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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
fu,,b.,fLuc:t~v ill." Jtu~ ~ ~/},_
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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
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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
Old Kent Shots Postcards
No full textEarly 1900s collection of postcardsKent,Ohio 121 Brady, St.
RADIO ____ . UR. ____ Sig. ~ Hr.
WKO
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AUD. ____ . CHAR. ____ . TONE ____ . QRM. ____ . QSS._ .
TMANSMJTTER:• HR. WATT C.W. 5 watt tube. VOLTS R.A.C.
_Circuit RECEIVER
_MOD.
ANTENNA
REMARKS:
Pee. drop me a crd. o.m.
Best of 73-'s.
-
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112 South Lincoln Strool
Kent, Ohio
School • Art • Engineering Supplies
Books - Srarionery - Greeting Cards
Captain Brady Re,taurant
2000 BOOKS
Will Go On
SALE
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1 Lth
lJ1/ e Look Forward to Seeing You
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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
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
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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,
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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
Kent Historical Society Quarterly Bulletin, Volume 16, Winter 1993
No full textKent Historical Society
proudly presents
The Rowe Museum
152 Franklin Avenue
M-W-:F, 1 to S pm
Saturdays - December 4 & 18
January 4 & 11, l to 5 pm
-.._,
Kent Historical Society Garden Tour: Honoring the 200th Birthday of Marvin Kent
No full textKent 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
D Clapp-Woodward House/Kent
Historical Society Museum
D Erie Depot
D Marvin Kent Train Car
D Erie Car Shops *
D Wells-Sherman House
* Interior accessible only during guided
tours at 1 p.m. & 2 p.m. each day
West Side Tour Sites
Patton House D
Charles H. Kent Home D
Marvin Kent House/ D
Kent Masonic Center
All sites are open and can be visited
on either Saturday or Sunday.
1his tour booklet is your ticket and
will be marked at each stop.
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East Side Tour Sites
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ekno so ethini about history, too!
We are celebrating our
65th year
serving our friends
and neighbors!
&ufa<t t4e ~ ad tk ~ ~ "Kent f4t μn
5Uta,,,e ~~- "Jlle atze &e4aed ta de a juVtt 1 tt!
vVith appreciation to
The Kent Historical Society
for keeping history alive in
Kent, Ohio
1
In saluting the Kent family we would like to tell
of the historic connection with the family to
Hometown Bank. Early commercial banks such
as the Kent Nationa1 Bank,which was owned
primarily by the Kent Family, were not of the
habit of lending on a long term basis to finance
housing. Seeing the need for this type of lending,
Marvin Kent helped facilitate the chartering of
our bank as an Ohio Chartered Building and Loan
to specialize and encourage home ownership in
the community of Kent and its surrounding area.
His Cashier ( the Executive Managing Officer of
the Bank) at the Kent National Bank, a young
man by the name of W. H. C. Parkhill, became
an incorporator of the new institution as well as
five other local prominent business leaders. Mr.
"'~ William Hamilton Clarke Parkhill ~.. Parkhill became our first Treasurer and the guiding
banking mind behind the newly chartered Building
and Loan. This could not have happened without
the blessing of Marvin Kent. Incidentally, Mr.
Parkhill was the husband of Marvin Kent's niece
Helen Wells. So in saluting Marvin Kent on his
200th birthday we would also like to salute his
nephew W. H. C. Parkhill because with his early
guidance and banking knowledge we have been
able to serve his community for the past .118 years.
Thank you, Mr. Parkhill.
Hometown Banking Since 1898
www.htbnk.com
2
MEMBER
FDIC
Clapp-Woodward
House
(Now Kent Historical
Society Museum)
237 E. Main St.
Built in 1883
In 1883, either Harriet
Kent Clapp, eldest of Zenas
Kent's 13 children, or her
son Charles began building
the house on land Harriet inherited from her father. Harriet had married
Charles Clapp, but when he joined the Shaker religious community, she
chose to leave him behind, living alternately in Kent with her son, Charles,
or in Brooklyn, N.Y., with her brother, Henry Kent.
