-gone Kent Block became a fascinating
subject of study for me. I wondered why
this huge brick construction was built here almost
two centuries ago when Kem was nothing
more than a few small houses.
Asking questions often is how a new project
begins. When I started asking questions, I had
no idea what would become of it.
I am leaving Kent on September 5. I will not
be able to see what the Kem Historical Society
makes of the Kent Block project. I am sure,
however, it will be great and I hope lots of people
will come and experience the multi-faceted
history of the Kent Block. Even if it burned
down in 1972, I feel it is still part of Kent.
I wane to thank everyone at KHS for all their
help and support. I had a great time in Kent.
Upcoming Events:
• War of 1812 commemoration,
2 p.m. Sept. 22, Portage County
Historical Society, Ravenna.
• All About Kent, 7 p.m. Sept. 24,
Davey school, 90th anniversary.
Fall 201
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 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 :
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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, Kent Historical Society Newsletter, Number 107, Fall 2022
No full textTHE KENT HISTORIAN
Fall 2022 Number 107
Woodward Foundation honored at KUS gathering
Generosity celebrated by all
By Jack Amrhein
President, KHS Board of Trustees
The Kent Historical Society Board of Trustees, employees and volunteers gathered on Thursday, September 29, to honor the Woodward Solem Foundation for their significant generosity to our non-profit organization over the past 11 years. The evening consisted ofhors d'oeuvres and beverages, culminating in a champagne toast.
Woodward Foundation board members, Tim and Ruth Trowbridge, Chrystal Shook and Bob Riggie have donated substantial monetary gifts, not only to the Historical Society, but to other area non-profits such as Kent Social S-ervices-, The Children's-Advocacy Center and the Kent Free Library over the past fifteen years.
The foundation was formed following the death ofJosephine Woodward Solem in June of 2007. As noted in her obituary, Woodward Solem took great pride in being a member of one of Portage County's pioneer families, and in their role in the
Photo by Brooke Forrest
Guests of honor, Woodward Foundation board members Chrystal Shook (left, center) and Bob Riggie
(right, center), stand with past and present KHS board members and directors (left to right), Sandy Halem, Julie Kenworthy, Jack Amrhein, Jim Myers and Tom Hatch. (Woodward board members Tim and Ruth Trowbridge were unable to attend the gathering.)
early growth and development of Kent. A member of Kent Normal School's first kindergarten class, she continued her education at KSU and The Cleveland School ofArt. She went on to study Russian Ballet with Nicholai Seminoff in Cleveland, and then with Nijinsky and Tarasoff in New York City. After touring the country with a professional dance company, Jo returned
r--:--=r.---i
to Kent where she married John Solem.
Together they owned and operated Solem Jewelry in Kent for over 30 years. Jo also took special pleasure in serving the fraternities and sororities of KSU during that period. She also had a great love for animals, books and
her city of Kent. She became a charita-League, Reed Memorial Library of Ravenna and other local organizations such as the Kent Elks.
Other contributions included scholarships to Kent Roosevelt High School graduating seniors and, in January 2007, the "Woodward Room" in the Kent Free Library. She dedicated the room in memory ofher father, to whom she attributed her life-long love of learning. Because of her generosity, many senior citizens have enjoyed gathering in that room for reading and companionship.
The Foundation has gifted the Kent Historical Society and Museum generously over the past 12 years. The foundation helped to secure the purchase ofJosephine Woodward Solem's childhood home at 237 East Main Street (current home to KHS and its museum). More recently, during the pandemic, their timely contribution averted the possibility of the closure of the society and museum.
Once again, we wish to thank the
Woodward Foundation for their gifts and
Photo by Brooke Forrest ble supporter of
stewardship to the Historical Society and
Bob Riggie (I) and Cheryl Shook share stories of Jo Woodward the Portage County with attending KHS board members and staff. Animal Protective larger Kent community. Bengt George comes across manyfascinating artifacts ofKent history as he works in
KHS Museum's varied collection. KHS knows that these donated items may very well be ofinterest to our members; unfortunately, the available museum display space is limited.
