Lands Transformed…

Peter & Catherine (Essig) Pontius House

A couple of months ago the Plain Township Historical Society asked for someone to take photographs of Market Avenue North, above 55th Street. They wanted a record of what the road looked like before it was widened. The widening of Market North in this section of the road will change the landscape.

As a result of this project, Larry Snyder, one of our History Docents at McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, invited me to the Peter Pontius House, located on the West side of Market Avenue North between 55th Street and Schneider Road.  Larry also invited Library Volunteer, Tom Haas, and I invited our new Intern, Ingrid Chovan.

The foundation where the builders placed three rows of brick onto the stone walls, to better attached the wooden walls.

The “Summer Kitchen” which may be original.

This staircase was very well constructed, and didn’t creak at all when we ascended it.

 

Where Larry is standing represents the Western boundary of the newly widened Market Avenue North.

The widening of the road will not affect this particular house.  Thank you to Larry Snyder, and the Plain Township Historical Society for the invitation to experience Stark County History first hand!

More Later…

 

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Heartfelt Connections…

Last week I got a call from Ron Addington.  He asked if he could bring in the abstract for his home he purchased in 1968.  An abstract gives the history of the land a building or house is built on, but not the building itself.  He mentioned one of our volunteers, and wondered if we could make a copy of the abstract for our files.  I thanked him for the generous offer, and we made an appointment for today.

I happened to see Ron on one of the popular sites about Canton history over the weekend.  I commented on his photograph of Bezaleel Wells’ Canton Plat. He noticed my last name, and asked if I knew Bob & Gene!  I was delighted to reply Bob was my uncle, and Gene was my dad!

Ron and his wife, Joan came in and we talked about Lincoln High, the Melbourne Hotel, the McKinley Theater, and the Mellett Housing he and Joan lived in after he returned from serving in the Air Force.

Thank you Ron, for a glimpse into my Dad and Uncle’s past, and a new perspective on Canton, Ohio.