Charles lived here with his wife, Mary Eliza Wood, and their four sons,
Charles, Frank, Leon and Harold. Leon's initials were scrolled on the
plaster wall in the front parlor, where they remain. The Victorian house
features high ceilings, large rooms trimmed with carved cherry woodwork,
three sets of pocket doors and a large entryway with an elaborate staircase.
It also has four unique fireplaces and sits atop the hill on East Main Street
with dignity and beauty.
In 1912, the Clapps sold their home to John and Jeanette (Greenshield)
Woodward, who lived here with their son Paul, 6, and daughter, Josephine
"Jo," for just 19 months. Woodward owned the Woodward Coal Co. Jo
was in the first kindergarten class at Kent Normal School and later attended
both Kent State University and the Cleveland School of Arts. She
studied Russian ballet with the famous Nijinsky in New York City, but her
father's illness brought her back to Kent, where she married John Solem.
They operated Solem Jewelry at the corner of Main and DePeyster streets
until May 1970. The home was sold to Keller Electric in 1956, but Jo built
a duplex on the Columbus Street end of the property, where she lived until
her death at age 96 in 2007.
In December 2010, the Kent Historical Society purchased the home
from its fourth owner, Mary and Bob Paton, who had already done some
restoration. The society's historic remodeling will continue to preserve this
building as its home for generations.
It is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays or
by appointment for group tours or research by calling 330-678-2712.
3
Erie Railroad Depot
Second Floor
\
152 Franklin Ave.
Built in 1875
The first railroad depot
in Kent was simply a large
wooden box of a building for
people to wait for trains and
where freight could be deposited
or picked up. By 187 4, the citizens of Kent asked the Atlantic & Great
Western Railroad to build a better depot for their growing community.
The railroad agreed, provided the town would pay 10,000 cost. Under the direction of Marvin Kent, townspeople oversubscribed
and this second depot opened in 1875. Constructed oflocal brick
in classic Tuscan design, it was second only to Cleveland's in size.
Inside the depot's first floor was a large waiting room for passengers, a
lunch counter and space for freight shipments. It has three large towers.
The central tower contained living quarters to house the agent; later this
space was given over to the people who worked at the downstairs lunch
counter, such as the Elgin family, who had two daughters born there.
The south tower contained beds where train crews could rest and sleep
on their layovers. The railroad's agent, George Hinds, placed books in
the north tower for the crewman to borrow and read. As the number of
crewmen increased, they could not all sleep in the depot tower and the Erie
Railroad decided it was not in the library business. The books became part
of Kent's Carnegie Library built in 1902.
The depot was the place where news came first via telegraph, where passengers
got their first vivid impressions of Kent, where soldiers and sailors
left their families on their way to war and finally how countless students
arrived to study at Kent Normal School, and later at Kent Sate University.
In January 1970, the last trains departed Kent. Over the next 10 years,
the new Kent Historical Society purchased and restored the station,
utilizing plans by Cleveland architect Robert Gaede. It is still owned and
preserved by the Kent Historical Society.
4
Marvin Kent
Train Car
152 Franklin Ave.
Built in 1922
The railroad coach
"Marvin Kent" was
manufactured by the
American Car and
Foundry Co. in 1922
for use by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. The car known as
Coach 6125 saw service west of Chicago until acquired by the Lake Shore
Railway Historical Society in 1969. It was stored in Ashtabula, Ohio, until
purchased by the Kent Jaycees in the summer of 1976 for use as a meeting
hall for both Jaycees and community use.
When the car was moved to Kent in August of that year, the Jaycees
leased the parcel of land south of the .Erie Depot from the Kent Historical
Society. The Jaycees completely refurbished the car over the next four years.
With an original seating capacity of 83, the coach measures 75 feet in
length and 10 feet in width and stands 14 feet above the ground. It weighs
82 tons.
The Erie Railroad had dedicated a sleeping car here in Kent in 19 51 to
the memory of Marvin Kent, the Ohio president of the Atlantic & Great
Western Railroad. The Jaycees felt that their car would be a fitting tribute
to the memory of Marvin Kent and his importance to the railroad industry
in Kent. The Jaycees' car is painted to resemble that sleeping car. The car is
still used by the Jaycees and is connected to all city services and is air conditioned
for summer use. It was recently repainted in its original colors.
