History of Kent, Ohio
Encyclopedia
The area now occupied by the city of Kent, Ohio
, was previously inhabited by various Native American
tribes until the 19th century. Though no record of any settlement exists, the area was located along several known trails. In 1798 it was sold to Aaron Olmstead
as part of the Connecticut Western Reserve
. He initially named the area "Franklin" after his son, Aaron Franklin Olmsted. The first settlers, the Haymaker family, arrived in late 1805, having been attracted to the area by the Cuyahoga River
and its potential for powering gristmills.
Twin settlements developed along the river, known locally as the "upper" and "lower" villages and collectively as Franklin Mills, though the upper village was also known for a time as Carthage. In the late 1830s and early 1840s, construction of the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal
helped fuel construction of a central business area opposite the twin villages though most of the anticipated growth from the canal was never realized. Later, the village would develop as a railroad center mostly through the efforts of Marvin Kent
who not only was able to get his railroad routed through the village, but was also successful in having Franklin Mills named the home of the railroads maintenance shops and yards. This ultimately led to the village being renamed Kent in 1864, an act made official in 1867 the same year Kent was formally incorporated. Other industries would follow into the 20th century.
In 1910 Kent was selected as the site of one of two normal school
s in northern Ohio, which would become Kent State University
. The school grew quickly, becoming a full-fledged university by 1935. Following World War II
even more growth coupled with suburbanization
led to growth in Kent, ultimately transforming the city into the College town
it is today.
including the Mound Builders for an unknown period of time. There is no record of any type of settlement in the area, but it was located near Native settlements in what is now Silver Lake
and Cuyahoga Falls
. It is believed a large rock in the Cuyahoga River, known today as Standing Rock, served as a place of council for these early tribes. Several trails crossed the area well before the arrival of European settlers. Around 1780 the Indian fighter Captain Samuel Brady
achieved notoriety for his activities in the area, including his famous 21 feet (6.4 m) leap over the Cuyahoga River
to avoid capture, known as Brady's Leap. After leaping the river, he hid in a nearby lake which was later named for him, Brady Lake
.
, the area was divided into survey township
s in 1798 and almost all of what is now Kent was originally part of Town 3 Range 9, which would eventually be known as Franklin Township
. Aaron Olmsted, a wealthy Connecticut
merchant, had purchased the 16000 acres (6,475 ha) township for $2,000 (approximately $ present-day) and named it for his son Aaron Franklin. Franklin Township was surveyed in 1803, and settled in November 1805 by John Haymaker
, his wife Sally, and children Jacob, Eve, and Catherine. They initially lived in the former hut of the surveying team before settling on the banks of the Cuyahoga River
in early 1806 and building a gristmill
in 1807. That same year, Portage County
was formed and Franklin Township was made part of the new county. Olmstead had hoped to have Franklin become the county seat
of the new county and had land set aside in what is now northern Kent for the county government buildings. He died before he could donate the land and his heirs used it for other purposes. Neighboring Ravenna
ended up becoming the county seat instead.
Initial growth in the area was slow, but eventually two small villages would develop due to the potential power generated by the Cuyahoga River
that could be used in gristmills and manufacturing. Originally, there were two waterfalls in what is today downtown Kent, one of seventeen feet and another of twenty-five feet. The first village, known as Franklin Mills or locally as the "Lower Village," developed mostly around the original Haymaker property. In 1811 Jacob Reed purchased the Haymaker mill and the settlement was known briefly as Reedsburg until Reed sold the mill in 1817 and the name of Franklin Mills was restored. In 1818 Joshua Woodard arrived in the area and began constructing buildings just north of the village forming the "Upper Village" that would come to be known as Carthage. The two villages would become rivals for a time due to their close proximity to one another and the competing taverns which operated in them: the Woodard Tavern in Carthage and the Lincoln Tavern in Franklin Mills. By the time the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal opened in 1840 and the construction of what is today downtown Kent was completed, the rivalry had effectively ended as did the distinction between the two villages. Today, the site of Carthage is a residential and commercial area on Kent's near west side and is found in the name of the side street Carthage Avenue in the same area.
