Massillon, Ohio
Encyclopedia
Massillon is a city located in Stark County
in the U.S. state
of Ohio
, approximately 8 miles to the west of Canton, Ohio
, 20 miles south of Akron, Ohio
, and 50 miles south of Cleveland, Ohio
. The population was 32,149 at the 2010 census.
The City of Massillon is the second largest incorporated area within the Canton–Massillon, Ohio metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the Canton-Massillon metropolitan area had a population of 404,422 and includes all of Stark and Carroll
counties.
The city's incorporated area primarliy resides in the western portion of Perry Township
, with parts of the city's incorporated area extending into Jackson Township
and Tuscarawas Township
.
was founded in 1812 by Thomas Rotch, a Quaker
originally of New Bedford, Massachusetts
and Hartford, Connecticut
. James Duncan of New Hampshire
first settled in Kendal before recording the plat for Massillon in December 6, 1826. Duncan, known as the city's founder, named the town after Jean Baptiste Massillon
, a French
Catholic bishop. The town plat was established along the east bank of the Tuscarawas River
, which was the surveyed route for the Ohio and Erie Canal
being constructed to connect Lake Erie
with the Ohio River
. The canal section spanning from Cleveland to Massillon was completed in 1828. Massillon quickly became a major port town along the canal route, known as the Port of Massillon, following the canal's completion in the 1832. The first telegraph lines would reach Massillon in 1847, and the Ohio & Pennsylvania Railroad
would extend its rails to Massillon in 1852. Massillon incorporated as a village in 1853, which included the towns of Kendal to the east and Brookfield to the west (platted in 1835). In 1868, Massillon incorporated as a city when the populated reached 5,000.
The C. M. Russell & Company, formed in 1842 by Charles. M. Russell and his brothers, Nahum Russell and Clement Russell, manufactured threshing machines and other agricultural implements in Massillon. The company began producing train cars in 1852 and incorporated in 1864 as Russell & Company Inc. In 1884, Russell & Company begain producing its famed steam traction engines and quickly came one of the largest producers of industrial and agricultural equipment in the world.
The Massillon Iron Bridge Company
was founded by Joseph Davenport in 1869 after moving to Massillon from Boston to work at the C. M. Russell & Company. Davenport also invented and built the first locomotive "cowcatcher" and cab in Massillon. The company incorporated in 1887 as the The Massillon Bridge Company. The Massillon Bridge Comapny designed and built steel truss bridges throughout the Midwest, many of which stand today.
The Massillon State Hospital for the Insane opened in 1898 on 240 acres of land given to the state of Ohio for the purpose of constructing the hospital. The hospital was established by Ohio governor William McKinley
. By 1950 there were nearly 3,000 patients in the hospital. Today the hospital is known as the Massillon Psychiatric Center an serves approximately 300 patients.
The Forest City Motor Company
was founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1906 but relocated to Massillon during that same year. Forest City produced approximately 1,000 of their Jewel automobiles in Massillon between 1906 and 1909. The name of the company was changed to the Jewel Motor Car Company but the company eventually ceased production in 1909.
Although steel making and fabrication is found throughout its history, some say Massillon's steel age didn't start until 1909 when the first sheet of steel was rolled at the Massillon Rolling Mill Company. Massillon Rolling merged into the Central Steel Company in 1914, and lit its first open hearth furnace
in 1915. Central Steel eventually became known as the Central Alloy Steel Company. In 1930, Central Steel was purchased by the Cleveland based Republic Steel
, along with Central Steel's other Massillon divisions including Massillon Union Drawn Steel and its stainless steel division Enduro Stainless. Republic Steel became the third largest steel company in the world, with its Massillon operations employing nearly one-half of the city's workforce by 1959.
Stanley Macomber
designed the open-web steel joist in 1921 while working for Massillon’s Central Steel Company. Macomber left Central Steel and founded the Massillon Steel Joist Co. in 1923. His open-web steel joist, patented in 1924, was known as the Massillon Steel Joist. Macomber's invention was a revolutionary assembly of steel joists with a top slab used to support of floors, ceilings and roofs. The basis of Macomber's steel joist design is still used today. Stanley Macomber was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame in 2011.
Lincoln Highway
, the first US highway to run from coast to coast, was completed in 1913 and followed Main Street through the center of Massillon. Main Street was eventually renamed Lincoln Way in recognition of the new federal highway. In 1928, the federal government renamed Lincoln Highway to US 30. A controlled access freeway was constructed in 1971, bypassing US-30 around to the city's most southern part.
The Massillon Museum was established in 1933 in order to preserve the city's rich history. The museum was accredited in 1972 by the American Association of Museums
and is currently located downtown in the historic Gensemer Brothers Dry Goods building. The museum's collection encompasses approximately 100,000 objects in 94 categories, 60,000 photographs, and 18,000 archival and reference documents. The Immel Circus is one of the museum's most interesting collections. The 100-square foot miniature circus contains 2,620 pieces: thirty-six elephants, 186 horses, 102 assorted animals, ninety-one wagons, seven tents, and 2,207 people. Most of the pieces were hand-carved by Dr. Robert Immel of Massillon using tools from his dental practice.
LKF - The unincorporated town of Massillon, Iowa
was named after the city in 1854.
begain an attempt to organize workers at Republic Steel
in the spring of 1937, following the unionizing of workers at the country's two largest steel companies US Steel and Jones & Laughlin Steel. In retaliation, Republic Steel expelled over 1000 union supporters at plants in Canton and Massillon. On May 26th, the union eventually called for all workers at Republic Steel, Youngstown Sheet and Tube
, and Inland Steel (together known as Little Steel) to strike in response to the treatment of workers in Massillon and Canton.