Young professionals age 18 to 40 interested in the Junior Chamber of
Commerce Oaycees) can attend a monthly membership meeting on the
second Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. Email [email protected]
for more information.
5
Erie Car Shops
200 W. Williams St.
Built in 1863
Interior accessible
only during guided
tours at 1 p. m. &
2 p.m. each day
When the Adan tic
& Great Western Rail-road
opened in 1863,
the company established shops in Franklin Mills (Kent). Marvin Kent's
influence as the railroad's president - and his gift of land valued at
$15,000 - brought a complex of buildings that would be the center of the
town's economy for nearly 60 years.
Built by some of the same German-American masons who had built
the canal lock here 20 years earlier and constructed of local stone, the
shops were impressive. The main building was two stories high with three
cupolas. The employment of several hundred men - including at times
more than half of all working men in the town - increased the population
dramatically, adding many new homes on Kent's south side. By 1918, some
800 workers worked for A & GW's successor, the Erie Railroad.
The shops turned out hundreds of cars. While some locomotives were
manufactured in the 1870s, the majority were wooden passenger and
freight cars for the Erie. Workers were highly skilled mechanics and artisans
as well as unskilled laborers. The grounds were full of lumber, barrels of
nails and screws, wheel sets and supplies like paint and glass. The passenger
cars in particular were real works of beauty, while the box cars, gondolas,
cabooses and others were built solidly enough to last for decades. The work
was hard, injuries were common and, in the winter, it was cold. A 12-hour
workday was normal with no overtime. The car shops also functioned as
a sort of public square and the community often gathered there to hear a
band concert or see fireworks on holidays.
There were some labor struggles along with the Erie's perpetual financial
crises. After a major strike in 1922, the car shops closed in 1930. 4
The Davey Compressor Co., started by Paul Davey, purchased what remained
of the shops in 1943. After several changes over the ensuing years,
Tom Myers, Paul Davey's grandson, started leasing space in the building in
1981. His company, Davey Drill Division of Davey, Kent, Inc., continues
the drill operations of its predecessor, Davey Compressor Co.
6
Kent Wells Sherman House
247 N. Water St.
Built in 1858
The Greek Revival-styled Kent
Wells Sherman House was built
on the northeast corner of South
Water and Erie streets in 18 5 8
for Frances Kent Wells, sister of
city namesake Marvin Kent, and
her husband George. George
Wells was a business partner of
Zenas Kent in the Wells and
Kent Glassworks. After the Wells
family sold the house and moved
to Brownsville, Pa., in 1863, it
was eventually acquired in 1868 by Dr. Aaron M. Sherman. He was a Civil
War surgeon, prominent civic promoter, state representative, and one of
the founders in 1866 of the Kent Unitarian-Universalist Church.
The house was moved from its original site to East Erie Street, closer
to Kent Normal College. By 2012, the house, which had been used as a
student boarding house since 1968, was obtained by Kent State University
for the purpose of demolition to make way for the university Esplanade.
Research by avid local historians documented beyond question its significant
historical value to the city of Kent. As a result, the community rallied
and it was moved to its current location in September 2013.
The structure, placed in commercial zoning, now hosts attorneys' offices,
a video company and serves as a meeting place for public and private
gatherings. It is an example of a public-private partnership. Along with
grants, donations and many hours of volunteer work, significant financial
and logistical support from KSU (arranged by retired Vice President Greg
Floyd), the city of Kent, Hometown Bank, and Kent Historical Society, are
gratefully acknowledged. This project serves as an example of what is necessary
to save buildings that are of historical importance to a community.
For information on using the building for meetings, parties or pop-up
retail space, please contact Ann Ward at [email protected] or Rick
Hawksley at [email protected].
7
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West Side Tour Sites
0 Maivin Kent House e Patton House
0 Charles Kent House
~!,Z Martin ~~ ·· ... &Soos. lne.
Industrial Machinery Specialists
330-673-8712 www.rwmai:tin.com
The former Congregational Church, the third church in Franklin Mills (now Kent),
was ded icated on November 30, 1858, two years before t he election of Abraham
Lincoln to the Presidency in 1860. It served the Congregationa lists for almost a
century, until 1955. 310 Park Avenue was purchased by the Martin fami ly in 1969
and currently serves as the corporate headquarters for R.W. Martin & Sons, Inc.