In the 1820s and early 1830s, plans were drawn up for the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal
, which would connect Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
and Cleveland, Ohio
via Akron, Ohio
. Franklin Mills was selected as part of the route and due to the rocky gorge of the Cuyahoga River, construction of a lock and dam was necessitated. When construction began on the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal
in the 1830s, land speculation was rampant in many areas of northeast Ohio
along the canal, including Franklin Mills. As a result of this, an industrial and business region
was established along the river in what is now downtown Kent. Factories and mills were either planned or constructed along the Cuyahoga River, some of which either were never built or ultimately failed, due mostly to effects of the Panic of 1837
. Much of the canal bed is still visible in downtown Kent, including the historic lock and arch dam (first built in 1836), which is the only known arch dam attached to a canal lock in the United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. In addition, an aqueduct
of the canal is still visible in southern Kent where it crossed Plum Creek. The era of the canal would be relatively short-lived, lasting into the 1860s. By 1870 the canal was completely shut down.
In the era leading up to the American Civil War
, Franklin Mills was an active stop on the Underground Railroad
, giving fugitive slaves shelter on their escape to Canada
. Notable stops in Franklin Mills included the Cuyahoga House at the northwest corner of Cuyahoga Street and North Mantua Street (torn down in 1907), the Woodard Tavern at the southwest corner of Fairchild Avenue and North Mantua Street, and the Woodard house along Fairchild Avenue, which still stands today. During this period, in 1835, noted American abolitionist John Brown
moved to the village, operating a tannery along the Cuyahoga River with Zenas Kent, leaving in 1839. Today, a park is on the site of the tannery, which was torn down in 1976 as part of an environmental reclamation project of the areas around the Cuyahoga River
. On June 26, 2004, an historical marker was dedicated in downtown Kent commemorating the city's role in the Underground Railroad.
was influential in bringing the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad
through the village. The railroad reinvented the village as an important stop on the east-west line between St. Louis and New York City
as it was also home to the railroad's maintenance yards and shops. To honor Marvin Kent the village was renamed Kent in 1864, although this change was not official until the village was incorporated on May 6, 1867.
Originally, before naming the city after Marvin Kent, city leaders including Marvin Kent were also considering the name Rockton, a name which Marvin Kent actually preferred, (hence the name of the Masonic Lodge
as Rockton Lodge) after Standing Rock.
John Davey
came to Kent in 1881 as head grounds keeper at Standing Rock Cemetery, planting several trees and landscaping the cemetery as well as performing experiments on trees. In 1901 he published his theories on tree surgery with his book The Tree Doctor and later established the Davey Tree Expert Company
in 1909, which led to Kent becoming known as "The Tree City." On February 15, 1949, Kent was officially proclaimed "The Tree City of Ohio" by a resolution and has been designated as a Tree City USA
for over 20 years. The city's official emblem features a tree logo and can be found on Kent's street signs and other city signs and offices.
in 1892, Kent became the first municipality in Ohio to take advantage of a new state law which allowed municipalities with populations under 5,000 to tax residents for the upkeep of a library. In 1903, the library moved to its current location on West Main Street in a building that was financed by a $10,000 USD ($ present-day) gift from Andrew Carnegie
. Carnegie donated the money on the condition residents provided a site and $1,000 USD ($ present-day) per year for maintenance. The levy passed overwhelmingly on September 17, 1901 and the site was donated by Marvin Kent
. Although additions have been made throughout the years, the original library building still stands today and currently houses the library's genealogy and local history areas. Most recently, all previous additions were demolished and a new, three-story addition was constructed which tripled the previous amount of available space. This new addition opened on September 26, 2006, exactly 103 years after the original library opened.
In 1910, Kent was selected out of twenty northeastern Ohio cities as the site of a new teacher training college, which became known as the "Kent State Normal School". The site for the school was on 53 acres (21.4 ha) of land donated by William S. Kent, son of Marvin Kent, on what was then the eastern edge of town. To honor his donation, the school was named for William S. Kent and not for the city of Kent, making it the only public university in Ohio to be named for an individual. In 1929 the school was renamed Kent State College after the establishment of a college of liberal arts and degrees in the arts and sciences and in 1935 was renamed Kent State University
after it was authorized to grant advanced graduate degrees. The bill giving Kent State university status was signed into law by Ohio governor and Kent native Martin L. Davey
.
In 1927 William and Frank Fageol, who had come to Kent in 1924, founded the Twin Coach Company
, using their new design concept for buses. The Twin Coach factory produced buses, delivery trucks, and other similar vehicles. As bus demand declined in the mid-20th century the factory slowly declined as well with bus production ceasing by 1953. The company was sold in 1958 and subsequently moved to Cheektowaga, New York and the factory was completely shut down by the 1960s.