On the night of July 11, 1937, a car failed to dim its headlights as it approached a police barracade near a picket line at one of the Massillon plants. City police assumed the worst and without warning opened fire with rifles and shotguns. Police then used this infraction to raid a peaceful crowd that was gathered in front of the union headquarters. Police pumped tear gas canisters and opened fire into the fleeing crowd. Joined by National Guardsmen, the police destroyed the union hall and arrested every suspected unionist they could find. Three men were killed and hundreds were injured during this incident.
A historical marker was errected in 2004 in front of the Massillon City Hall in memory of the Little Steel Strike of 1937.
Jacob Coxey was elected Mayor of Massillon in 1931.
area, perhaps the first great professional football rivalry was between the Massillon Tigers
and Canton Bulldogs
from 1903 to 1906 and 1915 to 1919. This rivalry predates both the NFL and the aforementioned rivalry between the Massillon and Canton high schools which continue to use the nicknames of these early professional teams. The Professional Football Researchers Association (PFRA) web site includes articles about the early years of this rivalry, as well as articles about the history of football through the 1970s.
The name Massillon is most notably associated with the Massillon Washington High School
football team, the Tigers. Distinguished Massillon alumni include former Ohio State University
, Cleveland Browns
, and Cincinnati Bengals
coach Paul Brown
, and former Ohio State University
player and former NFL All-Pro
linebacker Chris Spielman
. The Tigers are historically one of the winningest high school football teams in the United States
, second only to Valdosta High School
in Valdosta, Georgia
. Along with the Canton McKinley High School
Bulldogs, the Tigers represent one half of what many consider to be the greatest high school football rivalry in the nation. Both Massillon and their fierce rivalry with Canton are subjects of the 1999 documentary film Go Tigers!
.
The construction of Paul Brown Tiger Stadium
in Massillon was completed in 1939 through the Works Progress Administration
program. The stadium currently holds 16,600 people and is named after former Tiger player and head coach Paul Brown
. Besides being the regular season home of the Massillon Tiger Football team, the stadium hosts numerous Ohio High School Athletic Association
state football playoff games as well as divisional championship games. The stadium also hosts the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame
drum and bugle corps competition. The stadium is listed as a historical site by the State of Ohio.
Massillon's Paul L. David Athletic Training Center was built in 2008 by local philanthropist Jeff David in honor of his late father. The 3 million dollar, 80,000 square foot building is the largest indoor football practic facility in the state of Ohio, 20,000-square-feet larger than the facility used by the NFL's Cleveland Browns
.
The Tigers have accumulated 22 state AP
championships and 9 national AP championships during the school's history. As of 2010, the Tigers have accumulated an overall record of 803-244-35, a performance not approached by any Ohio high school football team. In the years since the Ohio high school playoff system was instituted in 1972, the Tigers have accumulated a current record of 314-116-4. The Tigers have made the playoffs 18 times, the final four six times, and the final championship game three times. There have been 23 professional players, 3 NFL coaches, and 14 collegiate all-Americans that have graduated from Massillon.
The Massillon Tiger Swing Band was created by the legendary George "Red" Bird in 1938 during the Paul Brown era of Massillon football. The band became known as "The Greatest Show in High School Football" and is still a very important part of the Massillon football tradition. The band's swing style includes moving formations and musicians marching with a swing step. The Tiger Swing band begins every home football game with the traditional hometown songs of Massillon Will Shine, Stand Up and Cheer (to acknowledge the other team), the National Anthem, Eye of the Tiger and the WHS Alma Mater. At the beginning of each half time show, they perform what is known as "Opening Routine." This is a tradition that goes back for decades and consists of the band's entrance ("Turn Arounds") followed by Fanfare, Tiger Rag and Carry On. This entire routine is marched at 180 beats per minute and is practiced from the beginning of the rehearsals through the entire season.
In July 2008 Massillon was nominated as one of only twenty cities nationwide as a finalist in ESPN's "Titletown U.S.A" contest. On July 21, a rally was held at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium while ESPN filmed a segment that was aired on SportsCenter
. Massillon finished fourth in the voting behind Valdosta, Georgia
; Parkersburg, West Virginia
; and Green Bay, Wisconsin
.
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 19.21 square miles (49.8 km²), of which 19.1 square miles (49.5 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), or 0.83%, is water.
of 2000, there were 31,325 people, 12,677 households, and 8,328 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,870.3 people per square mile (722.1/km²). There were 13,567 housing units at an average density of 810.0 per square mile (312.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.18% White, 9.39% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.34% from other races
, and 1.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.96% of the population.
There were 12,677 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples
living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,734, and the median income for a family was $41,058. Males had a median income of $32,021 versus $22,327 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,633. About 8.3% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
The Massillon municipal court system serves all residents in western Stark county located in Lawarence, Jackson, Tuscarawas, Perry, Sugarcreek, and Bethlehem townships.
, St. Barbara's Elementary, St. Mary's Elementary, and Central Catholic High School (Canton, Ohio).
is a community college located in Jackson Township
which serves students within Stark county.
Ashland University
has a satellite campus located in Massillon, which provide graduate degree programs to area residents.
Kent State University
has a regional campus located in Jackson Township
.
US-30, US-62, SR-21, SR-172, SR-241, SR-236, SR-93. Interstate 77 bypasses the city to the east and is accessible via interchanges on SR-21N, SR-241N, SR-172E, US-30E, SR-21S.
Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) provides public transit bus service within the city, including service to Canton
, the Akron-Canton Regional Airport
, and the Amtrak
station located in Alliance
.
The Akron-Canton Regional Airport
is located 10 miles north of the city and provides daily commercial passenger and air freight service.