Artifact
Spotlight
Instead, we offer this Artifact Spotlightfar the enjoyment ofKent history enthusiasts.
successful and Martin's political career overlapped
KHS holds a variety of artifacts related
he served from with the Great Depression and is notable
to Davey Tree and its eponymous family.
Our most recently acquired piece, donated
earlier this year, is a framed campaign
poster for Martin L. Davey.
Martin was born in Kent in 1884, four years after his father John founded the company that would become famous for "tree surgery." As a young adult, he attended Oberlin college and worked for Davey Tree before he set his sights on a political career by the age of 30.
Martin was elected mayor of Kent in 1913, then served four terms in the US House of Representatives. Of his total five bids for Ohio Governor, two were
Fall cleanup announced for Kent Pioneer Cemetery
Join KHS and the Preservation Group as we remove leaves and generally clean up our historical cemetery:
. ·~. SUNDAY, NOV. 6th, 2to4p.m. Please BRING RAKES!
Pioneer Cemetery is located on ~-~~~ Stow Street in Kent at east side ofFred Fuller Park. Refreshments will be rovided ollowin clean u .
1934 to 1938.
Though it is undated, we have compared his appearance in this poster with photographs from various years
and concluded
that it was most likely produced
during his first
J
I
Ab_ove, an original c~mpa1gn
poster of Martm
L. Davey joins the Dav
ey family exhibit in KHS Museum.
unsuccessful campaign in 1928.
for his public conflicts with labor organizations, the state legislature, and even President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Following a political dispute, Martin infamously issued an arrest warrant for FDR's Secretary of Commerce on charges of libel. For those interested in Martin's story, we sell copies of Frank P. Vazzano's 300-page biography "Politician Extraordinaire: The Tempestuous Life and Times of Martin L. Davey."
The campaign poster is now on display in our museum, alongside several other Davey-related artifacts from our collections.
Prescription for Memories: A Personal Tour
/fJUB~~~
ANEW EXHIBIT ON TRB HISTORY OP .PHARMAOIBS AND MJiDIClNE IN .!{ENT
' • 1_ .,--.! ·~
KHS OFFERS a MEMBERS ONL EVENT with JIM MYERS Thursday, Oct. 27th, 4 to 6 p.m.
Guests will be guided through the Museum's newest exhibit by the knowledgable retired pharmacist of Kent's Thompson's Drugs.
SEATING JS LIMITED.
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED:
~===~~~~~~~~=~~ EMAIL at [email protected]
L
,., _,_;>,'·~-j~Xou are invited. .. ~.re\::-•; --·~~ '1-{o(iday ;_;, O_pen '1-{ouse
Saturday, 'December 3, 2022 10am to i_pm
;Y
'F'RXX 'Refreshments & 'Kid-'Friend{y ~ctivities
or CALL 330-678-2712
'To:
'llistory & 'Museum :Enthusiasts 'FamiUes and'Friends 'lfear & 'Far ~wa_y
'From: 'Kent 'llistorica(Society &'Museum
237 :E. 'Main St. 'Kent, Ohio
,t
330-678-2712A __
Fall 2022
The Kent Historian, Kent Historical Society Newsletter, Number 75, Spring 2012
No full textTHE KENT HISTORIAN
The Newsletter of the Kent Historical Society Spring 2012
Number75
New book tells of Davey's extended family tree
Dr. Jacobs recalls company's family ethic, camaraderie in 'Growing Up in a Davey Family'
John Davey, founder of Davey Tree Expert
Co., is considered to be the "father of tree
surgery" and was fondly referred to as "Father
John" by his employees.
But a new Kent Historical Society Press book
by John Jacobs entitled, "Growing Up in a
Davey Family: A Reminiscence," presents
snapshots that show a company where the
importance of family took root and co-workers
also became an extended family for each other.