In 1961, Kent State grounds superintendent Larry Wooddell and Biff Staples of Davey Tree released ten cages of black squirrels
obtained from Victoria Park
in London
, Ontario
, Canada
, to the Kent State campus. By 1964 their estimated population was around 150 and today they have spread in and around Kent and have become unofficial mascots of both the city and university. Since 1981, the annual Black Squirrel Festival is held every fall on the KSU campus.
. Although demonstrations began peacefully on campus May 1, that evening a demonstration near the center of town was broken up by police after some participants broke storefront windows. Convinced that members of the Students for a Democratic Society
and other outside groups were planning a major disruption, mayor Leroy Satrom
declared a state of emergency
and requested help from Ohio governor James Rhodes
, who dispatched an officer from the Ohio Army National Guard
. Later that night as Kent police closed down the bars, several demonstrators—a mixture of locals, students, and others—blocked traffic along North Water Street, started a bonfire, and broke windows of 15 downtown businesses with an estimated $10,000 of damage before being pushed towards campus. The next day Mayor Satrom issued a dusk-to-dawn curfew. That night, an estimated 1,000 demonstrators witnessed the destruction of the Army ROTC
building, which had been set on fire by some unidentified individuals. Protesters assaulted Kent firefighters and cut the fire hoses, preventing them from putting out the blaze, which was finally cleared by the arrival of the Ohio National Guard later that night.
On the evening of May 3 a demonstration took place on campus but was dispersed using tear gas. Demonstrators reassembled at the intersection of East Main and Lincoln Streets and blocked traffic and later became hostile. The crowd was dispersed around 11 PM again using tear gas with several guardsmen and demonstrators sustaining injuries. The events culminated on May 4 with the Kent State shootings
, where four students were killed and nine were wounded. The shootings caused an immediate closure of the campus—which lasted until June 15--as well as the Kent City Schools, who sent students home early. All vehicles entering the Kent city limits were searched by armed guardsmen, who patrolled both the city and campus until May 8. The shootings received national and international press coverage and helped spark the nationwide Student Strike of 1970
. They also put a large strain on relations between the city and the university
. Kent would again be in the national spotlight in 1977 when a tent city was built on campus to protest construction of the University's gym annex near the site of the shootings.
In 1995, the city of Kent's municipal (tap) water won first place at the fifth annual Toast to the Tap International Water Tasting and Competition held in Berkeley Springs
, West Virginia
. The city and its award-winning water were featured on a segment of The Tonight Show
with Jay Leno
shortly thereafter.
In 2003, the old arch dam was bypassed to meet water quality standards set by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. To preserve the historic dam, a small park was built behind the dam and the river was rerouted through the old canal lock. During warm-weather months, water is pumped over the dam. The park, known as Heritage Park, was formally dedicated in May 2005.
Kent, Ohio
Kent is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the largest city in Portage County. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeastern Ohio on the western edge of the county. The population was 27,906 at the 2000 United States Census and 28,904 in the 2010 Census...
, was previously inhabited by various Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribes until the 19th century. Though no record of any settlement exists, the area was located along several known trails. In 1798 it was sold to Aaron Olmstead
Aaron Olmstead
Captain Aaron Olmsted , erroneously spelled Olmstead, was a wealthy sea captain in the China trade out of New England, and one of 49 investors who formed the Connecticut Land Company in 1795 to purchase a major part of the Western Reserve from the U.S. state of Connecticut...
as part of the Connecticut Western Reserve
Connecticut Western Reserve
The Connecticut Western Reserve was land claimed by Connecticut from 1662 to 1800 in the Northwest Territory in what is now northeastern Ohio.-History:...
. He initially named the area "Franklin" after his son, Aaron Franklin Olmsted. The first settlers, the Haymaker family, arrived in late 1805, having been attracted to the area by the Cuyahoga River
Cuyahoga River
The Cuyahoga River is located in Northeast Ohio in the United States. Outside of Ohio, the river is most famous for being "the river that caught fire", helping to spur the environmental movement in the late 1960s...
and its potential for powering gristmills.