Amtrak
offers daily service to Chicago
and Washington D.C. from a regional passenger station located in Alliance, Ohio
. Passenger rail service within the city was ended in 1971.
Fidelity US Coach Tours provides charter bus service from the city.
Norfolk Southern, Wheeling-Lake Erie, and the R. J. Corman railroads provide freight service in Massillon.
The local newspaper is called the Massillon Independent.
WTIG
AM 990 is located in Massillon and serves the local Massillon/Western Stark County area.
The city of Massillon, as well as Bethlehem, Jackson, Perry, and Tuscarawas Townships are served by locally owned Massillon Cable TV.
Stark County, Ohio
Stark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 375,586. It is included in the Canton-Massillon, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area....
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, approximately 8 miles to the west of Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, 20 miles south of 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...
, and 50 miles south of 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...
. The population was 32,149 at the 2010 census.
The City of Massillon is the second largest incorporated area within the Canton–Massillon, Ohio metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the Canton-Massillon metropolitan area had a population of 404,422 and includes all of Stark and Carroll
Carroll County, Ohio
Carroll County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of 2010, the population was 28,836, no change from 2000. Its county seat is Carrollton. It is named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence....
counties.
The city's incorporated area primarliy resides in the western portion of Perry Township
Perry Township, Stark County, Ohio
Perry Township is one of the seventeen townships of Stark County, Ohio, United States. It is an urban township; the 2000 census found 29,167 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the western part of the county, it borders the following townships:...
, with parts of the city's incorporated area extending into Jackson Township
Jackson Township, Stark County, Ohio
Jackson Township is one of the seventeen townships of Stark County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 37,744 people in the township, 37,484 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
and Tuscarawas Township
Tuscarawas Township, Stark County, Ohio
Tuscarawas Township is one of the seventeen townships of Stark County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 6,093 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the western part of the county, it borders the following townships:...
.
History
The original settlment of KendalKendal, Ohio
The plat for the town of Kendal, in Stark County, Ohio was entered on April 20, 1812. It was named by its founder, Thomas Rotch , after the town of Kendal, in Cumbria, England. Kendal was absorbed into the town of Massillon, Ohio in 1853.-History:...
was founded in 1812 by Thomas Rotch, a Quaker
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
originally of New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
and Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. James Duncan of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
first settled in Kendal before recording the plat for Massillon in December 6, 1826. Duncan, known as the city's founder, named the town after Jean Baptiste Massillon
Jean Baptiste Massillon
Jean Baptiste Massillon was a French Catholic bishop and famous preacher, Bishop of Clermont from 1717 until his death.-Early years:Massillon was born at Hyères in Provence where his father was a royal notary...
, a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Catholic bishop. The town plat was established along the east bank of the Tuscarawas River
Tuscarawas River
The Tuscarawas River is a principal tributary of the Muskingum River, 129.9 miles long, in northeastern Ohio in the United States...
, which was the surveyed route for the Ohio and Erie Canal
Ohio and Erie Canal
The Ohio Canal or Ohio and Erie Canal was a canal constructed in the 1820s and early 1830s. It connected Akron, Summit County, with the Cuyahoga River near its mouth on Lake Erie in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and a few years later, with the Ohio River near Portsmouth, Scioto County, and then...
being constructed to connect Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
with the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. The canal section spanning from Cleveland to Massillon was completed in 1828. Massillon quickly became a major port town along the canal route, known as the Port of Massillon, following the canal's completion in the 1832. The first telegraph lines would reach Massillon in 1847, and the Ohio & Pennsylvania Railroad
Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway
The Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway was a major part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system, extending the PRR west from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania via Fort Wayne, Indiana to Chicago, Illinois...
would extend its rails to Massillon in 1852. Massillon incorporated as a village in 1853, which included the towns of Kendal to the east and Brookfield to the west (platted in 1835). In 1868, Massillon incorporated as a city when the populated reached 5,000.
The C. M. Russell & Company, formed in 1842 by Charles. M. Russell and his brothers, Nahum Russell and Clement Russell, manufactured threshing machines and other agricultural implements in Massillon. The company began producing train cars in 1852 and incorporated in 1864 as Russell & Company Inc. In 1884, Russell & Company begain producing its famed steam traction engines and quickly came one of the largest producers of industrial and agricultural equipment in the world.
The Massillon Iron Bridge Company
Massillon Bridge Company
The Massillon Bridge Company, most commonly abbreviated Massillon Bridge Co., was located in Massillon, Ohio and founded by Joseph Davenport in 1869. The company became incorporated in 1887 and remained in operation though the early 1900's. Truss bridges built by the Massillon Bridge Co...
was founded by Joseph Davenport in 1869 after moving to Massillon from Boston to work at the C. M. Russell & Company. Davenport also invented and built the first locomotive "cowcatcher" and cab in Massillon. The company incorporated in 1887 as the The Massillon Bridge Company. The Massillon Bridge Comapny designed and built steel truss bridges throughout the Midwest, many of which stand today.
The Massillon State Hospital for the Insane opened in 1898 on 240 acres of land given to the state of Ohio for the purpose of constructing the hospital. The hospital was established by Ohio governor William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
. By 1950 there were nearly 3,000 patients in the hospital. Today the hospital is known as the Massillon Psychiatric Center an serves approximately 300 patients.
The Forest City Motor Company
Jewell (automobile)
The Jewel Motor Car Company of Massillon, Ohio manufacturered the Jewel automobile from 1906 to 1909.-History:...
was founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1906 but relocated to Massillon during that same year. Forest City produced approximately 1,000 of their Jewel automobiles in Massillon between 1906 and 1909. The name of the company was changed to the Jewel Motor Car Company but the company eventually ceased production in 1909.