Dr. John Jacobs
was born in 1927.
"The Davey
Company was largely
centered in Kent,"
Jacobs writes in his
book:, published this
year. It was an
organization of which
the employees were
proud and to which
they were fiercely loyal.
It was a closely knit
group."
Jacobs, the son of
Homer Lee and Mary
Alice (Cochran) Jacobs,
Jacobs' father began working for Davey in
1922. And, although his father was born into a
poor farm family, he eventually retired from the
Davey organization in 1962 as vice president
for research and development.
Jacobs said that John Davey was looked
upon as a "kindly man."
"My father knew him and only had good
words about him - and mv father, like me,
was not reluctant to be cynical about people,"
Jacobs said with a smile.
The book by Jacobs in the fuse in a series
called "Kem Remembers." While some
forthcoming titles now are in the preliminary
stages of production, KHS also is looking for
further ideas for additional volumes in the
series.
Jacobs originally began writing his
recollections several years ago for his own sense
of enjoyment.
But, lacer, he decided to share it with KHS
Director Tom Hatch, not only to allow Hatch
to learn more about Jacobs but also to give him
a sense of the Davey Company, which was
founded in 1880 and still has its global
headquarters in Kent. The organization now
has more than 7,000 people in its workforce
and has been employee-owned since 1979.
Children whose parents worked together at Davey Tree
Expert Co., top photo, shared a special camaraderie and
friendship. Above, from left, are Shorty Williams, John Jacobs
and Bill Birkner. Jacobs is the author of a new KHS ·
publication entitled "Growing Up in a Davey Family."
"I was immediately taken with it as an
authentic, vivid recollection of an important
time in Kent history," Hatch said.
Jacobs said a large majority of the Davey
extended family were from rural areas all over
the eastern part of the country. The company is
what initially brought them together and it was
also what kept them together.
"They needed each other and congregated
and became like a large family," Jacobs said.
"They had family dinners, their children played
together, many worshiped together."
Jacobs' recollections focus mostly on his early
years as a Davey child and feamres photographs
and Jacobs' recollections of the families and
where they lived, played and vacationed
together.
See Davey, page 4
2
'All About Kent' kicks off
with Civil War play, exhibit
To be held at KSU museum, where clothing is on display
"There is nothing civil about thii, war but
the name," wrote a 20-year-old Adam
Weaver in a letter to his sweetheart, Charlotte
Morton, while fighting as a union soldier
in the Civil War.
The observations and emotions that they
recorded in letters and diaries during chat period
are the basis for an upcoming "All
About Kent" series program at 7 p. m. May
17.
The staged theatrical reading, entitled
"Charlotte and Adam: Franklin Mills and the
Civil War," was written by Sandra Perlman
Halem, president of the KHS board of
trustees, and is directed by Sarah Coon, a
student in the Kent State University Theatre
Department.
It will be held at KSU's Rockwell Auditorium,
515 Hilltop Drive, at Lincoln and
Main streets.
"Since the 'All About Kent' series had been
searching for something local to connect our
audience to the 150th commemoration of
the Civil War, adapting these actual letters
into a dramatic reading seemed to offer a
perfect marriage of history and art," Halem
said.
And by offering a cooperative program
with the KSU Museum, the audience will
not only have the opportunity to enjoy a play
about Kent's history, but also will be able to
visit the museum's current exhibit, entitled
"On the Home Front: Civil War Fashions
and Domestic Life" at no charge chat night.
Adam Weaver,
above,and
Charlotte
Weaver, left,
lived in Franklin
Mills and corresponded
during
the Civil War.
Their letters are
the basis of a
play that will be
staged at 7 p.m.
May 17.
The exhibit features women's and children's
costumes, photographs, decorative arts and
women's magazines.