Twin settlements developed along the river, known locally as the "upper" and "lower" villages and collectively as Franklin Mills, though the upper village was also known for a time as Carthage. In the late 1830s and early 1840s, construction of the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal
Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal
The Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal, also known as the P & O Canal, the Cross Cut Canal and the Mahoning Canal was a shipping canal which operated from 1840 until 1877...
helped fuel construction of a central business area opposite the twin villages though most of the anticipated growth from the canal was never realized. Later, the village would develop as a railroad center mostly through the efforts of Marvin Kent
Marvin Kent
Marvin Kent was a railroad president and businessman from Portage County, Ohio, USA, and namesake of the city of Kent, Ohio, which was previously known as Franklin Mills.-Biography:...
who not only was able to get his railroad routed through the village, but was also successful in having Franklin Mills named the home of the railroads maintenance shops and yards. This ultimately led to the village being renamed Kent in 1864, an act made official in 1867 the same year Kent was formally incorporated. Other industries would follow into the 20th century.
In 1910 Kent was selected as the site of one of two normal school
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
s in northern Ohio, which would become Kent State University
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
. The school grew quickly, becoming a full-fledged university by 1935. Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
even more growth coupled with suburbanization
Suburbanization
Suburbanization a term used to describe the growth of areas on the fringes of major cities. It is one of the many causes of the increase in urban sprawl. Many residents of metropolitan regions work within the central urban area, choosing instead to live in satellite communities called suburbs...
led to growth in Kent, ultimately transforming the city into the College town
College town
A college town or university town is a community which is dominated by its university population...
it is today.
Early history
The region was previously inhabited by various tribes of American IndiansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
including the Mound Builders for an unknown period of time. There is no record of any type of settlement in the area, but it was located near Native settlements in what is now Silver Lake
Silver Lake, Ohio
Silver Lake is a village in Summit County, Ohio, United States of America. It is an affluent suburb of Akron and is part of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,019 at the 2000 census...
and Cuyahoga Falls
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 49,374 people, 21,655 households, and 13,317 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,932.9 people per square mile . There were 22,727 housing units at an average density of 889.7 per square mile...
. It is believed a large rock in the Cuyahoga River, known today as Standing Rock, served as a place of council for these early tribes. Several trails crossed the area well before the arrival of European settlers. Around 1780 the Indian fighter Captain Samuel Brady
Samuel Brady
Captain Samuel Brady was a frontier scout and the subject of many legends in the history of western Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio. He is best known for jumping across a gorge over the Cuyahoga River to escape pursuing Indians in what is present day Kent, Ohio...
achieved notoriety for his activities in the area, including his famous 21 feet (6.4 m) leap over the Cuyahoga River
Cuyahoga River
The Cuyahoga River is located in Northeast Ohio in the United States. Outside of Ohio, the river is most famous for being "the river that caught fire", helping to spur the environmental movement in the late 1960s...
to avoid capture, known as Brady's Leap. After leaping the river, he hid in a nearby lake which was later named for him, Brady Lake
Brady Lake (Ohio)
This article is about the lake. For the village of the same name, see Brady Lake, Ohio.Brady Lake is a natural lake located in Portage County, Ohio, United States. It is a kettle lake and has no tributaries or outlets...
.
Settlement
European settlement of the area began in the late 1790s and early 19th century. As part of the Connecticut Western ReserveConnecticut Western Reserve
The Connecticut Western Reserve was land claimed by Connecticut from 1662 to 1800 in the Northwest Territory in what is now northeastern Ohio.-History:...
, the area was divided into survey township
Survey township
Survey township, sometimes called Congressional township, as used by the United States Public Land Survey System, refers to a square unit of land, that is nominally six miles on a side...
s in 1798 and almost all of what is now Kent was originally part of Town 3 Range 9, which would eventually be known as Franklin Township
Franklin Township, Portage County, Ohio
Franklin Township is a civil township located in Portage County, Ohio, United States. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeast Ohio on the western edge of the county. The 2000 census found 5,276 people in the township...
. Aaron Olmsted, a wealthy Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
merchant, had purchased the 16000 acres (6,475 ha) township for $2,000 (approximately $ present-day) and named it for his son Aaron Franklin. Franklin Township was surveyed in 1803, and settled in November 1805 by John Haymaker
John Haymaker
John Haymaker was an early settler of Ohio and the founder of Franklin Township and what would become the city of Kent, Ohio. Haymaker and his family, who were of German descent, moved west from Pittsburgh to Franklin Township in the Connecticut Western Reserve on the banks of the Cuyahoga River...