Although steel making and fabrication is found throughout its history, some say Massillon's steel age didn't start until 1909 when the first sheet of steel was rolled at the Massillon Rolling Mill Company. Massillon Rolling merged into the Central Steel Company in 1914, and lit its first open hearth furnace
Open hearth furnace
Open hearth furnaces are one of a number of kinds of furnace where excess carbon and other impurities are burnt out of the pig iron to produce steel. Since steel is difficult to manufacture due to its high melting point, normal fuels and furnaces were insufficient and the open hearth furnace was...
in 1915. Central Steel eventually became known as the Central Alloy Steel Company. In 1930, Central Steel was purchased by the Cleveland based Republic Steel
Republic Steel
Republic Steel was once the third largest steel producer in the United States.The Republic Iron and Steel Company was founded in Youngstown, Ohio in 1899....
, along with Central Steel's other Massillon divisions including Massillon Union Drawn Steel and its stainless steel division Enduro Stainless. Republic Steel became the third largest steel company in the world, with its Massillon operations employing nearly one-half of the city's workforce by 1959.
Stanley Macomber
Stanley Macomber
Stanley Macomber designed and patented the open web joist floor system, and founded the Massillon Steel Joist Company of Massillon, Ohio and the Macomber Steel Company of Canton, Ohio....
designed the open-web steel joist in 1921 while working for Massillon’s Central Steel Company. Macomber left Central Steel and founded the Massillon Steel Joist Co. in 1923. His open-web steel joist, patented in 1924, was known as the Massillon Steel Joist. Macomber's invention was a revolutionary assembly of steel joists with a top slab used to support of floors, ceilings and roofs. The basis of Macomber's steel joist design is still used today. Stanley Macomber was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame in 2011.
Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
, the first US highway to run from coast to coast, was completed in 1913 and followed Main Street through the center of Massillon. Main Street was eventually renamed Lincoln Way in recognition of the new federal highway. In 1928, the federal government renamed Lincoln Highway to US 30. A controlled access freeway was constructed in 1971, bypassing US-30 around to the city's most southern part.
The Massillon Museum was established in 1933 in order to preserve the city's rich history. The museum was accredited in 1972 by the American Association of Museums
American Association of Museums
The American Association of Museums is a non-profit association that has brought museums together since its founding in 1906, helping develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and advocating on issues of concern to the museum community...
and is currently located downtown in the historic Gensemer Brothers Dry Goods building. The museum's collection encompasses approximately 100,000 objects in 94 categories, 60,000 photographs, and 18,000 archival and reference documents. The Immel Circus is one of the museum's most interesting collections. The 100-square foot miniature circus contains 2,620 pieces: thirty-six elephants, 186 horses, 102 assorted animals, ninety-one wagons, seven tents, and 2,207 people. Most of the pieces were hand-carved by Dr. Robert Immel of Massillon using tools from his dental practice.
LKF - The unincorporated town of Massillon, Iowa
Massillon, Iowa
Massillon is an unincorporated community in Massillon Township, Cedar County, Iowa, United States. It is located south of the Wapsipinicon River on County Road Y24 west of Toronto and north of Lowden in the northeastern corner of the county, at 41.914844N, -90.922851W.-History:The area where the...
was named after the city in 1854.
Little Steel Strike
Massillon was the site of one of the most tragic instance of anti-union violence in the history of the United States. The Steel Workers Organizing CommitteeSteel Workers Organizing Committee
The Steel Workers Organizing Committee was one of two precursor labor organizations to the United Steelworkers. It was formed by the CIO in 1936. It disbanded in 1942 to become the United Steel Workers of America....
begain an attempt to organize workers at Republic Steel
Republic Steel
Republic Steel was once the third largest steel producer in the United States.The Republic Iron and Steel Company was founded in Youngstown, Ohio in 1899....
in the spring of 1937, following the unionizing of workers at the country's two largest steel companies US Steel and Jones & Laughlin Steel. In retaliation, Republic Steel expelled over 1000 union supporters at plants in Canton and Massillon. On May 26th, the union eventually called for all workers at Republic Steel, Youngstown Sheet and Tube
Youngstown Sheet and Tube
The Youngstown Iron Sheet and Tube Company, based in Youngstown, Ohio, was one of the largest steel manufacturers in the world. Officially, the company was created on November 23, 1900, when Articles of Incorporation of the Youngstown Iron Sheet and Tube Company were filed with the Ohio Secretary...
, and Inland Steel (together known as Little Steel) to strike in response to the treatment of workers in Massillon and Canton.
On the night of July 11, 1937, a car failed to dim its headlights as it approached a police barracade near a picket line at one of the Massillon plants. City police assumed the worst and without warning opened fire with rifles and shotguns. Police then used this infraction to raid a peaceful crowd that was gathered in front of the union headquarters. Police pumped tear gas canisters and opened fire into the fleeing crowd. Joined by National Guardsmen, the police destroyed the union hall and arrested every suspected unionist they could find. Three men were killed and hundreds were injured during this incident.
A historical marker was errected in 2004 in front of the Massillon City Hall in memory of the Little Steel Strike of 1937.
Coxey's Army
Jacob S. Coxey, Sr. sometimes known as General Coxey (April 16, 1854 – May 18, 1951) of Massillon, Ohio, was an American politician, who ran for elective office several times in Ohio. He twice led Coxey's Army in 1894 and 1914, consisting of a group of unemployed men that he led on marches from Massillon, Ohio to Washington, D.C. to present a "Petition in Boots" demanding that the United States Congress allocate funds to create jobs for the unemployed. Although his march failed, Coxey's Army was an early attempt to arouse political interest in an issue that grew in importance until the Social Security Act of 1935 encouraged the establishment of state unemployment insurance programs.Jacob Coxey was elected Mayor of Massillon in 1931.