9
Patton House
529 W. Main St.
Built in 1902
Once known as the Patton
Memorial House, the family residence
of W.W. Patton, his wife,
Harriet, and daughter, Emma,
was built in 1902.
Among many community
positions, Patton served as
Kent's postmaster and superintendent
of Kent schools (1872-1878). Having studied at both the Boston
and Oberlin Conservatories of Music, Emma returned to Kent to provide
music lessons in her beautiful home. Upon her death in 1939, Emma
bequeathed the Patton House to Coterie, a ladies organization founded in
1896. This "circle of friends," which formed from the merger of a literary
club and a cooking club, was chosen to maintain the property and provide
space for community groups to gather.
Women of prominent Kent families who were active members of Coterie
in its early years include Mrs. Harry Longcoy, Mrs. Edward Parsons, Mrs.
Duncan Wolcott, Mrs. W.S. Kent, Mrs. Frank Elgin, Mrs. Roy Smith and
Mrs. Burt Spelman.
Having served as the home for Kent State University presidents Dr.
James Engleman and Dr. Karl Leebrick from 1939 to 1942, the formidable
front porch and pleasant large rooms of the Patton House have welcomed
many area social events.
A lovely stained glass window provides a focal point at the landing of
the stairway leading to a large second floor, which houses the family who
oversees the property. The decor includes many of the original elements,
from the hand-carved oak foyer to the antique grand piano Emma used to
share her love of music with her students. Many of her original furnishings
remain, as well.
The home continues in the care of the 125 members of five Kent Coteries
who strive to maintain this historic dwelling, which stands, regally, at
the west entrance to downtown Kent.
This historic meeting site is available to rent for groups of up to 50. For
information, call 330-673-5221 or email [email protected].
Charles H. Kent Home
125 N. Pearl St.
Built in 1843
The Charles H. Kent home
was built in 1843 in the West
Main Street district and is now
located at 125 N. Pearl St. This
home was designed and built
by James Clark of Streetsboro
Village, and is an example of
Gothic Revival architecture. It also features elements of the Greek Revival
and Carpenter Gothic architectural styles.
Charles was the son of Zenas, two years younger than his brother
Marvin, and was married to Mary E. Burrett. Charles was involved in the
dry goods business with his father in Ravenna. When our community was
still called Franklin Mills, Charles was a partner in the Clapp, Spellman
& Kent Dry Goods business and also in a glass company with his brother
Marvin. In 1860, he opened a dry goods and wallpaper store in Kent and
also was an original investor and a director of the Kent National Bank.
Charles died in 1887.
In 1902, the house was moved 150 feet north of its original location
along West Main Street to the current site on North Pearl Street by its
then-owner, Henry Green. This was supposedly prompted by Martin L.
Davey, son of the founder of the Davey Tree Co. Martin, who would later
serve as a mayor of Kent, U.S. representative and eventually governor,
persuaded Mr. Green to move the house to avoid its demolition for apartments
the owner was constructing on the original site.
This home is also referred to as the Palmer House after its longtime owner,
Dr. Maurice B. Palmer, who had accepted a position on the chemistry
staff of Kent State Normal College in 1931. He and his wife, Louisa Fenton,
purchased the home in 1940 and lived in it for more than 50 years.
After the Palmers' death, the house fell into disrepair, and was completely
renovated by Dennis and Jennifer Baughman. Mr. Baughman's company
specializes in the renovation and preservation of historic homes. It was ,
placed on the National Register of Historic Places on Feb. 23, 1978.
11
Marvin Kent
Family Homestead
(Now Kent Masonic Center)
409 W. Main St.
Built in 1884
Construction began in 1880 on
the Eastlake-style homestead of Marvin
and Maria Kent. Kent hired local
craftsmen except for wood carvers,
who came from Cleveland and New
York. Much of the materials used in
the house were likely locally sourced since, among Kent's many businesses,
were a stone quarry and a plate glass factory. The wood for the home was
the finest Kent could find in northern Ohio. When the Main Street covered
bridge was torn down, Kent saved the best of the massive beams and
used one for the arch header near the west coach entrance. There are three
similar arch headers in the west entrance hall and the main center hall.