, his wife Sally, and children Jacob, Eve, and Catherine. They initially lived in the former hut of the surveying team before settling on the banks of the Cuyahoga River
Cuyahoga River
The Cuyahoga River is located in Northeast Ohio in the United States. Outside of Ohio, the river is most famous for being "the river that caught fire", helping to spur the environmental movement in the late 1960s...
in early 1806 and building a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
in 1807. That same year, Portage County
Portage County, Ohio
Portage County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 152,061 at the 2000 Census and 161,419 at the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Ravenna. Portage County is named for the portage between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas Rivers...
was formed and Franklin Township was made part of the new county. Olmstead had hoped to have Franklin become the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of the new county and had land set aside in what is now northern Kent for the county government buildings. He died before he could donate the land and his heirs used it for other purposes. Neighboring Ravenna
Ravenna, Ohio
* Chris Bangle; automobile designer* Bill Bower, last surviving pilot of the Doolittle Raid* David D. Busch; best-selling author* William Rufus Day; U.S. Supreme Court justice* Calvin Hampton; Classical organist* Robert B...
ended up becoming the county seat instead.
Cuyahoga River
The Cuyahoga River is located in Northeast Ohio in the United States. Outside of Ohio, the river is most famous for being "the river that caught fire", helping to spur the environmental movement in the late 1960s...
that could be used in gristmills and manufacturing. Originally, there were two waterfalls in what is today downtown Kent, one of seventeen feet and another of twenty-five feet. The first village, known as Franklin Mills or locally as the "Lower Village," developed mostly around the original Haymaker property. In 1811 Jacob Reed purchased the Haymaker mill and the settlement was known briefly as Reedsburg until Reed sold the mill in 1817 and the name of Franklin Mills was restored. In 1818 Joshua Woodard arrived in the area and began constructing buildings just north of the village forming the "Upper Village" that would come to be known as Carthage. The two villages would become rivals for a time due to their close proximity to one another and the competing taverns which operated in them: the Woodard Tavern in Carthage and the Lincoln Tavern in Franklin Mills. By the time the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal opened in 1840 and the construction of what is today downtown Kent was completed, the rivalry had effectively ended as did the distinction between the two villages. Today, the site of Carthage is a residential and commercial area on Kent's near west side and is found in the name of the side street Carthage Avenue in the same area.
Canal era
Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal
The Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal, also known as the P & O Canal, the Cross Cut Canal and the Mahoning Canal was a shipping canal which operated from 1840 until 1877...
, which would connect Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
and Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
via Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
. Franklin Mills was selected as part of the route and due to the rocky gorge of the Cuyahoga River, construction of a lock and dam was necessitated. When construction began on the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal
Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal
The Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal, also known as the P & O Canal, the Cross Cut Canal and the Mahoning Canal was a shipping canal which operated from 1840 until 1877...
in the 1830s, land speculation was rampant in many areas of northeast Ohio
Greater Cleveland
Greater Cleveland is a nickname for the metropolitan area surrounding Cleveland, Ohio and is part of what used to be the Connecticut Western Reserve.Northeast Ohio refers to a similar but substantially larger area as described below...
along the canal, including Franklin Mills. As a result of this, an industrial and business region
Kent Industrial District
The Kent Industrial District is a historic district in Kent, Ohio, United States, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district covers around of downtown Kent on either side of the Cuyahoga River and is roughly bounded by West Main Street on the north, River Street to the west,...
was established along the river in what is now downtown Kent. Factories and mills were either planned or constructed along the Cuyahoga River, some of which either were never built or ultimately failed, due mostly to effects of the Panic of 1837
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis or market correction in the United States built on a speculative fever. The end of the Second Bank of the United States had produced a period of runaway inflation, but on May 10, 1837 in New York City, every bank began to accept payment only in specie ,...
. Much of the canal bed is still visible in downtown Kent, including the historic lock and arch dam (first built in 1836), which is the only known arch dam attached to a canal lock in the United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. In addition, an aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
of the canal is still visible in southern Kent where it crossed Plum Creek. The era of the canal would be relatively short-lived, lasting into the 1860s. By 1870 the canal was completely shut down.
In the era leading up to the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Franklin Mills was an active stop on the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
, giving fugitive slaves shelter on their escape to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Notable stops in Franklin Mills included the Cuyahoga House at the northwest corner of Cuyahoga Street and North Mantua Street (torn down in 1907), the Woodard Tavern at the southwest corner of Fairchild Avenue and North Mantua Street, and the Woodard house along Fairchild Avenue, which still stands today. During this period, in 1835, noted American abolitionist John Brown
John Brown (abolitionist)
John Brown was an American revolutionary abolitionist, who in the 1850s advocated and practiced armed insurrection as a means to abolish slavery in the United States. He led the Pottawatomie Massacre during which five men were killed, in 1856 in Bleeding Kansas, and made his name in the...
moved to the village, operating a tannery along the Cuyahoga River with Zenas Kent, leaving in 1839. Today, a park is on the site of the tannery, which was torn down in 1976 as part of an environmental reclamation project of the areas around the Cuyahoga River
Cuyahoga River
The Cuyahoga River is located in Northeast Ohio in the United States. Outside of Ohio, the river is most famous for being "the river that caught fire", helping to spur the environmental movement in the late 1960s...