Football
While the first players known to be paid to play football are believed to have played for club teams in the Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, 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...
area, perhaps the first great professional football rivalry was between the Massillon Tigers
Massillon Tigers
The Massillon Tigers were an early professional football team from Massillon, Ohio. Playing in the "Ohio League", the team was a rival to the pre-National Football League version of the Canton Bulldogs. The Tigers won Ohio League championships in 1903, 1904, 1905, and 1906, then merged to become...
and Canton Bulldogs
Canton Bulldogs
The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and its successor, the National Football League, from 1920 to 1923 and again from 1925 to 1926. The Bulldogs would go on to win the 1917, 1918...
from 1903 to 1906 and 1915 to 1919. This rivalry predates both the NFL and the aforementioned rivalry between the Massillon and Canton high schools which continue to use the nicknames of these early professional teams. The Professional Football Researchers Association (PFRA) web site includes articles about the early years of this rivalry, as well as articles about the history of football through the 1970s.
The name Massillon is most notably associated with the Massillon Washington High School
Massillon Washington High School
Massillon Washington High School, is a 9 to 12 grade secondary school within the Massillon City School District located in the city of Massillon, Ohio. It serves students within the city of Massillon as well as parts of Tuscarawas Township...
football team, the Tigers. Distinguished Massillon alumni include former Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
coach Paul Brown
Paul Brown
Paul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...
, and former Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
player and former NFL All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
linebacker Chris Spielman
Chris Spielman
Charles Christopher "Chris" Spielman is a former American football player and is currently an analyst for ESPN's coverage of college football games.-Football career:...
. The Tigers are historically one of the winningest high school football teams in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, second only to Valdosta High School
Valdosta High School
Valdosta High School is a public high school located in Valdosta, Georgia, United States. The school colors are gold and black. The school mascot is the "Wildcat".-School:Valdosta High School serves grades 9-12 in the Valdosta City School District...
in Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 54,518. The Valdosta metropolitan area, according to the 2010 estimate, has a population of 139,588...
. Along with the Canton McKinley High School
Canton McKinley High School
Canton McKinley Senior High School is a public high school in Canton, Stark County, Ohio, U.S. It is one of the largest and oldest high schools in Ohio.-Athletics:...
Bulldogs, the Tigers represent one half of what many consider to be the greatest high school football rivalry in the nation. Both Massillon and their fierce rivalry with Canton are subjects of the 1999 documentary film Go Tigers!
Go Tigers!
Go Tigers! is a documentary film created about the Tigers of Massillon, Ohio. This full-length video informs the viewer about the football team, the city, and its rivalry against the Canton McKinley High School Bulldogs. The film follows the team during the 1999 regular season...
.
The construction of Paul Brown Tiger Stadium
Paul Brown Tiger Stadium
Paul Brown Tiger Stadium is a stadium in Massillon, Ohio. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Massillon Washington High School. The stadium holds 19,000 people when extra seating is brought in. Without additional seating, the stadium holds 16,600. It is...
in Massillon was completed in 1939 through the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
program. The stadium currently holds 16,600 people and is named after former Tiger player and head coach Paul Brown
Paul Brown
Paul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...
. Besides being the regular season home of the Massillon Tiger Football team, the stadium hosts numerous Ohio High School Athletic Association
Ohio High School Athletic Association
The Ohio High School Athletic Association is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio...
state football playoff games as well as divisional championship games. The stadium also hosts the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
drum and bugle corps competition. The stadium is listed as a historical site by the State of Ohio.
Massillon's Paul L. David Athletic Training Center was built in 2008 by local philanthropist Jeff David in honor of his late father. The 3 million dollar, 80,000 square foot building is the largest indoor football practic facility in the state of Ohio, 20,000-square-feet larger than the facility used by the NFL's Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
The Tigers have accumulated 22 state AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
championships and 9 national AP championships during the school's history. As of 2010, the Tigers have accumulated an overall record of 803-244-35, a performance not approached by any Ohio high school football team. In the years since the Ohio high school playoff system was instituted in 1972, the Tigers have accumulated a current record of 314-116-4. The Tigers have made the playoffs 18 times, the final four six times, and the final championship game three times. There have been 23 professional players, 3 NFL coaches, and 14 collegiate all-Americans that have graduated from Massillon.
The Massillon Tiger Swing Band was created by the legendary George "Red" Bird in 1938 during the Paul Brown era of Massillon football. The band became known as "The Greatest Show in High School Football" and is still a very important part of the Massillon football tradition. The band's swing style includes moving formations and musicians marching with a swing step. The Tiger Swing band begins every home football game with the traditional hometown songs of Massillon Will Shine, Stand Up and Cheer (to acknowledge the other team), the National Anthem, Eye of the Tiger and the WHS Alma Mater. At the beginning of each half time show, they perform what is known as "Opening Routine." This is a tradition that goes back for decades and consists of the band's entrance ("Turn Arounds") followed by Fanfare, Tiger Rag and Carry On. This entire routine is marched at 180 beats per minute and is practiced from the beginning of the rehearsals through the entire season.
In July 2008 Massillon was nominated as one of only twenty cities nationwide as a finalist in ESPN's "Titletown U.S.A" contest. On July 21, a rally was held at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium while ESPN filmed a segment that was aired on SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
. Massillon finished fourth in the voting behind Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 54,518. The Valdosta metropolitan area, according to the 2010 estimate, has a population of 139,588...