See Civil War, page 4
r:3315 for KHS members and 20 I
ij for non-members. Each session is limited to KHS is hosting a Victorian tea this spring. The I
I I d il M event will be held at the Kent Historical Soci- ; I 12 gir s, an registration is open um· 1 ay ety, located at 237 E. Main St. The historic Vic- j j 1. For more information or to regii,ter, torian home was built in 1883 for Harriet Kent j
~ please call (330) 678-2712. Clapp, Marvin's sister and Zenas' daughter. ;
L~~~'&'&~'&'&'&~~~'&'&~'&~'&'&~~~~~~'&~~~'&~'&~'&'&'&~'&~~~'&'&~~'&~~'&~~~~~~~~~J
Spring 2012
Jean Booth tapped for KHS board of trustees
Kentite has been volunteer for 6 years,
helping expand KHS digital research base
When Jean Booth first visited the Kent
Historical Society seeking volunteer
opportunities in 2006, it was at the urging of a
friend, Betry Sweet, also a KHS volunteer.
Six years later, the rest, as they say, is history.
"I walked in that first winter morning in
2006 to a cold building but warm and
welcoming people," Booth recalls. "Since that
first day, I have done fun work like the thirdgrade
tours, and dirty work when we moved,
and everything in between."
In January, the Kent Historical Society Board
of Trustees unanimously voted to appoint
Booth to the 12-member board. Booth ftlls the
position left vacant by the death of John
Wunderle.
"Jean Booth is an incredible asset to the
historical society," said Jack Amrhein, vice
president of the board. "Her dedication and
hard work over the past few years has helped
th.e historical society organize its records and
has made our move and transition so much
smoother. We welcome her aboard."
After retiring from NEOMED (formerly
NEOUCOM) in 2003, Booth wanted to
increase her volunteer activities, but was unsure
where she could most effectively contribute.
Although she volunteered in a variety of
capacities, including United Way and the
Portage County Clothing Center, she was eager
to become a museum docent once again.
It was Sweet who suggested KHS to Booth
after a morning church service.
''Although we have belonged to KHS for a
number of years, I had not considered
volunteering here since I am not originally
from Kent," Booth said. "I quickly realized that
Davey school subject
of 'All About Kent'
program on Sept. 24
In 2010, the original metal sign for Roosevelt
High School - a gift from the class of
1933 -was discovered at an antique score in
Medina.
As we prepare to celebrate the 90th anniversary
of the building's dedication, Kent Historical
Society members are hoping to discover
more memorabilia from the school building
that once housed Roosevelt High School until
1959, Davey Junior High/Middle School until
1999, and now Davey Elementary School.
On Monday, Sept. 24, an "All About Kent"
series program will be held at 7 p.m. in the
Davey Elementary School Auditorium.
KHS members are looking for any pictures
Spring 2012
Jean Booth is the newest member of the
Kent Historical Society Board of Trustees.
Trustees unanimously approved her appointment
to the board in January.
since I use the historical and genealogical
resources of historical societies where I cannot
volu~teer that perhaps I should volunteer
here.
Booth, a native Ohioan who hails from
Bergholz in northwestern Jefferson County,
first came to Kent in 1961 to attend the ciry's
university, from which she graduated with a
degree in communication and political science.
It originally was a deal she made with her
parents that brought her to Kent.
"My father believed that a degree in
education or nursing would provide a woman
with security," Booth said. "I did not want to
be a teacher or a nurse. Since my mother - a
school teacher - was a 1928 graduate of Kem
Normal College, we compromised and I
attended a 'teachers' school but didn't major in
education."
Jean and her husband Don are the proud
parents of three daughters: Sheila, Angela and
Valerie, and six grandchildren, Justin, Blair,
Sara, Jeffery; Jacob and Nicolas.
In addition to raising vegetables, herbs and
ornamental plants, due to her prefere~ce for
"cooking with fresh herbs and vegetables and
having butterflies" in her yard, she also enjoys
nature during vacations in Eels Lake Ontario
(where she reads and Don and their
grandchildren fish).