. On June 26, 2004, an historical marker was dedicated in downtown Kent commemorating the city's role in the Underground Railroad.
Railroad era
In 1863 a local businessman by the name of Marvin KentMarvin Kent
Marvin Kent was a railroad president and businessman from Portage County, Ohio, USA, and namesake of the city of Kent, Ohio, which was previously known as Franklin Mills.-Biography:...
was influential in bringing the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad
Atlantic and Great Western Railroad
The Atlantic and Great Western Railroad began as three separate railroads: the Erie and New York City Railroad based in Jamestown, New York; the Meadville Railroad based in Meadville, Pennsylvania ; and the Franklin and Warren Railroad based in Franklin Mills, Ohio...
through the village. The railroad reinvented the village as an important stop on the east-west line between St. Louis and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as it was also home to the railroad's maintenance yards and shops. To honor Marvin Kent the village was renamed Kent in 1864, although this change was not official until the village was incorporated on May 6, 1867.
Originally, before naming the city after Marvin Kent, city leaders including Marvin Kent were also considering the name Rockton, a name which Marvin Kent actually preferred, (hence the name of the Masonic Lodge
Masonic Temple (Kent, Ohio)
The Kent Masonic Temple, also known as the Marvin Kent House and originally as "The Homestead", is a Masonic temple located in Kent, Ohio, USA. It has served as the home of the Rockton Masonic Lodge #316 since 1923 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 18 June 1974...
as Rockton Lodge) after Standing Rock.
John Davey (tree surgeon)
John Davey , considered the father of the science of tree surgery, was born in Stawley, Somerset, England. Although he did not learn the alphabet until his early 20s, his sharp intellect and analytical skills allowed him to become a skilled orator, author, publisher and inventor.John Davey...
came to Kent in 1881 as head grounds keeper at Standing Rock Cemetery, planting several trees and landscaping the cemetery as well as performing experiments on trees. In 1901 he published his theories on tree surgery with his book The Tree Doctor and later established the Davey Tree Expert Company
Davey Tree Expert Company
The Davey Tree Expert Company is a privately held company that provides tree and lawn care services throughout the United States and Canada. It is the largest residential tree care company in North America. It was incorporated in 1909 in Kent, Ohio by John Davey, who is considered the father of the...
in 1909, which led to Kent becoming known as "The Tree City." On February 15, 1949, Kent was officially proclaimed "The Tree City of Ohio" by a resolution and has been designated as a Tree City USA
Tree City USA
Tree City USA is a tree planting and tree care program sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation for cities and towns in the United States.- Requirements :...
for over 20 years. The city's official emblem features a tree logo and can be found on Kent's street signs and other city signs and offices.
Twentieth century
With the opening of the Kent Free LibraryKent Free Library
The Kent Free Library is a public library located in Kent, Ohio, United States. Opening in 1892, it was originally the result of the first use of an 1892 Ohio law which allowed municipalities under 5,000 to tax residents for library support. In 1903 the library moved to its current location,...
in 1892, Kent became the first municipality in Ohio to take advantage of a new state law which allowed municipalities with populations under 5,000 to tax residents for the upkeep of a library. In 1903, the library moved to its current location on West Main Street in a building that was financed by a $10,000 USD ($ present-day) gift from Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
. Carnegie donated the money on the condition residents provided a site and $1,000 USD ($ present-day) per year for maintenance. The levy passed overwhelmingly on September 17, 1901 and the site was donated by Marvin Kent
Marvin Kent
Marvin Kent was a railroad president and businessman from Portage County, Ohio, USA, and namesake of the city of Kent, Ohio, which was previously known as Franklin Mills.-Biography:...
. Although additions have been made throughout the years, the original library building still stands today and currently houses the library's genealogy and local history areas. Most recently, all previous additions were demolished and a new, three-story addition was constructed which tripled the previous amount of available space. This new addition opened on September 26, 2006, exactly 103 years after the original library opened.