; Parkersburg, West Virginia
Parkersburg, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,099 people, 14,467 households, and 8,767 families residing in the city. In 2006 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that Parkersburg's population had decreased 4.4% to 31,755. The population density was 2,800.5 people per square mile . There were 16,100 housing...
; and Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
.
Geography
Massillon is located at 40°47′43"N 81°31′22"W (40.795270, -81.522896), along the Tuscarawas RiverTuscarawas River
The Tuscarawas River is a principal tributary of the Muskingum River, 129.9 miles long, in northeastern Ohio in the United States...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 19.21 square miles (49.8 km²), of which 19.1 square miles (49.5 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), or 0.83%, is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 31,325 people, 12,677 households, and 8,328 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,870.3 people per square mile (722.1/km²). There were 13,567 housing units at an average density of 810.0 per square mile (312.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.18% White, 9.39% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.34% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.96% of the population.
There were 12,677 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,734, and the median income for a family was $41,058. Males had a median income of $32,021 versus $22,327 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,633. About 8.3% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The city is governed by an elected mayor and city council. There are six council positions representing the city's six wards and three at-large council positions.The Massillon municipal court system serves all residents in western Stark county located in Lawarence, Jackson, Tuscarawas, Perry, Sugarcreek, and Bethlehem townships.
Neighborhoods
The city is comprised of various neighborhoods, some that were named for the small towns or subdivisions that were incorporated into the city.- Amherst
- Belmont
- Brookfield
- Charity Rotch
- Colonial Hills
- Columbia Heights
- Kendal
- Mayflower
- Oak Knoll
- Raynell
- Walnut Hills
- Whittier
- York
Public Schools
The following public school districts reside within the Massillon metropolitan area:- Massillon City School District, Massillon Washington High SchoolMassillon Washington High SchoolMassillon Washington High School, is a 9 to 12 grade secondary school within the Massillon City School District located in the city of Massillon, Ohio. It serves students within the city of Massillon as well as parts of Tuscarawas Township...
- Massillon Jackson Local School District, Jackson High School (Massillon, Ohio)
- Massillon Perry Local School DistrictPerry Local School DistrictPerry Local School District is a public school district serving students in Perry Township, Stark County, Ohio and the city of Massillon, Ohio, United States. It is 1 of the 17 school districts located in Stark County and resides in the Canton–Massillon, Ohio metropolitan area. The school district...
, Perry High School (Massillon, Ohio)Perry High School (Massillon, Ohio)Perry High School is a public high school in Perry Township, Ohio near Massillon. It is the only public high school in the Perry Local School District in Stark County. Its mascot is the Panther..-External links:* at http://www.perrylocal.org...
- Massillon Tuslaw Local School District, Tuslaw High SchoolTuslaw High SchoolTuslaw High School is a public high school located near the city of Massillon, Ohio and serves all high school students in the Tuslaw Local School district. Tuslaw High School is a member of the Stark County Area Vocational School District allowing its high school students to attend the R.G...
- Fairless Local School District, Fairless High SchoolFairless High SchoolFairless High School is a public high school in Brewster, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Fairless Local School District. The high school combines students from the villages of Brewster, Beach City, Navarre, Wilmot and some surrounding townships. It serves grades 9 through 12 and its...
- R.D. Drage Career Center, Stark County Area Vocational School District, Stark County, OhioStark County Area Vocational School District, Stark County, OhioStark County Area Vocational School District is a school district located in Stark County, Ohio, United States. It operates the R.D. Drage Career Center located in Massillon, Ohio.-External links:*...
Private Schools
Private schools serving the Massillon area include Massillon Christian SchoolMassillon Christian School
Massillon Christian School is a private high school in Massillon, Ohio. It is a ministry of the Massillon Baptist Temple.- About MCS :Massillon Christian School is a private co-ed Independent Baptist ministry emphasizing Christian character and biblical principles. Classes are available for...
, St. Barbara's Elementary, St. Mary's Elementary, and Central Catholic High School (Canton, Ohio).
Post Secondary
Stark State College of TechnologyStark State College of Technology
Stark State College of Technology , also known as Stark State College and Stark State, is a public college located in Stark County, Ohio. The school offers 200 majors, options, one-year certificates and career enhancement certificates. Approximately 4,000 noncredit students are enrolled in...
is a community college located in Jackson Township
Jackson Township, Stark County, Ohio
Jackson Township is one of the seventeen townships of Stark County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 37,744 people in the township, 37,484 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
which serves students within Stark county.
Ashland University
Ashland University
Ashland University is a mid-sized, private, non-profit university that is located in Ashland, Ohio.The University offers 73 undergraduate majors and nine pre-professional programs. The majors include toxicology/environmental science and entrepreneurship, which are unusual for an institution of its...
has a satellite campus located in Massillon, which provide graduate degree programs to area residents.
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...
has a regional campus located in Jackson Township
Jackson Township, Stark County, Ohio
Jackson Township is one of the seventeen townships of Stark County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 37,744 people in the township, 37,484 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
.
Transportation
Massillon is served by the following state and federal highways:US-30, US-62, SR-21, SR-172, SR-241, SR-236, SR-93. Interstate 77 bypasses the city to the east and is accessible via interchanges on SR-21N, SR-241N, SR-172E, US-30E, SR-21S.
Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) provides public transit bus service within the city, including service to Canton
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, the Akron-Canton Regional Airport
Akron-Canton Regional Airport
Akron-Canton Regional Airport is a commercial Class C airport located in the city of Green, in southern Summit County, Ohio roughly southeast of Akron, northwest of Canton, and northeast of Massillon...
, and the Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
station located in Alliance
Alliance, Ohio
Alliance is a city in Stark and Mahoning counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 22,322 at the 2010 census. Alliance's nickname is "The Carnation City", and the city is home to the University of Mount Union....