Among the home's remarkable features are walls and partitions of solid
brick, cellar walls and entrance of thick sandstone, and a sloped slate roof.
Completed in 1884, the home provided 7,335 square feet of living space
with 20 rooms, including a ballroom and 10 fireplaces.
During the 40 years the Kent family lived in the home, four U.S. presidents,
either before or after they were in office, were guests in the home.
When Warren G. Harding, William Howard Taft, William McKinley
and Benjamin Harrison visited, they slept in the southeast second-floor
bedroom. This room remains much as it was in those days, including the
furniture.
When William Kent died in 1923, the home became the property of the
heirs of Marvin's son, Henry Lewis. They sold the home to Rockton Lodge
316 F & A. M. on Nov. 1, 1923.
The Masons have initiated a nonprofit society, the Kent Home Preservation
Society, to raise funds and coordinate the restoration of the home to
its 1923 status or earlier. The society is open to anyone with an interest in
preserving the Marvin Kent Homestead.
12
THE BURBICK
PoUNDATION
IS PROUD TO SPONSOR
THE HISTORIC KENT
TOWNTOUR
The Burbick Foundation
EX OBSCURITATE IN LUCEM
13
A BRIEF HISTORY OF MARVIN KENT AND His FAMILY
By jean Griffith Booth
I would like to thank Don Booth, Howard Boyle and Sandy Halem for their
valuable assistance in compiling this history. For purposes of clarity, I have used
birth names for the women in this article.
The Pilgrims
Marvin Kent's ancestors were part of the Great Migration of 20,000 pilgrims
who left England to come to New England between 1629 and 1640.
The Puritan families who made this dangerous voyage were educated and
prosperous. Among the first of Marvin's family to arrive in the Massachusetts
Bay Colony were: his fifth great-grandparents, William Hosford and
wife Florentia Sarah Hayward, who came in 1630; his sixth great-grandparents,
Thomas Talmadge and wife Catherine Cromwell, arriving in 1633,
and his fifth great-grandparents Henry Glover and wife Ellen Wakeman,
who arrived in 1634. Making the journey in 1640 were Thomas Kent and
his wife Ann Noyes with at least three children - eight-year-old Thomas,
six-year-old Samuel (Marvin's fourth great-grandfather) and three-year-old
Josiah.
The Revolutionary War
Both of Marvin's grandfathers, Zenas Kent (his father's father) and Oliver
Hiram Lewis (his mother's father), fought in the Revolutionary War as
privates in the Connecticut Line.
On May 5, 1777, Zenas enlisted in the 4th Regiment of the Connecticut
Militia for a term of eight months. During his service, the 4th Connecticut
fought in the Defense of Philadelphia Campaign, including the Battles of
Brandywine, Germantown and Whitemarsh, arriving at Winter Quarters at
Valley Forge in mid-December, 1777. He was discharged Jan. 1, 1778.
Oliver fought in the Revolutionary War three times, beginning in 1776
when he joined the 18th Regiment of the Connecticut Militia. He was a
member of Captain Thomas Bidwell's Company and took part in the Battle
of New York on Aug. 27, 1776, and the Battle of Fort Washington on
Nov. 16, 1776, before completing his term of enlistment.
The Kent Family Settles in Ohio
In the early 1800s, Aaron Olmsted hired Ralph Buckland, whose mother
was Mary Olmsted, to survey and act as an agent for the land he had
purchased in the Connecticut Western Reserve. It is likely Zenas and his
wife Anne Plumb purchased their homestead in Mantua from Ralph, since
Ralph was married to the Kents' eldest daughter, Ann. Traveling by sleigh,
14
the Kent and Buckland families left Leyden, Mass., and Middletown,
Conn., in the winter of 1812. The younger Zenas came with his family,
but his pregnant wife Pamelia Lewis remained back east. Sadly, two-yearold
Mary Anne Buckland did not survive the journey.
Zenas Kent
The younger Zenas returned to Connecticut for Pamelia and they moved
to Hudson in 1814. Using the skills he had learned from his fathe
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, 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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