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
after it was authorized to grant advanced graduate degrees. The bill giving Kent State university status was signed into law by Ohio governor and Kent native Martin L. Davey
Martin L. Davey
Martin Luther Davey was a Democratic politician from Ohio. He was the 53rd Governor of Ohio.-Childhood:Davey was born in Kent, Ohio in 1884. His father was John Davey, better known as the tree doctor and founder of the Davey Tree Expert Company. His mother was Bertha Reeves, the daughter of a...
.
In 1927 William and Frank Fageol, who had come to Kent in 1924, founded the Twin Coach Company
Twin Coach
Twin Coach was an American vehicle manufacturing company from 1927 to 1955, based in Kent, Ohio, and a maker of marine engines and airplane parts until the 1960s. It was formed by brothers Frank and William Fageol when they left the Fageol Motor Company in 1927. They established the company in...
, using their new design concept for buses. The Twin Coach factory produced buses, delivery trucks, and other similar vehicles. As bus demand declined in the mid-20th century the factory slowly declined as well with bus production ceasing by 1953. The company was sold in 1958 and subsequently moved to Cheektowaga, New York and the factory was completely shut down by the 1960s.
In 1961, Kent State grounds superintendent Larry Wooddell and Biff Staples of Davey Tree released ten cages of black squirrels
Eastern Gray Squirrel
The eastern gray squirrel is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus native to the eastern and midwestern United States, and to the southerly portions of the eastern provinces of Canada...
obtained from Victoria Park
Victoria Park, London (Ontario)
Victoria Park is an park located in downtown London, Ontario, in Canada. It is one of the major centres of community events in London.-History:...
in London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, to the Kent State campus. By 1964 their estimated population was around 150 and today they have spread in and around Kent and have become unofficial mascots of both the city and university. Since 1981, the annual Black Squirrel Festival is held every fall on the KSU campus.
Kent State shootings
In May 1970, protests began on the campus of Kent State University over the United States' invasion of Cambodia in the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Although demonstrations began peacefully on campus May 1, that evening a demonstration near the center of town was broken up by police after some participants broke storefront windows. Convinced that members of the Students for a Democratic Society
Students for a Democratic Society (1960 organization)
Students for a Democratic Society was a student activist movement in the United States that was one of the main iconic representations of the country's New Left. The organization developed and expanded rapidly in the mid-1960s before dissolving at its last convention in 1969...
and other outside groups were planning a major disruption, mayor Leroy Satrom
Leroy Satrom
Leroy Satrom was a former mayor of Kent, Ohio.Satrom is best remembered for declaring a State of Emergency on May 2, 1970, calling Governor Rhodes and requesting that the National Guard be sent to the campus of Kent State University to deal with student protests.Ultimately the Guardsmen shot into...
declared a state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
and requested help from Ohio governor James Rhodes
Jim Rhodes
James Allen Rhodes was an American Republican politician from Ohio, and one of only five US state governors to serve four four-year terms in office. As governor in 1970, he decided to send National Guard troops onto the Kent State University campus, resulting in the shooting of students on May 4...
, who dispatched an officer from the Ohio Army National Guard
Ohio Army National Guard
The Ohio Army National Guard is a part of the United States National Guard and a reserve component of the United States Army. It is also a component of the organized militia of the state of Ohio, which also includes the Ohio Naval Militia, the Ohio Military Reserve and the Ohio Air National Guard...
. Later that night as Kent police closed down the bars, several demonstrators—a mixture of locals, students, and others—blocked traffic along North Water Street, started a bonfire, and broke windows of 15 downtown businesses with an estimated $10,000 of damage before being pushed towards campus. The next day Mayor Satrom issued a dusk-to-dawn curfew. That night, an estimated 1,000 demonstrators witnessed the destruction of the Army ROTC
Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps is the United States Army component of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. It is the largest ROTC program, with 20,000 ROTC cadets in 272 ROTC programs at major universities throughout the United States.The modern Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps...
building, which had been set on fire by some unidentified individuals. Protesters assaulted Kent firefighters and cut the fire hoses, preventing them from putting out the blaze, which was finally cleared by the arrival of the Ohio National Guard later that night.
On the evening of May 3 a demonstration took place on campus but was dispersed using tear gas. Demonstrators reassembled at the intersection of East Main and Lincoln Streets and blocked traffic and later became hostile. The crowd was dispersed around 11 PM again using tear gas with several guardsmen and demonstrators sustaining injuries. The events culminated on May 4 with the Kent State shootings
Kent State shootings
The Kent State shootings—also known as the May 4 massacre or the Kent State massacre—occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970...