.
The Akron-Canton Regional Airport
Akron-Canton Regional Airport
Akron-Canton Regional Airport is a commercial Class C airport located in the city of Green, in southern Summit County, Ohio roughly southeast of Akron, northwest of Canton, and northeast of Massillon...
is located 10 miles north of the city and provides daily commercial passenger and air freight service.
Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
offers daily service to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Washington D.C. from a regional passenger station located in Alliance, Ohio
Alliance, Ohio
Alliance is a city in Stark and Mahoning counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 22,322 at the 2010 census. Alliance's nickname is "The Carnation City", and the city is home to the University of Mount Union....
. Passenger rail service within the city was ended in 1971.
Fidelity US Coach Tours provides charter bus service from the city.
Norfolk Southern, Wheeling-Lake Erie, and the R. J. Corman railroads provide freight service in Massillon.
Media
Massillon is part of the greater Cleveland radio and television media market.The local newspaper is called the Massillon Independent.
WTIG
WTIG
WTIG is an AM radio station in Massillon, Ohio operating on 990 kHz and featuring sports talk programming from ESPN Radio. Despite being in northeast Ohio, the station is an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Columbus Blue Jackets radio networks. WTIG is also an...
AM 990 is located in Massillon and serves the local Massillon/Western Stark County area.
The city of Massillon, as well as Bethlehem, Jackson, Perry, and Tuscarawas Townships are served by locally owned Massillon Cable TV.
Notable natives
Listed alphabetically, by last name:- John BlackburnJohn Blackburn (songwriter)John M. Blackburn was a lyricist, perhaps best remembered for writing the lyrics to "Moonlight in Vermont".He was raised in Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio....
, wrote the lyrics of "Moonlight in VermontMoonlight in Vermont (song)"Moonlight in Vermont" is a popular song about the U.S. state of Vermont, written by John Blackburn and Karl Suessdorf and published in 1943. The lyrics are unusual in that they do not rhyme...
" - Paul BrownPaul BrownPaul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...
, footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and hall of fameHall of FameA hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
coach - David CanaryDavid CanaryDavid Hoyt Canary is an American actor, who starred in both soap operas and prime time television. He is best known for his roles as the ranch foreman, Candy Canaday on Bonanza and identical twins Adam Chandler from 1983 to 2010 and Stuart Chandler from 1984 to 2009 on the daytime serial, All My...
, actor - Jacob S. Coxey, Sr., politician and activist
- Shawn CrableShawn Crable-New England Patriots:Crable was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Crable was inactive for the first half of 2008 and was placed injured reserve with a shin injury on November 5, 2008. He was placed on injured reserve on September 5, 2009 with a groin...
, second-team All-American linebackerLinebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
and defensive team captain at the University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
; selected in the third round of the 2008 NFL draftNFL DraftThe National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the New England PatriotsNew England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... - Jan DeGaetaniJan DeGaetaniJan DeGaetani was an American mezzo-soprano known for her performances of contemporary classical vocal compositions.DeGaetani was born in Massillon, Ohio...
, mezzo-soprano - Mayhew FolgerMayhew FolgerMayhew Folger was an American whaler who captained the sealing ship Topaz that rediscovered the Pitcairn Islands in 1808. Only one of 's mutineers was still alive: Alexander Smith, whose alias was John Adams....
, ship captain and uncle of Lucretia MottLucretia MottLucretia Coffin Mott was an American Quaker, abolitionist, social reformer, and proponent of women's rights.- Early life and education:... - Lillian GishLillian GishLillian Diana Gish was an American stage, screen and television actress whose film acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912 to 1987....
, film star - Rod GraberRod GraberRodney Blaine Graber is a former Major League Baseball center fielder. He was signed as an amateur free agent by the Cleveland Indians in 1949. He did not play in the major leagues until 1958, where he went 1 for 8 over two games played as an outfielder. He did not make an error and had four...
, member of 1958 Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
. - Bobby Grier, first African-American to play in a college football bowl gameBowl gameIn North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
(the 1956 Sugar BowlSugar BowlThe Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
) - Morton Grossman, known as the "father of modern gastrointestinal endocrine physiology"
- Mike HershbergerMike HershbergerNorman Michael Hershberger was an outfielder for the Chicago White Sox , Kansas City/Oakland Athletics , Seattle Pilots and Milwaukee Brewers ....
, MLB player for the Chicago White SoxChicago White SoxThe Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, Kansas City/Oakland AthleticsOakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, and the Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League... - Jim HoustonJim HoustonJames Edward "Jim" Houston is a former American football linebacker who played thirteen seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006....
, member of College Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of FameThe College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
and Pro BowlPro BowlIn professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
linebacker for the Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - Lin HoustonLin HoustonLindell Lee Houston was an American football guard who played eight seasons in the All-America Football Conference and in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns. He is the older brother of Jim Houston.Nicknamed "Mr...
, an All-American guardGuard (American football)In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
who played for Paul BrownPaul BrownPaul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...
in Massillon, at Ohio StateOhio State Buckeyes footballThe Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
and with the Cleveland Browns - Don James, college football coach
- Bob Knight, college basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach - Mark KozelekMark KozelekMark Kozelek is an American singer/songwriter Producer and frontman of Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters.-History:...
, singer/songwriter - Matt LanterMatt LanterMatthew Mackendree "Matt" Lanter is an American actor, former reality TV personality and model, perhaps best known for his roles in Commander in Chief, 90210, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Disaster Movie, Sorority Row and Vampires Suck.-Early life and career:Lanter was born in Massillon, Stark...