She and her husband also travel to Ft. Myers
in Florida when Don plays baseball in a Roy
Hobbs tournament in November and a charity
fundraiser in January.
"With attending Indian and Aeros games,
baseball for old people, baseball and basketball
for little boys and Kent State basketball and
football games, I spend a lot of time watching
sports," she said with a chuckle.
Jean plans to continue using her
organizational and research skills to press on
with the work she loves: organizing and
cataloging artifacts into KHS' computer
database and writing and editing various
publications.
"Through my work at KHS I have come to
realize I am a Kentite and have a responsibility
to help preserve the history of our town and its
people," Booth said. "Therefore I am both
pleased and humbled to be a member of the
board of the Kent Historical Society."
An "All About Kent" series program will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at Davey school. The
event marks the 90th anniversary of the dedication of the building, which has housed
high school, junior high and elementary students in its 90-year history.
or yearbooks relating to the building that we
can digitize.
If you have any items you think would add
to the program, please contact Jon Ridinger at
[email protected] or stop by the Kent His-torical
Society. And please let any friends or
family members who attended school -
whether as a Roosevelt, Davey Junior High, or
Davey Elementary student - know about the
program!
3
Kent Historical Society
P.O. Box 663
Kent, OH 44240
Davey, from page 1
"I believe that the use of nicknames was
more prevalent in the Davey Company than
elsewhere and I take that as evidence for the
camaraderie in the company," Jacobs writes.
His memoir also provides memories of
company operations, offices and trips,
including fami)y vacations at Camp Perry on
Lake Erie, where many Davey families stayed as
guests of Martin L. Davey, who was preisdem
of the company, governor of Ohio and the son
of John, and at a summer home in the
Thousand Islands on the St. Lawrence River
near Alexandria, N.Y., Jacobs writes.
"There were probably a dozen or more
Davey families in Kent consisting of Mother,
Father and one or more children," Jacobs
recalls.
''.And since the employees tended to be
closely knit, there were many occa~ions and
activities which brought us together. It is from
this closeness that I draw memories of being a
Davey Child."
Jacobs hopes that his reminiscenses provide a
larger perspective on the company, its
workforce and our community for readers.
"I expect that having the opportunity to go
through those childhood experiences in a
community the size and character of Kent
enhances those experiences and connects one to
more people," Jacobs said.
Jacobs' book sells for 5 and is available for
purchase at the Kent Historical Society.
Upcoming 'All About Kent' Events:
4
• May 17, 7 p.m. at Rockwell Auditorium,
515 Hilltop Drive. "Charlotte
and Adam: Franklin Mills and the
Civil War."
• Sept. 24, 7 p.m. at Davey Elementary_
School, 196 N. Prospect
St. 90th anniversary of the building's
dedication.
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Kent, OH
Permit#l50
Or Current Resident
Civil War, from page 2
Charlotte Morton and Adam Weaver lived in
what was then known as Franklin Mills.
Charlotte was 16 years old in 1863 when she
started writing letters to the young man who
later would become her husband. Their letters
are part of the Civil War history recounted in
the pages of the Portage County newsletter 100
years later by their son, Dudley Weaver. Charlotte's
mother operated a canal boat and she developed
a great love of history. Dudley
inherited his mother's affection for history and
writing, and he recorded many of Kent's historical
events in the newsletter years before there
was a Kent Historical Society.
It was a recent gift to KHS by Jacqueline
Woodring, who is Dudley's daughter, and the
granddaughter of Charlotte and Adam, that got
the ball rolling. Woodring donated copies of
the Portage County newsletter, edited by her
father, to KHS, and in subsequent readings of
the newsletters Halem discovered the letters.
Admission to the program is free but reservations
are required. Reserve your ticker by calling
KHS at (330) 678-2712.
For more information about the KSU museum
and its exhibit, call (330) 672-3450 or
email [email protected].
Spring 201
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
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