, where four students were killed and nine were wounded. The shootings caused an immediate closure of the campus—which lasted until June 15--as well as the Kent City Schools, who sent students home early. All vehicles entering the Kent city limits were searched by armed guardsmen, who patrolled both the city and campus until May 8. The shootings received national and international press coverage and helped spark the nationwide Student Strike of 1970
Student Strike of 1970
In the aftermath of the American Invasion of Cambodia on April 30, 1970, four students were killed at Kent State University on May 4, 1970 in Ohio, as well as two students at Jackson State College in Mississippi on May 14/15...
. They also put a large strain on relations between the city and the university
Town and gown
Town and gown are two distinct communities of a university town; "town" being the non-academic population and "gown" metonymically being the university community, especially in ancient seats of learning such as Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and St Andrews, although the term is also used to describe...
. Kent would again be in the national spotlight in 1977 when a tent city was built on campus to protest construction of the University's gym annex near the site of the shootings.
Later 20th century
In 1975, the five-lane Haymaker Parkway opened. The parkway, a relocated section of Ohio State Route 59, includes two bridges that span all three of Kent's railroad lines. It was common for much of the 20th century for passenger and freight trains to block all three of the main crossings along the Erie tracks, which pass through downtown, effectively dividing the city in half. A bridge over both sets of tracks had been proposed as early as 1923 before a formal proposal in 1954. Construction on the project began in 1968 with bridge construction beginning in 1973. It involved 123 properties, many of which were razed, mostly along Stow Street. By 1980, however, rail traffic was drastically reduced and ceased to be a major problem.In 1995, the city of Kent's municipal (tap) water won first place at the fifth annual Toast to the Tap International Water Tasting and Competition held in Berkeley Springs
Bath (Berkeley Springs), West Virginia
Bath is a town in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of Morgan County. The town is incorporated as Bath, but it is often referred to by the name of its post office, Berkeley Springs. The population of the town was 663 according to the 2000 United States...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. The city and its award-winning water were featured on a segment of The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
with Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
shortly thereafter.
21st century
See also
- John Davey HouseJohn Davey HouseThe John Davey House is a historic structure located in Kent, Ohio, USA. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since May 29, 1975. An example of Second Empire architecture, the house is best known for being the home of John Davey, a pioneer in the science of tree surgery...
- Franklin Township HallFranklin Township HallThe Franklin Township Hall, also referred to historically as the "Town Hall", is a town hall located in Kent, Ohio, USA, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building, located along Gougler Avenue in central Kent near the Cuyahoga River, was built in 1837 and has served as the...
- Kent City School District
- Charles Kent HouseCharles Kent HouseThe Charles Kent House, also known as the Palmer House, is a historic structure in Kent, Ohio, USA. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since February 23, 1978. An example of Gothic Revival architecture, the house also features elements of the Greek Revival and...
- Kent Industrial DistrictKent Industrial DistrictThe Kent Industrial District is a historic district in Kent, Ohio, United States, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district covers around of downtown Kent on either side of the Cuyahoga River and is roughly bounded by West Main Street on the north, River Street to the west,...
- Kent JailKent JailThe Kent Jail, also known as the Old Jailhouse, is a historic structure located in Kent, Ohio, USA. It was first added to the National Register of Historic Places August 10, 1978, while still located at its original location of 124 West Day Street, near downtown Kent immediately south of Haymaker...
- Ohio State Normal College At KentOhio State Normal College At KentThe Ohio State Normal College At Kent is a historic district in Kent, Ohio, United States. It consists of the five original buildings on the main campus of Kent State University, with the first, Merrill Hall, opening in 1913 and the last, Moulton Hall, opening in 1917. It was added to the...
- Masonic Temple (Kent, Ohio)Masonic Temple (Kent, Ohio)The Kent Masonic Temple, also known as the Marvin Kent House and originally as "The Homestead", is a Masonic temple located in Kent, Ohio, USA. It has served as the home of the Rockton Masonic Lodge #316 since 1923 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 18 June 1974...
- West Main Street DistrictWest Main Street District (Kent, Ohio)The West Main Street District is a historic district in Kent, Ohio, United States, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district encompasses 25 buildings, most of which are houses, on both sides of West Main Street from its intersection with North and South Mantua Streets on the...