, actor and model - Ed MolinskiEd MolinskiEd Molinski was a Hall of Fame college football player for the University of Tennessee. He later became a doctor after being involved in boxing, World War II, and college coaching.-Football career:...
, member of College Football Hall of Fame, two-time All-American guard, member of 1938 Tennessee Volunteers1938 Tennessee Volunteers football teamThe 1938 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1938 college football season. Head coach Robert Neyland fielded his third team at Tennessee after returning from active duty in the United States Army...
National Championship team - Robert R. ScottRobert R. ScottRobert Raymond Scott was a United States Navy sailor who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor.-Biography:...
, Machinist's MateMachinist's MateMachinist's Mate is a rating in the United States Navy's engineering community.- Description :According to the Bureau of Naval Personnel , the job of an MM is to "operate, maintain, and repair ship propulsion machinery, auxiliary equipment, and outside machinery, such as: steering engine,...
First Class aboard the USS California (BB-44)USS California (BB-44)USS California , a Tennessee-class battleship, was the fifth ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 31st state. Beginning as the flagship of the Pacific Fleet, she served in the Pacific her entire career. She was sunk in the attack on Pearl Harbor at her moorings in Battleship Row,...
posthumously awarded the Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for heroism during the Japanese attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
. - Warren ShanabrookWarren ShanabrookWarren Hilton Shanabrook was a Major League Baseball third baseman. Shanabrook played for the Washington Senators in . In 1 career game, he had no hits in two at-bats. He batted and threw right-handed....
, Major League Baseball player - Joe SparmaJoe SparmaJoseph Blase Sparma was a quarterback in collegiate football and a pitcher in Major League Baseball .-Quarterback at Ohio State:...
, pitcher for the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
and quarterback for Ohio State UniversityOhio State UniversityThe Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States... - Chris SpielmanChris SpielmanCharles Christopher "Chris" Spielman is a former American football player and is currently an analyst for ESPN's coverage of college football games.-Football career:...
, 1987 Lombardi AwardLombardi AwardThe Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
winner at Ohio State and two-time All-ProAll-ProAll-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
NFL linebacker - Harry StuhldreherHarry StuhldreherHarry Augustus Stuhldreher was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played quarterback at University of Notre Dame from 1922 to 1924, where he was a three-time All-American and member of the legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield...
, three-time All-American quarterbackQuarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
at Notre DameUniversity of Notre DameThe University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, one of the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame - Patrick SweanyPatrick SweanyPatrick Sweany is a Blues-rock musician from Massillon, Ohio.-Biography:Patrick Sweany first gained prominence in the late 1990s as an acoustic blues guitarist and singer at many Blues Festivals around the U.S. His first CD I Wanna Tell You was released in 1999 and drew critical acclaim from...
, blues-rock musician - Jeff TimmonsJeff TimmonsJeffrey Brandon Timmons is an American pop singer and producer and founding member of the Grammy-nominated pop group 98 Degrees.-98 Degrees:...
, founder/member of pop group, 98 Degrees98 Degrees98 Degrees is an American adult contemporary boy band consisting of four vocalists: brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre, and Jeff Timmons. The group was formed by Timmons in Los Angeles, California.... - Ryan TravisRyan TravisRyan Travis is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at West Liberty University, where he was a consensus first-team Division II All-American in both 2009 and 2010. He led Division II in receptions in his senior year, while also tying the Division...
, Tuslaw High SchoolTuslaw High SchoolTuslaw High School is a public high school located near the city of Massillon, Ohio and serves all high school students in the Tuslaw Local School district. Tuslaw High School is a member of the Stark County Area Vocational School District allowing its high school students to attend the R.G...
graduate signed as an undrafted free agent by the Seattle SeahawksSeattle SeahawksThe Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team... - Bob VogelBob VogelRobert Louis Vogel is a former professional American football offensive lineman for the Baltimore Colts from 1963 to 1972. During that span he appeared in Super Bowl III and Super Bowl V for the Colts and was selected for the Pro Bowl five times. He played college football at Ohio State...
, football player - John WagerJohn WagerJohn Wager was a center in the National Football League. He played three seasons for the Portsmouth Spartans. Previously, he played four seasons at Carthage College.-References:...
, NFL center - Tom WeiskopfTom WeiskopfThomas Daniel Weiskopf is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. His most successful decade was the 1970s, and he won 16 PGA Tour titles between 1968 and 1982. After winding down his tournament career, Weiskopf has become a noted golf course...
, professional golfer - Stanfield WellsStanfield WellsStanfield Wells was an All-American football player for the University of Michigan Wolverines football team from 1909-1911. He was the first in a long line of All-Americans to come out of Massillon Washington High School, and was one of the pioneers of the forward pass...
, Massillon's first All-American football player, selected in 1910 - Alex WoodAlex Wood (American football)-References:...
, college and NFL football coach - James YoungJames Young (physician)James Morningstar Young was an American White House physician for presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.Born in Massillon, Ohio, Young become captain of the Duke University football team. He was also on active duty with the U.S Navy for twenty years between 1955 and 1975...
, White HouseWhite HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
physicianPhysicianA physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
to John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
and Lyndon B. JohnsonLyndon B. JohnsonLyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States... - StalleyStalleyKyle Myricks aka Stalley is a rapper from Massillon, Ohio.- Early life :Stalley attended Washington High School in Massillon. Stalley played basketball freshman through senior year. After graduation, he left home to play Division 1 basketball but was injured. That setback brought him to New York to...
, rapper
External links
- City of Massillon official website
- Gateway to the Massillon/Western Stark County
- Massillon Area Chamber of Commerce
- Massillon Proud - Online Massillon Community
- Massillon Tiger Football
- Massillon Business and Industry Database
- Stark County Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Massillon Independent - Local Newspaper